Friday, 3 September 2010

Fun on the dreadmill

I haven't been to the gym for ages but last night I thought I had better start getting my money's worth, or some of it anyway, and went for a run on the treadmill (really should have done some strength stuff as well but didn't have time). I managed 4 and a half miles of running up and down imaginary hills (well, not down, but it feels like down when you put it to 0 after going up for a while) before I couldn't stand the boredom any more and also the gym was about to close and everybody else had gone home, clearly having better things to do at 10pm on a Thursday night. Still have not quite figured out why running on the treadmill (even when not uphill) feels like harder work than running outside, i.e. greater perceived effort for the same pace. Was meaning to wear my HRM so I could compare, but forgot.

The gym was nearly deserted anyway apart from a woman in a pink top who at one point got on the treadmill next to me and walked at a leisurely pace for literally three minutes before getting off and going for a drink of water. Not that I'm in any great position to criticise anyone else's fitness efforts, but I did wonder what fitness gain could possibly be made from a three minute gentle stroll on a treadmill, unless perhaps you're actually the single most unfit person in the world for whom a three minute walk represents a massive effort. Then again she was probably looking at me and thinking "look at that idiot, red faced and sweaty, I'm glad I'm not like that..."

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