Ever since the horrific murder on the trails where I run, I haven’t run alone outdoors. I’ve resorted to forcing myself to go to the gym and, reluctantly, hopping on the dreaded treadmill – the “dreadmill.”
It’s grueling.
It’s boring.
It’s uninspiring.
It’s distracting.
When I ran outdoors, I escaped the noise of the world for a bit. My view was always beautiful. The sounds of nature were peaceful. The miles seemed to fly by. I enjoyed running.
In contrast, a few miles on the treadmill really seem like work. I’m literally going nowhere fast on that thing. I am easily distracted so my mind doesn’t rest when I’m there. Televisions are on, and although I can’t hear them, they flash images constantly (and a different image on every screen). People are wandering around. Men are sitting on machines with vacant eyes between reps. I listen to music, but I still can’t tune out the visual distractions.
I have more self-defense courses planned over the next 6 weeks, and I’m hoping I’ll feel more confident about running alone. But part of me feels that I won’t ever go out there by myself again – not only to those trails but even in my own neighborhood. In the meantime, I need advice.
I am in desperate need of advice for how to make the treadmill work for me!
