When the Going Gets Tired...

When the Going Gets Tired....I sometimes head to the treadmill.  Today I was supposed to do an interval run.  I got to bed late the night before, woke up a bit tired, went downstais, made my usual run breakfast and then laced up.  As soon as I opened the front door I knew that it would be in my best interest to head to the gym rather than the track.  Track workouts have never been my favorites but I have learned that they are or shall I say can be, confidence boosters.  The problem is when and if you head to a track workout with your mind or your body lacking the enthusiam...it can deflate your little esteem balloon pretty darn fast. 

I have taught myself to embrace that little dreadmill.  It gives me the opportunity to not give up on what I set out to do for the day but at the same time allows me not to really have to think. 

The session was difficult but I was pleased at the end.  I made up my own little Ladder Interval workout (or at least I like to think I made it up...but I'm sure its a real thing made up by someone previously lol).  I've learned to run a bit faster (and by no means am I fast...some of you may think these treadmills times are chump change!) you have to ...practice running faster.

I warmed up at 6.0 for one mile
then for .25 I increased the interval speed by .2mph each .25 miles

.25-   6.6  (This is the speed I try to stay in most of the time)
.25-   6.8
.25-   7.0
.25-   7.2

50 second rest

.25-   6.8  (Totally sweating now)
.25-   7.0
.25-   7.2
.25-   7.4

50 second rest

25-    7.0   (These are the speeds I would love to be able to handle for a longer period of time)
.25-   7.2
.25-   7.4
.25-   7.6


This workout also helps relieve the boredom that can sometimes set in while at the gym.  I remember having to do a 12 mile run on a treadmill one time...I found myself counting other peoples reps in the gym or trying to guess what machine would be choosing next...um really?  With these types of treadmill runs you are too focused on trying to keep form at that pace, pressing the buttons every .25 of a mile and then hopping off for a 50 second break....the time goes by much faster.   

What do you do on the treadmill?  What's the longest you've run on a treadmill?  What do you do when are just not feeling the run or activity you are supposed to do?