Conquering the Treadmill Beast vs. Yaktrax

So it did indeed snow yesterday, as promised by the weather forcasters. When I woke up it was actually clear--but as I looked out my back windows to the full mountain view, I could literally see the front rolling in over the foothills (it was pretty cool-looking, if I were clever, I'd have taken a photo of it...or better yet, video...but alas, I'm not clever). Within an hour, it had arrived and was lightly flaking down in the Ranch. So, clearly this meant I would have one of two runs: a snow-glory run in the Yaktrax or treadmill make-out session at the rec center. Only time and 9News would tell which it will be...so, to please the few readers I have and keep you reading, I offer two delicious bloggy nuggets for consumption today.

A Sample of the Treadmill Workouts in This Month's Runner's World
"Race Simulations - Do it to train for the course
Some treadmills offer simulations of famous races, like the Boston Marathon and Bolder Boulder, to let you mirror the topography indoors and practice the hills in a condensed run.

The workout - if your treadmill doesn't have your race as a preset course, you can use a race's elevatin map to time your ups and downs on the treadmill to mimic the course. For instance, say you know there's a killer hill two-thirds of the way into a 10-k you've entered. Hit that "up" incline button at the same point in your treadmill run, and get used to the feeling.

Inside scoop - Don't let yourself be surprised on race day. When you get to that hill, you can think that you've done it before--and it felt much worse when you were in your basement."

M2Marathon's Puke Threshold Treadmill Workout
Select the "hills" program. Set treadmill for 50 minutes. Select a difficulty of level 10 or above (out of 20). Set the speed to whatever is your tempo pace (or choose 8MPH if you are treadmilltarded, like me). Cover up the display. Start running. Absorb yourself in the tv show Heroes, of which you know nothing about and have never watched, in Closed Caption, and try to figure out what the hell is going on and who's who. Don't stop or slow down at all, because that would involve pulling your attention and eyes away from Heroes in order to punch the treadmill buttons, and then you'll miss out on something happening that you already don't understand and will become ever more desperately Lost (another show which would probably work for this workout as I have no clue WTF it is about or what is going on) and unable to fully absorb in Heroes (this is a critical element of the workout). Ignore pukish feeling--right when you think you will surely hurl, the incline will go down and the feeling will subside...untl the next time. Stop running 50 minutes later, when the treadmill slows down and Heroes is over. Wring sweat out of shirt and ponytail (it's ok, they have papertowels and disinfectant spray you can lightly douse the sweatpool with). This workout is particularly effective if you execute it 30 minutes after eating dinner. Good luck runners!

Description and Photos of the Heavenly Winterlands Running Animal That is the "Yaktrax"(runningus yaktraximus)
Yaktrax are rubber and metal coil contraptions you strap on your shoes to give you traction thus allowing one to [more] safely run on packed snow. Note: you cannot run on plain pavement in them. Nor do you want to walk indoors on your mother-in-laws new tile floors (or your own wood floor) in them. The box tells you this, but I also know from experience, which I will not go into at this point. Just trust me on that.

Yaktrax Exhibit 1.0 - do not walk on your wood floors in them.
A link to someone who knows a lot about Yaktrax

Yaktrax Exhibit 1.1 - they are a little effort to get on, but completely worth it

Yaktrax Exhibit 1.2 - do not attempt to climb trees in
them--just stick to the running

Again, if I were clever, I would host a Yaktrax giveaway at this point. Also, if I were rich. However, as is obvious by the lack of giveaway¹, I am neither.

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¹ - Yaktrax, a note to you if you are listening: if you want to send me a free pair to raffle off to blogland readers, I will gladly host a giveaway