The Track versus The Treadmill

I have enjoyed running since I could walk.  I seemed to be naturally fast among my peers and won a variety of sprinting races during my school years, but I never had much particular training, other than strength training obtained from back-packing with my family or carrying 5 gallon buckets of cucumbers while working on a local farm.  I ventured into distance running, normally about 5 miles, later in high school and into college, but never in competitive venues, unless you count the Air Force ROTC  one mile physical endurance tests.  I did well in those, too, depending on the smog in a given location.

Seven pregnancies interrupted regular running.   I was not one of those who can continue exercising while carrying a child.  Sickness and exhaustion required me to trim my activities to those necessary for daily survival.  In between pregnancies, with my collection of real baby dolls growing, I was just glad to finish a 20 minute routine with a video 3 times a week or so.  I figured every little bit helped, but it wasn’t important enough to be attempting anything rigorous.  However, when it seemed I was done with the “internal pressure type” of belly stretching, I contemplated ‘becoming’ a runner again.

The fact that my husband is an avid, highly competitive long distance runner has it’s pros and cons.  He sets a good example, but comparisons can be highly discouraging.  He is an excellent coach, but running with him is embarrassing, especially when he is bored enough with my pace to just walk.  Sometimes it worked out for us to run on a track where he could just wave as he lapped me, roughly 3 laps to my one, depending on the track circumference.  Other times he would run backwards, claiming it was a good alternative exercise for his legs.  He was rarely breathing hard enough.

My musculoskeletal system had a few surprises for me, too.  I discovered my ilio-tibial band, a ligament that runs up the outer aspect of the leg.  If I couldn’t keep my stride long enough, it would proceed to burn and ache.  I guess I wasn’t dedicated enough, because I decided to take swimming lessons  and swim laps for a while.  Even though I limited my impact producing sports, parts of me just started to break.  Cartilage in my knee tore causing pain with walking.  Surgery.  A disc in my neck went AWOL.  I was reminded that the nerves in my neck are directly connected to my right arm, which was no longer functional.  Surgery.  I wondered if there are benefits of a sedentary life-style, but remembered laying in one spot too long causes bed sores.  If I was going to have pain regardless, I might as well enjoy myself at the same time.  So I decided to try taking up running again.

My two year old puppy needed regular exercise, so I thought I might incorporate running with that.  However, I found that her training was not complete enough.  Although she trots serenely by my side most of the time, she has a tendency to lunge at certain other dogs or bicycles.  I judged this too difficult to deal with when I’m gasping for breath and concentrating on my pace.

Being unsure of myself and my ability to run a certain distance yet, I have tried running in circles at the local gym.  There are both an outside and an inside track.  I’m too wimpy to run outside in the cold and dark of early fall mornings.  The curve of the turns on the inside track are just enough to tweak my ilio-tibial band even more, plus, I hate it when people pass me.  All of this  lead me to suspiciously eye the treadmills out of the corner of my eye.

I have used other technologically advanced exercise equipment previously and with success.  The stationary bicycle gives me opportunity to ride ‘without hands’ and not crash (like I did in Taiwan).  The elliptical machine is supposed to mimic running, but seems more like fast walking with an emphasis on high knee lifts.    For either of those, my legs get fatigued before I can get my heart rate up very much, though singing along with my iPod mix helps with that.  I try not to be obnoxiously loud, but I have a good time.  Each of those machines has it’s own elements of fun, but its not running.

So Tuesday I got on a treadmill again for one of the 2-3 times in my life.  Treadmills are scary.  The large red emergency stop button was ever on my mind.  After cautiously beginning at a walk, I incrementally increased my speed so that I had to have both feet simultaneously in the air at some point of the stride.  I believe that is the definition of running.  I would like to be able to call it running.  I kept my pace even slower than it had been while using the track because of concern that I would catch my toe, tip off balance, and fly off the end.  I have heard stories.  I am glad to report that the goal of one mile was met, despite my speed not being noteworthy.  However, I plan to run more, as well as keep up with the other routines that increase my stamina.  There may be hope of an age level award, especially if I keep running and am one of the only ones my age and gender in the race.