Friday, December 29, 2006

Straight Talk Running Site

Here: http://mysite.verizon.net/jim2wr/

I added a link to my sidebar of Triathlon and Physical Fitness links. There's some good info in here, like confirming that you do NOT need to put a treadmill on incline in order to get a good workout (I never do), and the real reason why you should rotate shoes (something that I need to start doing).

Check it out; the articles are no nonsense.

EDIT: Regarding treadmill running, people should do what works for them. If you can go at a faster pace than you run outdoors with no incline, how can that be a bad thing? What you should be trying to equalize is effort level indoors vs. outdoors. When I compare my self-selected outdoor pace on a flat course to what feels equivalent on the treadmill, I tend to go slower on the treadmill. I am not entirely sure why, but that's how it is. Perhaps I use an unnatural stride on the treadmill. Perhaps I am more motivated outdoors, or perhaps outdoor terrain (there are a good bit of hills right ouside my house) motivates me to push myself harder. But my treadmill running is limited to late fall/winter (not so much with the recent spell of global warming), when I'm doing a bit more speed work, and it's all the same to me to do it without any incline. Right now I'm training for Disney, and it's very flat, so I am not disadvantaging myself by running with no incline.

2 comments:

KBGee said...

Great site...thanks for the links.

Comm's said...

Okay you hooked me on the treadmill article since I get that question a lot.

For the most part i agreed with 'Jim', when debating the 1-2% incline change on a treadmill or not. I equate it to the gym myth of doing close grip bench presses to hit the 'inside chest', or pointing your toes in or out when doing calf raises.

However...you knew this was coming right. He is cutting the baloney pretty thin. All those studies were with highly conditioned athletes and equating treadmill work with track work. Most people these days do not run on tracks. When you take elevation measurements of most city streets you will find after a few mile that you have changed elevation many times, so using an incline of 1-2% can simulate running outside in urban conditions.

Honestly the real problem in health clubs is not the debate of running at 0, 1 or 2% incline, its running at all. Far too many people walk on the treads with a book or magazine in front of them or worse craning their necks at the tv.