Running Amuck

After a slightly heated discussion I need to vent.  My preferred method for many years now has been a good 30 minute run, though lately I've taken to just shining shoes.  But the subject here is running, not Kiwi shoe polish. Running for real and running on a...wait for it... a treadmill! I have done minimal research to supplement my 6 years of competitive cross country experience so this may be slightly under-informed.  That said I have never "liked" running on a treadmill...I tried it once...30 minutes of staring at a white wall in a hotel gym...BORING! And pointless I might add.  As for running... I enjoy it immensely...when i'm done with it.  Anyone who tells you that they enjoy a burning in their legs and lungs is either insane or a masochist...or both. But the endorphins released and the feeling of accomplishment after a good hard run definitely fall in the "pleasurable" category. 

Now don't get me wrong, running on a treadmill is better than no running at all, especially while maintaining your fitness level.  But you can hardly belt out "Eye of the Tiger" in a gym surrounded by fitness buffs.  They look at you kind of funny.  They're funny looking to begin with but still. "Off-Tread" is much better as you can run away from the people giving you weird looks and share your American Idol Audition with the squirrels.

All kidding aside here's what I know;  Running off-tread can be beneficial to your joints by selecting a more forgiving surface such as dirt or grass.  A treadmill can be beneficial for those who live in the land of no mountains or hills (aka Oklahoma and the rest of the mid-west) by utilizing the incline function.  Running off-tread requires the runner to better develop and maintain balance and control as they are constantly affecting their momentum with each stride.  The treadmill...has hand rails?...which seems more like an inhibitor than anything.

I suppose the point of this Twaddle is that you can not realize the full benefits and pains of running by doing so on a moving black rubber belt.  It is an alternative for supplemental use but if you truly want a great experience, why pay for the modulator when you can have the real console for free?