X Trainer

Tonight when I got home it was too dark and wet to go running on my own, since my JP was off to a work Christmas dinner (already, and it's still only Nov!). I was disappointed at the thought of not getting out to run since we haven't been out since Sunday so I geared up and got on the cross trainer. After all I love my cross trainer... it has all the stats I need - speed, distance, calories, time; heart rate monitor (which doesn't work so well so I have to wear my wrist one anyway), a 3 speed fan, and best of all... and ipod dock with speakers!

BUT...

As I worked through the half hour I remembered why I can always find excuses to not use it. It's B O R I N G. I watched the screen to monitor my stats, I checked my heart rate monitor, I found 3 cobwebs on the ceiling, I studied the new cooling vent in the roof above me, I ran without my arms on the bars, I put the fan on, I increased the incline, I decreased the incline, I sped up the fan, rinse repeat. I eventually found myself gazing at the golden circle of reflected light in the wardrobe door. I contemplated what it would be like if I had a special talent whereby I could run super fast and wondered how quickly I could then run a kilometer in. I tried to lift my feet off the foot pads and wondered if I could actually fall off but decided my big wide shoe soles, made specially for flat footed duck feet such as I have, would probably prevent me from falling and injuring myself so I kept it up for another minute.

25 minutes to go. Oh boy this is going to need super powers of willpower to get through the tedium.

Now I understand part of the attraction of running outdoors. There's more to look at. There's more to puff about. The hills make it challenging - even despite the sweat I worked up as I notched up the incline on the trainer it just wasn't the same. And my feet. They hurt. I don't know if it was the new socks or the fact that your feet don't actually lift off the pads on a cross trainer (except for the above three minutes).

So of course when I got off I Googled cross trainers versus treadmills. We don't have a treadmill but maybe I should get one if the evidence suggests it is better. Surely it's more interesting than a cross trainer. Reports though are positive for both, with special emphasis on the non-impact nature of the trainer. I think it's back to outdoors for the next run and the beast that is the cross trainer can slumber till the next dark, rainy night.

Stats tonight: heart rate 165av, 187max, 332kcal, 30min. Red face factor: 8/10.

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