Recently, I’ve been dreading speed work intervals. Tempo runs are awesome but the 400m interval workouts I have on the 10K training plan have been met with absolute dread. Wednesday came, I put my workout clothes on and just couldn’t bring myself to drive to the track as I had planned.
So instead, I drank some wine, cooked some sun-dried tomato pesto pasta and read. Impromptu days off are fun every now and then anyway. Yesterday though, I knew I needed to just get it done. The earlier the better so I didn’t have time to talk myself out of it.
What better way to spend 50 minutes of your lunch break than sweating your butt off on your treadmill for 5 miles of soul crushing intervals?
- 1 mile warm up
- 6 x 400m @ 7.0
- 6 x 400m @ 5.8 (recovery)
- 1 mile cool down
I’ve mentioned my treadmill’s electrical issues before but on top of all that, I’m also 99.9% sure it’s not calibrated correctly to the actual speeds. I run on enough hotel gym treadmills to know that 7.0 on my treadmill feels more like 6.0-6.5 on a normal one. If I had to safely guess, I’d say mine is off by at least .5mph. It can be frustrating because I never really know how fast I’m going but at the same time, it makes me push myself a little harder than I normally would. So even though my intervals were only at an 8:34 pace according to the treadmill, I’m pretty confident it was really more like 8:00 pace or less. I don’t pant nearly as hard as I was after each interval at an 8:30 pace outside!
A.n.y.w.a.y…
Working from home has it’s pros and cons. One con would be that when I’m actually at home and not traveling, I really never wear anything but workout clothes. Comfortable? You betcha. Makes me feel like a frumpy mess at times? Also, yes. So, putting on real people clothes today after that run (and a shower) was a huge accomplishment which I celebrated by venturing out into the real world to get a pedicure and run some errands.
Let’s talk about nail salons.
Ever see this thing sitting there in the middle of the room empty, softly whispering your name?
I swear this damn massage chair tempts me every.single.time I’m in there. I’ve probably asked how much it costs for a 10 minute massage at least 5 times only to say “no thanks, not today” when they ask “you want?” even though the voice inside my head is saying “it’s $12 friggin dollars Gina, just give in!”
Seriously, $12. How can I go and buy a Nook with barely 10 minutes of deliberation and yet sit here and ponder a $12 massage? These are the things I will never understand.
Well yesterday, I gave in. Was it great? No. Was it worth $12, probably.
When your husband’s idea of a massage is a quick rub of his palms on your shoulders (he’s neither a cook nor a masseuse) I’ve determined this to be a necessary expenditure with my every 3 week (or so) pedicure. I will fear the chair no more!
Have you ever gotten the chair massage at the nail place?
Do you deliberate over smaller purchases more than big ones sometimes?
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
The nail salons I have been to in the past usually have those mechanical massage chairs for you to sit in while you get your nails done; they’re fairly decent. However I’m the type to totally chip my manicure within five minutes of walking out the door (regardless of the drying time endured) so I rarely get my nails done. I even got married with totally smunched polish on my index fingernail because there was no time to fix it.
My suggestion, especially if the $12 and 10-minute massage was only “okay,” is to save your $12 over the course of 6 visits or so and indulge in a proper hour-long full body massage by a Registered Massage Therapist. TOTALLY worth it. :)
Too funny that I feel the legit EXACT opposite as yoU! I could do intervals everyday if I had the choice!!! Tempo runs however.. are not a friend of mine. I actually just skipped it this week. WOOPS>
Hey! Just found your blog, love it! Looking forward to reading more…we are on similar paths I think! (well…except my dog-love is a giant Labrador!) Have a great weekend!
Thanks for stopping by Jamie! Labs/weimaraners…they’re all cuties :)
The nail places around here usually give you a couple min massage after your nails are done anyway, so I’ve never done the chair.
Your TM could just be a better quality than at hotels. It’s SO easy to run on mine, but when I use the treadmills at like planet fitness, I feel like I”m going to die.
I ALWAYS want one but rarely get one. I have no idea why I don’t. I totally should.
What an awesome treadmill workout! I usually stick to doing 400’s on the track by my house but this definitely seems so much more convienent! Thanks for sharing!
I have definitely indulged at the nail salon….I like mini massages – not a fan of long ones.
xoxo from Trinidad
I tend to deliberate any purchase — but yes, it seems like I have a harder time with smaller purchases — mostly because when things are cheap (like that massage) you wonder if the small amount of money is worth it.
Massages always feel so good after a hard workout. I need to get one soon!
I just discovered your blog yesterday, and think we might be living parallel lives! Very excited to become a regular reader. I have recently convinced myself that the $12 chair massage, although far from professional grade, is SO worth it because it is the perfect way to spend those 10 minutes letting your nails dry that seems to take f.o.r.e.v.e.r at the drying table! TGIF :)
Exactly! I hate the boring waiting around part for your nails to dry!