The treadmill offers a convenient and safe way to fit in a run when you cannot get outdoors. The treadmill also offers a softer surface, consistency of speed for race training and comfort for beginners, notes running coach Rick Morris on Running Planet. Despite these benefits, running on the treadmill can be monotonous. Use strategies to spice up your workout and make your treadmill time fly by.
Enlist a Partner
Meet a friend at the gym and use the treadmill time to catch up on the week's events. Unlike an outdoor experience in which you both have to go the same speed, treadmills allow you each to work at your own pace but still work out together. Invite your fastest friend to enter in a friendly competition. After a warm-up of about ten minutes, perform quarter-mile relays. Speed up for one-quarter of a mile and then "pass" to your friend---as you slow down to a manageable pace, she takes off for a quarter mile. Do this for the workout's duration.
Mix Up Your Movement
Running forward on a treadmill on a flat incline at the same pace can become quite boring. The repetitive movement can also aggravate injuries. Change up your steps occasionally to make your workout more interesting and to challenge different muscle groups. Add periodic hills to simulate an outdoor terrain. Try a minute or two of jogging or walking backwards to stimulate different muscles between fast sprints. Another alternative is to run for two minutes, and then side shuffling for 30 seconds at a time to hone lateral movement skills.
Stride Speed Drills
Count the number of times your right foot hits the belt for one minute. Strive for about 80 to 90 total hits to equal a cadence of 160 to 180 steps per minute, recommends "Running Times" magazine---if you hit fewer times shorten your stride. Stop counting for a minute and then resume counting for a minute. Continue for the duration of your routine to make time go by and to improve your running economy.
Creative Intervals
If you have access to a television, use it to help you do random speed intervals. Watch a sporting event and during play, speed up. When there is a time out or a commercial, come back to a manageable pace. If you are not a sports fan, watch your favorite program and sprint during the commercials---going an easy pace during programming so you can catch every minute. You can also use a "shuffle" mode on your music player to inspire intervals. During slower paced songs, adopt an easy pace, but when a fast tempo song hits---increase your speed for the song's duration. If you hit several fast paced songs in a row, you get an extra strong workout.
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