Who Am I?

I am an avid runner and have been running since I was 15 years old. I began running low to medium distances while on my high school track team, running the 800 meter and 1600 meter races (I was a sub 5 miler and a 2 minute 800 runner). In addition to the track team, I also joined the cross country team. After high school I still wanted to run and decided to start doing road races. I have probably ran a couple hundred 5k races (16.29 PR)along with many 10k's as well. In 2009 I decided to step up my game and try to tackle my first marathon. I will be honest; the only reason I did this was because my father ran a few and I wanted to show him that I could do what he did. I trained poorly for my first one and regret it. If you are going to run a race, train like you want to win. I still continue to run marathons and other distances as well, and every race is a chance for me to better myself.
I started this blog to hopefully communicate with other runners and to shed any knowledge I may have about the sport that can help other runners. I believe running is the best sport and can be a great stress reliever. I encourage all runners to spread the word of our sport and show people why running is so good and why the community of runners has such great people. You can follow me on twitter @byrne1324 or find me on facebook- Shaun Byrne

Thursday, January 8, 2015

Beat The Dreadmill

If you live in Pittsburgh like myself then you have probably realized winter is here. We were spoiled for the months of November and December, with days reaching high’s into the 60’s. From the look of this week I would say that our luck has ran out. Saturday I had all intentions of running the DICK’S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon Kick Off Run. As DICK’S Brand Specialist I had to work the event and was unable to run. The weather called for freezing rain, and that is exactly what we got. The roads were a mess and there were accidents all over the city. 1100 people registered for the event and if I had to guess I would say about 125 people braved the conditions. Thankfully they have rescheduled the run for this Saturday and I will be able to run and still meet runners and talk to them. This week the weather has been very cold and snowy, making it dangerous to run outside. I still see people out hitting the pavement, but it is few and far between. It seems like this is the time of the year where we will all be complaining about the treadmill a.k.a. the dreadmill. When I first started to use the treadmill I had tons of problems with staying concentrated. I would get on and start my run and within ten minutes I was completely bored or I couldn’t keep my eyes off the time. Five minutes seemed like it took five hours.

I have come up with a few methods that have helped me over the way and maybe they can help you as you use the treadmill in the crappy weather.

The Towel- I will take a towel and cover the screen once I start my run. This will help prevent you from staying focused on the time. The towel also comes in handy if you’re sweating. Which for me seems to be a lot more when I am indoors.

Music to my ears- Listen to music while you run. Normally I tell people don’t listen to music when they run. That is if you are road running. You want to hear a car or a loose dog when you are running on the road. On a treadmill you don’t have the surrounding to worry about, so I say blast the music. Music can motivate you also, so it may work in more than one way for you. Just don’t be that person at the gym singing the wrong lyrics or thinking no one can hear you when we all can. Even I have had the embarrassment of this happening to me. What can I say sometimes I like jam.

Tune in the TV- If you are at your house set the treadmill up in front of your television and watch your favorite show. If you are at the gym chances are they have a few televisions and you can connect your headphones into the treadmill and tune in to each TV. I personally like when Big Bang Theory is on.

Change up the run- One easy way to not get bored is too run at different speeds. Use the treadmill as a speed workout. Intervals will keep you watching the time, but normally you are going at a faster speed and you are hoping the time goes by fast. A half hour of doing this and you can quickly log 3 miles and it will feel like 15 minutes when by.

The buddy system- Now not all runners are like me and can talk while they run, but if you are one of those people bring a friend. Go to the gym and have a friend hop on the treadmill next to you and get caught up on sports or gossip. To each their own.

Break it up- Sometimes when nothing is working and I can’t keep my attention I will break up the run. I will do a mile or 2, then I will lift some weights. Once I am done I will go back and do a few more miles. It’s not the most productive run, but you are still logging the miles and strengthening your muscles.

If these all fail you then you may want to just brave the elements. I know I would much rather face the cold than the treadmill, but sometimes even I say it is too cold.

At what temperature is it too cold for you to run outside?

How do you stay focused on the treadmill?



10 comments:

  1. I just **cannot** use the treadmill ... I continue to run outside, at a slower pace because of the snow but continue to log about 12 miles a day. Some people can do the treadmill but I like the nature and on the other hand, winter offers a lot of beautiful scenes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I try to get outside as much as I can. I hate the treadmill, but sometimes when I get home it's dark and cold so I just use it.

      Delete
  2. Great advice! I have been using the towel trick for a long time now, and if I don't use it I'm in big trouble.
    I set a TV/DVR up in my basement and I usually watch a recorded show while I'm running...to keep things interesting I switch the speed every time a commercial comes on. That way, I'm increasing my speed at a nice, gradual pace (rather than all at one) and I'm staying distracted!
    I'd much rather run outside, but sometimes it's just not an option!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The commercial thing is pretty smart, never thought of that. Ya I will brave the cold most of the time but sometimes you have to just stay in and be warm

      Delete
  3. I'll have to see how these next two months go. Last year I ran outside all winter except for two or three days when I used the treadmill, and that was when it was about -15 degrees. I think if it's above 0 I'll be outside. Double digits would be nice though! See you on Saturday. It will be a cold one!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Make sure you come get some arm warmers off me. It will be cold but at least I am allowed to run this one

      Delete
  4. This was me this week! Urgh! I find I typically go slower on a treadmill than when I run outside, because I can just sit on an easy pace. The biggest thing to keep me engaged is having a TV around that I can watch and keep my mind off what crazy machine I am running on.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have the same problem, I will go a lot slower than I would if I was outside. And for some reason it feels like I am running faster.

      Delete
  5. One of the best purchases I've made has been my treadmill. Yes, I hate it. Sometimes I just stare at it and flip it off as I walk by. Yet, it has gotten me through many cold days and has made me a better runner. When I first got it, I got winded at 5mph. I can now do 8mph consistently and even braved the "10" for 30 seconds recently-what great practice for leg turnover! I definitely think it has helped me with speed. I really don't like running in any temp below 26 or so. Seems I can never get my feet to warm up. I seldom use it other than winter and am very glad I have it as an alternative! It is truly my winter running friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They are definately good to have and can work for speed. I also hate them and dread when I have to use it, but I would rather grin and bear it than not run at all. I don't know if I have ever flipped the machine off but I have used it for a clothes hanger before and I have to say it works great

      Delete