If you’ve still not so keen on stepping outdoors for you runs then these three treadmill sessions will keep you ticking over during the last few weeks of the winter months. Most people associate treadmill running with just ‘doing time’. Treadmill running can be especially useful during the winter months when outdoor running may be too dangerous or you’re attempting to fit in a lunchtime run at work. It is also very useful as it provides a measurable, controlled training environment.

The sessions outlined below are designed especially for those of you with time constraints and require no more than 30 minutes in the gym or at home on your treadmill.

Session 1 - The Speed Up
This sessions aims to improve your ability to build pace throughout a run before pushing hard at the end, which essential practice for race day.
The warm-up for this session is built into the session itself, so start with a pace that’s comfortable. After 5 minutes increase the speed of the treadmill by 0.5kph and maintain that speed for 5 minutes before cranking up the pace again by 0.5kph. Continue this pattern for a further 25 minutes before reducing the speed to a jog. Increase the starting pace by 0.1kph each week to make progress on your fitness.

Session 2 – Hard & Easy
This session aims to increase your leg speed and maximum pace. Start with a good 10 minute warm-up where you build up your speed from a jog to a brisk run, before upping the speed to your 10k pace. Stick with this speed for 1 minute before dropping to a recovery jog for a further minute. Increase the speed from your first rep by another 0.5 kph and hold for another minute, before again reducing to a jog. Repeat this process to rep six, which means you should be 2.5 kph above your race pace. Hold this pace for a further two reps. This will help push leg speeds you wouldn’t normally reach outdoors. Cool down.

Session 3 – Gradient Test
This session uses the treadmill’s gradient settings to build strength and hill climbing ability. Set the gradient to zero and maintain a steady jog for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes start at a long comfortable endurance pace and hold this speed for 5 minutes before increasing the gradient of the treadmill by 2%. Maintain this pace for a further 5 minutes. After this, push it up to 4% and hold for 6 minutes. Next is one 4 minute effort at 6%. Up the gradient to 7% for the last 2 minutes before bringing the gradient back down to zero for a good cool down.

Treadmill running indoors can be very beneficial but please remember to stay hydrated as it can be a hot and sweaty business, with no frontal airflow to help keep you cool.

Happy Training!!
 

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Tags: Treadmill Sessions, Triathlon Training - Run

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 24th, 2010 at 12:17 pm and is filed under Triathlon Training - Run. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.