How to Run for Performance on a Treadmill

You own a treadmill but still shy away from using it believing your outdoor runs are of greater intensity. True, there’s no substitute for running picturesque hill trails or beautiful parks, but despite the absence of magnificent outdoor discomforts such as windy, rainy, snowy or scalding days, getting an indoor workout can be every bit as challenging and rewarding for even the most accomplished runner. Here’s how you can get a great treadmill workout that will definitely change the way you think about running indoors.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• A treadmill
• Running clothes
• Running shoes
• Water bottle

1. Treadmill near a window. Prepare the area. Runners usually scout out new run routes before embarking on them and you should do the same in getting ready to run indoors. Situate your treadmill so that it stimulates the senses you consider the most important when running outdoors. If you enjoy sunlight, place your machine near a window that admits ample light. If you’re hooked on scenery, put on a DVD that showcases places you’d like to run. If you need to feel the breeze while you’re running, set up a fan. But if it’s all the same to you and the only thing you need is your MP3 player, then pop in your earbuds and get going. Remember, many treadmills come “tricked out” with user-friendly features such as personal fans, TV-DVD combinations and iPod-MP3 player interfaces. Replicate your outdoor running preferences and you’ll ensure a good treadmill experience.
2. Performance running Know what you want. Runners vary their workouts by employing different running strategies. Mondays may call for an easy five to seven mile run, 40 minutes of fartleks on Tuesdays, a moderate distance run on Wednesdays, intervals or hills on Thursdays and an LSD—long slow distance—run on Fridays. Fortunately, if that’s your plan and the weather caves on you all week long, then take your workout inside with confidence. Your treadmill can handle all of these proven running methods.
3. Runner's dashboard Easy five to seven mile runs. Warm up as you usually do on or off the treadmill. When you’re ready to start, get on your machine and set a comfortable speed. Soon enough, you’ll be settled into your treadmill stride watching the miles tick by on the machine’s dashboard.
4. In the zone. The fartlek workout. Begin this 30-minute workout at the same comfortable pace you used during your easy run in Step 3. Hold that pace—say 8 miles per hour—for 10 minutes. When the timer clicks 10:00, boost your speed to 8.5 mph and hold it for 1 minute. At 11:00, decrease your speed to 8.0 mph and hold it for 2 minutes. Then, at 13:00 increase your speed to 8.6 mph and hold it for a minute. Afterwards, it’s back down to 8.0 for another 2 minutes. The workout culminates at 28:00 when you increase your speed to 9.1 mph and hold that pace for the last 2 minutes of the 30-minute routine. There you have it…fartleks in the house.
5. Moderate Distances. Decide on the distance you’re going to run, say 10 to 12 miles, and set your pace accordingly. Be sure your fan is in good working order.
6. Real vs. virtual The hill trail. Again, decide on your distance before you begin. Running hills is significantly more challenging than flats, so you’ll need to reduce your speed as you increase the degree of incline. For example, if your favorite outdoor hill course has lazy, rolling hills for the first three miles of the run, cycle your incline rate higher and lower during the first 20 to 25 minutes of your workout. Experiment with the settings on your treadmill until you find the degree of incline that most closely resembles your real trail. Remember, as you increase the machine’s rate of incline, you’ll need to decrease its speed as well, just like on that real hill trail.
7. Real vs. virtual running route. LSDs. This 15 to 18 mile route may prove tedious on a treadmill, but no more so than running the same distance through crowded streets and neighborhoods filled with loose, runner-adverse dogs. Spin that DVD, go for the larger floor fan and persevere until you’re finished. Just like always.
8. Go for it! Enjoy the knowledge. You’ve just learned that you don’t need to compromise the intensity or duration of your workouts just because you're running on a treadmill. Whether you’re at home or in the gym, using a treadmill will allow you to sidestep the elements by giving you an anytime, all weather, competitive level workout.

Tips & Warnings

• You sweat profusely when exercising on aerobic equipment, so keep a towel handy to wipe away perspiration while you run, and be sure to hold a handrail as you dry yourself to prevent inadvertent stumbles.
• Keep a water bottle in the dashboard of your treadmill for quick refreshment.
• Don’t forget to wipe down your treadmill after each run.
• Use visualization techniques that allow you to run real routes virtually.
• As always, check with a physician before beginning or significantly increasing the level of difficulty of your exercise routine.
• Never fail to use your treadmill’s safety cord.
• If you feel lightheaded at any time while exercising, stop immediately.
• Before starting your run, remove any rocks or slivers of glass that may have become embedded in the soles of your running shoes. Failing that, you’ll be replacing the tread on your machine sooner than expected.