Think Outside The Mill: How To Make The Most Of Treadmill Running

By Caitlin Chock
Published Feb. 8, 2013
Updated Feb. 11, 2013 at 10:34 AM UTC

Top athletes and expert coaches explain how to progress your fitness without ever stepping foot outside.

“Treadmills are for wimps.”

While they may not say it outright, plenty of runner purists have thought it. It is with a bit of shame that some of us hop on the treadmill, afraid of what others may think; are we being soft for not sucking it up and heading outdoors?

Would you consider Michael Wardian, silver medalist at the 2011 100k World Championships and USATF Ultra Runner of the Year in 2008, 2009, and 2010 a wimp?

“I tend to use the treadmill like I am outside and that means I use my imagination, I pretend I am coming up to a tough section of the race and then increase the incline or speed or then I am crushing down the hill and I might speed the treadmill up,” Wardian explains. A large number of his 120 miles per week are done on his downstairs treadmill. “We got our treadmill the day our second son Grant was born…I watch both our sons most mornings and I can still do my workouts and spend time with them.”

FILED UNDER: Training TAGS: hill workouts / Interval Training / speed workouts / Tempo Runs / treadmill running