Running: Treadmill vs. Road vs. Trail

Running is running, right? WRONG.

I am not an expert on running beyond the basics: invest in quality footwear, listen to your body, beginners should log minutes instead of miles, do the "talk test," etc. But, sadly, I thought that all running was pretty much created equal. This weekend, that idea was shattered.

Treadmill vs. Oustide

I'm getting pretty good at the treadmill. I can jog along at a nice leisurely pace for an extended period of time while watching Dr. Phil on the gym TV's or listening to my iPod. I can log a few miles at a time on the treadmill now without taking any "walk breaks." I thought (okay, I still think) I was pretty cool stuff.

Then on a nice day last week I took it outside.

I almost died running a whole mile. (Side note: yes, yes, I know that I violated almost every beginning runner rule I listed above. I did not listen to my body. I did not try to count minutes instead of miles. I wanted a mile, dammit. And I was determined to get one. Do as I say and not as I do.) Mystified (and gasping for air), I pondered why it is so much easier to run on a treadmill than outside? My scientific brain logically decided that it clearly requires far more energy to actually propel my mass forward through space on non-moving footing than it does to bounce from one leg to another on a moving tread while staying in one spot.

Why this thought didn't occur to me before I set out to knock out a piddly, measly mile on the pavement in my neighborhood, I'll never know. But I sure know now. Running "out in the world" is much more difficult than hitting a treadmill. Is that to say that a treadmill isn't as good of exercise? No. Treadmills are still awesome. Especially in cold, rainy, gloomy Oregon. Plus, they are easier on the joints than the pavement, and you can adjust the incline to exactly what you want. But treadmills and the sidewalk are vastly different running experiences, and they each have something to offer.

Trail Running


Treadmills and sidewalks may be the staple for most of us who live in suburbia, but if you want to take your running experience from "bleh" to "Holy Crap!" in no time, hit the trail.

I LOVE trail running. It reminds me of trail riding with my horses, only I'm the one doing all the work. It is interesting. The varying terrain; the shift in inclines/declines; the scenery, smells, and solitude; and the occasional ditch/log/tree root/rock all (quite literally) keep me on my toes. Running uphill on a trail is hard. Running downhill on a trail is not as demanding, however it does require a high degree of fancy footwork and physical dexterity and agility to remain upright as your body flies downwards. Yes, physics do kick in and it is much more difficult to stop when going downhill, and much more difficult to go when going uphill. All in all, I think it makes it much more enjoyable than a constant incline of a treadmill, or the steady pounding on concrete.

I am fortunate enough to live at the foot of a nature park with miles of trails. I have very few excuses to NOT go trail running (or even just hiking would probably do me worlds of good) other than this Evil Oregon Rain.

I went up last Sunday. The next day I was sore. I was sore from mid-calf down to my ankles. In trail running, apparently you have to use ALL of those little tiny micro-muscles in your lower leg and ankles to stabilize yourself on the uneven terrain. I know this will help my riding SO much!!! I have weak ankles. I have always had weak ankles. Particularly my right ankle. It gets sore after too much posting/2-point or anything that requires me to be extra deep through the heel when I am on horseback. I am interested to see if trail running helps improve my ankle strength, since it's so difficult to find "traditional" exercises that do!

Yoga, Pilates, Aerobics, Oh My!

It's been roughly a week, give or take a few days, and I am down 4lbs and have been hitting as many group classes as I can fit into my schedule. I love them. I love them all. For different reasons.

I love Yoga and Pilates for the strength and toning workout they give. I need both. I have atrocious upper-body strength. It's really very very sad. Most people have issues with the "plank" pose, because it requires core strength to stay straight. *I* have a problem with the plank pose because my arms are not strong enough to hold me up. Period. It's pitiful, really. I may have to hit the weights in my non-class times to try to catch up with the learning curve...

Areobics are a whole different ball game. I hit the step class, and didn't feel a darn thing until the next day, my calves were mildly sore. I suspect that it was mostly because I spent most of my time trying to learn the choreography and wasn't focusing on the workout so much. I am guessing that it will get better. That, or I need to raise my step up a hair higher than "almost flat." 

Today I hit up kickboxing. It was a blast. I loved it. I find it interesting that I don't struggle with the choreography for kickboxing as much as other classes, so now I can focus on the workout, which was intense. And I love throwing punches. It makes me feel like a badass.

On days where there is just no way I can fit a class in, I try to at least hit the mundane cardio equipment at the gym, even though I feel like a hamster on a wheel. Yesterday I was just about to hop off when Dr. Phil came on the big gym TV, and the show was titled "The Fat War." So I plugged in my earphones and got even more motivated. LOL.

Tonight I will be heading out to the barn to ride the pony and see if my week of intense workouts has helped anything at all in my riding. It shoud be very interesting.

Hitting the Gym

As part of my resolution to become a better and more fit equestrienne, I decided to pry my old membership card out of my wallet, blow the dust off of it, and march my flabby butt down to the ultimate site of self-torture: the gym.

Now, I have always been a solo gym-goer. I go alone, park myself on the aerobic equipment for a half hour to an hour, and zone out. Either watch the TVs or plug in the ole' iPod. Occasionaly, if I was feeling particularly motivated, I would jump on a resistence/weight machine if they weren't too busy. I think waiting in line for gym equipment should be illegal.

Now, I'm not saying that there was anything wrong with me forcing myself to get at least 1/2 hour of cardio in. It's better than nothing, that's for sure. But the motivation was lacking.

So, while perusing the Wonderful World Wide Web one day, looking for healthy vegetarian recipes, I stumbed across a fitness magazine web site that I quite like, and within this magazine's HUGE array of articles on everything from yoga to running to healthy eating, I found an article that made so much sense to me. About the power of joining the group classes offered at the gym. About how motivating they are. About how women, in particular, need the social support to continue an exercise program.

So I looked up my gym's group classes, decided that joining yoga would be a good idea for my first group class ever, since it was the least-threatening-looking on one there (Boot camp? Turbo kickboxing? What the hell is Zumba?) and resoved to attend the very next day.

Yoga kicked my butt. It was great. I stayed for the whole hour instead of thinking "eh, a half hour is good enough, and I have things to do," and I gave way more effort than I normally would have on my own. Hmm. Maybe there is something to this group class idea after all.

Yesterday I attended my second ever group class: pilates. Pilates kicked my butt more so than yoga. I am sore EVERYWHERE today, but I am so excited for my next class. Addicted already, I think. Which, to me an my non-motivated self, is a miracle. I would love to be addicted to the gym. Then how easy would this weight loss/fitness thing be? And it didn't help that my pilates instructor promised me that by the end of 30 pilates classes that I would see a noticeable difference in how my body looks and moves. You're ON, sister! Prove it. :-)

Sadly, the only class that I can squeeze in today is the mysterious and elusive Zumba class. Everyone says they are a lot of fun, though. And from what I gather it's more of a dance/aerobics class instead of the strength/toning/flexibility that yoga and pilates provides. Which I should probably incorporate into my class rotation anyway, to keep everything nice and balaced. Will be sure to keep everyone posted on the outcome though. I have zero rhythm. None. So it should at least be entertaining if nothing else.