Treadmill speedwork

[Deleted User]

I'd like to do some speedwork at the gym. Do you have any suggestions for treadmill speedwork sessions? I currently use the treadmill for 1 min steady / 1 min fast intervals - how should I decide how fast my intervals should be? My PB for 10K is currently 42:05. Thanks, PJ.

[Deleted User]

I do yasso's on the tread mills, loads of inform on the web is you do a search. Makes for a good hard work out on 1.5% incline

I also do the 1 min steady/ 1min fast. For the fast I go flat out which for me is 15.5km/hr (P.B 10k time is 56mins)recover at 10.5km/hr and manage 6-8 reps. I set the fast pace by a little bit of experimentation of just seeing how quick I could run for a minute, which was 16km/hr then knocked 1/2 a Km/hr off to allow for doing reps.

JFB

I would have thought that the treadmill is only useful for longer intervals [i.e. 800m upwards] because of the mechanics of acceleration and deceleration. I like 10 x 2K at just above 10K target pace.

[Deleted User]

Interesting this...I've just organised my gym workout specifically for speedwork (off to try it tomorrow morning), and I'm doing 9Kmph accelerating to 11kmph at a ratio of 3mins each for twenty minutes...

I'll bear in mind experimentation Ed.

Should I throw in an incline or two as well?

[Deleted User]

have a look at
http://www.tanser.org/treadmill.htm

Definatley run at 1% or higher to mimic road running.

[Deleted User]

Ed, If you can barely do 9m/m for 10K why oh why are you running almost 6m/m on the treadmill?? What training effect are you trying to acheive??
Just wondered if you knew...

[Deleted User]

Ed - cheers for that link. Seems I run faster on a treadmill than I do outside (though the duration is far shorter..I get bored after 20 minutes!!)

[Deleted User]

Ignore the incline because all it mimics is running up a hill with a tailwind. The incline theory is all just received wisdom and no more, in my opinion. But DO remember that you ought to be running faster on the mill than outside. The benefit is that you will be getting used to the mechanics of running faster even if the effort's just your usual. To use the incline just chucks away this benefit for the (pointless) sake of making your mill and road paces match. I spend too much of my life on these forums, yet I've NEVER seen a justification for the incline more sophisticated than "to compensate for lack of wind resistance". Ever wondered why, folks? This is NOT a reason, it's a procedure.

The type of session that I've found benefits me is to start from the length of time you're going to spend on the tready, and work out your outdoor race pace for a race of that kind of duration. Use something close to that as your average pace for your session (remember, it won't feel like race pace, so won't kill you), and stick in some intervals (up to you how long) at a higher pace, compensated by recoveries at a lower pace. e.g. to maintain a 14kmh avearge, do 4min at 16kmh, 4min at 12kmh, or alternatively 6min at 15kmh, 3min at 12kmh. Or maybe a gentler, longer jog and some short, sharp sprints.

That's all just a suggestion, by the way, I'm no coach - it's just the type of thing that's had real benefits for me recently.

[Deleted User]

Pantman - erm, last time I looked I thought it was called speed training !!! I'm a full contact kick boxer with fights of 6 x 2mins rounds, so in answer to your question yes I do know what I'm trying to achieve. 6 - 10 sudden bursts of max effort works well for my fight training. And has proved beneficail for my general running. my 10K time use to be over an hour.

Also that type of work out is one of RW recommended speedwork sessions
(page 38 march)

[Deleted User]

Fair enough, if it helps you with the fighting, but just don't think it is the BEST thing for 10K running at this stage that's all...

Speedwork is a broad term and could encompass everything from flat out sprinting to 10m/m pace at your current level - a broad range of training with many different training effects.

Just remember that 10K is primarily an aerobic event.

[Deleted User]

Pantman- There's probably a bit of misunderstanding, I'm not a 10K runner by any means I run for my other sports and general fitness so not really interested in times. I quoted my 10k as PJ claret had quoted his/hers and therefore could compare my interval speed on a tread to their his/hers.

Having said that I'm doing the fleet 1/2 and have set myself a time of 1:45. previous best was bracknell in 1:52