How to Actually Enjoy a Treadmill Session
How anyone manages to slog it out on a treadmill for hours on end is beyond us. No matter how much we love running, a treadmill minute can feel even longer than that last microwave minute. But when a race is creeping up and the weather won’t play ball or we’re travelling abroad, it can end up being our only option for checking off those miles. Luckily, there are a couple of ways you can make it a little more fun…
Keep it Short and Sweet
If you can, schedule your week so that you can tick off your shorter runs when you need to run inside, and save your longer runs for when you can get out in the fresh outdoors. No-one wants to grind out 16 miles on a treadmill unless they really, really have to.
Play with Speed
A necessary gym session is an awesome excuse to prioritise some underrated speed work. Mix up your tempo, alternating full out sprints with recovery sets until you’re left feeling completely fatigued. Your sprint finish will be stronger than ever when race day comes around.
Add in Some Hills
Likewise, don’t just run on a flat surface. Make things more interesting and build up the strength in your legs by adding in some incline sets. If you really want to push yourself, mix the two together and do 15-20 rounds of 30-second hill sprints – you'll be in a world of pain by the end, but at least you won’t be bored!
Get Hooked on Netflix
If you’ve got no choice but to stick to your schedule and hit up a steady pace training run, distraction is your only option! It’s a great place to catch up on your latest guilty pleasure Netflix series, plug in our energy-boosting running playlist or get lost in an audiobook thriller. Just make sure it’s not too jumpy, or you might end up falling off the edge!