Running on "ed"

According to Kera's [and other's] comments, I may have some explaining to do.

 . . . . "why the freak would you EVER run 20 miles on a treadmill? Don't you live on planet earth where you can just go outside?"

It all started with a doctor's visit in February 2009.  [Cliff Notes version].  "You either run on a "forgiving surface" or you won't be running at all in 5 years time."

So, off I went four to five times a week to LA FITNESS to run.  By September, I had received enough disapproving looks and comments from fellow gym go-ers, that I bought this little beauty.

[side note:  have yet to figure out how to make the TV work - we have satellite - from what I can gather, we'd have to buy a new satellite box JUST for my little "ed" - not going to happen.]

I did move my treadmill 180 degrees.  Yippee!  So now instead of looking at this.  I see a plain [all] white wall.  awesome.

While this is the [running] life I've known and HAD to accept for a while now.  I had no idea how "weird" it was to run 99.8% of my total miles on one until I called Runner's Den [store] one day in early January.  I was having a lot of knee pain and wanted to know what types of braces they sold.  We chatted.  He asked a lot of questions.  Then he asked THE question.

Him:  What surface do you run on?
Me: a treadmill
Him:  When you don't run on a treadmill, where do you run?
Me: umm, well.......I only run about 2-3 of my weekly mileage outside but I run in the bike lane [I know, I know, illegal, I get it]
Him: you are joking. [please note it wasn't a question]
Me:  uhhhhh, no.

Anyway, had to end up going to the store to buy a brace.  When I walked in .... .... it was hilarious.  The man had told everyone in the store and the employee's had all sorts of crazy questions for me.  Where is it?  How far do you run each week?  Do you watch TV?  Do you really think that's good training?  No group running?  Don't you miss the "fresh air"?

Here's my pro's and con's list.

Pro's:

• Can run no matter what the weather outside is [rain, wind, heat, etc]
• Can run when Peanut is asleep
• Don't have to run at anyone else's pace
• Have a fan I bought that is JUST for blowing right at my bum. the whole time.
• Fan in "ed" which blows right at my face
• Can text and run without running into tree's
• Answer work emails while running [I know, not the best for "training"]
• listen to my music without wearing headphones.  hate headphones.

• can test peanut on her multiplication tables
• knees are doing much better
• home for deliveries
• no dirt flying in my face when buses pass [this is AZ people - dirt, dust ...bad air]
• can do laundry [can put clothes from washer into dryer in 35 seconds flat]
• No chance of getting run over. [huge pro there]
• toilets are close
• water is closer
• AC vent hits RIGHT on me from it's new location.

Con's

• can do laundry
• no running groups
• a plain white wall
• I'm home, even more. [work from home, run at home, play at home]
• Ed's TV doesn't work
• My neighbor can see me on it from his backyard . . . creepy
• my dog comes to the window and looks at me like he hates me
• my legs take much longer to recover after a marathon due to the huge difference from my "training" surface and my "racing" surface.
• accuracy? 
• cost
• and fine . . . it might be just the slightest bit boring some days

The thing, I possibly, love most? . . . . once race day arrives.  I am all eyes, heart & lungs.  AND 100% in awe of the beauty around me.  It's all worth it.