Today I reached Taperville for the Flying Pig 4 Way Challenge with Extra Cheese. 20 miles is always to peak of my training and I dread/look forward to the distance depending on the time of year. Despite beautiful weather this spring, it has rained almost every weekend. This weekend I was determined to run 20 miles rain or shine. Unfortunately it rained today and I had to try an option that I had never used before, the treadmill.

Using the treadmill for most runners is a last resort. It's boring and you don't have the same pace control that you have during a run. I went in knowing it would a challenge so I adjusted my attitude so I could make it as painless as possible. I brought all my nutrition (Clif Bars, GU, and electrolytes) and decided to break the run into a fives. Each unit of five miles helped me to remember when to take nutrition and made the distance less daunting.

The Good

-Running on a treadmill is continuous-I spend a lot of time waiting for traffic lights. It was nice to just run

-No cars, pollen, or animals

-I could adjust the pace to prevent burnout (my favorite advantage)

-It was easy to get water and use the bathroom

-You can also watch tv

The Bad

-My treadmill only session only last for a hour so I had to keep resetting the machine. Thankfully on Sunday there were plenty of empty treadmills so I didn't have to get my machine.

-I learned to emergency controls really work. Sometimes my hands would accidently hit the controls and the machine would stop.

-I felt little woozy after getting off the treadmill, but it resolved itself shortly after I walked for a little bit.

Overall, I had it to Taperville and I am ready for the Flying Pig races.