Treadmill workouts can be a rewarding way to alter your training as a runner. Exercises can be designed to focus specifically on climbing and descending through hills, increase your overall speed and surge ability as well as for interval training. Besides being an obvious choice during nasty weather, the treadmill also can provide you with a steady pace that can be monitored at all times.
The Pyramid
Begin with a 10-minute warm-up jog before starting. Afterward, run the entire exercise at 90 percent of your 10 km pace with a three-minute recovery between sets. Start set one by running for one minute at a 4, 5, then 6 percent incline. Run for one minute each at a 5, 6 and 7 percent incline for set two. Set three increases the incline to 6, 7 and 8 percent for one minute each. Run one minute each at a 7, 6 and 5 percent incline for set four. Finish with set five and inclines of 6, 5 and 4 percent--running each for one minute. This workout will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
Foothill Racing
Warm up first with an easy jog over 10 minutes with the treadmill set to a 1 percent incline. For this entire exercise, you will run a pace 30 seconds slower than your 10 km race pace. For example, if your 10 km race pace is four minutes, your pace should be four minutes, 30 seconds. Run one mile at a 2 percent incline to start. Increase the incline to 5 percent for the second mile. Next, run a half-mile at 2 percent, another half-mile at 8 percent and a third half-mile at 2 percent. Without stopping, run one mile at 5 percent, a half-mile at 2 percent, a second half-mile at 8 percent and finish with another half-mile at 2 percent. End the workout with a 10-minute cool-down jog.
Picking Up the Pace
Begin this speed workout with a 10-minute warm-up, jogging lightly throughout. Start the first set of the exercise by running at half your 5 km pace for 400 meters. Without a recovery, run an additional 400 meters at your 15 km race pace. Immediately afterward, run another 400 meters and increase your speed to your 3 km race pace. Recover afterward by resting for 30 seconds. Complete four sets total with a recovery between sets.
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