I resorted to the treadmill yesterday for my speed work because of all the snow.
I was supposed to do 5 x 400 @5k pace. For me that's in the 9:28-9:45 range.
Note, the distances are + or + .01 of a mile, as I tried to watch the treadmill closely so that I could hit lap as soon as it ticked up to the next number.
-Sometimes I missed the lap button.
-Sometimes I missed the treadmill distance turning over.
Distance | Time | Pace |
1.0 | 12:51 | 12:51 |
.25 | 2:23 | 9:32 |
.2 | 2:21 | 11:45 |
.25 | 2:24 | 9:36 |
.2 | 2:49 | 14:05 |
.25 | 2:25 | 9:40 |
.2 | 2:59 | 14:55 |
.25 | 2:26 | 9:44 |
.2 | 3:00 | 15:00 |
.25 | 2:21 | 9:24 |
.2 | 2:14 | 11:10 |
.4 | 6:12 | 15:30 |
3.65 | 44:29 |
My first four 400s (bold) were done at 6.3 mph on the treadmill (I attribute the range of 9:32-9:44 pace while on the same speed to be due to me not hitting lap right as I hit .25 miles...or an inaccurate treadmill?).
For my first .2 rest interval, I jogged (5.1 mph). Then I saw my HR and decided I would walk for the other rest intervals.
To make things interesting, for the 5th 400, I kicked it up a notch to 6.4 mph (~9:22). And I could do it!
For my final .2 rest interval, I did .05 miles each at 6.3, 6.0, 5.7, and 5.4 mph; then switched to walking for the last .4 miles.
While I don't love the treadmill, I will admit it is very helpful for speedwork since you can just plug in your speed and go. It is definitely harder to hit specific speeds when you are just running outside, looking at your watch every so often (intervals would be difficult without my Garmin!).
I brought along my mp3 player and watched FoodNetwork to distract me from staring at the numbers too much. My mp3 player is in need of an update though. I've got a bunch of playlists that have been shared online that I have been meaning to look through, but haven't had a chance yet. Here's a handful of them--
Tone It Up's January playlist
Tone It Up's December playlist
The Hungry Runner Girl's January 8 Spin Playlist
The Hungry Runner Girl's January 6 Spin Playlist
Lululemon blog 10k Playlist
Lululemon Best of 2010 Playlist
Any good playlists out there, or good upbeat song recommendations?
I'm going to need some to get me through some future treadmill speed workouts over the next two months...
Nice! I'll bet you can do way more than you think you can. The mill is a great place for intervals.
ReplyDeleteI reco the whole new girl talk album! It's a crazy mix of old, new, hip hop, rap, and dance, and it all flows together. Good if you have music ADD!
ReplyDelete@Teamarcia- Thanks! I just have to distract myself enough so I don't get bored. I hope I can continue to surprise myself on the treadmill!
ReplyDelete@alison s- Thank you for the recommendation. It sounds good to me- I'll have to check out that album!
Nice workout. That's awesome. The treadmill is great for speedwork.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment on my last post :) Made me feel good.
My playlist is so random it goes from Eminem to Wicked to Miley Cyrus. I do highly recommend all of those for working out though. I agree that the treadmill isn't too fun but great for speedwork.
ReplyDeleteI say crank the speed up to an 8 - 9 mph while doing your sprints! The only way to get better is to push hard! Hahaha (I've been watching Jillian Michaels DVDs). But seriously though, it you crank it up you will be breathless at the end of your sprint and won't miss the time! :)
ReplyDeleteMichelle- No problem! :)
ReplyDeleteAlyssa- I still haven't seen Wicked, I think I need to.
MySuper- 8-9 mph is crazy! You're right about needing to push myself at times to get faster though. I'll try kicking it up a notch sometime when the gym isn't so full (in case I go flying off the treadmill...haha).
It's not as crazy as it sounds, trust me! I think you can definitely do it since you run a lot. And when you sprint you can get your heart rate up to 90-95% to get the benefit of HIIT. I normally run at around 7 or 7.5 mph on the treadmill at 2% incline. And I sprint at 9-10 mph depending on how long the sprint is. I like the death feeling at the end of my sprints because that's when I feel like it's really working! Hehe. If I can do it, you can do it! You won't believe how fast you will improve. I think it took me just a couple months of doing that once or twice a week to get my speed up (I started at like 7 mph sprints). A lot of it is mental. Like Jillian says, if a 400 lb person on the Biggest Loser can sprint at 5, 6, 7 mph, so should we!
ReplyDeleteI don't think you need to do it on a treadmill necessarily. If you run outside, just start sprinting and watch your heart rate go up to like 95% and then maintain for 30 seconds and walk it out for a minute. Then repeat! Do that for like 30 minutes and you are golden. =)