This past spring, we bought a treadmill. I was skeptical, knowing that I prefer to run outside and that generally, our weather allows for that most of the year. However, I wasn\u2019t planning on being the primary user and the pros of getting one outweighed the cons. Several months later, I\u2019m glad it\u2019s in our basement.
There are obvious times it\u2019s helpful, such as I\u2019m on my own with the kids and want to run. They can play in the basement while I churn out a few miles. Following a massive snowstorm which coincided with a busy week at work where I needed to run in the pre-dawn hours, it was useful. In the past I would have strapped on YakTrax and hit the road but this was safer and more time-efficient.
From a training perspective, it\u2019s been interesting. Without outside wind resistance and because you\u2019re keeping up with the belt as opposed to generating your own speed, the times on the treadmill can be misleading. One way to adjust for that is to set the treadmill at a slight incline. By running \u201cuphill\u201d you\u2019re countering the lack of wind resistance and you\u2019re forcing your legs to move faster. It still may not be 100% accurate, but it\u2019s better.
Some treadmills come with video which feature runs in different parts of the world so you can enjoy \u201cscenery\u201d while you\u2019re running. Even if you have this, running on a treadmill can bring some monotony. I\u2019ve actually plugged into music the past two times I\u2019ve been on it and that has helped tremendously. Because I don\u2019t race with music, it\u2019s not something I want to get used to. However, most of my treadmill workouts are short so there\u2019s no immediate risk of my becoming accustomed to entertainment on long runs. And, it\u2019s a fun way to mix up what I\u2019m taking in while training.
The biggest training advantage so far is rhythm. Because the belt is moving at a fixed speed unless you change it, your legs are moving at a set pace. I\u2019ve noticed that after a week where I\u2019ve had one or two treadmill workouts, my leg turnover is steadier than otherwise. At certain speeds you almost can\u2019t help but have the same speed but at slower ones, it can be easy to adjust slightly over the course of a run. I believe it\u2019s beneficial to maintain steady turnover and the treadmill helps get you there.
There\u2019s also the benefit of seeing exactly how far you\u2019ve gone and how far you have to go. From a race preparation standpoint, this is helpful. While many courses may only have mile markers and nothing in smaller increments, when you\u2019re on the treadmill and are maintaining set goal paces on it, you know how it feels at exact points. In a race, you can draw on this, knowing that in a recent workout, you kept up a certain pace over the final stretch and that\u2019s possible here, too.
I had wondered whether I would use the treadmill more than four or five times per year when we got it. I probably use it at least that many times per month. Though my preference is still to run outside, it\u2019s been a helpful tool.
I haven\u2019t posted a weekly food review recently. Simple reason: I ate everything.
I\u2019m joking, of course. Unfortunately, I just haven\u2019t tried anything new in the past several weeks. I hope to add more to the Running Pantry shortly. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This past spring, we bought a treadmill. I was skeptical, knowing that I prefer to run outside and that generally, our weather allows for that most of the year. However, I wasn\u2019t planning on being the primary user and the pros of getting one outweighed the cons. Several months later, I\u2019m glad it\u2019s in our … <\/p>\n