Running on the treadmill can be mind-numbing. I’ve had days where the thought of another 5 minutes made me want to scream!
On the other hand, running on the treadmill is a safe alternative when it’s dark and rainy (and you’re not as visible to cars). a welcome change when it’s really cold outside, and a great way to work on speed!
As I’ve mentioned before, I lead Run Club at our local gym on Wednesday nights. We run outside whenever possible, but this time of year we head to the treadmills if it’s below freezing or raining (since it’s already dark outside when we start our runs). The last two weeks have been rainy nights, with an added tornado watch tonight, so we’ve kicked off the dark-early season with treadmill workouts.
Intervals on the treadmill helps keep your run interesting. When you have a short period of time to focus on, it makes the who workout go by much faster. It’s even more fun when you have a partner (or two!) to share the pain with you. So grab a friend and try one of these workouts the next time you hit the treadmills!
Notes on Terminology:
Fast is your 5K pace. If you don’t know your 5K pace, pick a pace where you’re breathing hard and would like to slow down, but you’re not gasping for breath.
Recovery is your time to catch your breath and get ready for the next interval. You may walk the recovery if you’re starting out. Work up to half walk & half jog. Work up to jogging for the entire recovery interval – a nice slow pace.
Ladder #1 – (45-50 minutes)
- 10 minutes Warm-Up
- 1 minutes Fast; 1 minute Recovery
- 2 minutes Fast; 1 minute Recovery
- 3 minutes Fast; 1 minute Recovery
- 4 minutes Fast; 2 minutes Recovery
- 4 minutes Fast; 2 minutes Recovery
- 3 minutes Fast; 1 minute Recovery
- 2 minutes Fast; 1 minute Recovery
- 1 minute Fast; 1 minute Recovery
- 10 minutes Cool-down (or until you hit your desired distance)
Speedy Repeats #1 – (45-50 minutes)
- 10 minutes Warm-Up
- 3 minutes Fast; 3 minutes Recovery
- 3 minutes Fast; 3 minutes Recovery
- 3 minutes Fast; 3 minutes Recovery
- 3 minutes Fast; 3 minutes Recovery
*Optional Add-On:
- 1’ Faster (10” faster than Fast); 1’ Recovery
- 1’ Faster (15” faster than Fast); 1’ Recovery
- 1’ Faster (20” faster than Fast); 1’ Recovery
- 1’ Faster (25” faster than Fast); 1’ Recovery
- 10 minute Cool-down (or until you hit your desired distance)
A cool thing about this week’s Run Club? I got to wear one of my new Champion Sports Bras!
Did I mention I actually WON these from Tina @ Faith Fitness Fun? I never win from giveaways, but I must have finally entered enough that I tipped the scales in my favor. If I was going to win anything, this was the thing to win. I really needed so new sports bras!!