Final December Monthly & Treadmill Fun

First off, let’s first clarify my relationship with the treadmill.  Most runners are either strongly opposed or absolutely devoted to the beast.  

Me on the the other hand, I am thankful for the availability of a treadmill when traveling & unfamiliar with my surroundings.  I also am blessed to teach yoga at our local Anytime Fitness and when’s it’s dark, unsafe and ICY here in MN, you’ll find me on the treadmill! If given a choice, however, I pretty much run outdoors year round! 

However, after a recent near miss on the roads on a beautiful frosty and apparently, slippery morning, I have taken most of my speed work indoors for the past few weeks.  

Unless it’s 20 below windchill, pouring rain, or we’re in the middle of a blizzard, you’ll find me pounding the pavements for my long slow distant runs.  I love getting lost in my thoughts out in nature during my weekly long runs.

However, speed work this time of year is most often always on the treadmill.  In fact, I personally ENJOY busting out a tempo run, running repeats, or performing this new Monthly workout from Coach MK in the Heart Rate Training Program. 

I mean how can you not have fun with a workout that is titled “Drunken Uncle!”.  Damn I love her sense of humor. Between her and my friend Sarah, their creativity is much appreciated! They make running and working out so much fun.  Some days it’s not about the run, but about the community that surrounds us.  #coachedandloved

Last month we had a grueling Dust Bath & Presidential Pardon workout (coach MK has a fascination with wild turkey’s and their habits I guess? ). This month it’s all about Christmas and her and possibly your,  love/hate relationship with family gatherings.  She truly cracks me up.  Trust me, I wasn’t laughing when performing these burpees up and around the block.  Whew!

I am really going to miss her since this is her last month with Another Mother Runner.  It’s been a GREAT ride but because she has a daily mantra and shares some amazing things on Twitch, I’ll be able to hear her lovely voice daily.  She is quite inspiring.  I encourage you to subscribe to her morning mantra too.  In fact, if you need a mantra for something, she can help you!  

So if you need a fun workout next time you are “stuck” inside running, try her “Drunken Uncle” workout.  It may make you laugh and if you have a drunken uncle that shows up at your Christmas gathering, you’ll really have fun with this!  Or even if you don’t like me, it’s still a fun workout!  Try this…Warm up for 15 minutes.  Run 8 x 400’s at  your 5K pace but after each one, jump off the treadmill and perform 5 jump squats.  Hop back on for an active 1 minute recovery jog.  Repeat 7 more times for a total of 8.  I was having so much fun I did an extra one, as you can see below?.  

I am curious. What kind of a relationship do you have with the treadmill?