Treadmill: bringing the running in place tactic to a whole new level this winter. If you are like me and you need to run a bit through the winter for your various spring/summer sports related quests, you are spending a lot of time on there throughout this cold/ice snap. According to the urban dictionary, the treadmill is a.k.a.
the dreadmill: The conveyor belt to nowhere that one has to walk upon to keep their body in shape, or in times of neglect becomes a place for clutter collection...
Damn, I have to get off the computer now and walk on the cursed dreadmill...
It was 40 these past few days, I hope you got outside to cycle or run.
Knowing that spring is a few more weeks around the corner and also realizing that the dark still comes on too quickly in the evening, I have some tips to help the treadmill running go a little smoother.
1. Progressive miles: Start at an easy pace and increase it slightly every quarter mile. I do it like this:
6.0 for a quarter, then 6.3, 6.5, 6.8
I repeat that starting at the next highest pce for the next set: 6.3, 6.5, 6.8, 70
then
6.5, 6.8, 7.0. 7.2
then
6.8. 7.0, 7.2, 7.5
then
warm down easy for a mile.
Adjust the speeds for your own current fitness level. If your peak marathon or half marathon pace is a little slower than mine, start at 5.0 mph or 5.5 mile sper hour and work your way up each quarter. If you are faster, than start a half mile per hour to a mile per hour faster.
2. 30 second accelerations:
This is a favorite workout of mine. The 30 sec accels at 5k - 10k pace help you increase the speed of leg turnover without completely breaking you down. Warm up 1-2 miles easy then run 10-15 x 30 sec faster with 1-2 minutes easy between each. Warm down for 1-2 miles.
3. Ipod intervals:
1 mile easy warm up then run a song faster, run a song easy. Alternate this pattern for the length of your run and then warm down for a mile.
4. 3/2/1's:
Warm up a mile then run at 10k to half marathon pace for 3 minutes (2 min recovery); 2 minutes (3 minute recovery) and 1 minute (4 minute recovery). Repeat this 2-4 times and warm down a mile.
Hopefully these four workouts will spice up your tread (dread) mill running for the next few weeks until the weather clears!
Happy Training!
Jen
Adding hills to my workout is fun and helps keep your mind engaged
ReplyDeleteI do a one mile warm up
then do a ladder of hills increasing by 1, 200m or 400m Rest the same distance (most treadmills increase by 1/2)
So lets go, 1st 200 on with a hill of 1, recover 200m, 2nd hills of 2, recover 200m. (This can get hard fast) I build up to 5 and then back down.
Bring water and a towel
cool down 1 mile
total distance 5 miles for 200 & 6 1/2 miles for 400