Category: Running

Treadmill… or Dreadmill?

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This week, Alberta was invaded by an unwelcome visitor: the polar vortex. For a few days, we hoped that the forecast would turn out to be wrong. I enjoyed my last comfortable outdoor run on Tuesday with a feeling of impending doom. Change was already in the air: I left the house in fine weather and sunshine but spent the last two kilometres fighting a stiff, cold wind from the north.

Now we are in it. I read somewhere that today (Friday the 12th) was the coldest day in Calgary for the last 20 years. The prospect is for even colder weather in the next day or two.

“Yes, but it’s a dry cold” (January 12, 2024)

While I always prefer to run outside, the time had clearly come to switch to plan B: the treadmill. We have put many miles on our Landice L7 treadmill since buying it in 2010. At the time, I wanted an alternative to outdoor running to get me through the Alberta winter, so I could run the 2011 Boston Marathon.

While the Landice has been a reliable machine and a good investment, I have never warmed up to it. That’s because I find running on a treadmill harder than running outside. To be precise, I find running a given pace on a treadmill feels harder than on the road.

I did some research into why this might be the case. I know it is a debate that has strong opinions on both sides. Some runners hold exactly the opposite opinion than I do. They find treadmill running to be easier than road running.

I’ve always assumed that my perception of treadmill running is due to it being a relatively recent activity for me. In other words, am I programmed for outdoor running because I’ve done it for so long? No, there must be more to it.

There are plenty of studies that compare the two environments, and most find several benefits of treadmill running. For example, the belt turning under us imparts energy to our feet as we land. Treadmill belts are rubber, so there ought to be a small benefit in terms of impact forces on our joints. The ability to control speed and incline can be helpful when recovering from an injury or looking for very specific training conditions.

On the other hand, studies have also shown that many runners do perceive treadmill running to be more difficult. The benefit of a spongier surface may come at the cost of requiring the runner to expend more energy. Apparently, runners tend to self-adjust to a slower speed than they would outside. One study (I only read the summary) had runners do three segments at perceived effort: outside, then on a treadmill, then outside. It found that the treadmill portion was slowest by a statistically significant margin.

Running to stand still (January 2024)

On the physical side, I generally feel a bit of muscle soreness after a treadmill run. It would seem that I’m using different muscles, or interacting with the “ground” differently.

As for the perception of effort, I think it comes down to the way that our brains interact with our environment. I never get 100% comfortable moving while staying in the same spot. On a related point, while I agree that watching television is a welcome distraction available exclusively on a treadmill, I somehow get disoriented by the feeling of running toward the screen.

In practical terms, I find the best thing to do on a treadmill is a structured workout. Today, I did almost a full set of Yasso 800s (repeats of 800 metres at 10k pace). It’s a classic speed endurance workout, and it’s often cited as a predictor of marathon fitness. (Definitely not in my current plans!) Knowing that I have to complete a series of tasks (for example, run two laps on the little screen at a predetermined, not perceived, pace) helps me get past the feeling of confinement and boredom that often accompanies a treadmill run.

Besides, running in shorts and a T-shirt while looking out at a frozen -35c landscape isn’t all bad. And I did have a dram of Macallan 12-year-old sitting ready for me as a reward for getting through it.

The reward

We do what we have to do.

Seeing Double?

Yesterday’s run along the Bow River was nice, but for the ice. And the wind. Otherwise, it was perfect! Good company, bright sunshine, and lots of runners out. Thanks, Deb and Sherrey for getting me to 13k, which was more than I expected to do.  

Given the conditions, we decided to head east from Eau Claire. Better to warm up a bit before facing the breeze. We reached the 12th St bridge in Inglewood before turning around, 3k into our run. Even after so many years, passing the confluence of the Bow and Elbow Rivers always feels special to me.

Our crossing point happens to be the location of a unique statue. Or maybe not so unique. But more on that shortly. 

The statue I’m referring to is called Wolfe and the Sparrows. It was sculpted in bronze by Brandon Vickerd in 2019. Vickerd is a Hamilton-based artist and professor at York University.

Wolfe and the Sparrows (Vickerd, 2019)

General Wolfe was the commander of the British forces at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. He led the British to a rather important victory there in 1759. 

As I stepped carefully around the statue… that ice!… I stopped to admire it for a few seconds. I wondered what Vickerd had in mind when he replaced Wolfe’s upper body with a flock of sparrows.

Later, I read the city’s description of the statue, which states that the community wanted something  “critical, challenging and funny”. I think Vickerd succeeded with this piece.

According to his bio, Vickerd seeks to “provoke the viewer into questioning the dominate myth of progress ingrained in Western world views.” His Wolfe statue touches on themes of indigenous reconciliation, so maybe he hit the mark there too.

Why? Apparently, in many cultures and religions, sparrows represent good fortune, happiness, and resilience. They are non-native birds in North America, which makes them a good choice for a piece meant to convey the importance of reconciliation. 

I like Vickerd’s statue a lot. I decided that whatever he intended, it works as a thought-provoking piece of public art. 

Back to our run. Continuing west along the river past 14 St, we saw many familiar faces, including some quick runners in RunCalgary‘s 12k’s of Christmas. Well done, Reinier and Mel, Matt and Jeremy!

It was a quick pace at the front of the pack

Now, what about my comment about the uniqueness of the Wolfe statue?

On the drive home, I asked Deb to make a slight detour so we could stop at Calgary’s “other” Wolfe statue. Appropriately, this one sits in Wolfe Park in Mount Royal.

This bronze statue by Scottish sculptor John Massey Rhind was completed in 1898. It was originally located in New York City and was sold to Calgary philanthropist Eric Harvie in 1966. The statue was donated as a public art piece in 2009. 

Wolfe, with no sparrows (Rhind, 1898)

You’d have to call this version of Wolfe a traditional rendering. It shows the general looking off into the distance as if contemplating the battle to come. (By the way, Wolfe didn’t survive it.) 

I like this statue too, and I’ve photographed it often. It certainly is a worthy addition to the neighbourhood. I try capturing it in different lighting conditions, as it seems to change the expression on Wolfe’s face. 

From chest level down, these two statues are identical. Vickerd chose to do this. Was it homage to Rhind’s statue? Maybe. We are left to wonder what message he was sending by adding the swallows. For me, while the original statue is handsome, it can’t match Vickerd’s version as a provocative piece of art.

In closing, we’re fortunate to have two very different Wolfe statues in Calgary. Both are impressive pieces, in their own way. 

Dealing with Low Motivation

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Do you ever feel that you’ve lost your motivation to run?

It happens to all of us. Maybe you’ve recently finished a major goal race, or you’re just not sure what your goals are. You feel like you’re going through the motions. 

Whatever the reason, you should know that you’re not alone in feeling low on motivation from time to time. 

Getting through these inevitable low stretches can be a challenge. When this happens to me, I trust my instincts. I remind myself that running is an essential part of who I am. I know I won’t feel this way forever. 

Here are a few thoughts on managing feelings of low motivation. 

(1) If you need a break, take it

Could your lack of motivation be a signal that you’re physically burned out? If so, take a break from running. It doesn’t have to be a long break, or even a predetermined timeframe, unless of course you’re injured or you’ve just run a goal race of anything more than 10k. In that case, you should make sure you take your full, well-earned recovery.

Burned out? (Elbow Drive, Calgary, 2020)

If your body is telling you that you’ve overdone it, there’s no downside to taking a hiatus. Think about it as some fun time away from running. During your break, you should fill your running time with something else: ride a bike, or swim. Maybe take up the guitar. You’ll almost certainly miss running and want to get back to it before too long. And when you do, you’ll probably find you are fully motivated.

(2) Forget structured training

When we’ve finished a race buildup, especially if we nailed our goal time, the last thing we want to contemplate is backing away from that structured environment. After all, we lived in a world of tightly managed, regimented training for months. But give it a try. Your low motivation could be as simple as being emotionally spent from too much structure… too much focus. It’s almost as if you’re trapped.

Trapped? (Glenmore Dam, 2022)

If you think this might be the issue, run to perceived effort for a while, not a target pace. Give yourself permission to back away from weekly mileage totals and hard workouts, which you should be doing anyway if you’re recovering from a goal race. I’d recommend forgetting about structured training for at least that long. The hardest part might be getting over the feeling that you’ll lose fitness. In the long run, you’ll be better off if you come back emotionally charged for the next build-up.

(3) Try a new running challenge

One of the tricks that has worked for me when I feel unmotivated is to commit myself to a different running challenge than I might normally pursue.

For me, the local Strides Run Streak is an ideal way to end the running year. I like it because in addition to the totally achievable (one mile per day) running goal, I incorporate a photographic element into my daily runs. I’m giving myself goals that have nothing to do with pace or distance. To me, it’s like a series of small tests that I know I can pass, even if the running is easy and most (but not all) of the pictures aren’t keepers.

Taken on the run (December 2023)

Find your own challenge: maybe you could sign up for a winter cross-country race series like the one the Calgary Roadrunners put on every year. Do an urban orienteering event. Or try a month of weekly parkruns. My advice is to look for something that isn’t high stakes.

(4) Remind yourself why you run

The final thought I will leave you with if you’re feeling unmotivated is that we sometimes get too caught up in the process of training and racing. I call it the “what” of running. Sure, there’s nothing to match the feeling of achieving a goal. By doing so, we get instant validation and tangible evidence of our progress as amateur athletes.

I think the problem comes when we set up an endless cycle of goal setting, which can get in the way of the pure joy that comes from just running.

Missing the “why”? (Sedona Rainbow, 2021)

My advice is to remember the “why” for our running. I suggest you do a bit of reflection on this question. Write down three things that you get from running, things that have nothing to do with goals or target races. 

Before you know it, you’ll be back with a renewed commitment to the sport we love.