Wednesday, December 15, 2010

First Training Run On The Treadmill

Monday I actually brought workout clothes with me as I left for work, finally remembering that I could actually stay after work and use the treadmill in our work gym since Greg was home and I didn't have to rush home to let Clyde out- SWEET!  It was definitely a good night to be inside as the temps were in the mid 30's AND it was WINDY that night.  I'm pretty sure a run outside would have sucked.



So, I'm kind of treadmill retarded.  I hit start and ramped up the speed to where I thought I was comfortable but still pushing myself and also added a little incline.  I don't know if our work treadmill is just way off (entirely possible according to a co-worker who said the thing has probably never been calibrated) or if I'm truly that slow on running on a treadmill, but I ran for 55 minutes and didn't even quite get to 5 miles (close)!  I know I'm not slower than an 11 minute mile, so whatever.  I did 55 minutes and felt like I had done what I needed to do and hopped off to head home to the boys.  Later, I was on http://www.runnersworld.com/ and found this article.  Notice the comments at the bottom and how a lot of people have the same problem I had and are silly slow on treadmills!  How about you?  Are you faster or slower on a treadmill?

En route home I plotted dinner.  I had a bag of celery, carrots, and broccoli that were out with my hummus at the cookie party last week, so I figured I should plow through them and started planning a soup.



I basically made a version of cheese and broccoli soup, with more veggies besides broccoli incorporated (carrots, celery, onion), and also added pureed white beans as a thickening agent (and for protein). 

Veggie Heavy Cheese and Broccoli Soup
1/2 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 TB olive oil
2 cups chopped and steamed broccoli (I put it in a bowl in the microwave with a little water on High for about 3 minutes)
2-3 cups stock
1/2 can of white beans, drained and pureed
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded chedder (or however much you like)

Directions:
Sautee onions, carrot, and celery in olive oil til soft.  Add stock and broccoli and bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add pureed beans and stir.  Cook for about 5-10 more minutes and add cheese and stir til melted. 


My shredded cheddar didn't melt that well, it was kind of chunky, but otherwise the soup was good.  I also toasted up some random chunks of crusty bread in from the freezer to have with it.



 Hit the spot!

The rest of my night was spent working on Christmas cards and addressing envelopes.  This month is FLYING BY!  I have SO MUCH to cram in between now and Thursday when my side of the family comes to my house for our annual early Christmas.  I'm overwhelmed!!   How's your week going?

5 comments:

Null said...

You're not alone. I call B.S. on people who say it's easier to run fast on the treadmill.

I feel like I work much harder on the treadmill. I can comfortably average about 8:15/mile pushing the jogging stroller outside. I feel like I'm sprinting like a mad woman to maintain that pace on the treadmill.

I have no idea why it feels harder because in theory it shouldn't. Maybe the lack of visual stimulation?

Null said...

Your soup looks really good too. Good idea to use the pureed beans to add some guilt-free richness.

Heather (Where's the Beach) said...

I hate hate hate the dreadmill. I never really just run steady state so I'm not sure if I'm slower or not. If I have to use the treadmill, I do interval and speed work instead to pass the time. Hey, at least you got your run in right???

Jen (She said.She said.) said...

I'm with you and so much slower on the treadmill. It makes me feel better to know I'm not alone.

I also agree about having so much to do in such little time. I need to remind myself that I ENJOY this time of year. :)

Jaime said...

I am much slower on the treadmill than outside. I totally agree.

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