Indoor workouts?

I use my treadmill and stationary when too cold. They are both in front of a TV so makes it less boring. I especially like to use them during basketball games :-) I use the treadmill for speedwork since it is easier on the body and I don't have a track nearby. Try them out and see what works best for you.

Up here in Rochester it is necessary to work out indoors during the winter. for example I woke up to 2 degree farenheit temps with a minus 16 degree wind child with 6 new inches of snow. High today is going to be 9 with a low of -4. Use the equipment you have just remember that when you get out to the pavement it will be more difficult. Also working out indoors can become boring so play some music or move the tv into your work out room.

I would say I am 90% indoors now. Unless on the weekend it is not too cold I would run outside for my long slow run (changing scenery over a long distance better than treadmill) other than that it is dark when I get home during the week. This weekend I still have about 1/4 inch of ice on the streets around my neighborhood and I don't see any warm up soon so I will be inside for awhile.

You have to get in a workout so if has to be done inside it has to be done inside. The bike team that I ride with we ride Mt. bikes during the winter months so that we are off the roads. We all have lights and it makes for a great time. We ride three times during the week and usually get in around 40miles of night riding on the trails. Of course on the weekends we are out on the road bikes during light hours.
As far as tread mills are concerned I used one during my Christmas break one year during college. I used it because we had too much snow outside to be doing my work outs outside. When I got back to school I was so far behind everyone else it wasn't even funny. For some odd reason I don't feel that tread mills relate to the real thing. Also I always found that tread mills were a too slow to ever do anything outside of just getting in a run or turn it all the way up , most of them are level 10, and do some retro running. Doing retro running will build up your hamstrings increasing your speed.
I would suggest buying an indoor trainer for your bike these do accomplish very similar conditions to riding on the road. The more expensive ones are worth the extra money. If you aren't interested in doing that then join a gym with a pool indoor track and weight room. Good luck to you and I am sure that you figure out what works best for you.

I would totally agree that the treadmill isn't as good as running outside. I would much rather run outside. However you are getting a benefit from running on one. Set the incline at 2 degrees instead being flat would help a lot. Be careful though, I have a friend who tried this and it killed his shins. It has never bothered me and I think it helps when I get out on the road. Just like anything though, nothing beats the real thing, even bike trainers aren't perfect. We do what we can with what we have to work with. Whatever you chose make it work and you will be fine.....OR move to a warmer climate and not worry about weather. I have been working on this ever since I moved here from Arizona. Man I miss it.

Damon, try putting your bike in front of a TV and just pop in a movie or watch a show. This will help with the boredom.

As for working out at home, I love it. You just have to put it in your schedule and make it an appointment. Don't let other things get in the way. I like it because I have mine in my garage (Cap Barbell rack system) and I can crank the music and never have to wait for a machine. I try to do only 1 minute rest intervals and some supersets, so it can get frustrating at the gym. I do also workout at the gym too for variety and for legs, I refuse to try heavy squats at home by myself!

Amen to not doing heavy squats at home by yourself. I try to stay away from anything too heavy when lifting by myself. Really, training for a tri you shouldn't be lift a lot of weight but doing high reps.

I'm not lifting heavy any more, that was the rational to build a home gym and keep gym membership plus I needed the racquetball courts too. I actually prefer leg presses. I've just seen too many people get hurt with squats.

I'm not totally sold on the theory of high reps (meaning 20-30 reps). I still weight train in the 12-6 rep range using HIIT

In college I ran middle and long distance races, 400-10K, and we lifted high reps. We would do 5 sets of 20 increasing the weights in each set with the fifth being a cool down during base building stages. As we came closer to our main races conference and NCAA's we would decrease the amount of reps and increase the weight, but never fell below 10 reps. When I maxed out as a senior on bench I only lifted 225 Lbs. and I weighed apx. 145 Lbs. The semester after my senior year I quit running and started lifting with our football team. The guys on the football team helped me to increase my total max. by decreasing the amount of reps. After two months I was maxing out at 310 Lbs. Now years later I have a hard time trying to lift 135Lbs. I still believe that increased reps will help for endurance races. I have no desire to lift heavy ever again either.

Amen to not doing heavy squats at home by yourself. I try to stay away from anything too heavy when lifting by myself.

.. unless you have a power rack with safety bars. Then, you can let it crash down or just let it rest on the safety bars without risk of injury.

For triathletes, it is important to remember that you are a triathlete, not a lifter. You lift to improve your triathlon training. This is something I struggle with. Part of me always wants to set PR's (personal record) in lifting poundage (or reps), but I need to remember that many times heavy weights will be counterproductive.

Someday (maybe this weekend perhaps), I'll share a weight-lifting program that a strength coach fom a well-known college wrote for me (and one that he used with other triathletes). He's got an section (PJ Striet) at Cyberpump (home of HIT) for those that have some lifting background. The program is not doing sets to falure (where one more rep is not possible). The sets are to be done at moderate intensity. It's enough to get you a little stronger, hold onto the muscle you have (possibly building some new), and it's to AID your training, not to take away from it.

The problem, for me, is to find time for both triathlon and lifting training.

I'll post the routine this weekend.

I would like to see it, sounds like the kind of system that we used in college. We only maxed out on one day a few weeks before nationals. I still use my old schedules to lift by, when I get time. Usually weight training gets left out of my work outs.

Until about three weeks ago - I was mainly losing weight for the past 10 months - and doing some lifting to build some muscle. After finding this site and detting sights on doing a tri, I modified my lifting routine so I could add the tri training. I had a four day lifting routine with basically two upper body and two lower. So - I'm used to inside. I don't want to give up the lifting so I'm trying to do three days of lifting - at home early evening. Enduracne stuff is done late morning and lunch hour.

We did get ina few days of good outside running here in Eastern Iowa - but that's over for now. While I was lifting, I wore a headset and had my favorite "workout" or "pump" jams - that helps now with running and spinning inside. I've got a fairly hectic shcedule, so in some ways a nice "boring" run on the track (the old mouse in a cage run) listening to my jams lets me zone out for a bit.


In any case - layoff is not an option

Here is a indoor treadmill question that Lori Bowden (Ironman Hawaii '03 champion) answered on a recent chat on the Inside Triathlon website:

QuintanaRooster (Dec 2, 2003 9:55:37 PM)
Any harm doing all of my running right now on a treadmill? I have been trying to build my base and have been averaging 20-25 miles per week with my long run being eight miles. I also find it easier to mix in some interval training on the treadmill as well as brick workouts.

Lori and Dave (Dec 2, 2003 9:55:37 PM)
Lori: I think it's okay to do a lot of running on the treadmill; however, sometimes it is nice to do running outside. It lets you incorporate more hills, different surfaces like grass or pavement. I find it really good to do the transition runs on the treadmill.


Lori (Dec 2, 2003 9:56:06 PM)
Lori: I usually have a little bit of a grade on there -- 2.5 to 3 percent, since it's unrealistic to have 0 grade.

I work out indoors only in the winter. Here in Montana it is tough to get out on the roads and trails. I mix up at the club with treadmill running (2%incline) and track running. We have a 1/8 mile track so the corners are not to bad. You need to alternate directions everyday so you are not leaning the corners the same every day.
I ran a 1/2 marathon race last year in February and slipped and broke 2 ribs. I finished the race but was out of commission for 3 months. You will not see me in the gym from April through Mid November. I am outside doing my workouts. The gym is a nice place to meet other athletes such as yourself and workout together.

I love and hate training indoors. It's boring so I tend to train a little too hard. It's so cold here in Canada right now that I my dog doesn't even want to go for a walk. I'll do indoor mini tris at the gym. I love the rowing machine. It builds a lot of strength. I've been know to alternate between the stationary bike and the tredmill for hours to help with transitions. I always lose fitness during the winter no matter how hard I train indoors. I think it is because it is pretty hard mentally to train for 6 hours on a Sunday morning in the gym and I tend to do 3 hours maximum.

I never had any good luck training on a treadmill. I am a sub 14 min 5K runner and have run 1:04 for a half marathon, so maybe that is why I don't see any use for a treadmill. When I lived in WI I used to run outside even when it was -20 without the wind chill figured in. I think treadmills are a waste of time unless it is all you can do. Dress warmly, there are great winter running clothes, and get outside to do your runs.

What kind of luck were you looking for on the treadmill? Just kidding. Actually I am curious that you said that. Was it not realistic enough? Just plain boring? not enough cardio benefit?

I know it isn't the same and I would also rather run outside anytime but my feeling aren't as strong as yours against the treadmill. However, with my situation I pretty much have to rely on it during the week and don't really mind being on it.

I will say I would definately rather run outside for an hour than on the treadmill for an hour. The time can drag on. Just looking for your thoughts. I am nowhere near a 64 min 1/2, nor will I ever be, but I am running my first one in May.

Are you running the Louisville Mini-Marathon? I think there is one the same weekend in Indianapolis too, so you may be running it, at least those are my guess at which one you are running.
I think that running on a treadmill is boring, just like riding a trainer for the bike, but that isn't the problem. The problem that I found is that you can set a treadmill to the greatest incline that they have and and turn them up as fast as they will go and I never really got a work out on them. Sure I would sweat and get my heart rate up but it just isn't enough. There is just a huge difference between real life running and running on a treadmill. Every time that I have had to train on a treadmill when it was time to run outside again I was always behind everyone who had done their training outdoors. I do however recommend doing some retro running on a treadmill. Twice a week for about 30-45min. this will build up your hamstrings and increase your speed. I would start off doing retro running slowly until you get use to it then increse your speed. I use to do 30 min with the treadmill turned all the way up and it helped. Sorry that I can't help out any more than this but if you have any more questions feel free to let me know and I will try and answer them.

Thanks for replying. I am running the Indy Mini-Marathon May 8th. Previous long distance 10K (once 2 years ago). I have never been much of a distance running. In HS is was a hurdler 110HH and 300IM so anything over a mile was nuts. I am just looking to finish but would like to break 2hrs as a stretch goal. Honestly I will be happy just finishing with a smile and ready for the triathlon season to begin.

I thought that the Inianapolis Mini was the same day as the Louisville, but I guess it's off a week. Good luck to you and I am sure that you will get under 2hrs. I hope that you have been working on building a good distance base and are ready to start moving into some more fast paced things. I would suggest at least two faster work outs a week and start incorporating in some two a day runs, no more than three times a week. If you would like any help with some work outs let me know, I would be more than glad to help you set up your training schedule if you haven't already done so.

Thanks, I have been working on my base since November. Is it as good as I need? I seriously doubt it but I know I could finish the race today if I had too. What I am using now is from the 500festival.com site. I think it is geared to just finishing since they start you out really light and actually it starts today. I have been running 3-4 days for ex: Mon 45 min (65-75%) Wed 40 min's (75%) Friday 45 min (65-75%) and sat/sun 5 miles (60-65%).

As for speed work I think the program has a couple of tempo runs and I know they incorporate 3 training races each month starting in Feb 5k, 10k, 15k. I will probably run the 10k & 15k. The 5k is on a weekend where I will find myself in the great city of Cincinnati for work. But other than that I haven't planned any speed work. I am not really sure how or what I should do. My focus is primarily on sprint tri's and I need to find some workouts that support those as well as the mini.

Basically I would train my speed for the sprint Tri's since you will use very little of it for the mini. The main focus for the mini is just fast leg turn over for a long period of time. It sounds like you have been building up some base and the program that you described sounds like it is for beginners just trying to get through. I would suggest your two fastest work outs be on Tuesday and Saturday with a temp runs on Thursdays. Tuesdays I generally like to do specific distance interavels: 15 min warm up then 10X800 with 1min rest in between and a 15 min cool down. Or 15 min warm up 4x1600 with 1 min rest 15 min cool down. By rest I mean a jogging rest not a stopped rest. On thursdays I would do more intervel work outs: 15 min warm up 5X8min fast with 2min easy between each and 15min cool down. Then my Saturdays are a day to race I would try and find a lot of 5K and race them if not find a track and try some thing like: 20 min warm up 1X400, 1x600, 1X800, 1X1600, 1x800, 1X600, 1X400 with a one lap jog between each. If you can't find a track then mark the distances on a road that you know well and jog 2 min between. As you get closer to the race that you want to peak at you will want to get into a more lactate kind of speed work out. Your workouts should be getting shorter but faster with more rest in between: 15 min warm up 10X400 with a full recovery jog between each 15 min cool down. 15 min warm up with 12X2min fast 4min easy 15min cool down.
Right now your training should be geared toward your distance which will hinder your speed some but don't let that be an excuse. I was training for a 15K and still ran a 13:48 5K, granted I love 5K and don't really like racing over a 5K distance but still I knew what I was training for. If you would like tell me what date you are planning to peak at, what is your biggest race, and I will try and help you peak at that time. If you want to peak in Sept. and your mini is May 8, then you will be able to run your best at both. If I wasn't going to be in St. Crouix on May 8 I would come up to Indi and pace you through the mini and garrenty that you break 2 hrs.

Tate,
Thank you very much for the information. That would be cool to have someone to run with, too bad you can't make it up. My father-in-law runs in this every year and runs 1:30-1:40 and he starts near the front, so he isn't much help and he doesn't do much in the way of training other than just running his 5-10 miles every day.

I plan on running in 3 tri's this year, one in June (6th), one in July(11th) and one in August(1). As far as peaking, the one I would hope to do the best in would be my last one in August. June would be a just finish race, July would be fix the problems such as transition time, possibly adding aero bars if I haven't already, better swim start ect..and then August would be putting them altogether hopefully ending my season pretty strong.

I could pass along my running schedule that I am using if you would like to see it. It is again mainly for the mini and I believe geared to be 'couch to mini' type instruction.

Thanks for your time,
Jim