When I approached the treadmill at the gym tonight I was struck by a very tall, lanky guy on a treadmill one down from mine. Living in Thailand will do that to you... Tall people seem odd and out of place and it takes you a minute to figure out why, exactly, you can't draw your eyes away. I digress... He was running hard, even for someone with such diabolically long legs, and I was impressed. Confession: I always weigh up the competition as I near the treadmill section... Tell me I'm not alone!
A little bit after I'd started my run, he leaned on the sidebars, picked himself up off the treadmill band and put his feet on the treadplate either side of the moving band. He did some strange stretching exercises while the treadmill continued to run at its supersonic pace. Next thing, he picked himself back up and while holding himself above the moving treadmill band, knees bent and head lowered so that his chin was almost touching his knees, started to run in midair. When he felt he'd reached the correct pace, he lowered himself back onto the treadmill and continued with his run as though this was all perfectly normal. I coughed and spluttered so much I had to stop my treadmill while I caught my breath because I was laughing so hard! He just looked so hilarious! This long, lanky man, holding himself in midair while his legs made strange circular motions. I can't get the picture out of my head!
This led me to start thinking that there should be rules for running on treadmills in gym, if only to protect fellow runners from injury sustained due to manic laughter.
Here's my list, it may grow as I spend more and more time running on the road to nowhere:
1. Always wear proper attire on a treadmill. By proper attire I mean suitable exercise wear. How can it possibly be comfortable running in jeans? Just thinking of the chafing makes me cringe.
2. Running shoes are of supreme importance. Never run in sandals, high heels and the like. Not only will it have severely adverse effects on your ankles, it also makes you look really stupid.
3. Always wipe the treadmill down when you're done. There's nothing worse than climbing onto a treadmill and having to maneuver around someone elses sweat puddles.
4. Never make or receive phonecalls while on the treadmill, it's incredibly annoying for those around you. I mean, for pity sake! Who brings a mobile phone onto a treadmill anyway?! I'm fairly sure whatever it is can wait until you retreat into the change rooms after your run.
5. Like urinals, the skip one rule applies. Always skip a treadmill between runners until there are no more treadmills left and you have no other option but to take one between two people.
6. Never try start up a conversation with the person on the treadmill next to you. Particularly if they happen to be listening to an iPod. We all just want to be left alone to imagine we're running along beaches, mountain trails, park paths etc. As my very kind flatmate has just pointed out, if you're talking, you're not running fast enough.
That's it for now. I've no doubt that there will be more twilight zone moments in California Wow that will strike me as worthy of a Treadmill Rule.
A little bit after I'd started my run, he leaned on the sidebars, picked himself up off the treadmill band and put his feet on the treadplate either side of the moving band. He did some strange stretching exercises while the treadmill continued to run at its supersonic pace. Next thing, he picked himself back up and while holding himself above the moving treadmill band, knees bent and head lowered so that his chin was almost touching his knees, started to run in midair. When he felt he'd reached the correct pace, he lowered himself back onto the treadmill and continued with his run as though this was all perfectly normal. I coughed and spluttered so much I had to stop my treadmill while I caught my breath because I was laughing so hard! He just looked so hilarious! This long, lanky man, holding himself in midair while his legs made strange circular motions. I can't get the picture out of my head!
This led me to start thinking that there should be rules for running on treadmills in gym, if only to protect fellow runners from injury sustained due to manic laughter.
Here's my list, it may grow as I spend more and more time running on the road to nowhere:
1. Always wear proper attire on a treadmill. By proper attire I mean suitable exercise wear. How can it possibly be comfortable running in jeans? Just thinking of the chafing makes me cringe.
2. Running shoes are of supreme importance. Never run in sandals, high heels and the like. Not only will it have severely adverse effects on your ankles, it also makes you look really stupid.
3. Always wipe the treadmill down when you're done. There's nothing worse than climbing onto a treadmill and having to maneuver around someone elses sweat puddles.
4. Never make or receive phonecalls while on the treadmill, it's incredibly annoying for those around you. I mean, for pity sake! Who brings a mobile phone onto a treadmill anyway?! I'm fairly sure whatever it is can wait until you retreat into the change rooms after your run.
5. Like urinals, the skip one rule applies. Always skip a treadmill between runners until there are no more treadmills left and you have no other option but to take one between two people.
6. Never try start up a conversation with the person on the treadmill next to you. Particularly if they happen to be listening to an iPod. We all just want to be left alone to imagine we're running along beaches, mountain trails, park paths etc. As my very kind flatmate has just pointed out, if you're talking, you're not running fast enough.
That's it for now. I've no doubt that there will be more twilight zone moments in California Wow that will strike me as worthy of a Treadmill Rule.
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