Unless you live and race in a climate with no rain, no snow, intense heat, freezing cold, and sudden storms, your scheduled workouts are sometimes interrupted by bad weather. Last summer here in St. Louis we had many days that started out sunny and dry, but rainy in the late afternoon. No doubt many outside runners got drenched.
A good treadmill allows runners to complete their workouts in the comfort, warmth, and safety of their own homes. With cold water, TV and nearby bathroom.
Rick Morris has been a competitive runner since the 1970s. He is a professional track and field trainer, certified personal trainer, president of Running Planet Inc, and owner of the Running Planet dot com website. So he knows the joys and dangers of running away from his own experiences and those of his clients.
This book extensively covers both the pros and cons of using a treadmill. His overall takeaway is that competitive runners need to run when possible but, as noted above, that’s not always possible.
Treadmills are an acceptable substitute for running on the road. They can also offer benefits. For example, they may be inclined to duplicate the effect of running down hills. Many runners live in flat areas. Plus, they force runners to maintain a steady speed instead of slowing down as they tire.
I’ll add a benefit that it doesn’t have. We are now learning that barefoot running is healthier in the sense of allowing the muscles in our feet, ankles, and arches to flex and get a good workout. After all, people have been running for a million years, long before Nike started running and before sneakers were even invented.
Few of us grew up running barefoot through the jungle the way Kenyan marathon runners did, so our feet don’t have thick enough soles to withstand pavement, trails of ash, rocks, and possibly broken glass. But a treadmill has none of those problems.
It reviews the extensive features available on modern treadmills and provides a buyer’s guide that explains all the items to consider.
The bulk of the book consists of explaining individual treadmill workouts and then providing weeks of suggested training programs.
Individuals include: Endurance, Speed Endurance, Speed, Hill Workouts, and Long Runs.
The training programs are: Beginner, 5K Finish, 10K Finish, Weight Loss, Fitness/Recreational Runner, Half Marathon Finish, Marathon Finish, and Training for Competitive Runners.
Along the way, it provides a lot of useful information for all runners, whether they use a treadmill or not: using your heart rate, using perceived exertion, and the various types of workouts.
As he points out, the biggest problem with treadmills is that the good ones cost as much as a small car, and the cheap models aren’t worth the money.
However, if you’re rich or serious enough, a good treadmill is a great investment in your running career, and therefore in your long-term health and fitness.