Treadmill vs. Road Running: Choose the Best Way to Run for You

As a casual runner, there’s nothing more wonderful than a cool morning, a gentle breeze, and some scenery. I love to run outside. Because of where I live, I typically run on pavement in neighborhoods. Sometimes I manage to run through parks and even along rivers during my weekly training. When everything is in sync, there’s nothing better, but that’s just one runner’s opinion.

Many runners run outdoors on the pavement. However, there are also a lot of runners who actually prefer the treadmill. As I’ve had my fair share of terrain experience, I can safely say that neither is necessarily better, but they are very different.

Road Running

Road running naturally creates many benefits for the training athlete. Because of the uneven surface the outdoors provides, the body gets a complete workout. Stabilizing muscles have to work harder out on the road as the runner has to shift to adapt to the changes. Road running will also bring its share of climate obstacles. Wind will provide great resistance training and heat and cold can also help the runner prepare for any given race day condition. Another major bonus of road running is that it burns more calories than treadmill running as it is more intense and demands more energy from the leg muscles.

On a financial note, road running doesn’t require a gym membership or an investment in an expensive machine. Other than the price of shoes and pair of shorts, road running is very affordable. Treadmills are expensive in comparison, whether they come in the form of a gym membership or a personal home machine.

Of course road running isn’t always glamorous. The weather has always been my biggest enemy when it comes to road running and even I have my limits that force me inside. Ice is typically a deal breaker. Even with special winter traction on your shoes, ice is dangerous and a lot of runners get hurt trying to navigate on slick roads. The heat is a big factor, too. If it’s going to be really hot, rise earlier to avoid the worst of it, as the raging heat of the road can be conducive to over heating and dehydration.

Other than the weather, the road presents more challenges that you don’t find on a treadmill. While the shifting terrain can be great for training, it can prove to be too much for some. Hills are very tough, turns in the path can really take a toll on pace, and traffic is an ever present factor to deal with while on the road.

Treadmill

Perhaps the treadmill’s biggest benefit to runners is that it can provide a place to run when the road can not. Another benefit the treadmill has over the road is that you can track specific distances for focused training. If you are training for an event and are on a specific plan, the treadmill allows you to stick to your training schedule perfectly- no more, no less.

The treadmill is actually easier on the joints than the road due to the surface of the belt. The treadmill allows for the runner to really customize their run as well. If one needs to incorporate speed into their workout, most machines have an option ready at the push of a button. If the runner needs to train for hills, but lives in a flat terrain, the treadmill is great for that, too.

There’s a risk of slight danger, too, that comes from the fact that one can trip or lose control on the treadmill. There’s an adjustment period for a first timer, but as long as you pay attention, you should be fine.

It’s also arguable that the treadmill will not aid in preparing your for a race. Since races are run on the road, too much time on the treadmill could be a major shock to the body as it tries to adjust to the heavier impact. One of the biggest arguments against treadmill running is that it doesn’t allow for proper bio-mechanics to take place. This means that due to the unnatural surface and space, the runner may change their natural stride, position themselves differently, and even waste energy due to a different posture.

Trail Running

It’s clear that runners have options when it comes to where they run. Perhaps one of the best and toughest options is one that few of us have the chance to explore.

Trail running is more like a cousin to running than an equal. First of all, few runners live anywhere near any real trails, but it’s a whole different game and even the best road runner will be challenged by a trail.

Trail running provides several benefits. Trails provide amazing scenery and they’re easier on the joints, but just because they’re easier on the joints does not mean they’re easy. The trail runner gets an amazing workout due to the demands of the terrain. Every muscle from the shoulders down is used to stabilize a runner on an uneven, rocky, or unpredictable surface. The core muscles get a great workout as they work very hard to keep you vertical on the trails.

Trail running will burn more calories than the treadmill or the road, but there are some tough challenges that may deter runners from hitting the trails. While the treadmill and the road allow the runner to zone out, the trail demands constant attention. Every step is an adjustment and a potential tripping hazard. The trail presents many more chances for a fall or injury and requires a lot of focus.

Obviously there’s no perfect place to run. Every option presents its own obstacles and provides it’s own benefits. Each runner will find their own perfect place. Find your happy place runners, and run on!

Michael - Bodycoach

Choose a positive attitude, choose a happy life!

We tend to perceive negative energy as something other people have. Sure, sometimes we feel negative – as in, “go away and leave me alone, world!” but did you know that negativity can be so ingrained in you that it goes unnoticed?

That’s because negativity sometimes wears a disguise called ‘reality’. It’s easy to rationalize that you’re ‘just being realistic’ in not daring to act on a dream – and believe it!

You may assume that positive people are not being realistic – that they’re being naive, that they are in denial with their heads stuck in the sand, that they put on fake smiles in the face of difficulty and so forth. But are they really happy idiots or is there something to their positivity?

Consider this: since when does ‘being realistic’ necessarily mean that things will go wrong and that you have to accept that as the truth?

That doesn’t mean that being realistic is automatically negative. When you view the world from a ‘realistic’ standpoint, you can’t help but be negative IF your version of reality is negative.
If your version of reality is negative, you are conditioned to believe that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong and whatever can go right, will probably go wrong too. Your unconsciously held beliefs make you into a negative person without your being aware of it!

So – if this negativity is so ingrained in you that you don’t notice it, how do you determine whether you’re stuck in a cloud of negative energy that is attracting the wrong people, wrong situations and wrong feelings? And how can you be sure you’re not perpetuating that negativity?

Here’s a quick quiz to gauge the level of negative energy within you:

• Do you complain? All the time or just sometimes?
• Do you often discuss what’s wrong in the world more than what’s right? This includes the ‘terrible’ weather, ‘horrible’ traffic, ‘idiotic’ government, ‘lousy’ economy, ‘stupid’ in-laws, etc.
• Do you criticize? All the time or just certain people?
• Are you attracted to drama and disaster (can you unglue yourself from the TV when there’s a news story of a disaster and can you avoid getting involved in the lives of dysfunctional celebrities?)
• Do you blame? All the time or just certain situations?
• Do you believe that you have no control over most of your results?
• Do you feel like a victim? Do you talk about people doing things to you?
• Are you grateful for what is or will you be grateful when things finally start going right for you?
• Do you feel like things are happening to you? Or do you feel that they are happening through you?

This last two points are important:
If you’re not grateful except when things go right, you are negative. Gratitude is positive. If you are grateful for what is (including the unpleasant school of life lessons, then you can invite more and more positive energy into your life.

Believing that things happen to you puts you in the role of victim; then it’s easy to be

negative because it’s convenient to give up that power. So consider this alternative: who or what is to blame when GOOD things happen to you? Do you acknowledge that you are responsible for the good things – as in, you worked hard, you earned it, etc… but blame external events or other people for your failures? So how come, when good things happen, they are a result of what you do, but when bad things happen, they are not your fault?
Nobody likes to hear that. It takes courage to accept that you create your life experience! If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you are holding on to negative energy to some degree! To clear your negative energy and raise your vibration, you will need to retrain yourself tochoose a positive attitude.

Here’s another interesting idea to consider: have you noticed that positive people seem to get what they want out of life, and even if things don’t go their way, they still enjoy their lives… while negative people whine and moan about their misfortunes and even the good things in their lives?

To clear negative energy, try this 3 -step process:
1. Take ownership: “When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.” – the Dalai Lama

2. Cancel negative thoughts and replace them with positive thoughts. This takes practice, dedication and making a decision to see the world through the eyes of “what can go right” instead of “what can go wrong.” You’ll have to catch yourself anytime you are acting out or speaking out your negativity, and immediately change your tune.

3. Use the Love or Above Spiritual Toolkit to clear your energy and bring more light and love into your life; visualize the positive instead of getting sucked into negativity; overcome past conditioning; think intuitively from the soul instead from ‘reality’; create a new, desired reality in your imagination and manifest it in the outer world. Nobody wants negative energy to permeate their lives, yet many of us allow it. But we allow it unconsciously, based on past conditioning that suggests an inevitable outcome to certain situations. When you overcome that conditioning and realize that the future is NOT cast in stone but that you have more control over your circumstances than you believe – then you can begin to consciously design your life.

What’s going to happen then? Your positive energy will magnetically attract what you consider to be good and right for you: people, situations, things… and you’ll notice a huge, huge increase in your happiness and inner peace.

Why not choose positive energy? Make some changes within, and you’ll quickly see positive changes in your life. Enjoy the good feelings and abundance!

Am I crazy???

Today I begin my training plan to walk across Ireland to raise money for the Our Ladys Hospice in Harolds cross that took care of my father in his final months of fighting cancer.

Being that we have been dealing with this situation over the last few months my fitness and training regimen has completely gone out the window so I feel like im starting fresh and really don't feel 100% as im coming off the end of a bad cold so my lungs and head are not perfect but excuses will not get me from Galway to Dublin.

Looking at Google maps and popping in the directions from Galway City to Dublin the number it gives me is 208 Kilometres and the estimated time is 42 hours, it scares the crap out of me and that's why I cant wait to do it. May 5th is the date I have to aim for completion.

I have no doubt in my mind that I wont do it, and I know its going to be a hard slog, but one thing I do like about this is that I don't know of anyone that has ever done this before. Im sure people have walked that distance but I plan to do it as quickly as possible. 

I emailed Guinesses to see if there was a chance of a world record in this but unfortunately there is not.I really hoped there would be for the added motivation.

Being that its the first day back ive started with a simple and easy 5K run, just to wake the legs up and get my lungs working. It feels good having not done it for two months.

So its started, 8 months to go!

Mixed Pepper Fritatta

This delicious dish is high in protein so its great for a post workout meal, All you will need to make it is...

Some mixed peppers of various variety and colour,
2 garlic cloves,
A pinch of salt and pepper,
2 full eggs,
4 egg whites,
Mixed garden salad,
Tablespoon of balsamic vinegar,
Olive oil,


To prepare, cut the mixed peppers into chunks of various sizes, get a pan and drizzle a drop of olive oil and place on a low heat. You want the peppers to cook slowly and become really soft.

Squash the cloves of garlic and add to the pan, cook for roughly 15 minutes to allow the juices to infuse with the garlic.

Take another pan with a drop of olive oil and place some small or baby peppers in to the pan whole and allow them to cook as a side dish.

While cooking separate the eggs into a bowl. Add two full eggs and another 4 egg whites. Get a pinch of salt and pepper then mix. 

When the pepper are soft and beginning to brown slightly add the eggs into the mix, without stirring allow to cook slowly until the egg is hardening quite well. Once the underneath is cooked, Put a plate on top of the pan and flip the Fritatta on to the plate, slide it back into the pan to allow it to cook on the other side.

Take your garden salad, wash and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Serve and Enjoy!

Dropping the refined sugar!

I don't know of anyone who thinks that sugar is actually good for you, yet in the US they average a 130 pounds of sugar per person per year. The question is, why do we eat sugary foods and drinks when we know it's bad for us? One researcher said the desire for fructose is wired into us because in nature, anything with fructose in it isn't poisonous. Another researcher demonstrated with MRI scans how your brain releases dopamine when you eat something sweet. Your body rewards you when you eat sugar by making you feel good. 

 

I much prefer the glow of good health to the momentary response you get from sugar. But because of both its addicting properties and that it's in almost everything in the shops, sugar — and corn syrup and other forms of sugar — can be hard to leave behind. 

 

But it's more than possible. Here are some tips if you'd like to explore that possibility. 

 

1. Get properly motivated 

Because it does take both work and motivation to get sugar out of your life, I recommend that you watch the "60 Minutes" interview, read Dr. Mercola's thoughts on this topic, or read a book such as "Suicide by Sugar" by Dr. Nancy Appleton. Repeat as necessary. 

 

2. Stop drinking any form of soda pop and other sweetened drinks 

The amount of sweetener in any type of soft drink is very high. A 12-ounce can contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar. If you can drop the soft drinks, you will instantly reduce your sugar habit significantly. Another obvious food item to eliminate is candy. Just don’t go for the “sugar-free” options, unless it is stevia sweetened, as these sweetners are toxic in other ways.

 

3. Don’t eat or buy packaged foods

Even organic packaged foods often contain significant amounts of sugar. While many of them are preferable to their non-organic counterparts, the sugar content is something to be aware of. Don’t keep these foods at home, otherwise you may find them to hard to resist.

 

Make your own snacks at home like homemade popcorn (not microwave, but stovetop popcorn), or eat fruit or vegetables for a snack. Eat hot cereal, homemade muffins, or eggs and toast for breakfast. You will save money and be healthier!

 

4. Make wise choices when eating out

That salad you had at the restaurant? The dressing was full of sugar as well as unhealthy fats. Sugar is hidden in many dishes at restaurants, and their desserts can be tempting. If you are eating out, make sure you stick with dishes like grilled meats and roasted vegetables that aren’t as likely to be full of sugar.  

 

I often sneak in my own homemade dressing to restaurants and enjoy a lovely salad, sugar-free. A quick recipe for salad dressing:  1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2-4 teaspoons brown mustard, 1-2 finely minced garlic cloves, 3/4 teaspoon unrefined salt. Give it a shake in a jar and you are set to go.

 

5. Eat a well-rounded diet, especially concentrating on protein and vegetables

It’s amazing how much better I feel when I am eating plenty of protein and vegetables. I also don’t crave sugar when I am eating well. But it takes conscious effort to make it happen. In her book, "The Mood Cure," Julie Ross recommends not only removing refined foods (like white sugar and white flour) from your diet, but also adding good foods. She recommends 20-30 grams of protein at each meal and 4-5 cups of a wide variety of vegetables every day. That’s a lot of protein and vegetables, but she has seen that diet overcome many health issues (including depression). And don’t just take her word for it. Dr. Terry Wahls reversed her own multiple sclerosis eating a similar diet.

 

Simply removing sugar can help improve your health, but for good health you need to fill up on good-for-you foods. Eating regular, hearty meals will ensure that you don't eat a donut or cookie while you're out, or reach into a co-worker's candy jar out of hunger.

 

Buy a new cookbook that focuses on healthy, delicious recipes, or start following the many healthy food blogs out there. Get inspired and start collecting doable but delicious healthy recipes.

 

6. Challenge yourself to go completely "sugar-free” for two weeks

Sometimes when you simply try to “reduce” your sugar consumption, you end up eating only slightly less than where you started. Go completely sugar-free for two weeks and you will have started resetting your taste buds and gaining a lot of self-control. I have found it really helpful to do (especially after a holiday!).

 

7. Get a friend who is interested in reducing or eliminating sugar to join forces with you

It could be a spouse, a walking partner, or a co-worker. If you have someone who has the same goal as you, shares healthy recipes, and exchanges food/meals, it can make it much more enjoyable and doable. If you can’t find someone in “real life,” then find an online friend.

 

8. Deal with cravings

After a couple of days have gone by without eating any sugary foods, your craving for sugar should be reduced. I find it helpful to eat or drink a fermented food such as homemade sauerkraut, coconut kefir, or kombucha. The sourness of these food items counteract that sweet desire, plus it gives you healthy probiotics, which help reduce cravings.

 

Julia Ross also recommends in "The Mood Cure" the following supplements to help keep blood sugar levels stable. From her book: “The mineral chromium helps keep blood sugar level stable, but it gets used up by a high-carb diet. Putting more back into your body as a supplement restores blood sugar stability (even more for diabetics). It also eases the cravings for carbs that erupt during blood sugar drops….. Glutamine is an amino acid that your brain can use as an emergency substitute fuel when you haven’t eaten recently or have been eating too many carbs and your blood sugar level is too low. This glucose stand-in stops the impulse to run to the candy machine when it’s low blood sugar time. This, of course, saves your adrenals from overworking. L-glutamine can stop carb cravings and get you feeling steady and even within 10 minutes (less if you open a capsule and place the contents under your tongue." 

 

Just make sure you take proper amounts of the above supplements and ask your health care provider about supplements before taking them.

 

9. Go have fun!

As long as you have food in your stomach, life is not all about what you can and cannot eat. Take a walk and enjoy nature, go to the park with your kids, read a good book. In other words, enjoy life. Really, you can enjoy it without sugar. I promise.

 

10. Enjoy beautiful food without sugar

Along the same lines, there is no need to mourn the loss of sweets when there is such beautiful food to eat. Make hearty stews and soups, roast a chicken, make a beautiful main dish salad, roast squash, toast nuts, and enjoy a good unsweetened yogurt. There are so many amazing foods to enjoy — so enjoy them. Don’t feel deprived, simply enjoy different foods.

 

11. Use the 2 teaspoons of sugar rule

If you find it too hard to go completely sweet-free, start using unrefined sweeteners at home, such as pure maple syrup, raw honey or coconut sugar. These sugars have minerals and vitamins intact, making them less stressful on the body. They also are less addicting and some, like coconut sugar, don’t raise blood sugar very much. Stevia is an excellent choice for those wanting something sweet without calories or any rise in blood sugar. Appleton, the previously mentioned author of "Suicide by Sugar," found that two teaspoons of added sweetener at a time is the threshold for healthy individuals, no more than two to three times a day. So, if you find it unappealing to live a completely sweetener-free life, enjoy a bit of raw honey and butter on toast, or a bit of honey in a cup of tea. Drizzle pure maple syrup into unsweetened yogurt and top with berries, or lightly sweeten a muffin recipe without guilt.

 

12. Pass it on to the next generation

Part of the reason adults find it hard to let go of sugar is because they got addicted and used to it at an early age. If you have children, start them on the right food with a low-sugar diet. They will thank you later.

Honey and Soy sauce chicken with noodles

This delicious and healthy dish provides the energy and nutrients you need for a simple pre or post workout meal. It should only take 20 minutes to make.

Ingredients


2 Chicken Breasts
Sesame Seeds
Manuka Honey
Rapeseed oil
Low sodium soy sauce
Fresh ginger
2 cloves of Garlic
2 sweet red peppers
1 courgette
2 carrotts
2 eggs
1 red onion
Spring onions
wholegrain noodles

Prep

1. Put the eggs in water to boil while preparing the other ingredients.
2. Chop the 2 chicken breasts and the red onion, put 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil in the pan and when the oil is hot add the red onion, after a minute add the diced chicken breast.
3. After 3 minutes cooking drizzle the chicken with 2 teaspoons of Manuka honey and a handfull of sesame seeds and allow to cook slowly.
4. Dice the sweet peppers and courgettes and cut the carrot into strips, add them to the pan and allow to cook until soft.
5. Dice the cloves of garlic and the fresh ginger, then put in a bowl together. Add the soy sauce and add a tablespoon of honey, stir.
6. Take the eggs off the boil and peel the shell, slice into think strips. 
7. Slice the spring onion into think strips.
8. Add the whole grain noodles to the pan and pour the soy sauce with garlic and ginger over the noodles, stir for a minute over the hear to infuse the flavors.
9. Add the noodles to a bowl, put the boiled egg on top and sprinkle with the diced spring onion.