One of the most popular race distances is the 10K, or 6.2 miles. Striving to finish or reach a personal record in a race helps you adhere to a workout plan and give your runs purpose and structure. Treadmills offer a helpful tool for training, whether you use it exclusively or combine it with outdoor training strategies.
Benefits
The treadmill allows you to stick to your training regimen regardless of weather conditions, your work schedule and travel. The treadmill also helps you train at more precise speeds and distances than outdoor work. Marathoner and running coach Jeffry Horowitz says in an April 2010 issue of the Washington Post that proper intensity during training is important to improving performance. If you find most of your runs outdoors are done on concrete or asphalt, your body and joints will appreciate the more shock-absorbent surface of the treadmill. Beginners, who may be intimidated by tracks or trail running, may find the treadmill preferable.
Types of Training
Most 10K training regimens involve performing a variety of runs each week--all of which are easily adapted to the treadmill. Basic runs are executed an aerobic level in which you can still hold a conversation. Fast, or tempo, runs call for an intensity level just below your intended race pace. Long runs involve running for distances ranging from five to 10 miles at a manageable pace. Speed drills alternate hard periods of running with more modest periods to help improve overall speed and efficiency.
Strategy
The way that you incorporate these training runs into your routine depends on your fitness level, the plan you choose to follow and your goals. If you are going out for your first 10K and are relatively new to running, spend much of your treadmill training alternating walking and running until you become comfortable running for an hour straight. Well-known running coach Hal Higdon advises runners seeking to improve on past 10K performances to increase their mileage and to run faster. Training plans for a 10K range from six to 12 weeks of commitment, but a sample week from the middle of a more advanced plan might include a Monday three-mile basic run, a 50-minute tempo run on Tuesday, 10 speed drills--alternating two minutes of fast running with two minutes of jogging--on Wednesday, a six-mile basic run on Thursday, rest on Friday, a five-mile run--two of which are run at race pace--on Saturday, and an eight-mile run on Sunday.
Considerations
The treadmill is not exactly like running outdoors. There are no terrain changes or wind resistance. If you set your treadmill at an incline of 1 percent for all of your runs, you can help make up for these deficiencies. Use your basic runs to simulate the course you will run for your 10K to improve overall performance. Check online for the course information and add in hills at the approximate mileage points that they will occur on your race.
Injury Prevention
Treadmill running, just like outdoor running, requires footwear that accommodates the peculiarities of your gait. Even though the treadmill's surface is easier on the body, remember to always include at least one rest day per week that you completely take off any cardiovascular or hard strength-training work so your muscles can rest and repair. Including some cross-training into your running program--swimming, strength training or cycling--can help strengthen other muscles and prevent injury due to overuse.
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