Is it possible to get a good track workout done on a treadmill?
I won’t be able to make it to a track today to do my speed work, but have access to a treadmill. Can I simulate the track workout easily on a treadmill?
Workout
1 mile easy
7 x 400 @ 5K pace (walk 200-400m in between)
1 mile easy
Thanks
What are you training for? Other than for sprint course racing, the only thing I see that workout promoting is a high chance of injury.
I hate tracks, treadmills, or even paved roads. Give me dirt trails on rolling hills for ten miles.
I realize this probably doesn’t help, but I felt the need to vent about running on hard surfaces or in monotonous places. I do triathlons so I don’t have to do these things.
I’m working on really increasing my run speed. I have a fear of running fast and I do a speed workout every other week to learn how to run fast. I’ve made some huge breakthroughs this way and have dropped my 1/2 marathon pace and marathon pace substantially by learning that I can indeed run fast. So far since the start of the year I’ve had no injuries with these type of workouts.
With that out of the way - I usually run on gravel, dirt or grass trails and prefer those surfaces greatly to pavement, a track, or a treadmill. I just consider this workout every other week a necessary evil in my education.
Some people say speed begets speed, and I agree. I did get faster on 1/2 M by incorporating speed/track-work (besides the regular LSD).
Treadmills are actually pretty damn soft-surface, compared to pavement!
BNasty,
I do most of my speed-work on tredmills and I don’t miss the track (especially in this crappy MI weather)
Go for it!
I see no problem with doing this workout on a treadmill. I would suggest that you write out your 1/4 mile (400) split time (work out the MPH speed that corresponds to the pace you want to go) so that you don’t have to keep them in your head when you get tired. Then just keep track of the distance on the digital readout and toggle the speed up and down. I do most of my winter run training on a treadmill. It gets dead boring so I am always putting some kind of internal or fartlek workout together to stimulate. I’ve had no problems.
Didn’t mean to come down hard, I just haven’t recovered yet from the anguish of 30 miles a week on the track when I was racing middle distance.
For me the battle has always been going longer; speed has always just been there. Somehow it never really occured to me that speed was even a factor at the half marathon distance.
Good luck with the speedwork. Pay attention to your body and rest when the hurts get bad (don’t take pain killers).
Caleb
You can definitely get in a great speed session on the treadmill…I do it in the winter when it’s just too friggin nasty outside. 1/4 mile repeats are a good choice - my only suggestions are these: 1) set the incline at 1-2%…that’ll make it more comparable to running outside, effort-wise, since the tread does some of the work for you. 2) instead of walking your recovery, just slow down to a good recovery jog pace and keep moving along - you’ll be training your body to recover while running, kinda like a fartlek run.
Hell Yeah! I do most of my speedwork on the TM just like I do all of my intervals on the bike on the CT. I think it’s unbeatable to learn proper pacing, plus it forces you to keep a constant speed as opposed to starting strong and then fading - which can happen big time on the track. Hell, I look at a track and my hr goes up 20 beats!
When I’m forced to do my week’s “quality” workout on a treadmill. . .I start thinking hills. . .
Instead of fast intervals. . .take the opportunity to crank up the incline and run uphill. You’ll work some totally different muscle groups.
Sample:
2 miles easy w/u
4 x 5:00 at 10k pace, at 3-6% incline with 2:30 easy rest intervals
1-2 miles easy c/d
I find the change of work to be refreshing, and far more interesting than trying to force a 400m interval workout in.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
Now I’m not so scared of using the treadmill for my speed workouts - I may use it instead of the track from now on to avoid the fading problem.
I’d love to use the treadmill to mimic hills, but I have found some really good nasty hills that I love to run up - such a sense of accomplishment when looking down.
Wish me luck and I’ll let you all know how it goes tonight.
P.S. I have Master’s Swim Team afterwards (this should be fun)
When you are an East Coast Flat-Lander. . .you have to look REALLY hard or travel FAR to find hills. . .I have a love-hate relationship with the treadmill. I once did 3 months worth of 3 hour weekly long runs on the treadmills at Camp Schwab Okinawa due to the heat and lack of a car to judiciously “hide” hydration along an outside route. My Marines believed I was absolutely insane. . .
Since I’ve been trying to revert to the midfoot landing that I did in High School and college*, I’ve had some soreness in my soleus, so intermittent running on the TM with 1-3% grade, witha 10 minutes of elliptical trainer and 10 of stepper as a warmup has been helpful in this transition. The soft surface and adjustable inclinegive my legs a break while still allowing me a decent workout.
(*This was before I was ‘enlightened’ to the heel-toe run .)
i’m not a big fan of running on pavement either, but since the majority of races are on hard surfaces, i do about 25% of my running on the pavement so my meager run skills aren’t compromised on race day by the pounding you take on pavement…
I agree with that. I’m concerned that beyond 10k, my legs will rebel if I don’t.