Some of the most successful triathletes are those who can run their way through the field as they take off like a rocket out of T2. And for plenty of us ‘get better at running’ tends to be top of our to-do list when we’re looking at what we can work on over the off-season to get ready for our next triathlon start line.
But improving our running endurance and speed doesn’t always come easily. And doing the same old things, running the same old routes, or just ‘training harder’ without purpose certainly won’t make those gains come any quicker. But switching up your run training and hitting the treadmill to get really dialled and specific with your efforts could have a big impact on your running. We take a look at how running on the treadmill can go beyond simply helping you to maintain your run fitness during spells of bad weather. Helping you to boost your running speed, improve your form and enhance your efficiency so you can go further, faster – or both.
How to use the treadmill effectively to improve your running
It can be easy to fall into the trap of seeing the treadmill as a necessary evil, and get into the habit of just jumping on and getting the miles done and counting down the minutes until you can get off again. But running on the treadmill without purpose and structure does a disservice to the huge training benefits you can get if you start seeing the treadmill as a useful, valuable tool in your training arsenal – rather than a punishment for wanting to hide from the rain!
Dial in your effort with targeted workouts
One of the best uses of your time on the treadmill is to complete workouts specifically designed to help you achieve your running goal, be it improving your speed or boosting your endurance. When you run on the treadmill, you have far greater control over your pace and the environment – no surprise hills, forceful headwinds or rogue dog walkers to dodge. That means you can execute a workout with a huge amount of specificity to get the maximum training effect.
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If you’re considering kitting out your home indoor training set up with a treadmill, it’s worth looking for a machine that can connect with training apps such as Zwift or Wahoo. These platforms have workout libraries and training plans you can pick from, taking the guess work out of what run workouts to do and when. The new Wahoo KICKR RUN integrates with seamlessly with the Wahoo app to execute workouts, and it can even control the pace and gradient automatically so you can focus on the effort.
Up the intensity with hill repeats
Hill repeats are a useful training session to help build strength in your running, while also promoting good form. But if time, weather conditions or your local terrain makes getting out to do hill repeats difficult – mimicking hill repeats on the treadmill can actually be a more effective and efficient way to get the session done.
You also have the advantage that you can set the incline depending on what you’re aiming to get out of the session. If it’s about building your running endurance, you might want to opt for a shallower incline at around 3% to perform longer hill repeats. Meanwhile if you want to do hill sprints to build strength and power, you might go for a steeper incline (5-7%) for shorter, faster intervals. On the treadmill, you can incorporate a mixture of different gradients into one session without having to find several different hills to run up. And while most treadmills won’t give you the benefit of the eccentric forces when you run back down a hill – the Wahoo KICKR RUN has introduced a decline feature as well as an incline so you can get the full benefit of a hill reps session without heading outdoors.
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Look at your form
Other than those rather humbling videos your friends take of you running the final miles towards the finish line in a triathlon when your legs are shot and your run form resembles a T-Rex… most of us don’t often get to see what our run form really looks like when we’re doing most of our running outdoors. But how you’re running, can have a big impact on how fast you can run – and how much mileage you can tolerate before you start getting signs of injuries.
Set your treadmill up with a mirror to the front, and ideally to the side. Use the mirrors to take a look at your running form and pinpoint any areas for improvement. You want to make sure you’re running ‘tall’ rather than letting your hips drop and your shoulders roll forwards. A slight forward lean will help to give you momentum. The upper body should be relaxed, but your core engaged to ensure you’re not over-rotating and wasting energy.
It’s also interesting to take note of where your foot lands relative to your body. If you’re over striding, you’re essentially putting the brakes on with every step and loading more force through the legs, which can lead to injuries. Ideally you want your foot to land close to your hips so you can get maximum propulsion, without over-favouring a heel strike or a forefoot landing – both of which can cause issues over time.
Running might just be putting one foot in front of the other, but when it comes to improving your speed – nailing your form plays a key role. And as we’ve just outlined, there’s a lot to think about. Using the treadmill and mirrors to focus on your form makes it easier to implement adjustments.
Use data to your advantage
Data can be a really useful tool to analyse how your running is progressing, identify areas you could work on to get better, and ensure you’re executing your run workouts at the correct intensity to get the desired training effect. Running on the treadmill can make it easier to have one eye on your data while you’re in the midst of a session.
Heart rate
Most treadmills allow you to pair your heart rate monitor using Bluetooth or ANT+ so you can have your heart rate up on the treadmill display. Or if you’re running on a smart treadmill and using an app like Zwift or Wahoo X, you can have your heart rate on the screen.
Keep an eye on your heart rate during your run sessions to ensure you’re working at the right intensity. You might need to slow down on your easy runs to make sure you’re actually running in Z2 and getting the aerobic benefits without putting unnecessary stress and fatigue through your body. And you might also find you can actually go harder for your interval and tempo sessions. Often we limit ourselves and stick to the pace we know we can run – but if your heart rate is lower than the target zone, it’s a sign your fitness has improved and you can start pushing the pace to avoid hitting a plateau.
Cadence and vertical oscillation
Smart treadmills like the Wahoo KICKR RUN also connect up with apps to give you data on metrics such as your ground contact time, cadence and vertical oscillation. Getting familiar with these stats can help you to make adjustments to your form for max efficiency. For example, if your vertical oscillation is high – focusing on propelling forwards rather than up and down might be an easy win to get more speed for the same amount of effort. Likewise, speeding up your cadence could help you to run with better form.
DISCOVER THE MOST REALISTIC INDOOR RUNNING EXPERIENCE YET
Can I really become a better runner by spending more time on the treadmill? The potential pitfalls of indoor running and how to work around them
While there are plenty of benefits to taking some of your weekly run sessions indoors, there are a few potential drawbacks to be aware of while running on the treadmill. Thankfully, these are easily remedied.
Is the pace on the treadmill accurate?
If you’ve ever hit the treadmills in your local gym, you’ll probably know that there’s usually a ‘favourite’ treadmill among the regulars because it’s the ‘fast’ treadmill. Inaccurate pace readings can sometimes be an issue with certain treadmills, particularly older models. This is where using heart rate alongside pace to gauge your effort is important – if the pace feels too hard or too easy, run to heart rate instead.
If you have a treadmill at home, you could also consider fitting an after market speed sensor (such as the Runn sensor – which also makes a ‘dumb’ treadmill compatible with apps like Zwift). Or if you’re looking for an excuse to upgrade your indoor training set up, smart treadmills like the Wahoo KICKR RUN come loaded with the latest tech to offer far more accuracy.
What if I lose my ‘feel’ for pacing?
While the ability to set a specific pace on the treadmill is an advantage for really dialling in your workout intensity. It can A) make running on the treadmill feel harder because there’s no let-up in pace compared to the natural variations you’d make on the road. And B) make it harder for you to ‘feel’ pace (i.e. know what effort to put out to hit a target pace without having to eyeball your watch constantly) when you’re running outdoors. This is why we really like the sound of the Run Free mode on the new Wahoo KICKR RUN treadmill. It uses optical sensors to automatically adjust the pace, just like you’re running outdoors. If you slow down, the belt slows down. It’s up to you to set and maintain your desired pace.
Use strength training to build your stabilising muscles
One other drawback of treadmill running compared to outdoors is that being on a static machine means you don’t have to utilise all the small stabilising muscles around the foot and the ankle anywhere near as much as you do outdoors – especially if you tend to run on the trails. These muscles might not get as much limelight as the quads, hamstrings and calves in the running hall of fame. But they’re important for helping you to run efficiently, and keeping you injury free.
If you’re planning to do the majority of your running indoors over the winter months. It’s worth supplementing with some single leg and balance work in your strength training. For example, single-leg calf raises, hopping, single-leg Romanian deadlifts using a kettlebell/dumbbell, split squats and reverse lunges with an overhead single arm dumbbell press to challenge your balance. You can also make use of balance boards of a Bosu ball to do bodyweight exercises such as squats – the uneven surface will get all the stabilising muscles working to keep you steady.
There’s also new tech hitting the treadmill market to address this lack of dynamic movement while treadmill running – the new Wahoo treadmill is set to offer lateral tilting as well as incline and decline. Switching on ‘terrain mode’ in the Wahoo app gets the treadmill to subtly tilt from side to side while you’re running, helping to stimulate the small stabilising muscles in your feet and ankles – just as you would experience while running outdoors.
ELEVATE YOUR RUN TRAINING WITH WAHOO KICKR RUN
