Planned run 40 minutes

Date: 20 May 2009
Time: 40 minutes
Distance: mehkm
Approx Speed: meh kmh
Average Heart Rate: meh
Google Ped: meh


After running last night in the driving rain, I could not face doing the same again this morning. Christine and I went to the gym and did a session on the treadmill instead.

I am very sceptical of the benefits of treadmill running for training for a half marathon. The action is significantly different to real running. Particularly the acceleration / deceleration effect you get when doing a real run is just not possible on a treadmill. It seems to be a much easier action and works a particular set of muscles when you run on a treadmill - Real running works a lot more muscles in general and requires the use of core strength a lot more I think.

Regardless, the treadmill is a reasonable substitute when the weather is as bad as it is right now. I set the machine up with an incline of 4.0, and a speed of 12 km/h and ran for 40 minutes. Really nothing like a real run, but got me working ok!!

My legs are sore from the combination of the 20.5km run on Sunday, the 8km run on Tuesday and this pissweak treadmill run today :) I have no specific injury worries at all, just the usual twinges in calves, knees, ankles and heals. I an looking forward to a real run on Thursday if the weather is ok. My good running shoes are very wet, shall see if I can get them dry by then