Friday, February 4, 2011

Fit Fridays!

Snow, Freezing Rain, Crazy Winds, and Bitter Awful Frigid Temps!  I know all of these elements are just urging us all to go out and get Fit and run for miles, right!?  



ya Right!  I more than ever am SO thankful for my indoor gym at my current apartment!  I think it is truly the only way I have survived not only my fitness routine but also my sanity throughout the past months...

But like the rest of us, the gym can get old especially after months of been locked in there, but by changing it up I am here to give us all some encouragement and relief with our running routines on treadmills! 



Treadmill Training!  It can not only be beneficial to just keep your endurance up but it is also a crucial tool in intervals and training, and by staying true all winter long, you will be in the front of the pack come spring time!

Here's some tips from Runner's World:

RANDOM INTERVALS
Do it to mix it up

Unpredictable incline and speed changes provide a more complete workout than a steady pace on a flat surface, because they force you to work different muscles.

The Workout: Just a little variation in your run helps the time go by much faster. Try a 10-minute warmup, 20 minutes of random intervals, and a 10-minute cooldown.

Inside Scoop: If you don't have much time for a run, you'll get an extra burst of intensity in a short duration. Plus, a mystery workout is a healthy change for obsessive runners who like to plot out and then log every split.

SPEED INTERVALS
Do it to get faster

When doing intervals at the track, almost everyone slows down the last few repeats, because they're fatigued. Morris says, "On the treadmill, you can only slow down when the belt does."

The Workout: Try 3 x 3 minutes at about 10 seconds faster per mile than 5-K pace. (It takes the treadmill a few seconds to reach your interval speed, so start timing the three minutes after you've reached that pace.) Give yourself two minutes of easy jogging in between. Add another set every two weeks.

Inside Scoop: This workout is a killer. But the results will show at your next race.
 



SITCOM TEMPO RUN
Do it to lock in your pace

Tempo runs are hard to get right. Inexperienced runners tend to go too fast or too slow. Once you've entered your target pace, the treadmill makes sure you stay at the right speed.

The Workout: Start with a 10-minute warmup, and move up to your tempo pace when a Seinfeld rerun begins. Jog during the commercials, and resume the faster pace when the show comes back on. Cool down for five minutes.

Inside Scoop: The tube can be a welcome distraction from the tedium of a long, fast effort. As you improve,
try maintaining your tempo pace through the commercials.


HILL REPEATS
Do it to design your own terrain

You can control the grade of the hill, and you don't have the stress on your quads of running down it. Instead, you can flatten the belt for a few minutes of recovery, then go right back at it.

The Workout: Try one-minute runs up a 4% incline with two minutes of slow, flat jogging in between. Build up to 10 repeats at a 6% incline.

Inside Scoop: This workout gives your cardiovascular system a challenge but is easier on your legs because your overall speed isn't fast. "I've found over the years that I can stay injury-free while running slower up a steep hill," says Olympic marathoner Magdalena Lewy Boulet. "It's the same intensity as on a track, but on a track your legs have to move much faster."



Wishing you all a wonderful FIT weekend! Hopefully not too many of you are snowed in.. and if so hopefully you can at least get to a gym and get some of that built up anxiety out on a treadmill!

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