I have a theory about why I hurt so much from the treadmill run I did last week. The Wednesday before, when I went for a quick run outside, I did it in shorts. It was a bit above zero, so usually that is warm enough that the exercise will let me get away with being comfortable. But, my knees did feel a little stiff afterwards.
So maybe it wasn’t my company’s fitness program. Maybe it was my own fault. It would explain why I always seem to get injured in Spring every run.
After the feast today (or technically yesterday) I did the treadmill thing again. This time it felt good. Well, it felt hard, but it didn’t feel bad. I also did a warmup and stretching beforehand.
But, isn’t a treadmill incredibly boring?
Why, yes. It is. I’m only on for twenty minutes, and I do have an iPod pumping out my absolute favorite running tunes. Otherwise it is mind numbing.
When I was in junior high and high school, I had a different exercise program. Before dinner my father and I would go to a nearby track. There I would run a few laps, while my father would walk the dog in the opposite direction. The distance would start at about a mile at the start of summer and get longer and longer over the season, as long as I hit the speed mark I needed to add an extra half mile to the distance.
I have no idea how I did that. It sounds really boring.
The chief architect of continuing that program was the dog. She was very insistent that we go. She loved to roam around the schoolyard where the track was. She could investigate lots of smells and feel safe; At any time she could look up and check that we were still there.
I miss that dog.