Running Intervals on the treadmill
So I made it to the VO2 block of the OS and being its freakin freezin out, Im not heading to the track. How do you guys do the VO2 intervals if you are on the treadmill? My first VO2 run this week is 2x200, 2x400, 2x200 Zone 5....Should I just do the math and do .12 miles on the treadmill for the 200s and .25 mi for the 400s? And of course, add an incline? Thanks for any input!f
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The OCD among us will say that 200 is actually 0.125, so round up to 0.13. OK, I admit it, I do that. I keep the incline at 1. I also don't consider my interval to start until I am fully up to speed. Probably makes ZERO difference, but I can't help myself.
I found a website (Google search) to convert my VDOT pace/ mile to mph. I keep the chart posted by the TM. Makes it easy.
Hi!
I just discovered creating workouts in Training Center and sending them to my Garmin (with Footpod) for just such workouts. Much less math in the AM is working well for me. Hope you find something that works... I can empathize with the OCD!
That's what I do. A couple of other points. For the rest interval, for these shorter intervals, I don't slow the treadmill, I just step onto the edge and do some leg stretches, lifting my knees up and to the middle, sort of like a long-track speed skater would look like. And I find, even with 0.5% or 1% incline, I need to go a little faster than my VDOT zones would project.
Like Al, when the workout says "full recovery", I step off completely and let my HR return to 'normal'. Then step back on .01 before the next .13 to get back up to speed for the actual interval.
All good info above, I will add a little twist as my experience in personal case here is a little different.
1. Incline 1% works for me.
2. Time is easier to manage as interval work than distance, just convert as Mike indicated and round it
3. My paces on treadmill are slower by about 20sec/mi due to lack of cooling, at the gym no fan allowed so I suffer, I am always faster on the road
4. Just got Garmin foot pod for FR305, will calibrated today to observe paces across variety of treadmills, they all show different paces as they are not calibrated. In my case important as I run on different mills on the road when I travel. If you run on one and only, not needed.
5. Tune into your RPE, you will need it until you can dial in all the paces correct
All good advice. I have run more on the treadmill in the last 3 months than in my entire life. I find that even if the weather would allow me to run outside, if it's one of these interval workouts, I prefer to run on the treadmill since it's so much easier to run them at the correct pace. It also feels like less impact on the body which is a plus.
@Patrick- I work out at the university Gym = tons of students around. The looks are kinda funny. I know they are thinking "hey whats that old dude doing"
And one other note... Don't fly off the back of the treadmill. People really look at you when that happens (not that i'd know;-)
You don't really need an incline, it's used basically to slow you down. Running outside, there's wind resistence slowing you down, which you don't encounter staying in one spot. So you'll naturally go faster at 0% on a treadmill (assuming you can cool off with a fan) than you would outside. Most people like to have the "feel" of going the same speed indoors and out, so the incline accomplishes that. Each person needs there own unique tilt, but the bell shaped curve seems to vary around 1%.
And, there may be a good physiologic reason to train at the same speed, mainly to keep the stride length and cadence the same. And it may also ingrain neurologically a sense of the pace/effort equation.