Help with running on treadmill

[Eileanfraoch]

I have a weakness in my throat and now the colder weather is here I am wheezing pretty badly and can not complete 30 mins run. Dont want to lose momentum. Looking to move to using a treadmill but have never run inside, any advice is very welcome.

[Elfe5 Graduate]

I don’t know very much about the treadmill, - but people say set it at 1% incline.

I would also say, (as a mostly outdoor runner), I vary the pace to fit with how I feel as I would outside- which is a bit of a faff sometimes, but keeps me in tune with what my body is saying.

Good luck! 😀

[Eileanfraoch Graduate in reply to Elfe5]

Thank you, love running outside, it's not the pace, it is the cold air. I have tried running with mouth and nose covered to try and help with no success. Hopefully it will only be for Dec to Feb. Fingers crossed

[Speedy60 Graduate]

Wear almost no clothes! I've only done one treadmill session and sweated buckets. Outdoors there's usually a breeze to keep you cool.

Also, I got quite bored. If you can watch a screen or listen to something, it might be less mind numbing.

[Eileanfraoch Graduate in reply to Speedy60]

Thanks, will try that. Cant say I am looking forward to it but dont want to stop now reached 30 mins run 3 times a week

[2718281 Graduate]

Hi Eileanfraoch,

There are some tips to run on the treadmill... First, regarding pace, don't worry about the numbers, the treadmill might not be properly calibrated, so just run at a pace that you are comfortable. As mentioned before, it can get boring, so find music or something to watch. The treadmill is incredibly more repetitive than the road, so it's a good idea to slightly adjust the pace or the incline during your run, to make it a bit more varied (not huge changes, just a bit faster and a bit slower every 5 min).

A lot of people recommend an incline, the simplified science behind it is that when you run outside, you need to move the air around you to go through, but you don't need to do that on the treadmill. Someone tested the effort of a group of runners outside and on a treadmill, and they noticed that a small incline can compensate for the air resistance. However, this is only important if you run fast (Greg McMillan, coach and writer, recommends no incline if you run slower than 8:30 min per mile, 0.5% between 7 and 8 min per mile and 1% if you go faster). Also, this is to create the same effort as running outside for the same pace and time and going back to the first point, you won't really know who fast you are going because you don't trust the treadmill calibration and you are just running at a speed that feels good But you can use the incline to make the run more fun!

Good luck over the winter months

[Eileanfraoch Graduate in reply to 2718281]

Thanks, will let you know how I get on. Away with work just now so it will probably be Friday or Monday before I can try it

[AdverseTangent]

I did all of my programme runs on the treadmill and I enjoyed them. There are pros and cons with both. Focus on the positives - it’s easier not to stop on a treadmill and there are no roads to navigate which can stop you and mess with your rhythm. There’s no chance of ending up miles away from your starting point either. If you don’t like the numbers on the treadmill, cover them up with a towel. Lots of people do this at my gym, but I prefer to see them. I would definitely do music or some other distraction too. Make the most of it and (if you are able to) stream a TV programme on your phone, although wireless headphones are better for this. It really is good for distraction on a treadmill. Don’t dread it or you’ll be two steps back before you even start. Best of luck!

[Eileanfraoch Graduate in reply to AdverseTangent]

Thanks, you are right need to focus on the positives

[DiverIzzie Graduate]

Some treadmills have trails you can “run” (I’ve done Utah, Arizona, both islands of New Zealand), others have courses which you can set your own pace and then the machine throws in random hills etc - those combined with a good, pounding soundtrack is what gets me through... and as others have said, run at a pace you feel comfy at not what you may do outside - good luck!

[Eileanfraoch Graduate]

Thanks, different trails sounds good. Will have to see what my local gym has