Running drives me crazy! Even with great music it gets monotonous. After talking to some fitness gurus and poking around on the internet, I have come up with a 20 minute session that will leave you breathless.
First stretch really well! You do NOT want a cramp when you are in the middle of this routine.
Get on the treadmill, set it for 20 minutes, and start it at a brisk walk with a slight incline of 2 or 3. By “brisk” I mean around 4 mph. Every minute for the first 4 minutes increase it by.2 or.3.
Minute 1: 4
Minute 2: 4.2
Minute 3: 4.4
Minute 4: 4.6
Now you should be at a slow jog and warmed up.
When the timer reaches 5, increase the speed to 9.8. It takes about 15 seconds for the treadmill to get up to speed. Run at this speed until 5:45 then reduce to 3.8. Again it takes about 15 seconds for the treadmill to slow back down.
When the timer hits the top of the 7 minute mark, increase the speed to 9.9; at 7:45 slow back down to 3.8. Each time you will increase the speed by.1. There are two reasons for this. The first is you need to push yourself a little harder each time. So every couple weeks start at a slightly higher speed and cycle through. Second, this method makes the treadmill count the number of times you have cycled. Believe it or not, you will lose track! Starting at 9.8 you know your last interval will be 10.3.
After you have done six cycles (the final interval should be 10.2), do not slow the treadmill down to 3.8 but only to 4.5, keeping it at a light jog for the last 4 minutes. Most machines have a cool-down cycle, complete it and you are done!
The total cycle should look like this:
Minute 1: 4
Minute 2: 4.2
Minute 3: 4.4
Minute 4: 4.6
Interval 1 5:00 – 5:45: 9.8
5:45 – 7:00: 3.8
Interval 2 7:00 – 7:45: 9.9
7:45 – 9:00: 3.8
Interval 3 9:00 – 9:45: 10
9:45 – 11:00: 3.8
Interval 4 11:00 – 11:45: 10.1
11:45 – 13:00: 3.8
Interval 5 13:00 – 13:45: 10.2
13:45 – 15:00: 3.8
Interval 6 15:00 – 15:45: 10.3
Jogging: 15:45 – 20:00: 4.5
Cool Down – Usually around 3 minutes
When you are running flat out be absolutely certain to run with good form. Pump your arms and do not drag your feet. Most people, myself included, are not quite as stable on the treadmill as we are on the street and you do not want to fall down. Be sure you are very comfortable jogging on the treadmill before starting this routine.
Also, the interval times are perfect, but since everyone is at a different fitness level, you may need to increase or decrease the speeds and/or incline. The speeds I give here are what I used this morning, and are just for an example.
What about my tunes? I listen to music (very loud!) when I am running to keep me motivated (send me an email if you are interested in my playlist, which is awesome!). If you do the same, you will need to deal with your MP3 player and its cords. I use an iPod Shuffle Nano, which is about the size of a quarter. These little players are about $40. I highly recommend this unit. If you don’t have this one, use nothing larger than that. You do not want to try and run flat out with some bulky player. I clip mine to the waistband of my shorts and run the headphone cable under my shirt, out the neck, and tuck the excess in my shorts. No matter what player you use, do not have anything loose on your person and I recommend not holding anything in your hands. You absolutely need to be able to concentrate. You would be much better off having no music at all than being distracted by your player.
Have fun and enjoy NOT spending an hour on the treadmill.
