A treadmill is a valuable tool for developing running speed for sprinters and distance runners alike. On a treadmill, you can dial in your speed, incline and interval length to run without interruptions or pacing concerns. Although treadmills develop your aerobic capacity at high effort, running on a treadmill changes your gait, so treadmill speed work isn’t exactly like intervals run on the road or track.
Workouts
Step 1
Warm up fully before speed workouts. Warm-ups increase blood flow to your muscles and speed up your brain’s communication with muscle fibers. A good warm-up includes at least 10 minutes of easy running and a few short bursts of speed to prepare your legs for a fast turnover.
Step 2
Increase the treadmill’s grade by 1/2 to 1 percent to mimic outdoor running conditions. Running on a treadmill is easier than running outside. As running guru Jack Daniels points out, there is no wind resistance to overcome when you run in place. The faster you run outdoors, the more wind resistance you encounter, amplifying the wind’s role in speed running. Also, as Owen Anderson of the sports journal Peak Performance argues, when you run outside, your lower leg propels you forward. On a treadmill you simply reposition your foot on the belt, so treadmill running de-emphasizes the push-off phase and reduces energy demands. Increasing the grade on the treadmill somewhat makes up for the absence of wind resistance and push-off.
Step 3
Do interval workouts to improve aerobic capacity and muscle fiber recruitment. Interval workouts are periods of fast running interspersed with walking or easy jogging for recovery. Intervals teach your muscle fibers to work together and to use oxygen more efficiently so that you can handle faster running. Depending on your event, intervals may last a few seconds up to several minutes. Sprinters run all-out, while distance runners run just faster than a comfortable pace. The faster the interval, the shorter it is and the longer your recovery. Sprint recovery lasts several minutes, while the recovery from long intervals could be less than a minute. A sprinter may sprint for 30 seconds and walk for three minutes to recover, a middle distance runner--one mile to 10 kilometers--may accelerate for two minutes and recover for two more, and a marathon runner may run at race pace for five minutes and recover for one.
Step 4
Run tempo workouts if you are training for a 5K up to a marathon. During tempo workouts, you maintain comfortably fast pace--slightly faster than your goal race pace--for 15 to 45 minutes. Tempo workouts develop your body’s ability to clear lactic acid--a byproduct of anaerobic exercise--to increase your muscles’ energy economy and use oxygen more efficiently.
Step 5
Cool down fully after your workout to prevent dizziness and soreness. Jog easily for five minutes or more, gradually decreasing your speed. A cool-down prevents blood from pooling in your legs and clears the soreness-promoting byproducts of vigorous exercise.
References
- Daniels' Running Formula: Second Edition; Jack Daniels; 2005
- Peak Performance; Treadmill Training
- ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer; American College of Sports Medicine; 2006
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