Using a high-quality treadmill as part of your half marathon or marathon training can be your secret weapon to crushing your personal best.
To ensure you approach your treadmill training with the right mindset and tools, incorporate these 10 tips.
1. Set A Schedule
One of the major bonuses of doing your half or full marathon training indoors is that you don’t have to worry about the weather, light levels, or leaving your children alone while you workout. But, without a firm training schedule, it is far too easy to skip workouts, especially if you aren’t accustomed to training on a treadmill.
Either find a training program or develop your own and keep it posted in a visible area to help you stay accountable.
2. Take Advantage Of Treadmill Cushioning
Some people worry that training on a treadmill will make it so that they aren’t prepared for how hard asphalt and concrete will be on race day. But you should be taking advantage of the cushioning on a treadmill deck, not concerned about it.
There is no real benefit to pounding your joints and muscles during training on these hard surfaces. In fact, training outside increases your likelihood that you will become injured before your big race.
3. Use The Incline Settings
Unless you live in a particularly hilly area, it can be tough to pack in enough hill training to build up your uphill stamina. With a treadmill like the ProForm Pro 2000, you can adjust your incline level from -3% up to 15%. This change in incline will challenge your body and give you a stamina advantage in your future races.
4. Add Entertainment To Runs
One of the significant advantages of marathon treadmill training is the array of entertainment you have available. You can:
- Make a variety of mood-boosting playlists
- Watch TV, Netflix, movies and other types of media
- Listen to podcasts
Whatever you choose to add to your treadmill runs, restrict your engagement with that entertainment to training times only. That way, if you really want to binge your favorite entertainment, you know you have to climb on your treadmill to enjoy it.
5. Try A Couple Of Runs Without Distractions
Some races don’t allow you to use headphones during the race, to keep runners aware of their surroundings. So, it is good to do some of your training without those distractions.
Even if you only run races where you can listen to media, you should do a couple of your treadmill workouts without any distractions. Long-distance running becomes more of a mental game rather than purely physical, and these entertainment-free runs help your brain hone in more on your running mechanics as well as your mental state.
6. Utilize Tech To Optimize Treadmill Training
Much of your training will need to be at your easy or tempo pace. These speeds can be hard to gauge when outside. When you are using a treadmill, you can set the pace and ensure that you don’t go over or under the pace you are shooting for that day.
Along with the speed control, you can more easily do heart rate zone training on a treadmill. On a Bluetooth-enabled treadmill, you can use a wireless heart rate monitoring chest strap to make sure you are training in the right zones.
7. Build Stamina With Treadmill Interval Workouts
Interval workouts are a necessary evil when it comes to maximizing your half marathon or full marathon training. On a treadmill, you can more easily control your interval pacing and protect your joints in the process.
As your body will take less of a pounding on a cushioned treadmill, you can push yourself further and build greater speed and stamina by doing more intervals than you usually could accomplish.
8. Do A Few Long Runs On The Treadmill
You don’t have to do all your training indoors. If you can, mix in some outside runs along with your treadmill training. A few of your long runs should be done on your treadmill since you can accurately pace how you will perform on race day more easily on the treadmill.
9. Divide Up Distances
Staring at your treadmill and thinking about how long you need to run is a surefire way to make you skip a run or cut it far shorter than you should.
Instead, break the run up into more manageable parts, such as viewing every 5K as a milestone. You can even set up a little aid station, so you can take a moment and grab a drink before you hop back on your treadmill.
10. Train Your Brain To Believe You Can Do It
If you approach treadmill training with a negative attitude, it’s likely that your health investment will end up as a dusty coat rack. Instead, approach every treadmill training session with a can-do attitude, and your brain will help you through the hard parts of your marathon training.
If you need exercise equipment to support your training and are looking for great prices, grab the ProForm Coupon promo code. With our discount, you can pick up excellent equipment ranging from heavy-use training treadmills to stationary bikes.
