I think my timing was good, as I arrived I had my pick of about 5 treadmills but by the time I had finished my warm-up they were all taken. I had checked out the training schedule and was going to do 2 x 1200m (400m recoveries) followed by 3 x 800m (200m recoveries). The good thing about the treadmill is that my pacing was spot on, I set the intervals at 7.8mph (approx 7:40 min/mile) and set to work. A very good session but I think the track does offer something a track can't and forces you to maintain pacing rather than the treadmill doing it for you (you just have to maintain pace and not fall off the back!).
The funny thing about treadmill running is that those either side of you always try and catch a glimpse of what you are doing, quite I often I find that men have a look at my speed and then up theirs for fear of being 'chicked'. What they fail to recognise is the variety of runs you could do on a treadmill, which makes this even funnier as they try to hike up the speed to match the pace of the intervals and immediately begin to struggle - this does not go for all of course but generally those that are happy with their own training are not too concerned with others.
Another odd thing I find - maybe because I am number obsessed - is that many people cover their treadmill screens so they can't see distance or speed, one man even brought his coat from the changing room and hung over the treadmill to hide the data, very strange indeed as you need to set something whether it be pace or distance surely so you would know what was under there? Maybe it is some kind of strange psychological game they are playing with themselves?
The final thing I find very odd is those that walk on a treadmill, not walk rests but just go on for a stroll, why not go for a walk? Bit of a waste when such a popular piece of equipment in a gym! At least challenge yourself to an incline if just walking!
Oh no, just looked at the PWR calendar again and realised it should have been 2 x 1200m then 4 x 800m, doh!
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