Training Inside
If you’re anything like me, you don’t like training inside. Yet, there
are times when training inside just makes sense – when it’s extremely
cold, when you’re traveling, or when you’re recovering from an injury.
Cyclists ride trainers and rollers over the winter. Christine Clark won
the US Women’s Marathon Trials, in 2000, living in Anchorage, training
almost exclusively on a treadmill.
Treadmills
Running on a treadmills, although not the same as running on a road or
trail, is running. They take some getting used to – the feel of running
in a confined space, running on a moving belt, and using the controls.
Start slow (they typically start at a slow walk), getting used to the
feel of running on a treadmill. Then play with the controls – adjusting
the speed and incline – to get used to how they work, how quickly the
speed and incline change, and adjusting the controls while running.
For most, running on a treadmill is easier than the roads at the same
speed. Although, some of you might find it harder, depending on your
stride efficiency. Regardless, it does feel different than road or
trail. Raise the incline to 1%-2% to simulate the same speed at the
same effort level as outside. For me, my breathing is easier and hr
lower even at 3%, although the muscle strain feels the same. Yours
equilibrium level may be different.
The treadmill forces you into a set pace. This can be beneficial,
teaching you the mental discipline and training your body to run a
target pace. Christine Clark, while living in Anchorage, used this
strategy, going 17-18 miles at her target (5:30) pace, when training
for the US Women’s Marathon trials, in 2000, which she won. It’s hard
to let your mind wander on the treadmill like it does outside; you have
to maintain some focus to stay on the treadmill. This teaches you the
mental discipline to stay focused in longer races. If you find it hard
to stay focused as long as you want to run, make minor, temporary
variations in speed and/or incline for a break, before returning to
your target.
Speed training can be quite effective on a treadmill. Many treadmills
have pre-set interval programs (that automatically adjust speed and
incline), but I prefer setting it myself. It takes extra practice to
change the setting while running hard. Sometimes I’ll put my off hand
on the rail for balance while I’m changing speed/incline. Note that it
takes several seconds change the settings, and for the belt to move to
the new settings; it’s not instantaneous.
Start you first interval, or your tempo run, at a slower pace than you
would do outside. You want to get used to the feel of going fast on the
treadmill. Then you can gradually increase to your target speed.
Remember that this may be faster or slower than outside, so go by feel.
Most treadmills display speed in mph rather than min/mi. You may need
to make the calculation in your head. See my conversion table below.
It’s easier to do intervals on the treadmill by time, rather than
distance. The time display is usually more prominent than distance, and
it’s easier to keep track of whole and half minutes, than fractions of
a mile. Because of the effort and time to change speed, I don’t like to
do intervals that are too short, typically not shorter than 2:30 hard,
slowing it down by 2-3mph for the recovery interval. For example, I
might do 4:30 hard at 10mph (6:00/mi pace), with 1:30 recovery at
7-7.5mph (8:00-8:34/mi). Tempo runs or tempo intervals are even easier,
because you don’t have to change the speed that often or that much.
Incline intervals can be fun, and are a good way to train for hills.
I’ll stay at my long run speed, crank the incline up to 10% or more,
then try to hold it for 30-60 seconds. There are fewer button presses
with incline changes and the ramp adjusts more quickly than with speed
changes, so I’m able to do shorter intervals this way.
If necessary, you can step off the side. Most treadmills have non-slip
pads on both sides of the moving belt. Before stepping back on,
however, slow the speed down before stepping back on.
Stair
Steppers
Stair stepper machines are the closest non-treadmill machine to
running. They provide a great simulation of hill running. They’re also
good when you need some low impact training. I used them frequently
when recovering from my last ankle surgery, and when I had a calf
strain. I could run without the stress of landing (using the type where
the foot platform goes up and down, not the type with rotating stairs).
It’s easy to get your heart rate up, so it’s good for a tempo workout.
Use the handrails as little as possible for balance, but not to support
your weight. I’ve seen people run on them without touching the rails at
all. I can’t do that. I only touch them lightly.
Ellipticals
I don’t like elliptical trainers. While the leg rotation is similar to
running, it’s not running. There’s resistance in the wrong spots -
namely at the top of the stride, which makes it feel like you are
striding way in front of your body. Also, the kick back (follow through
behind you) is too short. It can be good if you are recovering from an
injury and need a low impact workout, but I prefer stair steppers.
Spin bikes
Biking is biking, and running is running. However, biking builds
strength (i.e., good for hills), is good cross-training (i.e., builds
strength in areas that running misses), and is low impact.
The term “spinning” means different things to different people. The
term comes from bike racing, where it means using an easy gear at a
high cadence. It’s often done in warm-up, cool-down, or on recovery
days to help loosen up sore muscles. It can mean a lot of different
things at a health club, and a spin class can be a lot of different
things. Some spin classes simulate training on a real bike. A number of
bike shops offer classes where you bring your own bike and ride it on a
trainer (either your own, or one provided by the store). However, a lot
of health club spin classes are different than riding a bike outside
where the bike just happens to be a tool for fitness training. Either
way, it can be a good workout.
If you’re new to spin bikes, get there early and spend a couple of
minutes adjusting the bike. Set the seat height so that your legs are
not quite straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke – most of your
power is as your legs are straighter, but going completely straight, or
even hyper extending the knee, can be damaging. Adjust the seat forward
and back, and the handle bars up and down, so that it feel comfortable.
As you move the seat forward and back, this will change the distance to
the pedals, so you may have to readjust your seat height. Test it out
both seated and standing (some spin drills call for you to stand while
pedaling). Play around with the resistance knob to see how different
resistances feel sitting vs. standing. Heavy resistance may affect the
fit and feel. If you’re new to cycling, you’re likely to start out more
upright than experienced riders, and adjust to be more bent over over
time. If you’re an experienced rider, but new to spin bikes, note that
it’s hard to get a spin bike to feel like your regular bike.
Going long
The idea of a long workout on a machine can seem daunting, or
depressing. There are ways around that. I may plan to ride the rollers
or run the treadmill for an hour or more, but I try not to think of it
in total. I just get started, and set a shorter goal – e.g., get to 20
minutes and then see how I feel. Usually, I find that once I hit that
shorter target, it’s easy to keep going. Then I’ll shoot for another 10
or 15 minutes, then another, and another. Before I know it, I’ve hit my
original plan.
Be smart. Train smart.
Adam
