Kind of a followup to my long run on the treadmill question. One thing I have never liked about treadmills is the inability to simulate downhill running. So, what if I put the back of the mill on a 2x4 or something to approximate a 3 degree downhill. Then when the treadmill was set at 0 it would really be at -3 downhill, when it was set at 4 it would be 1 uphill etc. My treadmill will go up to 15 degrees so it seems possible to get a good range of uphill and downhill.
I haven’t done it, but I have an issue of Runner’s World from a few months ago where they mention some elite runner practiced for Boston by sticking a couple of 2x4s under the rear end. Sounds like it worked well. YMMV.
Biker dude. Most certainly. I did this to train for Boston in 2002. I’d put me treadmill on a ~2% downhill and run at 10-11 mph for 40 min. My HR would stay aerobic and it allowed me to simulate lots of the first 10 miles at Boston. It is not the same as outdoor downhill, but it works and your treadmill will “tell you” when you are breaking.
Make sure you have a “high average” horsepower motor as your treadmill has to work extra hard to “push you back up” if you are breaking and not running smoothly. If you have a cheap motor, and you are heavy and not smooth, you may burn out your motor. I also placed a small fan near the motor for additional cooling just to be safe.