Earlier this week I found myself on the treadmill - it's a punishment I put myself through seemingly once every six months as a reminder that running outside is actually quite fun. That and the fact that it was blowing a gale outside and my current run form makes it feel like a constant headwind anyway....
What struck me about this run was the way that for 45 of my intended 60 minutes it was a slog. Going out of the comfort zone takes some adaption and after many months of road running it seemed a little bit alien and a little bit tough on the treadmill. However, when it got to the last 15 minutes and everything was already getting a blurry and increasingly difficult it suddenly became fun to ramp up the speed every 60 seconds, first by 0.1, then by 0.2 and 0.3kph. So what had been tough at minute 45 turned out to just be a jumping off point to a whole lot more speed and discomfort.
This tends to be the way my head works, and I think it's a vital piece of the puzzle to try and get to the top of a tough sport. The ability to actually be able to ignore those sensations telling you you're hurting and you can't go on, and enjoy giving it absolutely everything even when you feel there's nothing more to give. It's easier to push yourself into this place when you're with a group - running on the track etc, but killing it for a solo treadmill session gives a certain sort of satisfaction....
