Love/Hate Affair with the Dreadmill

As most of you know I'm a die hard runner and if I think I'm suppose to run today then I'll get it in someway.  I LOVE running in the rain but even I draw the line running in a cold rain, so off to the dreadmill I go.  This would have been the perfect morning to just roll over and stay in bed, especially if you didn't have to be up.

I LOVE that I have access to a treadmill @ the gym, but I HATE the monotony of it, so I decided to change it up a little.  Anything to get through those dreadful miles!  And let me just say 4 miles is my limit, I would choose running 10 miles outside over 4 miles on a treadmill any day.

When I got to the gym I spotted another die hard runner, Joanna, so I jumped on the treadmill right beside her...well I just started chatting hoping she wouldn't mind... She has the same affair with the treadmill so she joined right in-WOW, 1 mile flew by and Joanna had to go (she had already logged in 3 before-another 4 mile limit girl).  I plugged in my music and decided to try some hill intervals since I'm running Reedy River 10K this weekend.  I must say this workout kicked my butt!!!

Here you go if you are looking for a butt kicker (just change up the speed & incline to suit you)

0-10 min - 6.5 - no incline
10-14 min - 6.7 - 2% incline
First interval -  14-16 min - 7.0 - 4% incline
                         16-18 min - 6.5 - 6% incline
18-20 min - bring down to comfortable pace, heart rate down, 2% incline
Second interval - 20-22 min - 7.0 - 4 % incline
                            22-24 min - 6.5 - 6 % incline
24-26 min -bring down to comfortable pace, heart rate down, 2% incline
Third (and last) interval - 26-28 min - 6.5 - 6% incline
                                          28-30 min - 6.0 - 8% incline
30-32 min - bring down to comfortable pace, heart rate down, 2%
Back up to 6.5 to finish out the LAST mile

AWESOME!  Butt kicker, red faced, out of breath workout!!!  I wasn't sure I was going to make it through that last interval.

I must say I didn't get bored:-). Give it a try next time you find yourself on the dreadmill.  If this is too hard just decrease the speed & incline-just be sure to keep it an interval though-your heart should be beating-remember if you look good after a workout then you weren't working hard enough!!

Have a GREAT day!