Treadmill Inclines...

1.5%  1.5%

   Well friends, last day of vacation for me today! Back to the old grind Saturday morning. But only for two days. Then another blessed two days off! I am going to try to continue to be active with this blog. But don't kill me if I get busy and the keyboard is silent, Ok?

   Had an amazing cross-training workout today at the gym followed by an easy three miler on the treadmill. The weather here in upstate NY has been down right frigid! I have come to appreciate running in the wintertime this year. But when that mercury dips below ten degrees and causes sub zero wind chills then it's time to head inside.

   Something new that I have been toying with this year is the treadmill incline. I typically have set the incline at a 1% grade through most of my running career. This has worked really well for me. But the accepted standard is a 1.5% grade. Lots of good research out there that backs this up. Bottom line, running on an even plane is a piece of cake. When was the last time you drove, walked or ran on a road that was an even plane? Never. The belief is that when you set your treadmill's incline to 1.5% that you are simulating typical road incline and wind resistance.

   Surprisingly the vast majority of runners that I see training on a treadmill never adjust the incline. Why? Running on a treadmill is something I only do as a last resort. It's really boring, forces me to change my running stride and is much easier due to lack of random hills, wind resistance and firm surface. Treadmills do however have some advantages. You can avoid extreme weather conditions, get some good hill workouts knocked out and using one forces you to run at an even pace.

   So, next time that unforeseen events force you to take your training inside on the treadmill, do yourself a favor and set that incline up. You will get a better workout and earn a nod or two from those runners who want to put quality before quantity! Run for your lives my friends and have an amazing weekend!