So we recently joined Planet Fitness and tonight was the first time that we used the gym. We had been members of a much larger gym with more amenities that we simply didn't use and decided that a gym with fewer extras (and a lower monthly fee) would be a better choice for us. The equipment was very nice! I warmed up on the ArcTrainer and it didn't make any grinding, or thumping, noises at all. I, then, moved on to the treadmill for my run.
I'm not used to running on a treadmill and it was a little more difficult that I anticipated. First of all, I'm used to having a bit of a breeze when I run, and there was definitely none of that inside the gym. The treadmill stays at a much more consistent speed than I run on the road, which is a good thing, but felt a little harder for me while I was running, because it was - I couldn't slow my pace without actually changing the speed on the treadmill. Not what I'm used to. The run felt good, if a bit slower than I had hoped. After my run I put 5 miles on a stationary bike, so I did get a little more variety into the workout, as a whole.
The most disappointing thing for me was the fact that the program that I use on my iPhone to record my runs didn't work on the treadmill. I suspected that would be the case, but was still disappointed when it turn out to be so. My runs are recorded on iSmoothRun and then I send them to Training Peaks, and I was able to enter my run manually into Training Peaks so it's all there, but I love all the details that I get from iSmoothRun. I can't turn the little bit of information that I know about my runs into the nifty graphs that I normally get to see on my iPhone. All in all I'd say that running on the treadmill is fine in a pinch - maybe better for consistency - but my preference is definitely to run outside when I can!
Of course, since we were already out and about, my gym workout was followed by a visit to a local pub where I had a beer, along with a chicken breast and broccoli. The number of places to get a meal at midnight is somewhat limited, so the pub worked out well (with the kitchen open until 2 am) and the beers were on special, so I HAD to get one, right?
Tomorrow I have a longer run scheduled. I'm not sure if I will do it on the road or at the gym. Either way I will be increasing my distance by 50% and am looking forward to seeing how it goes. Just 4 more training runs before the Cinco de Mayo run in Detroit, so I am excited to keep moving on, and after that I don't have another 5K for about a month. I'm hoping that I'll be in the company of a few of my DetermiNation friends, but am not sure that any of them are doing this race. Regardless, the run is followed by a parade and there are tons of activities to celebrate the holiday so I think it will be a fun day!
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