Dreadmills and the Zing Zang

OK, the treadmill really isn't that bad...but seeing I have been forced to run on the treadmill the last two days...OK, not forced, but the weather here in central Minnesota was just too risky. Not so much the temperature, I mean, I just proved I could run at -1°, but the wind. With wind chills falling way below -10°...well, even I'm not that crazy.

I've also been hampered with the old belly gurgles, not to mention Aunt Flo, who likes to surprise me now and again by arriving on schedule. Still, despite the maladies, I overcame and managed to squeak out a few miles on the ol' dreadmill.

Saturday's workout was the 45-min cross train run. My walk speed was 4.2 mph My run speed 8.0 mph. I've posted the details before, but basically it is a warm up, followed by a 5 minute walk, then a 5 minute run. Then, a 10 minute walk followed by a 5 mile run. One more round, and then a 5 minute walk and a cool down.  It turns out to be about 4 miles...and that lately is just not good enough, so I planned to do  another round, this time ramping the run down to just 7.0 mph. But, because of the belly ache, I only made it 30 minutes into the second round. This turned out to be a 6.75 mile total workout.

Sunday, honestly, I planned to take a rest day. But my husband was teasing me all day with the prospect of a Zing Zang Bloody Mary with dinner. With that looming in my head, I felt I had to do something to combat the calories I'd be ingesting...although, a Bloody Mary is always a good drink choice for a runner. It's loaded with antioxidants  it's got the sodium of a sports drink, and a little spice to rev up the metabolism. The olives add some MUFAs, and the Vodka? Why, that's just a bonus!

But, despite it all, the dreadmill does go fast if you are occupied. Yesterday, I watched The Biggest Loser, sans commercial interruption, and today I watched some football. That makes the time go by. I had to wonder though, is dreadmill running really considered running? I mean, if I asked Miles from Runner's World Magazine, I wonder what he would say? I guess I say it is questionable. But it works in a pinch. And the weather is always fairly nice, for the most part. So, it'll stay.

What is your opinion of the dreadmill?