The Dreaded Dreadmill

7 miles on the dreadmill last night......thanks Oregon.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't mind running in the rain (almost prefer it to the heat) nor does it bother me to run at night.....but rain + dark? No thanks....that combo is just one wet leaf away from a broken ankle. So instead I spent my long run (which I should have done Sunday - procrastination will always get the best of me) on the treadmill, aka, "dreadmill". Thankfully I had a little Monday Night Football to keep me company, but man is that just a rough 75 minutes of sheer boredom!

Good news is that I think I may have figured out a fix to my foot issue that should keep me running a good pace until I can pick up a pair of new shoes. After spending a year trying different options- Adidas, Aesics and Nike - I finally settled on the newest Brooks Adrenaline this past summer and can I say they are just an amazing pair or sneakers! Not one injury or joint discomfort in the 300 or so miles I've put on them so far.  Very happy, happy, happy with this shoe.

Since I should have at least 50 more miles left on my Brooks, I decided to use a re-lacing technique (LOVE the interwebs) that would hopefully take the pressure off my foot tendons and provide some relief, assuming I wasn't dealing with a stress fracture......And wouldn't you know it, it worked! Though I still have some tightness after each run, making an effort to stretch my foot/toes out afterwards and the next day significantly reduces any discomfort. 

(skipping over the 4th hole worked wonders)

The longer you are in the sport of triathlon, the more odd pains you will experience here and there. Though knowing I must listen to my body for signs of more serious issues, I am learning not to overreact with each new twinge. Almost 80% of the time, a pressumed "injury" is usually just a tight muscle or tendon that needs a good rub. Getting fit with the proper equipment for YOUR body (regardless of the awesome new pair of Mizunos your friend just came home with), sticking to a training plan with gradual increases to workload and ensuring that you stretch and roll out daily will keep most major issues at bay. My own humble experience of course.

 That being said, last night's 7 miles on the dreadmill wasn't too bad. I'm a week behind in my HM training plan, but seeing that I have a pretty decent base to work from, it shouldn't bare any negative effects on my race. Can I just say how happy I will be once 12/15 comes and this darn thing is OVER?!! I will definitely view it as an accomplishment, but 5 days a week of running is far too much for me - I miss by bike/swim time. :(

And just for my fellow Fanasty Football enthusiasts out there...check out last night's end result to my week 9 match up. I'd like to thank Andre Johnson for going crazy ape bananas this weekend and the Chicago defense for taking out Aaron Rodgers! Luckiest WIN ever!!!! 

How do you deal with long training sessions on the "dreadmill"?