Treadmill Love...Not!

The weather this afternoon has been crazy. A thunder storm made it's way in around 3:30pm just about the time that I was heading out for a 4 mile run. I figured that I'd go ahead and head out since there was no lightning. Less than half a mile out the lightning started. Now, I'm not stupid enough to run when there's lightning especially when it felt like it was starting to rain. I turned around and came back home hoping that I had gotten a mile done so that I could count it for the Runner's World Summer Run Streak. Alas I only had 0.68 miles. So to meet the 1 mile requirement I hopped onto the dreaded treadmill (hereafter referred to as the "dreadmill") and did 0.33 miles for a grand total of 1.01 miles. Yes! My minimum was met...time to get off that stupid machine!

The thing is that I had 3 more miles to do. I kept looking at that machine and thought to myself, "Just get on the darned thing and do it!" Instead I went to make dinner. By the time I had sat down and eaten half a rib eye the weather changed and was nice, but now I had a full stomach. I decided to wait 30 minutes and hoped that the weather would stay the same. Not. By the time I was ready the weather had become windy...around here, in the high desert, windy means blowing sand/dirt...not something I want to run in. So I gave in and decided that the dreadmill would be the only way I could get my 4 miles in.

I turned it on, got on it and started running. Immediately I started hating life...that is not an exaggeration. In less than 4 minutes I was off, turned the darned thing off and was on Twitter and Facebook bitching and moaning about the dreadmill. The strange thing is that I used to love the treadmill. I don't know when my infatuation with it ended but I want to run outside, not on some machine! So now I have a 4 miler the day before my 14 mile long run. Joy. Well, as long as it gets done that's all that matters right?

Do you prefer running outside or on the treadmill? Why?
What do you do if you can't complete a scheduled run for whatever reason?

What do you mean it's not 2014 yet?

Well, here we are getting ready to head into June of 2013. I've had my race schedule set since the middle of 2012 and it's had many additions and deletions. In fact I still have 17 races to go ranging from half marathons to full marathons and OCRs (obstacle course races, Spartan and Tough Mudder). I also have a trip to Alaska to run a back to back marathon and 16 miler (also I get to visit one of my favorite couples). Most of these races are already paid for and I'll be SOL if I can't go to them for one reason or another like in 2012 when I went into a severe depression that caused me to not even get out of bed other than to use the bathroom and occasionally eat. I missed, or DNS'd, about 8-9 races that I had to suck up the loss of the registration fees. I did however get 2 of these races deferred but I won't be able to use one of them at all.

So, that brings me to 2014 I have a full schedule going on. Short races to full marathons and more Spartan Races (I think I'm a little addicted now). Anyway I counted my races for the year and they total 34!! The schedule includes at least one trip to Hawai'i because the back to back that I was going to do is no more because the half marathon I wanted to do changed their dates. Yeah, I'm a little irked at that. I wanted to get both my half marathon and full marathon in Hawai'i done in one trip to save money, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. The schedule also include two 5 day series of a mix of half marathon and full marathons. The nice thing is that there is no time limit so I don't have to stress about when I finish. One of the obstacle courses that I plan to do is the Mud Quest Run which is 13 miles and has 100 obstacles. They were rained on hard the day before the race this year so that made the mud that much better! It looked like everyone had fun even with all the muck. I also got myself into a 5 year legacy type situation with the Space Coast Marathon. Why did I do that? Because each year's medal represents the space program, namely the shuttle program and there's special bling at 5 years...2014 will be my 2nd year running. So much for not having to travel to Florida anymore!

Thirty four races in 2014! I can't believe it, then again it wouldn't be the first time. Of course things will likely change, but this schedule works on paper...literally.  Oh, by the way, yes...I have started on 2015's race schedule already! ;)

So, is your 2014 race schedule made now? If not, when will you start making it up?