"Embrace the pros of taking your run workout inside on the treadmill," says Melani Hom, founder of LAAVA Performance, a triathlon training group in Washington D.C. "A treadmill workout is a way to enhance your speed, confidence, and your overall endurance."
Ready to add some treadmill training to your winter workouts? Here, top tri coaches and trainers weigh in with their favorites.
Treadmill Workout No. 1: The Ladder
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"By incorporating intervals, this emulates a track workout and lets you focus on a quality versus quantity workout," Hom says.
• 5 minutes running at an easy level (e.g. 9:00/mile)
• Increase mile pace by 30 seconds (e.g. 8:30/mile), hold for 3 minutes
• Increase mile pace by 30 seconds (e.g. 8:00/mile), hold for 2 minutes
• Increase mile pace by 30 seconds (e.g. 7:30/mile), hold for 1 minute
• Decrease mile pace by 30 seconds (e.g. 8:00/mile), hold for 2 minutes
• Decrease mile pace by 30 seconds (e.g. 8:30/mile), hold for 3 minutes
• Repeat steps three times
• Cool down
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Your Next TriathlonTreadmill Workout No. 2: The Climb
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"Running hills has been proven to increase running economy," says Brian Stover of Accelerate 3 Coaching in Tucson, Arizona. "All things equal, a more economical runner is usually a faster runner."
• 10 to 20 minutes warm up
• Ramp up your pace to a hard effort and your incline to 3 to 4 percent. Run .6 miles followed by .15 mile flat at the same pace (your total distance for each repeat is .75 miles).
• Recover for two minutes at an easy pace, then repeat your .75 hard effort 2 to 4 more times for a total of 3 to 5 climbs.
• 10-minute cool down
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Your Next TriathlonTreadmill Workout No. 3: Speed Play
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Just because you race 70.3s doesn't mean you can't benefit from some speed. "Running short, very fast intervals will increase your lactate tolerance and trains an energy system the average triathlete rarely trains," Stover says.
• 10 to 20 minutes warm up
• Run 30 seconds very fast (think: your mile race pace or faster), followed by 3 minutes easy recovery
• Repeat 6 to 10 times.
• 10 to 20 minutes cool down
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Your Next TriathlonTreadmill Workout No. 4: The Boredom Buster
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"This is my go-to workout when I only have 30 minutes," says Carrie Jessie, a triathlon coach in San Diego. "It keeps me entertained and if you do it right can be a really great interval workout in a short period of time."
• Warm up for five minutes by starting off walking and gradually increase your speed until you're jogging by the end of the five-minute mark.
• Run 5 minutes at a medium effort (e.g. 6.5 miles per hour pace)
• Recover for 4 minutes at easy effort (e.g. 6.0 mph)
• Increase mile pace by 1 mph (e.g. 7 mph), hold for 4 minutes.
• Recover for 3 minutes at 6.0 mph
• Increase mile pace by 1.5 mph (e.g. 7.5 mph), hold for 3 minutes
• Recover for 2 minutes at 6.0 mph
• Increase mile pace by 2 mph (e.g. 8 mph), hold for 2 minutes
• Recover for 1 minute at 6.0 mph.
• Increase mile pace by 3 mph (e.g. 9 mph), hold for 1 minute.
• 10 minutes cool down
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Your Next TriathlonTreadmill Workout No. 5: Quarters
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"This is a low-risk, high-reward running workout," says Kori Lyn Malyszek, a trainer at Equinox in Los Angeles. "I always recommend setting your incline to 1.5-2.0 as your lowest point. This most closely resembles the intensity and natural 'pull of the road'."
• 5-minute easy warm up
• Run .25 mile (400 meters) at a very hard, but sustainable effort.
• Decrease to an easy pace and jog the same amount of time it took you to run the 400 meters.
• Repeat 8 to 10 times, trying to beat or maintain your time for each 400.
• 5-minute recovery jog.
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