With storms currently playing havoc with my running plans, and another couple of months left before the nights get lighter and the weather starts to improve, I’m sharing a few of my treadmill workouts below that you might like to use to shake up your routine.

This blog is sponsored by Hire Fitness UK and Hire Fitness Ireland where you can hire a treadmill and get them to deliver it to your home so you don’t have to run outside again on cold nights.

Quite a few times this year I’ve found myself in the gym, on the treadmill to get my run in. I love running outside, but I don’t always love training in bad weather.

Last week I had a morning of back-to-back appointments that meant I was outside in the cold for three hours, and it was really cold that day. When I got home, had a cup of tea and warmed up, I really didn’t want to go out to run in the same temperatures I’d just escaped. And last week, knowing that the windy weather was going to affect my pace, I did my threshold session on the treadmill so I could make sure I was on target.

As we’ve got another couple of months left before the nights get lighter and the weather starts to improve, I’m sharing a few workouts below that you might like to use to shake up your treadmill routine.

Sometimes I work on distance, sometimes I use time to build a workout. Whichever you use, keep to one measurement throughout your session to make it easier to keep track of where you are.

The 5k fasties

I like to keep things simple on the treadmill. Having to think too much about numbers and keep track of when you’re supposed to be going slow or fast, as well as how many reps you’ve done can make your head spin staring at all those numbers. This workout is as simple as it gets.

3 x 1 mile @ 5k pace + 1 mile warm up and 1 mile cool down, 400m slow jog for recoveries between each mile effort.

Notes:

• This is a great workout for training for a 5k PB, but it works for training for most race distances. Mile efforts are hard and can take a while to get used to if you haven’t done them before, so try it at 10k pace and, over several weeks, build up to 5k pace.
• The total mileage for this run is 5.5 miles, so if you’re not up to that yet, you could try it with 1km reps or do 2x 1 mile – whatever you do to make it shorter, don’t take it off the warm-up and cool down.

The 10k race-maker

Work out your 10k race pace in minutes per mile (the pace you can run one right now and not the pace you’re training to race a 10k in). Then add 10 seconds to that pace. This is what you’ll do your efforts at. It should leave you with a good sweat on at the end of an effort but you shouldn’t be breathing out your ears. We’re looking for a comfortable effort.

2 x 15 mins @ 10k pace+10 sec with 10 min warm-up and 10 min cool down, 5 min recovery between efforts 

Notes:

• As the weeks progress and this starts to feel a little easier, add a couple of minutes to the 15 min efforts. Or if 15 mins is a bit much for you right now, try 2 or 3×10 mins with 4 mins jog recovery.

The tweaked tempo run

Tempo runs (running at a set pace for anything from 3 to 10 miles) is the bread and butter of half and marathon training. They’re not the ideal one in your plan to do on the treadmill but sometimes – whether it’s the weather or time constraints – you’ll find you need to run on the belt.

Play with the gradient on your treadmill tempo run to keep it interesting. It’s unlikely that your race is going to be pancake flat, whatever the race website says, so dealing with some inclines while maintaining your pace is good race practice. It also changes the stresses on your body slightly too.

30-40 min at HM or marathon race pace, changing the gradient every half mile + 10 mins warm-up and 10 mins cool down

Note: you don’t have to go too high, just edge the gradient up a little every half mile, then edge it down again. Keep taking it up and down to mimic running outside.

All workouts are written by Laura Fountain, Lazy Girl Running.