As much as I love to run outside, it is really not pleasurable in -20 degree weather. So, I go to the club and workout on the treadmill. I find treadmill running EXTREMELY boring - nothing seems to help - not the new Beastie Boys on my MP3, the TV, or my fellow clubmates. I feel like a hamster in a wheel.

The upside, however, is that I do get to continue my training.

The following article came to me through my subscription to the Running Room's weekly newsletter. I found it very interesting - especially for those of us looking to maintain our current level of training and prevent injuries. Enjoy!

"First running on a treadmill is of equal aerobic value providing you keep your heart rate in its training range. On a treadmill you can keep an exact pace and add the resistance of hills or take them away at the touch of a button. Now wouldn’t it be nice if we could just make the hills go away when running a race? You also don’t have to worry about the cold, snow, and head winds when using a treadmill. That’s the upside.

The downside is running on a treadmill is different to running outside. You do not experience air resistance as your body is not moving forward, and when your foot hits on the moving surface of a treadmill there is less breaking action so it requires less effort. As a result you feel you are running much faster on a machine, and may be disappointed on race day. You can increase the resistance by about 1 percent to help this but running outside is better for training. Also runners tend to lean forward on a treadmill to keep pace with the belt and the slight pulling motion of the belt can cause lower leg or Achilles tendon problems, so pay close attention to your running form when using a treadmill."