Track, trail or treadmill — oh my!

Lately, I have been experimenting with the type of area that is the most enjoyable for me to run in.

I like running on a treadmill for the obvious reasons: you can control tempo, distance, time, and incline all at the touch of a button — plus there’s the TVs that are common at most gyms.

The problem I have found with this medium is I often get distracted by the TV and run right off the treadmill. I also tend to stare at the screen, which makes the time crawl by.

I mostly run outdoors, especially when the weather is as nice as it has been lately. When I ran my first long run a few weeks ago — a distance of 6.36 miles — I elected to use the Taylorsville High track. Yep, I ran around and around. It was 24 laps around the loop that was just over a quarter mile.

I loved it. I had a great run and I felt safe. My roommate thought I was nuts. “How can you run the same loop over and over like that? Don’t you get bored?”

Actually, I forgot where I was. I had a lot to do at work — American Legion baseball, competitive softball tournaments, and high school football previews completely filled up my mind — and I used the hour to write those stories. It was nice that I didn’t have to pay attention to where I was going so I could focus on forming story leads and transitions. I got lost in my own thoughts and don’t even remember what was going on around me while I ran that day.

On the other hand, last week I was in Fort Collins, Colo. for a family vacation and had to discover new running paths. I was at a park one day and just took off running. The three miles I was able to pack into my vacation schedule just flew by because I was absorbed in all of the scenery and people-watching as I found my way around the outer edges of the huge open space.

I am still undecided as to which type of trail I prefer. I supposed it depends on the area, the distance, and how I feel that day.

So my question today is, what do you prefer, the track, trail or treadmill? Do you like to mix it up or prefer to stick with one of those?