How to not hate running on a treadmill

This winter, I've found it necessary to run on the treadmill quite a bit. Usually I take a break from running during winter because I hate running in the cold. This year I had a races in January and February, so I had to do some running. When it gets dark at 4:30 pm and there's ice and snow covering the roads, you have to find a way. I've always hated running on the treadmill and avoided it whenever possible. This was the first year that I've actually found ways to enjoy it.

1. Find a better treadmill. My gym has a few FreeMotion treadmills that I love. They seem to run more smoothly and are much quieter than a "normal" treadmill. The stated weight limit for the particular model I like is 175 pounds, but I'm not sure if that's a LifeFitness limit or a number made up by the gym to increase the life of their best treadmills.

2. Run faster each mile. Running at the exact same pace for a long time can get boring real fast. But I've also tried interval workouts where you're supposed to change the speed every minute. I don't want to be messing with buttons on the treadmill every damn minute. One of the things I like about running is being able to zone out and think about other things. I can't do that if I have to constantly remember to change speeds. I like to start out at 6.1 mph (a pretty easy pace) and ramp it up 0.1 each mile until I'm running 6.6 mph for mile 6. Then I like to sprint the last 0.2 miles to make it a 10k. I really like this workout for distance training because it emphasizes starting slowly, gradually building up speed, and finishing strong. (Side note: I keep the incline consistent at 2.0 to simulate road running. A zero incline feels like running downhill the whole way. No road is as perfectly flat as a treadmill).

3. Run near a fan. I found a treadmill in the perfect spot right near a fan. Indoors there's no wind or air flow to help cool you off, so a fan can make a world of difference between a hard workout and a brutal one. For someone like me who sweats a lot, having some cool air to help wick moisture away is a lifesaver. I remember the gym at my grad school was always so warm and uncomfortable - there were no fans around the treadmills and there were always a bunch of people sweating profusely. The sweatiness and stinkiness of the whole situation made me hate going there. These little things really do make a difference.

4. Podcasts. This has been the number one game-changer for me when it comes to running on the treadmill. I've tried watching TV before, but that never worked for me. The shows that were on never held my attention- I'd lose focus so often I was barely watching the show. Or it would be like 50% commercials, which only made running on the treadmill more boring than ever. I like podcasts because I can listen to a story that not only takes my mind off running, but leads to other contemplations. When I'm going through a podcast series that I love, it's a treat reserved only for the treadmill. That way, I have something to look forward to when I run, and I feel like I'm getting two things done at once. It's been a lot of fun!

Here are the podcasts I've listened to so far:

Serial: I already mentioned this one; it's the first series I've completed. It's about a high school student named Adnan Syed who was accused and convicted of killing his girlfriend Hae Lee in 1999. There was no physical or DNA evidence. The entire case rested on another teenager's testimony and cell phone records -  despite the fact that the cell phone records did not line up with the testimony at key moments throughout the day of the murder. It's an interesting true story about a crime that took place 15 years ago. I liked how the episodes were pieced together with interviews, dialogue, and actual audio from the courtroom and police tapes. Each episode is about 30-40 minutes- perfect for a 3-4 mile midweek run!
All of the episodes are online for free: Serial podcast

The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey: This is actually the podcast where I first heard about Serial! This is currently my favorite podcast to listen to while running. Jamie describes it as an hour getting together with your favorite girlfriends, and that's kind of what it feels like! Jamie interviews women in all different areas of life: bloggers, writers, businesswomen, moms, etc, and they talk about everything from books to road trips, to raising kids, to their favorite Netflix shows. I've gotten so many ideas for books to read and shows to watch! Sometimes Jamie will go through a list that she found online, like "Most popular movies of 2014", or "Most talked about places to visit", and she and her guest will see if they've done each thing. I love these lists - not only do I get to mentally check off things I've seen/done, but it gives me ideas for the future.

Jamie does interview a lot of moms and they talk about their kids and spouses, but that has never bothered me even though I'm single. I actually think a lot of the "mom stuff" is applicable to anyone - time management strategies, dealing with stress, and taking time for yourself are some of the topics I've enjoyed, to name a few. A lot of these women have a lot of wisdom to share and I always enjoy learning new things.
This is the very first Jamie Ivey podcast I listened to: Happy Hour #20.
Here's the list on her blog: Podcasts. All are free!

TILT: Things I Love Thursday

These are the things I've been loving lately (in no particular order):

1. Fruit trail mix.  I basically love dried fruit in general, particularly dried banana and dates. I never knew how much I loved dates! They are delicious. I also like dried papaya, mango, and pineapple. And craisins have been a favorite staple in my salads for a long time.

2. Books about Navy SEALS. I'm on a kick reading books written by, or about, Navy SEALS. I listened to "No Hero" by Mark Owen on audiotape, and now I'm listening to "American Sniper" by Chris Kyle. I went to see the movie American Sniper last weekend and it was very well done. I want to read "No Easy Day", also by Mark Owen, because "No Hero" was awesome! I am amazed by the courage and skill these men demonstrated and I'm fascinated by the way they had to conduct missions in the harsh environment of Afghanistan.

3. The Wire. It took a few episodes for me to get into this show, but once I did, I was hooked. It's a show about crime, drugs, and corruption set in West Baltimore. The first season is about drug dealers and the cops that try to bring them to justice, but the next few seasons expand into politics, the school system, and the foster care system and how they're linked to the drug world and the police force. It's one of those shows I love where you never know what's going to happen. Some episodes can get a little boring, but when they get it right, it's phenomenal TV. The last 3 episodes of Season Three were some of my favorites. There are five seasons total and I'm about to start the last season.
(Warning: it is an adult show, with violence, language, disturbing scenes, and some nudity).

4. Sperrys. Two years ago, I didn't own any Sperrys. Now I have 3 pairs and they are my go-to every day shoes. I love them because I can slip them on and they are so comfortable all day long! They're perfect for work because I'm on my feet so much. I wear them all year and they look good with everything. My favorites are the navy ones with the plaid side panels.

5. BLT. My brother got me started on bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches. I've never been a fan of them before, but he makes a bangin' BLT! I make them with avocado and bacon-flavored mayo, and I toast the bread so it's crispy, not soggy. It's the perfect meal for me since I'm only cooking for one person. I usually use half an avocado and half a tomato, then use the other halves the next night.

6. Podcasts. I have found a way to run on the treadmill without wanting to die - podcasts. I've never been one to listen to music while I run. When I'm outside, I don't run with anything. The treadmill can get a little boring, though, and music just doesn't cut it for me. Podcasts give me something to think about and it keeps my mind off the 'mill. I most recently listened to Serial, a 12 week series about a guy who may have been wrongly convicted of murder. The story is pieced together through interviews, dialogue, and audio recordings from the original trial. It's an interesting true story (and like The Wire, takes place in Baltimore. It was fun to hear both the show and the podcast reference some of the same places).

South Dakota

A couple weekends ago, I took a road trip to South Dakota. It's about a 6 hour drive from Wray, CO, so I thought I'd do some sightseeing while I'm near this area. After all, I don't know when I'll be within driving distance of South Dakota again!

I left after work on Saturday, and the drive up there was mostly boring through the plains of Nebraska. When the landscape finally started to change, it was getting dark. Then a dense fog rolled in and it started snowing; the last hour of my drive was a little tense! But I made it safely and checked into my hotel in Keystone, SD.

Badlands National Park. My first stop on the trip. It was about an hour and a half from Keystone. It took me a few hours to drive through, with lots of stopping to take pictures. There were some trails, but it was too cold to get out and do much hiking. I loved the landscapes though! Each one seemed more spectacular than the last. These are some of my favorites:

There were hardly any other cars in the park that day. I had the road and the views all to myself.

Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse. I saw Mt. Rushmore about 14 years ago and I remember it being really cool. This time it was a bit of a letdown. I mean, seeing it from the road is really cool, but then you pay $11 to get into the park to see it 100 yards closer. It was really cold and no one else was there! The food at Carver's Cafe in the park was good- they have a variety of entrees made with bison meat. I got the bison burger and ice cream for dessert and it hit the spot!

I also remember seeing Crazy Horse 14 years ago, and they had just finished his face. I was thinking a lot more of it would be completed by now, but it kind of looked the same. Again, I paid $11 for a slightly closer look at the carving, and it was slightly underwhelming. But then I went into the visitor's center and watched the 20 minute video on the history of Project Crazy Horse, and I was a lot more impressed. It's really complicated and time-consuming to carve such a huge statue, not to mention it's being managed by one family and paid for through donations. The final statue will look awesome! I hope I get to see it in my lifetime.

Custer Park. The day started out cloudy and dreary, so I didn't get many good pictures at first. After awhile, it started clearing up, but by then I was driving through grasslands, which weren't as scenic. I drove the Wildlife Loop hoping to see some buffalo. It had been awhile and I had only seen some deer. I was getting worried that I wouldn't see any buffalo at all. Then I rounded a corner and a whole herd of them were everywhere- including the road.

After taking some pictures, I was inching forward when suddenly I felt my car shake. A huge buffalo had come up and was licking salt off my car.

Within minutes, several buffalo had surrounded my car and were giving it a thorough tongue washing. I was a little nervous, but figured they weren't hurting me or the car. I didn't want to make the buffalo scared or angry by trying to pull away too fast, so I just sat there for awhile and got some pictures.

When I found an opening, I kept inching forward, until eventually I had a clear path to drive away. It was a little scary, but I definitely got my fill of seeing buffalo!

I didn't spend much time in Keystone itself, other than staying at the hotel there, but I loved this little stone bridge. In the summer during tourist season, it's probably a more happening place.

I enjoyed seeing a lot of sights in South Dakota in two days! It was definitely worth the drive!

Ralston Creek Half Marathon

I signed up for this race solely because I wanted to run a race in Colorado during my travel rotation. The only two races that fit into my schedule were this one, which was in Arvada, and one on Super Bowl Sunday in Colorado Springs. (It had to be on a Sunday sometime in February). I decided on Ralston Creek because it was closer and it was a week later, which gave me more time to recover after running Key West.

A few weeks before the race, I convinced my friends Becky and Jeff to sign up for the 5K. I stayed at their house in Loveland and we drove an hour to the race. It worked out great since then the race didn't start until 9:45. The race actually had two waves, one at 9am for runners finishing in more than 2:30, and 9:45am for runners faster than 2:30.

We got to the starting area with plenty of time, despite leaving later than planned. We had no trouble finding parking and picking up our race packets. This was a smaller race (around 750 people) but pretty well organized. We really lucked out on the weather too! It was unseasonably warm for Colorado: sunny and in the 60's! The race director said that last year it was snowing/ sleeting and the year before that, it was so cold the water froze! It was a bit windy this year, but nothing compared to what the weather could've been like in February!

The race started off on the roads, but soon turned onto a bike path. It was a quiet trail through a park and a golf course- it would be a nice place to run if I lived closer! The path was kind of narrow, but it wasn't a problem since there weren't huge crowds of runners. It did twist and turn a bit, which slowed me down when I had to turn a sharp corner. The first 3 miles went by fast. It was windy so I started off with a long sleeve shirt, but I quickly got too hot and had to take it off around mile 3.

For some reason, I hit a low point around mile 5. I started hating the run and having negative thoughts like "this is miserable!" "why do I torture myself this way?". Thankfully I kept pushing through and I felt better after awhile. I don't know if I got a little overheated or tired or what, but I just wasn't feeling it at mile 5. This may sound weird, but a word came to my mind to help me get through it: Relentless. I had read a Runner's World article where runners picked a word that described them, but it was like God gave me this word. "Relentless" came into my mind several times during the race, and it made me think of how I want to be a person who never gives up, who keeps going no matter the obstacles, who meets a challenge step-by-step and overcomes it by dogged determination. That word gave me energy, and it kind of defined my race. I didn't run extremely fast, but I never stopped; I was determined to run the whole thing.

Mile 6 was uphill against the wind. It was like running against a current. It's a good thing I had decided to be relentless, because it took some perseverance to make it up that hill. It flattened out a bit after that, and I thought the worst hill was over. Then I looked up and saw runners snaking up a HUGE hill, back and forth, back and forth. It would've been discouraging, except for my newfound determination. I tackled it one step at a time. Going one direction, I'd be fighting the wind, but going the other direction, the wind would actually push me forward. It always seemed to blow harder when it was against me though!

It was such a relief to finally make it to the top of the hill around mile 8. I turned the corner, and we were on top of a ridge, with the reservoir far below us and the skyscrapers of Denver visible in the distance. Not to mention the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains beside us and behind us. It was absolutely gorgeous! We ran along the ridge, then slightly downhill for a mile, with a tailwind behind us and gorgeous views below us. This was definitely my favorite part of the race!

The last few miles were back along the same bike trail. It wasn't quite as windy, but it was getting hot. I probably didn't drink enough fluid because I felt dehydrated after the race, but I kept going and finished at a good pace. At the finish area, they had chocolate chip banana bread and breakfast burritos- both were surprisingly delicious! They also had hot chocolate, which I would have appreciated more had it not been about 70 degrees by then.

Overall, it was a fun low-key race, and I enjoyed it despite the two miles uphill. It was a good size: there were enough people to make it interesting, but it was never crowded and frustrating like some races can be. I liked the half-zip tech shirt, the pre-race goodies, and all the post-race food. My very favorite part was the scenic views running down along the ridge- that alone made this race totally worth it! Another nice perk that I should mention is they offer free digital downloads of race pix for a week after the event- which is why I was able to add these photos to the blog!

Official Time: 2:05:32     Pace: 9:35 min/mile

1	8:18
2	9:09
3	9:20
4	9:38
5	9:31
6	10:22 (uphill)
7	9:50 (mostly uphill)
8	9:55 (uphill)
9	8:51 (downhill!)
10	9:09 (downhill)
11	9:06 (downhill)
12	9:24
13	9:43

Key West

Key West was the perfect place to take a vacation in January. It was warm, sunny, peaceful, and relaxing. A great way to escape the snow and cold for a few days.

Key West is the southernmost point in the continental US. It's only about 4 square miles, so it's easy to get around by foot or bike. We rented bikes for the first few days and biked or walked everywhere!

There's lots to do for such a small island! On the southern side of the island there's a boardwalk and beaches; on the northern side there's a pier and shopping.

Key West is known for its Key Lime pies, so we tried Key Lime Pie on a stick, as well as the traditional version; both were delicious! Many places have great homemade ice cream, too.

Duval Street is the famous street with lots of restaurants and bars. Some of my favorite places for breakfast were the Cafe Moka and Banana Cafe. They're right next door to each other and both are the cutest little cafes. Banana Cafe had an upstairs balcony that I loved.

There were several historical sites that we visited. We had to take a few pictures at the end of the road (end of route 1). We also went to Ernest Hemingway's house and got to see some of his six-toed cats, and his swimming pool, which was the first one on the island and cost a small fortune.

On our last day, we rented mopeds. They were a lot of fun, but harder to operate than I thought!

The beaches were beautiful and mostly deserted when we were there (in January).

One of the other cool things we did was a kayak tour of the mangroves. The mangrove trees grow in such a way that they form natural waterways in order to keep a water supply to all the trees. It's like a maze - luckily one that's the perfect size for a kayak!

Key West was such a fun vacation. I liked it because it was peaceful and relaxing, but there was still enough to see and do. Of course, we went during the off season, so it wasn't very crowded (except for the race). I already want to come back to visit sometime!