Here's a question for the treadmillers. I realize you can use the incline feature to simulate hills. But I have also heard people say to automatically set a 1% incline to better simulate road running (or something, I don't remember the reasoning). Is that accurate?

Here's a question for the treadmillers. I realize you can use the incline feature to simulate hills. But I have also heard people say to automatically set a 1% incline to better simulate road running (or something, I don't remember the reasoning). Is that accurate?

I just do 0.1%, just so it's not dead flat.

I have ran the last 5 months on a TM in preparation for a HM. In that time I cut a minute and a half off of my 5k time (down to just below 25min).

No, I was talking about Don S, whose RA log I linked at the bottom of my post. Follow the link & check it out.

Oh yeah...haha!  That I do know.  We be friends. 

Daisy - my TM is not so fancy that it tells me the grade of incline.  haha!!  But it's a far better TM than the one we had before it.  We would have to get off of our last TM to rotate the legs if we wanted to run on an incline.  That is BAD!!

 

I avoid that thing like the plague.  Having said that, you will most likely set PR's across the board just to spite me!  

Aww...I wouldn't do it just to spite you, Rick!

From an article by Matt Fitzgerald on treadmill training:

 

Even some elite runners embrace their treadmills. Both the male and female winners of the 2000 US Olympic Trials Marathons, Rod DeHaven and Christine Clark, were heavy treadmill users. In fact, Clark, an Alaskan, did almost all of her training on a treadmill in her basement in preparation for the Olympic Trials.

 

Kristy, I'd say you were in good company.

Interersting...I did not know that!  Now, if only I could run like an Olympian! 

I run on a TM for about 6 months every year and typically log 1000-1500 KM of training during that time.  I've run many HM's and haven't noticed any difference in race performance whether I trained for them on a TM or outside.

On a TM I can do strides, fartlek, tempo runs, intervals, and hills just like I would if I was training outside so I can train just as effectively on the TM.  The only thing I've noticed is that if I've trained on the TM and the race course is on pavement, I will feel it a bit in my legs but it's nothing that I can't easily handle.

One thing that's good to know is how accurate the reported speed on your TM is so that you can adjust your training paces accordingly.  If you do that then there shouldn't be any surprises when you transition from the TM to running outside.

I do love, well "love" running farleks and intervals on the TM.  I actually prefer intervals on the TM.  That's not to say I will run on the TM when I can run outside.  But what you've said is encouraging...thanks!  And yes, the speed of my TM is pretty dang dead on!!

As for setting the TM to a slight incline to simulate running on the road...I don't usually bother - mostly because I don't run fast enough to create any "wind resistance".  haha!  But seriously, I don't usually bother.

Thanks for all the input, gang!

Here's a question for the treadmillers. I realize you can use the incline feature to simulate hills. But I have also heard people say to automatically set a 1% incline to better simulate road running (or something, I don't remember the reasoning). Is that accurate?

I did it for about a week and starting feeling some funkiness in my right ankle so I went and stayed flat.

yeah the treadmill *simulates* running, but doesn't match it exactly.

For one thing, people with long strides will have problems on the treadmill because basically the only way to increase your speed on the tm is to increase your turnover, and the treadmill favors runners with relatively short strides and high turnover. So like the aftricans wouldn't do well on treadmills.

But if your stride is short and your turnover is high, which is how many really successful long distance runners run, then the treadmill works for you, and in fact it's slightly easier to run on the tm than on the ground because the tm "helps" you by pulling your foot back. That's the reason, I think, for the 1.5 incline -  to compensate for that fact.

I also think, though, that any "help" the tm gives you, and by implication any "reduction" in the level of training is offset by the way the tm can keep you on pace without letting you cheat, and help you focus on your running because of lack of the distractions and hazards offered up by training on the road.

In terms of overall fitness, I always felt like running outdoors, particularly trail running or running on uneven surfaces, is much better for your core than tm running because anytime you need to adjust your body on an uneven surface, you're doing really great stuff for all your core muscles and structures.

On the other hand, running on uneven surfaces or even flat roads opens you to more incidents of injury than the tm, so you lose fitness having to heal your minor injuries more frequently.