Curious how others approach treadmill pace in relation to incline.
I set my training paces through periodic testing outdoors on a flat repeatable course every 6 to 8 weeks throughout the season.
During the winter, most of my run training is done indoors. I run with my treadmill set to 2% incline. Using a treadmill pace conversion table, I convert my treadmill speed to account for the 2% incline. For example, 7.9 mph is a 7:55 mpm at 0% incline, 7:36 at 1% equal to outdoors assuming flat with light wind. However, with a 2% incline, it would be 7:18 mpm.
Does anyone else adjust their treadmill speed for incline?
I find individual treadmills so variable in terms of how the reported speed actually feels compared to my outdoor pace. I always set incline to 1%, but from hotel to hotel I notice so much difference that personally I don’t think I would worry about trying to be that precise unless you really need to.
I say keep doing what you’re doing. That’s basically what I do as well. I do use a foot pod though. I find that even if the paces don’t match between the watch with footpod and the treadmill readout, which they don’t when you start to add incline, they follow very closely.
I find individual treadmills so variable in terms of how the reported speed actually feels compared to my outdoor pace. I always set incline to 1%, but from hotel to hotel I notice so much difference that personally I don’t think I would worry about trying to be that precise unless you really need to.
I just keep it on 0% unless I’m m doing hill work.
I go by effort and set the speed to match the effort I am looking for irrespective if it matches outdoor pace or not. As long as easy is easy. Moderate is moderate, etc.
I find I run faster outside then on a treadmill. Tonight’s intervals I decided to up it to 1% incline because of this post…and I hate you all for it. Man…that sucked.
This is a common misconception. Since air resistance which is the only real difference compare to running outdoors (assuming your treadmill is calibrated) increases squared, there is no need for any incline in speeds up to 4:20min/km and if you are running faster than that you should have 1%. Can’t remember when you should switch to 2% but it is closer to 3min/km.
So unless you are are sub 30 runner, your easy runs should have 0, and tempos and intervals 1 or 2.
treadmill runs always equal 1.5% for me. i went with 1 for a while, but 1.5 is just a touch bit harder and feels a little more like the difficulty of an outside run. from that i just pick the speed / pace for whatever im trying to achieve and go with it. i typically only run on one of two treadmill types at two separate locations so i dont really have a lot of variance in the equipment.
So I gather from the discussion and reading the articles debunking the 1% = flat ground, that 8mph at 2% grade is indeed equivalent to 7:13 mpm on flat ground. Once I get up around 8.6 mph on the treadmill the grade makes less of a difference as compared to running outside.
I’ve run on tms for decades now, and know my running well - for me, the 1% is Def legit and recommended for tm to road similarity. I ran on 0% for years but always had a gap between the and road until I went to 1%.
Now I actually train most of the time at 3% to stay in hill ready shape, but I still do fast 1% speed work once in awhile to keep leg turnover up.
10% hill intervals are good stuff on the tm as well that really build leg muscular endurance.
I’ve run on tms for decades now, and know my running well - for me, the 1% is Def legit and recommended for tm to road similarity. I ran on 0% for years but always had a gap between the and road until I went to 1%.
Now I actually train most of the time at 3% to stay in hill ready shape, but I still do fast 1% speed work once in awhile to keep leg turnover up.
10% hill intervals are good stuff on the tm as well that really build leg muscular endurance.
Ok, gotcha … let’s do this
That “treadmill at 1% = flat road” is a LIKELY myth, but YMMV
If you are on a treadmill and have a fan in front of you, wouldn’t that effectively add the air resistance you would get running outside which would negate the need to increase the incline?
The air would push you back on the treadmill adding resistance and you would have to run harder to stay in the same spot…?
Pretty much, yeah. Though you would have to note that the effectiveness of a fan blowing at say 15 mps is less than 20% so you are actually experiencing around 2mps wind.
To answer your question, no I do not adjust speed for incline. I just don’t do speed based efforts on the treadmill. I use PE and HR. My reasons are 1. I do not trust the treadmill speed reading (I use a footpod, but not really sure I trust that either, maybe I should). 2. Every pace is harder for me on the treadmill. Regardless of incline, running at 9min/mile is more difficult for me on the treadmill than outside. Much of this is mental I am sure. For easy runs I just use perceived exertion and keep it easy regardless of what my foot pod says. This often results in slower easy runs on the treadmill than outside. For tempo stuff, I typically target a HR on the treadmill. For really fast stuff, I feel like I am limited on the treadmill as a safety concern. I do not feel comfortable on the treadmill going much faster than 5:30/mile and feel like it is not worth risking getting hurt. I suppose I could use incline to help me there.
Anyway, I start my runs at 1%. If am doing some sort structure, I often leave it at 1% unless the workout calls for something different. If I am doing a recovery run or easy z2 run, I will often simulate hills from 1% to 4% just to change things up a bit. I find it helps to play with the grade to break up the treadmill boredom.
I typically cap my speed at around 9mph because I feel like there is a real risk of injury but I am starting to feel more comfortable at that pace on TM. I am planning on bumping that up a little if my next test warrants the increase.
I have a hard time running as slower paces (9 mpm +) on the TM. It feels cluncky. Almost like I’m stumbling for something.
I have been running this winter with a footpod on Zwift. It certainly does take away some of the boredom that comes with TM running.
I typically cap my speed at around 9mph because I feel like there is a real risk of injury but I am starting to feel more comfortable at that pace on TM. I am planning on bumping that up a little if my next test warrants the increase.
I have a hard time running as slower paces (9 mpm +) on the TM. It feels cluncky. Almost like I’m stumbling for something.
I have been running this winter with a footpod on Zwift. It certainly does take away some of the boredom that comes with TM running.
I am sure fitness and speed are a component to where you feel safe on the treadmill. I get worried around 6 min/mile but will go down to 5:30. I am sure a 4 minute miler is fully comfortable at 6 min/mile. Outside, I can run faster, but if I fall my perceived risk of serious injury is lower outside.
I am the opposite for slower paces than you. On the treadmill I can feel smooth at 9 to 10 min/mile, but outside at those paces I feel clunky. I imagine there are some form adjustments happening on the treadmill that contribute to this, not sure.
I have been using zwift running as well, although it does not provide me with the same motivation as it does on the bike, I don’t know why.