Running on the treadmill

Today's workout for me was a progression run (20 minutes easy, 20 minutes medium, 20 minutes hard). The hard pace was just slightly faster than marathon pace. Completed on the treadmill with a cool-down for a total of 7.5 miles. I was nervous going into this run, as the thought of running sub-marathon pace (8:24) after running 4 miles this early in my training was a little scary. I made it through no problems and the workout ended up being easier than I thought it was going to be.

Yes, everyone . . . I do run on the treadmill a lot. No need to feel sorry for me. It's the only way I can get my runs in during the winter, and so I really don't mind it. I actually think it is good, because it forces me to keep my pace. I've been told I'm excellent at keeping an even pace (thanks Jen, Chris, and Ben), and I really think it's because I run on the treadmill so much. It also helps to build mental toughness, which we all know we need for the marathon. Last year while training for my first marathon, I logged 30-40 miles a week on the treadmill.

If you do find running on a treadmill boring and are forced to do it for whatever reason, try doing speedwork. It makes the time go by faster and forces you to hit your splits.