Training for an ultra with a treadmill.

I've done a lot of training on treadmills due to work and travel, and I think that they are ineffective.

I am training for an ultra as well (Comrades) and it's going well. I am doing about 90% of my volume outdoors.

I suggest that you find a running buddy, acquire a dog and/or pepper spray or taser due to your safety concerns.

A manual, unpowered treadmill is good.

I've done it. Can't handle being on there for more than 8-10 miles so I'd double every day. During the polar vortex a few years ago I put in a 92 mile week on the treadmill.

Just train like you would for a fast marathon, and then throw in some fast hiking at the highest incline the treadmill will go, at least 15 min a day, if not more. If its a really mountainous one where you'll be doing sustained 4-5 mile climbs, practice hiking for that duration. It sucks, but you can make it relatively specific. If you've got a treadmill that does decline, spend some time running downhill. Unless its a flat road ultra, its the downs that'll get you.

Good luck!

The treadmill will improve your mental game heading into the ultra:

Consider incorporating the following:

1. Staring at a blank wall during a 4 hour treadmill run. Put tape over the screen and set a timer in another room for four hours. Do not get off treadmill until the timer goes off.

2. Listen to the same song on repeat the entire time. Preferably thumping house music.

3. Running while blindfolded for a few hours. Feel the treadmill.

Thanks for the replies. I'll take them on board. With a number of sexual assaults in my neighborhood of late, I think I'd prefer a buddy if I run at night but will need to rely on the treadmill for most of my night runs.

treadmillultra wrote:

The treadmill will improve your mental game heading into the ultra:

Consider incorporating the following:

1. Staring at a blank wall during a 4 hour treadmill run. Put tape over the screen and set a timer in another room for four hours. Do not get off treadmill until the timer goes off.

2. Listen to the same song on repeat the entire time. Preferably thumping house music.

3. Running while blindfolded for a few hours. Feel the treadmill.

I know you're trolling, but you might be on to something here. Maybe a form of meditation.

GBrown wrote:

I'm keen to run a 50k later this year but due to work hours my only running time would be late at night. As a female, I am reluctant to do this but I can fit in my long run on the weekends.

Has anyone trained for an ultramarathon using a treadmill for most of their runs, or know of anyone who has? Any hints, tips or advice.

Thanks

Ask Zach Miller how treadmill training, stair and infrequent very long runs did for his ultra career?

The answer, he crushed it.

His long runs also were not predetermined by distance nor elevation but time.

piuc.f wrote:

GBrown wrote:

I'm keen to run a 50k later this year but due to work hours my only running time would be late at night. As a female, I am reluctant to do this but I can fit in my long run on the weekends.

Has anyone trained for an ultramarathon using a treadmill for most of their runs, or know of anyone who has? Any hints, tips or advice.

Thanks

Ask Zach Miller how treadmill training, stair and infrequent very long runs did for his early ultra career?

The answer, he crushed it.

His long runs also were not predetermined by distance nor elevation but time.

early ultra career

Just carry some fluids and gels. That treadmill will slow you down.

I run all my miles on the treadmill in the winter and have run some ultras but not over 38 miles. The treadmill is a great tool if you can't get outside. One problem I have had is not being able to run downhil lthough you can do that on some treadmills.

Mix up your training doing hilly runs, flat runs, long runs, and fast runs.

Why these idiots on here think the treadmill is so different than running outside is puzzling.

I watch tv and listen to music while I run because I enjoy it. Others may like to stare out a window or at a tv. If you are enjoying yourself, it will make it easier.

A 50K on roads is not much different than a marathon and certainly can be trained for on a treadmill, as can longer distances. Quibbling about the pros / cons is like debating the benefits of different sports drinks or different shoes. For the majority of people (injuries aside) it makes little difference. Pete Kostelnick (163+ mi for 24hrs, 5th best all time for an American) and Mike Wardian train extensively on treadmills, as do many others.

I've done a bunch of treadmill training over the yeas.

From my experience treadmills do a horrible job at showing the correct speed and distance. So if it feels easy it's probably slow, if it feel exceptionally hard it probably too fast.

Books on tape are great at making the usual long boring treadmill miles go by more quickly.

A fan set to the side can help the otherwise too hot inside temperatures seem more bearable.

Ask Matt Carpenter

Training for an ultra with a treadmill is like beating off to porno mags. No matter how you slice it, it feels good but it's still not quite the same thing.

Running outside would be better.

However, keeping safe is better yet. You're doing the right thing. Kinda sucks that it has to be that way, but with several assaults already reported, it's a no brainer.

Continue to treadmill train and good luck with the ultra.

Sometimes the treadmill can be MORE beneficial than running outside. If you live in a flat area, the treadmill may be your only way to run hills.

When alberto Salazar won the Comrades Marathon, he had been running about 1/2 of his weekly mileage on a treadmill. Check out his book on treadmill running. Lots of elite runners spend a lot of time on the treadmill, Ingrid Kristensen comes to mind, for example.

Pete Kostelnick trained partially on treadmill for his recent record breaking run across the US. http://journalstar.com/sports/local/running/a-conversation-with-pete-kostelnick-after-record-breaking--day/article_e0193f2e-0216-5d62-8b4d-33eaa82dfea1.html

The only runners not occasionally training on a treadmill are the slow dumb young kids posting on here.