Of Treadmills, Trails and Tracks

When I had a gym membership, how I loved that treadmill. It kept all my information safe for me until I had time to jot it down in my PDA - miles walked/run, average speed, calories burned.

Then we stopped going to the gym, and I was on my own.

Since then I have learned to make do with a straight hour on whatever surface I have available, and it's a bit harder. But there are advantages to "roughing it" I hadn't considered before.

The breakdown:

Treadmill
PROS: Hello, escaping the weather. Where I live, we have rain for at least six months out of the year. I've never run in a solid rain - have you?

Also, the temperature-controlled environment, the TVs, music, cute little spot to put your cell phone (for Facebook checking purposes) and water bottle, other women to compare yourself with, and men to check out. Not that I ever do that.

Safety.

A conveyor belt to make me walk, and walk faster, and eventually run.

And all my workout information right there at my fingertips. I miss that now.

CONS:
You never go anywhere or see anything different.

Driving and wasting gas to get to the gym (every time I did, I felt incredibly stupid).

Time. My gym was about 10-15 minutes away.

Cost (ultimately the deciding factor).

Trails (and roads, I had to be alliterative)
PROS: Free is the best price.

I love the independence of walking right outside my front door and getting started. Just take off walking, baby!

You're outside! The fresh air, the flowers, the changing weather!

Something different to see everywhere you go.

Window-shopping opportunities.

Feeling at one with your community. Waving or nodding to fellow joggers and cyclists.

CONS: You're outside! The car exhaust fumes. The allergies. The weather.

Lack of safety, whether from errant cars, bumps in the road, or menacing figures in dark alleys.

A hard surface, which does not move or propel me forward. That bugs.

Tracks
PROS: No cost, again - free is the best price.

A surface made just for walking and running.

Relative safety. I was first on the track this morning, but within minutes was joined by other exercisers and a practicing high school football team.

Other people to watch, and keep me motivated. "That guy is probably sixty years old - look at him run. I can't let him outdo me, I'm twenty years younger!"

A way to check mileage and distance, at least. I also took along my stopwatch and kept track of how long I can still jog. (It ain't pretty.)

A nice setting.

CONS: Still had to drive to it, but it's actually on my way home from dropping off my husband at work. I would have had to drive home anyway.

The weather, again. But the nice thing about this morning's weather (clouds and a light mist) was that it kept me cool. The gym would get hot sometimes, even with the air conditioner and fans.

Boredom - nothing new to see, just lines and numbers - although it was fun to watch the little football players.

How about you ladies? What's your opinion on these?