Treadmill

I hate the treadmill. I cannot deny it any longer; running is not always fun. Oftentimes, I cannot manage to run more than 3 miles on a treadmill solely because it bores me to tears. I am often so bored, I fear falling asleep and then being catapulted into a bicycle machine somewhere in the gym, creating a domino effect of chaos, ending in the eventual demise and catastrophic explosion of my gym.

HOWEVER, this has yet to occur because I started envisioning my favorite running paths while in the gym. I simulate my runs along the beach or through trails outside of the gym by focusing on one point, like a poster in the gym, and walk myself through the various segments of those exotic outside runs.

I may look like a total crazy while gazing off on the treadmill but it beats watching the seconds click by or the slow incremental distance increases.

Benefits of Treadmill: Often treadmills are softer than pavement so they can be better if you fear getting shin splints.
Sheltered from polar vortex.

Unfortunately...
Boring.
Monotonous.
Dangerous, potentially.
Requires music or imagination.
Skews your actual pace.