The snow, icy pavements and Baltic temperatures drove me to the gym today for the first time since the last big freeze in February 2009. Not willing to miss out on another run, I hit the treadmill, bracing myself for 45 minutes of interminable boredom. But 9km later, I got off smiling and drenched in sweat. Dispensing with my planned ’steady’ run, I instead opted for a challenging interval session: 7km run in alternating 2-minute bouts of 15km per hour (4 minute km pace) and 10km per hour (6 minute km pace). I took advantage of the gym’s mirrors to check my form, monitored the speed of my leg turnover by counting my steps per minute and, by necessity, kept up my pace even when I started to fatigue towards the end of the session. Gratifyingly, the time flew by! I can’t say I’ll be rushing back for more once the pavements are run-worthy again, but it’s good to be reminded that the treadmill can be such a useful training tool.