Several weeks ago, a local coach called my cell phone while I was in the middle of a treadmill run. I’m still not sure why I picked up, especially after I heard his response. “Anne Lundblad, what are you doing on a treadmill?!?” I immediately began mumbling a litany of excuses – it was raining, I had to do a workout, I didn’t have childcare – the list went on and on. Mulling over the incident a few days later I came to the simple conclusion that I actually like running on the treadmill.

“My name is Anne and I’m a treadmill addict.” It’s hard to admit. I’m supposed to be a hardcore ultra runner, charging up mountains on gnarly single track, relishing all sorts of inclement weather, returning home with blood and bruises and war stories. What in the world am I doing running in the comfort of my own home, climate controlled and in front of a (dare I say it?) TV?

I love the trails as much as anybody. There is something exhilarating, even spiritual, about running through time and space across rugged and beautiful landscapes. Something simple about hearing nothing but my own breathing and footsteps, accompanied by an occasional birdsong. But sometimes it’s fun to challenge myself on the machine as well. On the treadmill there’s no escape and no hiding – no coasting down a hill or walking a steep one. No wind at my back to help me on the return trip. No thinking, “that was about a seven-minute mile.” It either was or it wasn’t. If I set the machine on six-minute miles, I’d better be prepared to run them – or be spit off the back end. What better way is there to learn pace? In preparing for my 100K races, I put the setting on my target race pace and go for as long as I can, locking the pace into my legs and my mind. I become one with the machine, clicking off the miles like a metronome. Some might consider it boring; I prefer to think of it as meditative.

Speaking of boredom, yes, it does hit occasionally. Well, maybe more than occasionally. When this happens I turn to one of two things: ESPN or country music videos. Watching sports can be incredibly inspiring. I had one of my best treadmill runs ever while watching Meb win the Silver Medal in the 2004 Olympics. One of my worst watching the Redskins get pummeled by the Patriots in preseason play.

Mental aspects notwithstanding, the treadmill can be a good training tool. A survey of the members of the 2006 U.S. 100K team showed that close to half use the treadmill at least occasionally, ranging from daily to once or twice a month. Eric Blake, a U.S. Mountain Running Team member and holder of the world record for a treadmill marathon (2:21:40), trains regularly on a treadmill. He says, “I think almost any workout can be mimicked on a treadmill...you can get real race specific.” He uses it for everything from tempo and marathon pace runs to hill workouts, commenting that the soft surface takes less out of your legs than the roads.

Would I run daily on a treadmill? No way. As the saying goes, variety is the spice of life. I need the trails, the roads, the mountains to keep my running fresh. But once in a while, if I’m looking for a specific pace, wanting to stay warm and dry, or just feel like running along with Tim McGraw for a tune or two, the ‘mill can’t be beat.

Anne Lundblad is a mom, college counselor, and world-class ultrarunner. She can be reached at anneriddle@hotmail.com