Saturday 112611

Back down in Broomstock.  80 minutes on the mill. 

I am completely convinced now that my home mill is jacked in some regard.  When I push the pace up (say above 11 mph), the mill will go to that pace – if I am not on it.  But my weight and pounding into it slows it down.  I can see that on the display as it shows what is being accomplished (that is assuming the belt is correct). 

I punched the pace up to five minute mile pace but the mill could not get above 11 with my lumbering frame slapping into it.  It would hop between 9.8 and 11.  In any case, when I was done the mill read that I had done 14 plus miles – which is total crap.  Given the effort, the time, I counted it as 12.  A guess I guess, but really no different than what I did for the first 15 years of my running.

So the mill really only accomplishes two things for me now:  a timed workout and/or a hill workout.  And that is fine.  In fact, it got me thinking that since I am still in that “figuring out what is next,” and “if you always do what you have always done you will always get what you’ve always got” phase – I was wondering about taking things strictly by time for a bit.  I have two or three possible plans that I will look to share here soon … still gnawing on them.  Frankly, and I know this sounds ridiculous – I need to figure out if I have enough backbone to do the training I can do.

Good news was that I felt pretty good, slipping up to tempo effort (based on HR) for 3 x 15 minutes with 4 minutes rest in there.  Good sweat.