My professional leap to waterbeds for cows has landed me on a treadmill.  I’ll be traveling a bit this year, so whether I like it or not, I’ll need to log quite a few miles on a treadmill.  As I was running this morning, I couldn’t help but think that if god had nothing better to do than see what I was up to this morning, he would be laughing at me.  Round and round on a treadmill I went.  I felt like even testing mice wouldn’t get on a treadmill and run – at least they have a maze!  I laughed at the thought of being less intelligent than a mouse and enjoyed knowing that I have a number of fun-outside-with-friends runs coming up when I get back to DC & crossing my fingers that it’s not too cold in Madison to run with Dana on Tuesday.  It also helped that Michael Franti and Spearhead’s “Songs from the Front Porch” album was the soundtrack that motivated me through 3 short miles.

I’m focusing on making running a daily habit and working on upping the mileage in the coming weeks.  I don’t want to burn out, but I also don’t want to “get behind.”  This weekend, I’m going to bundle up and hit the snowy roads of rural Wisconsin.  Maybe I can convince my mom to join me.

Does anyone have any advice for surviving treadmill workouts?

Also, my first confession:  I could have met and run with a stranger in the last hotel’s workout room, but I chickened out in starting up a conversation.  He was an older man, walking and watching “Everyone Loves Raymond,” laughing at the jokes.  I’m not sure why I didn’t strike up a conversation.  I ran my miles in silence, happily laughing along at Raymond.