treadmill incline queestion (Read 7089 times)

I really think you need to get off the treadmill and do a little more ground work. There's nothing like the real thing. The best part is the fresh air in your lungs. Try to only use the treadmill for VERY lousy weather days.

Warning: This is a really novice question! I'm running the Country Music Half Marathon next weekend. I've read that the course is "hilly". I looked at the elevation map on RA, but have no idea how elevation changes relate to the incline % on my treadmill. I've run some "hills" on my treadmill (up to a 7% incline), but am wondering if that will have been enough preparation for next weekend. Anyone got any thoughts for this beginning runner? Thanks! Carol

The incline or angle is the inverse tangent of the elevation change divided by the distance on the course. For example, if there is a 100 foot elevation increase over a 1 mile of the race course, the incline is calulated as follows: First, convert feet of elevation change to miles: 100 feet * 1 mile/5280 feet = 0.0189 miles. Second, divide the elevation change by the distance on the course: 0.0189 miles/1 mile = 0.0189 Third, take the inverse tangent of this number: incline = inverse tan 0.0189 = 1 degree You can look at the elevation graph to find the incline of particular hills on the CMHM course. Who said the math you learned in high school would never come in handy? Btw, treadmills are great for hill work-outs since you can easily control the incline. I don't know anything about the hills at the CMHM, but if you've trained with 7% incline, you will probably be in good shape. Anyway, it's probably not a good idea to try some intense hill work with less than a week until you HM.

The incline or angle is the inverse tangent of the elevation change divided by the distance on the course. For example, if there is a 100 foot elevation increase over a 1 mile of the race course, the incline is calulated as follows: First, convert feet of elevation change to miles: 100 feet * 1 mile/5280 feet = 0.0189 miles. Second, divide the elevation change by the distance on the course: 0.0189 miles/1 mile = 0.0189 Third, take the inverse tangent of this number: incline = inverse tan 0.0189 = 1 degree

True. But if you want to think in terms of %incline instead of incline angle, no need to use the arctangent, just multiply your step 2 result by 100 to get %incline. %incline ≈ (elevation change)/(distance run)*100% For for the above example %incline = (100 ft)/(5280 ft)*100% = 1.89% same as above. We are technically using a sine calculation (the distance run on the course is the hypotenuse), whereas %grade is defined as tangent-based. However, sine≈tangent for small angles. Carol, working backwards from your 7% equates to about 370 feet in elevation gained per mile run. ( .07 * 5280 ft/mi = 369.8 ft ) Very tough indeed!

Hmm, I don't think Google maps consider the elevation (i.e., distance is the adjacent side of the triangle rather than the hypotenuse). Wasn't there a thread recently on that topic?

Oh yeah, good call-- Gmaps doesn't correct for elevation. So if you use a Gmap source, you're technically using tangent. If your distance is based on a course measurement from a wheel, bike, or car, you're using sine Fortunately, they're almost identical at small angles, so the trig function becomes a moot point. So if Gmaps says 100 ft over 5280, 100/5280 = 1.8939% grade Calculating sine for the same triangle gives 100/5280.95 = 1.8936% grade So I guess if we stick with %incline ≈ (elevation change)/(distance run)*100%, it's all good! So

Globule. Wrong!! How did I miss this? Grade is different from angle. Angle is calculated as you describe, using trig and all that. But grade is calculated as a simple % rise over run. Grade is measured in feet of rise divided by feet of run. A course that raises 500 feet in one mile has a grade of (500/5280) = 0.094 = 9.4% Pikes Peak marathon rises 7500 feet net in 13.1 miles. Its average grade is (7500/(13.1*5280)) = = 10.8%

wow...i think id rather chance the hills than have to do this math!

we dont have hills in my area so the treadmill has to do!

 

this thread had been dormant for nearly 3 years.

Does this mean it qualifies as a Zombie thread?  I'm not even sure zombie covers it...is there a level above that?

 

The undead? Zombies are technically not undead as they are reanimated corpses, but vampires? Well, they're undead