Here’s one story of a runner, and their relationship with the treadmill:
It’s cold, dark, and your running laundry has piled up beyond acceptable levels. You turn, in desperation, to the “dreadmill” to try to keep yourself afloat through the challenging winter months. You do it, but every moment feels like torture as you long for the open road.
Another story goes like this:
You love your treadmill like it’s an essential member of the family. It’s quick and easy to jump on the belt for a run. No hassle! Your limbs are warm and free-flowing, unencumbered by layers. Your skin glows with the warmth, and is soon glistening with sweat. You are running free!
These two stories are just exaggerated versions of a runner’s relationship with the treadmill. We all know people who tend toward one camp or another – pro vs. anti-treadmill. But in fact, can both exist within the same person, depending on the day, the mood and ultimately, the mindset of the user. After all, the treadmill is just a tool.
As such, the treadmill can be your best friend, affirming your fitness gains and allowing you a respite from the harsh weather. But there’s no use denying that it can be monotonous, and on days when motivation and/or energy levels are running low, it can feel like your worst enemy. The constant feedback can lead you to push too hard, running a pace that is too fast for how you are feeling on that day, or (if you do slow down) telling you that you’re getting further and further from your best fitness.
So how can we maximize our good days on the treadmill, and avoid some of the challenges and pitfalls that can come with it?
One key is to maintain variety. Rather than going from all outdoor runs to all treadmill runs, ease in and out, starting with a day or two per week on the treadmill. If you find you are looking forward to those days, implement a bit more. However, it’s important to make an effort to maintain variety in training, as one of the factors that contribute to running-related injury is lack of variety in training. Performing the same movements at the same speed over and over again can lead to overuse injury.
Running outside provides some natural variety in the form of changes in footing, terrain, and speeds due to a changing environment. If you take all of your running time and put it onto the treadmill, you can lose that variety unless you consciously make an effort to mix it up. At least every other run, introduce changes in pace and/or elevation throughout the run to ensure that you are changing the firing patterns of your muscles and reducing repetitive movement patterns. This can take the form of a fartlek-style workout (alternating periods of fast running with easy recovery running, like 1 min hard, 1 min easy), a hill workout (e.g., increase the incline to 3-6% for periods of 1-3 minutes, then bring it back down to recover), or a traditional interval workout (e.g., mile repeats with set recovery times). Including these variations also tends to promote motivation, as you focus on the period that you are in, rather than counting down the minutes left in the entire run.
At least every other run, introduce changes in pace and/or elevation throughout the run to ensure that you are changing the firing patterns of your muscles and reducing repetitive movement patterns.
Another strategy to improve motivation on the treadmill is to meet up with friends or training partners for workouts. The great thing is that you don’t have to be doing the same workout, or even be close to the same pace in order to run together. You just need to find a couple of treadmills next to each other!
Even the running purists out there, who typically eschew headphones while running, often make an exception for treadmill runs. Don’t be afraid to pop in the headphones for some of your runs. This is an effective way to pass the time or engage another part of your brain while running. You can make yourself a few playlists to match the mood and energy that you want to tap into on specific types of workouts (e.g., something more upbeat for your harder workouts, or a podcast or a more meditative style of music that you know will really draw you in for your longer runs).
Lastly, focus on a goal that is not too far down the road. A lot of people take it relatively easy in the winter, and then use the spring and summer to try to get back into shape. That’s totally fine, but not having a race or fitness goal on the calendar can make motivation to a bit more challenging. Choosing a destination race in February or March, or an early spring race or event that you want to do can keep you on the ball through the winter months.
The sense of accomplishment of hitting the paces and splits you want on the treadmill can become a positive feedback loop that keeps you excited to return for another workout. Keep in mind that it’s already January, and the temperatures will begin creeping back up in the not-too-distant future. Take it one day at a time, and do your best to get the most out of the tools at your disposal – including the treadmill.
This article originally appeared in the The Connection, TCM's weekly e-newsletter. Subscribe here. Find more Motion Expert content here.
Read Chris's article from last month on snow running here.
Chris Lundstrom, PhD, is a running coach and exercise scientist who specializes in endurance exercise performance. He is one of the team of Motion Experts TCM has gathered to help its subscribers and participants get the most out of their running. He coaches the Minnesota Distance Elite team and their squad of national class runners, including Olympian Dakotah Popehn. He teaches in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota, and also works with novice and high school runners. Follow and support MDE on their website: minnesotadistanceelite.com and on Instagram: @minnesotadistanceelite.