boredom busters
I absolutely HATE being bored. I'm a busy body. I always have to be doing something. Even just sitting and watching TV is difficult for me. I'm usually playing on my phone on Facebook or Pinterest, getting work done on my computer, or writing a blog post (Modern Family is the show of choice as we speak). So, you can imagine my boredom with 6 unplanned days off of work/school. MacKenna definitely kept me entertained, but just like her mama, she's always gotta be doing something.Some things that have helped me keep my sanity include baking ridiculous amounts of sweets (homemade coconut balls, butterfingers, and gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies),
having dance parties and dressing up with the kiddo,
and getting my workout on.
And if you think I don't get bored on the treadmill, think again. Seriously. It is difficult keeping myself entertained while running on the treadmill. The gym has TVs but the speakers only work on the old crappy treadmills, and I prefer the newer fancy treadmills. However, I've come up with a few ways to keep me from getting completely bored out of my mind when I have to spend my runs on the treadmill instead of outside.#1: Find something to listen to. With TV not being available, I usually need something else to listen to. I'm actually NOT a music person. It doesn't keep me occupied and get my mind off the treadmill as much as a show would. I've recently discovered podcasts and I'm so happy that I have! My current two favorites are The Running Podcast with Coach Jeff and the Lifestyle Accountability Podcast. (Shameless plug: I will be featured on the Lifestyle Accountability Podcast in the next few weeks!) They have been so inspirational and have gotten me totally fired up about my 2014 training goals! Plus, they have made the time go by so much faster, especially on my longer runs.
#2: Change up your run. I absolutely cannot run one constant speed on the treadmill for more than a few minutes. Even on warmups and cool downs, I am switching up the speed. But, the same workouts get boring day after day, week after week. So, I try to change up my runs every time I have to hop on the dreadmill.My easy runs are almost always a progression run. I will start at an easy (to me) speed and increase my speed by 0.2 mph every 2 or 3 minutes. I will continue increasing until about halfway through my run or to the top speed I want to run (usually the higher end of my easy run pace zone). And then I do the same thing back down until I get to my starting speed. You'll be amazed at how quickly the half way point comes and then it's all downhill.This year, I've decided to add some different speed workout to my tried-and-true 400 repeats. Honestly, I'm just tired of doing 400 repeats and it's probably not helping me as much as it used to with getting faster. Right now, I am in the base weeks of my training plan, so I'm working in a lot of hills and leg speed workouts - workouts that will help me get faster once I get in to the meat of my training program. And I am LOVING the change! My first hill and leg speed workouts were actually FUN! I didn't dread the dreadmill and was looking forward to getting in a new and tough workout.These are the workouts that have been keeping me entertained the past 2 weeks. You can make them as hard or as easy as you want, but I promise, you absolutely will NOT be bored!
How do you bust your boredom when stuck at home or forced to the treadmill for your workouts?