Today was my third treadmill workout of the week. Ugh, hate it. I am sure that there are others in my position who for whatever reason--heat, childcare, injury, weather are forced inside for treadmill runs. So I thought I would share some of my workouts.
Yeah, right.
If only I had such talent on the treadmill.
I know that there are some, like Bruce, who can go for hours on the dreadmill. I am not one of those and just marvel and applaud his --or anyone else's--ability to do it. My limit on the treadmill is an hour, and not a minute more. So I utilize the treadmill for speedwork. I also do not do hills on the treadmill since I get enough of those on every single run I do outside. So here are my workouts:
Negative Split Run: Simple enough. I do this for a 5k most often but occasionally do it for a 10k. I start at 7.5 mph pace and finish running at a 10mph pace. Cool down 1 mile at a 7 mph pace.
Interval Run: My base pace for this is 7.5 mph. I start each mile at 7.5 mph and hold it for a 1/4 mile. Then I increase over the next 1/4 mile to 8mph pace. Then from the half mile to the .75 mile I increase to 8.5 mph. Once I hit the .75 mark I sprint it out as hard as I can. Once it flips to the next mile I start all over at the 7.5 mph pace and then do it all again. I repeat this sequence for anywhere from 4 miles to 7 miles. I suppose this is my take on Yassos.
Dante's Ladders: My base here is 7 mph and I climb the ladder several times for an hour--sometimes I quit at 7 miles and walk out to the end of the hour. The 60 minutes usually yields just under 8 miles if I run the whole time. I start running at 7mph pace and then every 30 seconds bump up until I reach the top of the ladder at 8.5. Then I run back down, again in 30 second variables. The next ladder I go to 9 mph and back down to the 7 mph pace and then back up the third to 8.5 mph and back down.
And here are my workouts this week so far:
Monday: 7 mile interval workout--54 minutes. Walked out to the hour
Tuesday: 10k negative split run--46 minutes--jogged out to 7 miles and then walked to the hour mark. 1/2 mile swim.
Wednesday: Dante's ladders--just shy of 8 miles in an hour. Then practiced a brick on dead legs: 12 mile hill workout on the stationary bike in 33 minutes and then 2 mile run in 14:41--walked it out to 16 minutes. Hard workout and I was drenched. Loved it.
Please post your dreadmill or workouts you have to do at the gym when you can't be outside.
Hey there Ms Natalie,
ReplyDeleteNice workouts!
I started using the treadmill while trying to recover from shin splints the begining of this year and now use it for most of my training. I find it helps me on tempo, speed and hill work...we have no hills here in Eastern VA.
You asked for it...you get it! My weekly workout looks something like this:
Monday: Low tempo run at 8-8.5 mph for 45 min to 1 hr at 1-2 incline. Swim when I get home.
Tuesday: 40 min of Strength/Weights and then swim.
Wednesday: Hill work (just started this) Start at 12 incline and 6.8 mph. Every minute I decrease incline by 1 and increase speed by 0.4-0.2 mph until at the end I'm at 0 incline and 10 mph. Then 8 mph for rest of the hour. Home to swim.
Thursday: 40 min of strength/weights and then swim.
Friday: High tempo run at 9-9.4 mph for 45 min at 1 incline then speed/intervals. I start at 8 mph and increase speed by 0.2 every 30 seconds up to 10.6 then back down to 8.0 for two minutes and then repeat for three sets. Swim when I get home.
Saturday: Rest/Swim
Sunday: Long run at 8-8.2 mph for first hour then 8.2-8.4 for second hour at 1 incline. Then home to swim.
Charlie
Hi Nat!
ReplyDeleteI don't have any dreadmilll workouts to post, as I avoid it at all cost. No. Seriously. I went to the dreadmill to do a tempo work out, and I lasted maybe 2 miles, and wanted to die. So I left, and ran the rest outside after the storm. In the event of weather I can't run in, I do cross training ,or take the day off, because it doesn't happen all to often. I do hills outside. I do speedwork outside on a track or inside on a track.
I can't stand the redundancy of running in one place looking at the sweaty people infront of behind me. I can't watch tv, or I'll get motion sick.
Treadmills suck. And it's so un-natural.
But they work for some people.
I may try your workouts if I ever get subjected to the dreadmill! Thanks for sharing them!
Hope the heat lays off a little so you can run outside again!
Speaking of treadmills...Dean Karnazes is running on a treadmill for 24 hrs in Time Square NY. He started at midnight and will end midnight tonight. He is already over halfway and has over 82 miles. Here is the link to a live web feed:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.accelerade.com/endurance-run/
Charlie
Oi, achei teu blog pelo google tá bem interessante gostei desse post. Quando der dá uma passada pelo meu blog, é sobre camisetas personalizadas, mostra passo a passo como criar uma camiseta personalizada bem maneira. Até mais.
ReplyDeleteDuring the Summer months I'm forced on the dreadmill due to the desert heat and have no races in Vegas either, therefore I'm in base training where most of my runs are at aerobic pace.
ReplyDeleteI do have one tempo run per week as not to lose too much speed. Currently I'm running 6 miles Tempo Runs at 7.8 mph with a 1% Grade...it does make for a tough workout!
I'll also eventually add more marathon pace miles (7.5 mph) at the end of my Middle-Long Runs and Long Runs as to prepare my body for the upcoming Las Vegas Marathon in December.
This September I'll start my Preparation Period where I'll be adding intervals, hill work and a variety of speedwork to push my anaerobic limits.
I know some people are amazed at how long I can run on a dreadmill, but it really is no big deal, I've slowly adapted dreadmill running over several years until I've come to the point where my body finds the dreadmill as natural as running on the roads. As with running, dieting, or even tri-training, your body will slowly adapt, just remember baby steps, baby steps.
Wow Charlie! You run really fast on the treadmill. The mills at my gym won't go above 10mph but I already feel pretty ridiculous when I am running that pace and the people next to me are walking and reading a book. Your tempo run sounds very similar to my ladder run. I might get brave one day and try a hill workout.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the Dean link. He is a nut. Talk about running to sit still.
Tiger I hear you but I suppose you do get use to the dreadmill. Like I said I have a very short tolerance.
Rodrigo My espanol is very bad but I will go take a peak at your blog. At least that is what I think you asked. Either that or you are spam.
Bruce--Do the people at your gym think you are nuts? I never see anyone at my gym on the treadmill longer than a hour. I love how orgagnized you are about your training. Okay, you have to tell us, while I know you are Dean Karnazes, what is your dreadmill record?
HA! For two of the same reasons that you are forced inside for dreadmill runs (and very adorable and sweet reasons, they are), I don't get to the gym for them. None for me. The pavement in front of my house is my treadmill - back and forth, back and forth. Play figure-eight games. Check out what neighbors are doing. Wait for sun to come up. Distract myself with music or work concerns.
ReplyDeleteMy dreadmill record is 3 hours and 20 minutes for 22 miles, which was set during last year's marathon training. I might run 22 miles again this Fall, maybe a little faster with more marathon pace miles. I can't see running farther than 22 miles for marathon training.
ReplyDeleteYup, several instructors think I'm nuts and are often worried I'll have a heart attack...they are always trying to suggest other cardio equipment like the stairmaster, eliptical, stationary bike, etc...hinting that I could use their coaching for a small fee.
The Hispanic cleaning lady swears at me in Spanish as she has to clean the dreadmill immediately after my run...I am a sweaty mess.
I normally listen to my CD's as I get motion sickness if I try to watch t.v.
I wish I owned my own treadmill as it would be so convenient to train at home, but I have a large chess library with thousands of books overflowing the third bedroom, the office and the guest bedroom...I need a BIGGER house!
Steph Yesterday I rode through your hood on the bike, past your hosue and I smiled imagining you running back and forth on "the flats." I also marvel at the hills that sit on either side of your house. I hit the route wrong yesterday. I rode from my parents over into Lake Charles, Roswell, up Crabapple to Hollyberry to Chaffin to your Hood and then through Wildwood Springs and through the hoods on the otherside of 92. I was cussing at the end. That route is much more forgiving in the reverse.
ReplyDeleteBruce-- Holy crap. 22 miles. Wow. Just wow.
Hi there! Great blog and loved the mill workouts. I end up indoors because the only time I can run is before work in the morning and I prefer the mill to the dark. I can do my midweek tempo and speed runs when I am on a training plan and it helps to keep the target paces.
ReplyDeleteMy offering of a workout is one when you only have 30 minutes to get a workout in. Run a .25 mile warmup lap, increase it by 1.0 and run a mile, go back to the warmup speed for .25, then increase 1.5 for a mile, back to the warmup speed for .25 and then increase 2.0 for a mile, either finish there or back to the wup speed to finish the 30 minutes. I leave the incline at 1.0 and if I am able to complete the workout without coughing up a lung on the last mile increase everything .1 the next time. I got up to 6.9/7.9/8.4/8.9 before I started my marathon training last week.
By the way your kids look great! Have 3 of my own (all boys). You also have me by a day (and five years) on the birthday.