064: Treadmill Running Workouts (and Tips!)

The treadmill.  I have heard it called many things.  The dreadmill. A winter refuge. A shelter from stifling heat or powerful thunderstorms.  A human hamster wheel. The long road to nowhere. Cardio.  Personally, I like to think of the treadmill as cheap therapist that I can occasionally visit on a long lunch break or while the team heads out for a distance run.  

Whatever your relationship with this gym staple, there is one aspect we can all agree upon, it can get really boring.  Mile after mile of not actually going anywhere gets a bit tedious. On this episode, besides some basic tips on safety and general treadmill guidelines, we are going to provide some workouts that you can add into your training when you end up trapped (or blessed) on a treadmill.  

First, let’s get some basic safety out of the way.  

• Do not run while holding the front or side handles. If you cannot keep up, slow down, but do not grab on.  
• Never jump onto a moving treadmill. It is not a safe idea. Of course, your hosts both break both of these rules during workouts, by using the side rails to hold ourselves above the turning belt and then drop down when the treadmill has actually reached the correct speed.  Officially, we stand by don’t jump onto a moving treadmill.

Second, some important tips for treadmill usage:  

• Land softly with your feet underneath you. It should not sound like you are about to break the machine.  
• Always trust the speed and distance on the treadmill over your fancy gps watch unless you are wearing a footpod.  
• Bring a towel for yourself during the run and clean up the machine afterwards.
• Finally, decide on some form of distraction like music, your favorite podcast, or a nearby tv.   
• If you are going the quiet route, use the treadmill as a chance to really tune into your body and feel the different effort levels or practice your mental distraction techniques.  

On to the workouts!

1. Mile repeats:  Perfect for everyone.  
   • If you are training for a 5k or 10k, aim for mile repeats slightly slower than 5k effort with a walking recovery time of half the running time.  Depending on your current training level and normal mileage, you could run 2-5 of these repeats.

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Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.