Treadmill Running workouts

The thread on the 12mph treadmill and one response about people needing a treadmill this fast got me thinking. If you use a treadmill, what types of workouts do you do on it? Easy runs, intervals, tempo, hill simulations?

Runervals all year! Tempo and long distance with pickups (to kill the monotony if its dark and below zero outside).

only run inside when traveling for work or when the weather is ridiculous, couple of times a month - usually run at a steady pace for 3 miles and then a half a mile an hour faster or so for 2 more, usually no more than 5 miles on a treadmill - no particular reason but that is what I do
.

Alan,

For the last 15ish weeks I have been doing my tempo runs on a treadmill. Haven’t quite hit the 12mph mark yet, but I’d sure love to. My justification is the consistency of pace. When I set the machine for a 10’-20’ piece, it forces me to stay at an even pace. I could do much the same at a track, but it is faster for me to get to a treadmill than the track normally.

Anything where I’m not interested in forcing myself into a consistent pace is done outside. And I’m beginning to find that I cannot do longer tempo pieces as my gym is kept way too warm.

Body likes variance
Unnatural to run same incline/speed on a Treadmill
I vary the speed
I vary the incline
I generally do intervals
This time of year…no two workouts the same
Workout goes by really fast
I get more fit
.

treadmill marathon. hah

I only use the treadmill for winter base training from Jan to Mar …otherwise its outside for all the rest of my running.

I did one of my favorite workouts today on the treadmill.
Maintain same speed, although I do :20-:30 pickups from 8-14min about .6-.8mph faster than my normal training range.
2.25 miles then 5x .6mile @ 2% incline with .15 flat recovery then 1.5miles. total was 7.5mile in 51 or 52 min. Each repeat ends up being .75miles.

I like doing tempo and race pace stuff. I find it easier to dial in cadence at race pace and to watch form (in mirror).

Brian

Do you prefer the treadmill for control of pace issues or convenience vs. running outside? Since you are in Arizona, I’m assuming that it isn’t the weather that is forcing you to run on a treadmill.

Today we had rain!!! All freaking day, it was awesome.
Several reasons - easy to control pace and easy to dial in the proper pace to accomplish what is needed to do, be it hills, threshold tempo whatever.
convience - the gym is on the way home and there are 2 pools at the gym as well so I can get in a short swim
AZ - don’t be fooled, I run 50-75% of my summer mileage on the treadmill. Otherwise it’s 90+ to start my runs at 5;30am out here in the summer. I also have an outside sales job and tolerate heat less well every year compared.
EDIT: I like to listen to the trainers at the gym talk to clients then correct them when they mess up the basic tenets of exercise physiology. I can’t get a trainer to come within 5 treadmills of me anymore, and I can’t figure out why.

I hadn’t thought about the excessive heat being a reason to use it in the summer. For some reason, I can ride my trainer indoors for 3 hours but the thought of spending 10 minutes on a treadmill makes me run outdoors no matter what the weather conditions (we’re supposed to be at -11C overnight so not overly cold and I’ve run on days in the summer when it gets pretty hot and humid but not as hot as where you are). I must be too old school with my run training :slight_smile: