Will doing a long run on a treadmill once or so a week help me as much training for cross country as running outdoors. If it helps I typically run 8ish miles at about 7:15 pace and on a treadmill use 2% incline. Will this be an equal fitness improver as outdoors or is it not even close?
This would be about equal to an 8ish mile run outdoors at 7:15 pace. Not sure what the question is. You'll benefit about the same whether you run on treadmills, outdoors, or in Hell, Michigan.
You're very correct, and I agree on the point remarking what the question is. I have no idea what the OP was asking lol
Treadmill better for track or road racing, but OK for XC. Problem there is surface area in XC is soft
Crank up the incline.
Start at 2% then increase by .5 every week.