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Treadmill Workouts and Triathlon: Perfect Pace for Your Fastest 10K, Part Three

  • By Liz Hichens
  • Published Jun 5, 2009

Written by: Lance Watson and Lucy Smith

Over the next few days, LifeSport coaches Lance Watson and Lucy Smith provide a series on how to have the most successful run leg of your next Olympic-distance triathlon. In this article, the coaches explain how treadmill intervals can help to increase threshold and 10K run pace.

Like any interval training, these workouts are designed for an athlete who already has a good base fitness. Using the treadmill for high-speed intervals can be tricky. It takes time for it to speed up and slow down, so to make sure that your rest and work intervals remain controlled and steady, it is necessary to step to the side at the beginning of the interval while holding the hand rails and increase the speed manually.

Allow 10 seconds for the belt to accelerate, and then lower yourself onto the belt while running in the air in order to catch the belt with your feet. At the end of the interval, hold the rails, straddle the treadmill, reduce the speed and then lower yourself back onto it to jog.

For recovery intervals shorter than one minute, keep the treadmill at interval speed and stay on the sides or hop briefly to the floor to keep your legs moving a little. If you find that your heart rate is getting close to your maximum and your are creeping toward the back the machine, slow your pace by five or 10 seconds per mile. A 1 percent hill grade better simulates road running because it forces you to  push off with your toes instead of letting the belt do too much of the work for you by pulling your legs through.

Next up, Watson and Smith give specific interval workouts to achieve your fastest 10K.

Over the past 20 years, LifeSport coach Lance Watson has coached new triathletes in addition to many Ironman and Olympic champions. He is the official coach of Ironman. LifeSport coach Lucy Smith has coached athletes ranging from beginners to world champions. She is also a two-time world medalist and a 19-time national champion in distance running and multisport. For more information, e-mail Coach@LifeSportCoaching.com or visit Lifesportcoaching.com.

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Liz Hichens

Liz Hichens

Liz Hichens is the Web Producer of Triathlete.com. She is an Ironman and marathon finisher and fan of all endurance sports.