You know how I can tell I’m actually training for something? When I am so set on getting in a scheduled run, I actually use … the treadmill. (Cue dramatic, scary music here).
If I wasn’t training for something specific (the Allen Stone Run-Swim-Run July 21 and the Virginia Beach Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon over Labor Day weekend, in this case), I would have coped with the heat wave smothering the East Coast right now by doing the ABT workout yesterday: the Anything But the Treadmill workout. I would have swam, most likely, or done only my TRX class, which was certainly workout enough on its own. But since I am actually training for something, I sucked it up and ran my first speed workout in … well, no need to figure out how long it’s been.
You know what? It wasn’t that bad! I did three 1-mile repeats and two half-mile repeats, all of which were steadily paced, and none of which caused me to vomit. I also did not give myself heat exhaustion, as I almost certainly would have had I run outside. It’s the kind of workout I’ll look back on in a month and think: Of course I can run a fast 5K. I’ve been doing speed work!
Here’s how the rest of the week shook out:
Saturday: Stand-up paddleboarding, three hours
Sunday: Run 45 minutes on road (HRR Chick’s Beach 4.2-mile route, with 10-minute detour). Swim 27 minutes in Bay—ROUGH! Run 10 minutes on beach, barefoot (from Alexander’s on the Bay to end of beach past bridge and back). [EDITOR’S NOTE: The editor is not running barefoot because of any sort of desire to become a Barefoot Runner, but only because her upcoming run-swim-run includes a 1K sprint on the beach, during which she will be … barefoot.]
Monday: Run 8 minutes on beach, barefoot; swim 40 minutes in Bay (much calmer today); run five minutes on beach, barefoot
Tuesday: TRX class in the morning – tough class, with Yuki as a substitute teacher! P.m.: 4.2-mile run with HRR. Hot, humid. Sore and tired. Ran with Mel, who paced me to a non-embarrassing 36-minute finish (8:30-minute miles).
Wednesday: Swim 46 minutes in Bay. Felt awesome! Triceps still sore from TRX. Ran 10 minutes on beach before swimming.
Thursday: Run speed workout on the treadmill to escape terrible, terrible heat. 3X1-mile starting at 8-minute-mile pace, working down to 7 by the end of each mile. 2Xhalf-mile repeats, 7:30-minute-mile pace. Followed immediately by TRX class. Did extra core/hamstring stuff, including something called the “body saw.”
Friday: Swim 45 minutes – Bay
Saturday (tomorrow): Run. Sunday: REST.
Amy Reinink 
Great week of workouts. The dreadmill certainly is better than heat exhaustion. Even if you’re willing to risk that, you really can’t effectively do speedwork when you are simultaneously trying not to faint in the heat.
And speedwork is the best way to get through a treadmill workout.
Great week Amy. Totally jealous of the paddle boarding. I have been dying to do that.