Real Runners Give you their Best Treadmill Tips

Finn Melanson [00:00:09]: Hello, fellow runners. I'm your host, Fin Mollanson, and this is the Run to the Top podcast. A podcast dedicated to making you A better runner with each and every episode. We're created and produced by the expert team of coaches at runnersconnect.net, where you can find the best running information on the Internet well as training plans to fit every runner and every budget. One of the most polarizing topics in running is the treadmill. Some love the comfort of running indoors, while others find this machine boring or monotonous, Giving it a nickname in the running community as the treadmill. Wherever you stand on this debate, it can be a useful tool for training that provides consistency and control over your runs. We're right in the middle of winter right now, and if you live in a cold climate, you're almost certain to have days where cold and snow make running outside uncomfortable or even unsafe.

Finn Melanson [00:01:06]: This applies to other climates as well like extreme heat or wind. On these days, it can be extremely useful to make use of the treadmill. Even if you don't own a treadmill, most gyms will have plenty of them and typically offer day passes for those without a membership. In today's show, we're gonna hear from real runners like you with their best tips to keep treadmill running fun and make it a part of their running routine. We asked our RC audience to tell us how they make their treadmill runs more enjoyable, and we got some great answers. Over the course of this episode, we'll cover The benefits and drawbacks of treadmill running, how real RC listeners use the treadmill in training, including their favorite workouts, And we'll hear from our audience about their best strategies for making treadmill running more fun. So let's get into it and hear real runners give you Their best treadmill running tips. This podcast is brought to you by MedPro, World renowned concierge nutrition and fitness coaching company.

Finn Melanson [00:02:05]: Head to metpro.coforward/rtt To get a complimentary metabolic profiling assessment and a 30 minute consultation with a MedPro expert.

Cory Nagler [00:02:22]: Hello, ERC audience. Today's episode is all about hearing from you with your best for keeping the treadmill fun, and we've got some great responses. But before we get to that, let's take a step back and start with why you might want to run on the treadmill in the 1st place. I've got with me today coach Jeff to help answer this very question, and then we'll dive in and discuss your answers. Welcome, Jeff.

Jeff Gaudette [00:02:46]: Hey, everybody. Welcome. Well, glad to have me, and, thanks for for listening.

Cory Nagler [00:02:50]: Absolutely. We're very glad to have you. Just first off to start, Jeff, what are your thoughts on the treadmill? Do you love it or hate it?

Jeff Gaudette [00:02:57]: So I'm definitely somebody that's hated it. I mean, I've done Crazy things just to get out of running on the treadmill. That that said, I've done quite a my share fair share of running on the treadmill. But if given the opportunity, I would Choose not to use it.

Cory Nagler [00:03:12]: I could not agree with you more. I can't stand the treadmill. I think it just sucks the joy out of it. And yet, especially this time of year in Canadian winter, sometimes it really becomes a necessity.

Jeff Gaudette [00:03:23]: Absolutely. Yeah. That was that was a good a big shift for me mentally, when I was Training is I would kind of like do go out of my way to avoid it as much as I could. And then I remember I was training in Gunnison, Colorado. And for those that don't know, in the winter, You can see temperatures of negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit. So I'm not even sure what that is in Celsius. So it mean it's pretty crazy. And, I was training there was a couple of elites that were training there, and they were talking about the treadmill and how really they were able to use it to get better and to to make their training better.

Jeff Gaudette [00:03:54]: And that was a big shift for me in thinking of not just, like, oh, I can tough it out. I can run outside. It's all about toughness. I switched my mindset into becoming it's not about toughness. It's about where can I get the best training avail you know, like, what's gonna give me the best opportunity train? And, unfortunately, in the winter, the treadmill is that place for a lot of people. And in the summer too, I'll also say this. The other time I started using the treadmill a lot was when I was living in Charlotte, North Carolina, and the summers there, are pretty hot. So, you know, Average temperatures above a 100 degrees a lot of times, and so I started using the treadmill during the summer there as well because it's just No matter what time I was running, I would go out at 5 in the morning and the humidity was, you know, 100% humidity, dew points, crazy, and Running on the treadmill provided a a significantly better workout than running outside.

Jeff Gaudette [00:04:46]: So kind of learn to embrace that mental aspect of it. And for me, that was a huge Turning point in how I viewed the treble and using it as a tool that could help me get better. And thinking of that made it a little bit easier to jump on on those days I really didn't want to.

Cory Nagler [00:05:01]: Yeah. I love that. Especially those instances with the heat or extreme temperatures. I think sometimes it's a pick your poison kind of thing. But if you really think about it in terms of the benefits you get. I think there's definitely instances when the treadmill can be super helpful, and we'll get into that more over today's episode. But, really, The goal today is gonna be talking about how we can actually make this more fun so runners can take advantage of the treadmill. So As a first step to that, why do you think, Jeff, that runners so actively dislike the treadmill or at least a a large portion of them?

Jeff Gaudette [00:05:35]: Yeah. So, I mean, obviously, the number one answer that I think everybody would say is that it's it's boring or that, you know, it's not as exciting as running outside. And I would think, to me, that's definitely the one as well. You know, even for me watching a show doesn't real like, I I kinda keep getting distracted from the show and to Look at the numbers or just realize that I'm running, that kind of thing. It's just to me, it's not the same as running outside where, and I think the difference and maybe and maybe this is, Why some people don't mind the treadmill and why some people hate it like we do. But for me, when I'm running outside, I would say 80% of the time that I'm running outside, I am kind of, like, At least on an easy day. Like, I'm just drifting off into thoughts, my own thoughts and about training, work, life, whatever it may be. And so It's a it's a a mental escape for me.

Jeff Gaudette [00:06:22]: And for whatever reason, I'm not able to do that on the treadmill. I'm just not able to disconnect, from what's, like, what I'm physically doing. And so I would say maybe people that don't mind the treadmill or actually enjoy the treadmill are able to find that disconnect that I have during when I'm running outside, which is, you know, being in my own head and my own thoughts and just really enjoying the experience. And so, for me, that's why I just becomes boring is because I'm not able to disconnect, and I'm just present for every minute that I'm running.

Cory Nagler [00:06:52]: Yeah. I've totally had the same experience. I wonder, do you did you find that changed at all as you use the treadmill more, or do you think it has to do with how often you use it?

Jeff Gaudette [00:07:01]: That's a good question. I mean, I've never used it consistently consistently in the sense of, you know, maybe doing a whole 4 or 5 month training block only using a treadmill or something like that. So I don't have that data. So maybe you're right. Maybe after a little while, you just become adapted to it. But I never experienced that when I was treadmill running. For me, it was the way to get on and the way to get through it was, Continue to think about the why I was doing it and the benefit of doing it, like, what I was gonna get out of it.

Cory Nagler [00:07:29]: Yeah. Yeah. For sure. And I think other things that I found using the treadmill is oftentimes it can be hot and humid when you're, when you're in the weight room, and it can require going to the gym if you don't have a treadmill readily available. But despite all these drawbacks, we're still here today asking listeners to tell us, How do you incorporate this into your running routine? So, clearly, there's a reason to do that. What do you think some of those are?

Jeff Gaudette [00:07:53]: Yeah. I mean, to me, the biggest For for me, it was always, the safety. Like, part of it was safety. Right? And so when you're running in the winter on snowy streets and, ice In any area where footing isn't ideal, to me, that's the that's the most important time to use a treadmill or the best time to switch to using a treadmill. Because there are so many times, myself and with people that I know who have had little tweaks or little injuries that come up just because they're running in The snow or in conditions that, you know, aren't aren't great for whether whether it could be slipping, whatever that that is. So to me, that's the number one thing. Like, if you look at Like, I always had a I almost kind of like a mental checklist of, like, okay, why should I go on the treadmill today? And number 1 was footing wasn't great. You know, if if footing is not great, to me, it's really, I I and I've done it.

Jeff Gaudette [00:08:46]: I've done so many crazy runs and snows and, You know, screw shoes and all that kind of stuff, and that can be enjoyable, but there's also, there's also an injury risk to that. So that was always my number one.

Cory Nagler [00:08:57]: Yeah. Absolutely. And I I think, I discussed this in our earlier underrated, overrated winter training edition episode was One of the topics was running through a snowstorm, which sounds ridiculous, but I think there's often this mentality amongst of wanting to push through whatever the elements. But if it's really unsafe, sometimes the treadmill is your best option.

Jeff Gaudette [00:09:18]: Yeah. Absolutely. And yeah. So the next thing is obviously the weather, that can kind of go hand in hand with footing. But, yeah, anytime the weather is to the point where, maybe not even making, Excuse me. Running unenjoyable, but making it so that you can't get the get out of the workout what you're looking to. So on an easy day, yeah, maybe you can brave a little bit more elements, that kind of thing. But if you're doing some type of workout where you wanna be you wanna hit your paces, you wanna be in a certain physiological range, And you needed to think about you know, the treadmill is probably gonna be the best place for you to do that if the conditions outside aren't perfect.

Cory Nagler [00:09:54]: Yeah. Absolutely. I've also heard potentially that the treadmill has less impacts and may be good for injury. Is that something you think is true or has any validity?

Jeff Gaudette [00:10:04]: Yeah. So I I think that's something that's a little bit more recent in the sense that the treadmill technology has continued to get better and better. You know, back I would say this, you know, back when I was training competitively, like, as an elite athlete, the newer style treadmills were kind of just starting to get popular. And so a lot of the terminals that we had before that were pretty crappy. And so you right nowadays, there's a lot of that general can do. And part of it one of them is being, potentially less an impact that you can't really get or that that is an improvement from running outside, for sure.

Cory Nagler [00:10:38]: Yeah. One of the other things I would do, too, is I was coming back from injury as often add some incline on my run, just because I find sometimes That can reduce the load a little bit. So I think that's potentially a benefit too as well as if you're looking to have kind of consistent incline can be hard to find in a lot of areas.

Jeff Gaudette [00:10:56]: Yeah. That's one thing that, like, when we when I first started online coaching, you know, I would assign runners hill workouts, and, Obviously, not everybody lives in a hilly area. There's a lot of parts of, obviously, like the Midwest where there's, like, barely hill hill to be found. Or maybe can't find the right type of hill, like, if you need a longer gradual hill versus a steeper hill, something like that. And so what I found, especially as I started coaching online, was that Use utilizing the treadmill for those types of workouts was, like, super, super helpful, because you can control the outlining incline, excuse me. Exactly how you want it to be. So if you want a long gradual type of interval, you can do that. If you want something that's shorter and steeper, obviously, you can do that.

Jeff Gaudette [00:11:36]: And then the other benefit, is especially for and we talked about this in our Boston episode, especially people training for hilly marathons. A lot of people a lot of people that are training for their 1st lead marathon, don't train for the downhill portion. And so in a race like Boston, the downhills are One of the biggest issues that runners face. And so using a treadmill, you're obviously able to put yourself in a position where you can run declines at a significant For a significant portion of the run itself. And so that's definitely a benefit as well, being able to adjust your workouts to the potential course that you're running.

Cory Nagler [00:12:13]: Yeah. So before we get to the audience answers, that's something I want to get to is who are the runners that benefit most from that. But just coming back to this point about incline decline, think treadmills are really great in terms of calibrating the specific amount of elevation you want. But, personally, I struggle a bit on the downhill piece because When you're running on a road, you kinda have that natural decline generally on a hill, whereas sometimes you have to kind of, play around with the treadmill a little to get a set decline. So what are your thoughts on that for runners running a course where you might have a lot of downhill as well?

Jeff Gaudette [00:12:45]: Yeah. So I would Say, there's 2 ways to do it. Obviously, if you have a treadmill or have access to a treadmill that can do the decline, like, automatically with the buttons, then I would say, obviously, that's ideal. You you should be able to, Adjust the, the incline decline as you need. If you're don't have a treadmill that's like like that and you need to Do some type of hack, like I mentioned, putting cement blocks on the back end of the treadmill. Then in those cases, then I would use the treadmill in for specific workouts. And so, again, if you're running a course like Boston, it might be 1 run a week where, you know, or 1 short easy run a week where you're doing entirely downhill, Or you're doing a specific interval workout downhill. And so, obviously, you're not you don't need to change the incline settings.

Jeff Gaudette [00:13:30]: You're just kind of keeping things up decline. Now, of course, you have to be careful using the decline like we talked about in that Boston episode where you can't just do it all the time. But if you if you use it strategically, you know, doing something where you have to manually manipulate your treadmill is is okay as long as you're, again, just needing it for that entire run.

Cory Nagler [00:13:50]: Yeah. Just as a a tangent, that's immediately where my mind was going in terms of doing it all the time is, Kind of hacking your runs to go quicker by, going downhill all the time if you're using this weight, but I'm guessing that's probably not the best for your training.

Jeff Gaudette [00:14:04]: No. Again, you can use it sparingly, you know. So like I said, once a week, if you have something like a short easy run, like a 3, 4 mile recovery run or something like that, then you can definitely do that, just that whole run decline, that's not gonna be too difficult. But as you mentioned, you know, you're able to go faster on the decline with less effort. So It's also a good, you know, a good way to for people that are running hilly marathons or hilly races to get a good feel for, Wow. You know, this feels significantly easier just to go on a, like, a 1 or 2% decline. Makes a significant difference in how you feel at the same pace. And so it's a good reminder when you go into those races that, okay, I'm gonna have to feel really good the 1st couple miles, Or I'm going to feel really good the 1st couple miles because there's that downhill there, and to not get caught up in, you know, running way too fast and and burning yourself out.

Jeff Gaudette [00:14:55]: So it's kind of a A good way to test it and see just how different, running on a decline can be.

Cory Nagler [00:15:02]: Yeah. I haven't personally tried the trick with bricks, but, I might have to give that a go, since I Will be training myself for Boston in April. So coming back again to this piece of runners who could stand to benefit a lot the treadmill, we talked about runners running a hilly course. We wanna simulate uphill or downhill. Are there any other specific circumstances where the treadmill is particularly beneficial?

Jeff Gaudette [00:15:24]: I think those are the to me, those are the 2 biggest ones. The only other one so the 2 biggest ones being, the elements, there'd be footing or the weather itself, and then training for a specific race. And then the other one might be for especially for beginners who might not be great at pacing themselves. Using a treadmill is a great way to obviously, all you have to do is kinda set the pace and go with it. So, you know, you say, I wanna run this x x for minute mile or x minute per per kilometer, and you set the pace and that's just kind of it. And so it's gonna be a good way for beginners to kind of get that feel for what a certain pace is gonna feel like, or getting it getting locked into a certain pace and then just kind of going with it. So a good way to practice that. Or if you're, like I said, a beginner who has struggled with Either doing most beginners it's this way.

Jeff Gaudette [00:16:15]: Most beginners struggle with running their workouts too fast because, you know, doing a temple run when you're kinda just starting out, know, you kind of approach it more like a race kind of thing. It's it's hard to get that feel for what a threshold is when you're a beginner and not quite used to what everything should feel like. So doing it on a treadmill can be a great way to start feeling, okay, this is what a threshold effort should feel like for me, and then obviously being able to translate that on the road On the roads outside later on. So that's that's something that I found helps with a lot of beginner runners.

Cory Nagler [00:16:46]: Yeah. I could definitely see that as you're kind of starting out and trying to find your paces. 1 question I might have on that is how well does that translate over to the roads? Do you find if runners are used to setting this pace on the treadmill? Is it Fairly easy to find that same pace on road running, or do you need some level of experience there in order to to have that feel?

Jeff Gaudette [00:17:05]: Yeah. That's a great question. So, I would say that initially, feeling setting and feeling that pace outside is Pretty like, it's a pretty easy transition from from the treadmill. That said, the difficult part is when that pace starts to get hard. Because on the treadmill, like we all know, the pace is just gonna keep keep that consistent pace. The belt's gonna kinda keep moving under you whether you, You know, kind of no matter what. And so it's a little bit easier to maintain that pace. Outside, you have to do that manually.

Jeff Gaudette [00:17:37]: And One of the difficulties is, again, you can kind of be drifting away and not thinking about it. You know, you can just kind of, like, mentally, float away and just let that pace slip away from you without realizing it. Or when things get hard, you have to learn how to push yourself, and that is a skill. And so, I do believe there's that there's that difficulty in the transition. So it's I I always recommend people that do a majority of the running on the treadmill That they do at least do some race race pace training outside, during their build up To at least make sure that they're kinda developing that that mental ability of what this pace feels like, what it feels like when I need to push it, not letting yourself kinda just drift away, Those types of things. So that that can be the the difficulty there.

Cory Nagler [00:18:24]: Yeah. Yeah. I think that makes a lot of sense, and there's Good ways to use the treadmill as a complement to road running. I guess, what I'm hearing is it doesn't have to be 1 or the other.

Jeff Gaudette [00:18:34]: Absolutely. That that's how I look at it. I think and so if you're somebody who does, all of your running on a treadmill, like, I know a lot of runners who Even when the weather is great, they prefer to be on a treadmill. And I think, I think outdoor runners always laugh when we go to the gym and we see people on the treadmill on a beautiful day. Like, oh my god. Why why would you run-in this little contraption when you can be outside enjoying the weather? But some people for some people, That's where they get their like, we get our runners high from being outside, and we have to realize that some people get their runners high from being on the treadmill and being locked in. And, you know, whether it be drifting off or watching a movie or whatever it is, that's the runner's high that they get. That said, Getting back to my original point.

Jeff Gaudette [00:19:15]: If you're somebody who loves running on the treadmill and and does it almost exclusively, almost have to shift that mindset like I talked about about using a treadmill where You have to look at running outside as here are the advantages, here's why I need to do it, and suck it up and do it once in a while in my training to make sure that What I'm do the all that hard work I'm putting in on the treadmill translates to race day.

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Cory Nagler [00:21:53]: And I think I'm a little jealous myself of those runners who absolutely love running on the treadmill because I'm definitely not somebody who falls in that category. And based on some of the responses we got as we reached out, we asked whether you love the treadmill or hate it. How you make it fun? And I found that most of the people riding in Fell more into that camp of not loving the treadmill, but finding still interesting ways to make it a little bit more enjoyable. So I want to start out with, A clip we actually had submitted from one of our listeners, about how he makes the treadmill more interesting and uses it. So, We'll start with a clip from Logan Barry.

Guest [00:22:32]: Hey. This is Logan Barry. Been a Runners Connect member since 2017. Currently living and training in Wichita, Kansas. But in the next month or so, I'll be retiring from the Air Force and moving home to Mesa, Arizona or I'm gonna run the Mesa marathon for the 7th time. On the treadmill, my favorite workout to do is a tempo workout, Something that's faster than easy, but without lots of changes in pace, like intervals or something. I can just lock in a pace and let the machine do the mental work for me, or just dial it in and hang on. Although, you can't do that all the time because pacing is a skill you need to master.

Guest [00:23:12]: So my tips for treadmill runs, Number 1, get a treadmill by the mirror in the gym so I can admire my sexy legs. Just kidding. But in seriousness, Tip number 2, I bring my phone or my tablet and put on a race on YouTube where I can use my imagination to run the race with them. So I I mentally insert myself in the lead pack and let them pace me. My favorite example is the 2019 London marathon, where in the last Taff, Iliad Kipchoge, and a few other guys broke from the pack and went for it. So for the last couple miles of my workout, when it's getting hard for me, I'm right there mixing it up with the champions. It really does take the mental stress off the workout and makes an otherwise boring machine exciting.

Cory Nagler [00:23:56]: So, Jeff, what do you think about that?

Jeff Gaudette [00:23:59]: Yeah. So that I think from in my experience, that's probably the number one thing that people do when they don't wanna be on the treadmill and need to make it more fun is, using some type of device whether it be, you know, Netflix or a movie or something like that to, to kind of zone out a little bit. What's what's interesting is, kind of a story that I always remember is When I actually, at that time that I was talking about when I was training in Gunnison, there was a elite runner from New Zealand who was living there, and his name was Michael Michael Ache. And he would put on old clips of Olympic races or his own races and things like that where, and he would use that as visualization, like, during workouts to be like, okay. Now I gotta push, like, during a workout, watching old marathons, You know, and saying, okay. This is where I need to push and that kind of stuff. I always thought that was really a really unique way to do it. There's also some Companies for the really big marathons like Boston, New York, where they do, exactly forget exactly how it works, but they are able to, Do the whole course and from, like, a POV angle.

Jeff Gaudette [00:25:11]: So however the camera works, I forget, but they take you along the whole entire course, And it's looking in front. So it's like you're driving in a car, basically, but it's but the camera's mounted in front, and it kinda takes you through the whole course. And so that's a really something I I'll if I can remember the name of the company that did this, I'll link it in the show notes. I'll have to do some research to to find it again. But, anyway, it's just a another unique way rather than, you know, just watching a movie or whatever that you can kind of visualize your course if they have it available. That's just something unique. So just something I thought of when I heard, Logan's, clip there.

Cory Nagler [00:25:47]: Yeah. For sure. I kind of love this idea because, typically, when I think of putting something on your iPad, I think of kind of tuning out, whereas this is kind of an interesting strategy to actually Put yourself more into the moment or or into the run.

Jeff Gaudette [00:26:03]: Yeah. Definitely one of those ways you can, like, either use visualization or use that, You know, the video to kind of work on mental aspects. So, again, if they if you'd use something like, I can't I can't remember. I mean, it's Something like course tours. In any case, in your example, Corey, since you're running Boston and you've never seen the course, it can be a great way over time to just Get yourself familiar with the course, what it looks like, and it can help with visual visualization. So, like, you know, we talk a lot about, You know, hitting heartbreak or what those downhills look like. And if you've if you've never run Boston, you, you know, you can hear people tell you about it. But when you actually see it and you're, like, running as it happens, I I don't know.

Jeff Gaudette [00:26:44]: To me, that's a great a really great, way to build mental strength into Okay. I know I know what heartbreak's gonna look like. Or in a lot of cases like these downhills, everybody talks about them like you're running off a cliff. And the reason that no matter how much people tell you about these downhills at Boston, the reason it still trips people up is because when you're running it, you don't even realize it's a downhill. And then that can be a good mental, training for you on race day to be able to control your pace a little bit and just realize that There is a downhill here, even though it doesn't look like it.

Cory Nagler [00:27:24]: Yeah. And I I did make note of the fact that, Logan is actually training for the mezzan marathon right now, which I believe is actually a downhill marathon itself. Is that right?

Jeff Gaudette [00:27:33]: That's correct. Yeah. I believe that's the pretty pretty significant downhill one in Arizona.

Cory Nagler [00:27:38]: Okay. Yeah. Interesting to see then, I wonder if, Logan experiments with a little incline or decline as well on the treadmill.

Jeff Gaudette [00:27:45]: Definitely.

Cory Nagler [00:27:46]: Cool. So it could be helpful in that respect. I also he mentioned that his favorite type of workout to do on the treadmill is tempo workouts. What are your thoughts on kind of the primary use being more so for workouts?

Jeff Gaudette [00:28:00]: Yeah. So for me, you know, when I use the treadmill, that was a big part of it. For the most part, it was doing the workouts there, because the conditions outside would have made doing executing the workout a lot more difficult. So, yeah, there's A lot of benefits to being able to just lock in on that on that specific pace and just go with it. So, you know, earlier, we talked about some of the disadvantages being that You kinda need to eventually, you're gonna need to transition that to running outside where you have to mentally push yourself and you need to mentally stay on pace. But there is a big benefit to just saying, this is my threshold pace that I was assigned or that I that I know is my threshold pace and just locking it in and going. And that eliminates a lot of the potential problems that especially newer runners have where you know what your threshold pace or you're assigned a specific threshold pace, but you're not able to actually hit it, during the run for one reason or another. So definitely a good way to just kind of lock in and and just bang out the bang out the miles or the kilometers as you need.

Cory Nagler [00:28:56]: And if you are using it for that workout where you're trying to hit a specific pace, I've heard some people in the running space talk about calibration of treadmills and how accurate they are. Would you say they're good enough to kinda simulate that pace that's on your training plan?

Jeff Gaudette [00:29:11]: I would think so, Because I would say that most aren't gonna be calibrated. So I think where people run into calibration problems is if they use the gym. So if you have your own at home, a, you can check the calibration kind of whenever you want, and, b, you're always gonna be running on the same treadmill no matter what. So at least the calibrate if it's off, it's off consistently. The problem is when people go to the gyms and, like, maybe one's 1 treadmill next to another is a little bit different. That said, I've never, at least I never heard of this, and could be wrong. I don't it's not like something I, like, research in-depth all the time, but I've never heard them being off by so much where it would make a significant difference in your pace or the training that you're trying to do. You know, if you're off by you know, if the trend miscalibrated by 2, 3%, that's not gonna make a huge difference.

Cory Nagler [00:29:57]: Yep. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense, and I think I I myself have used them for a lot of tempo workouts, and I find that ability to kinda just hold the pace makes them super useful in that respect. So

Jeff Gaudette [00:30:07]: Yeah. And to me, it's not something I've ever, like, I try not to think about it because I think even I think what happens is sometimes as runners will go on a treadmill and be like, oh, this pace feels lot harder than it should. Maybe the treadmill is miscalibrated. But I've had my fair share of runs where I've done outside, where I'm like, this pace feels significantly harder than it should. And so there are definitely some days where some paces feel easy, some some days, some paces feel hard. And so maybe it's not a calibration thing. It's just, You know, some days, it's running just harder than others. So

Cory Nagler [00:30:38]: For sure. Yeah. Especially if you're doing a harder workout. I think sometimes regardless of where you're gonna run it, it it's, It's just gonna feel hard. Awesome. Well, thank you, Logan, for, providing us that audio clip response. The next, the next response I want to touch on is actually a written response we had, and that comes from Maurice. So let's dive into that one.

Cory Nagler [00:31:02]: The treadmill can be boring and make a minute seem like an hour, but I love doing my tougher sessions on them to at my pace and not need to think about it. My 1st tip for making it more fun is distracting yourself with an iPad or listening to your favorite music or podcasts. I also like doing interval training on the treadmill since the constant change of pace makes time go by much faster, such as a cut down workout or speed session with repeats between 400 meters to a mile. A third tip is to break down the run when doing tough sessions. For example, in a 1600 meter repeat, you could tell yourself there's only a kilometer to go after finishing 600 meters. Sometimes, though, I will intentionally avoid distractions to build mental toughness. Doing sessions and hitting paces without any distractions Makes it that much easier in a race or when training with other people. Alright.

Cory Nagler [00:31:53]: Jeff, what do you think of Maurice's response?

Jeff Gaudette [00:31:56]: Yeah. So this is really this is interesting. So first off, I I do like what he had to say about using the treadmill to do change of pace workouts, whether it be down or speed workouts intervals, that kind of stuff. That's where I've always found these with with the treadmill to be most helpful, not only for me from a mental standpoint where it's a little bit easier if you're just always changing paces all the time, but also for runners that I've coached who especially have problems with pacing, because you can you know, obviously, it's super easy to dial in the pace exactly what you want to do. And so, those are 2 2 of the best things I've seen that I've seen people use a treadmill for is changing the pace and using that as both a mental Break or a mental a way to mentally get through the workout, and then also a way to make sure that you're executing the workout correctly.

Cory Nagler [00:32:45]: And I love the versatility we have here between Logan talking about kind of zoning in on one pace and then Maurice whose preference is to have as much variation as possible. Jeff, do you think it is kind of equally helpful in both facts, or do you tend to prefer the treadmill for a certain type of workout?

Jeff Gaudette [00:33:02]: Yeah. So, I mean, I think it's equally helpful. I think it just depends on your own either per your own personal situation. It could be a whether it be a mental thing or a physical thing. And so for me, For just, you know, using my own personal experience, I've always enjoyed changing the pace often because I could just never, it just was always a struggle to kind of get out of my head in the treadmill. And so being able to change the pace was something that at least I was kind of like looking forward to it. Okay. I gotta do 3 minutes at this pace or whatever it may be.

Jeff Gaudette [00:33:32]: Whereas those long extended stretches of maintaining the same pace were always the most mentally difficult for me. And so But like I said, you know, like we've talked about, there are people that are, better or worse at doing different things. And so yeah. I think Both of those can work just depending on what your personality and, strengths and weaknesses are.

Cory Nagler [00:33:52]: Yeah. And and what do you make of the, the mental strategy that, Maurice throws out. So I think he kind of gave 2 tips here in terms of making the treadmill more fun. The first is, similar to Logan, the suggestion of having an iPad where you can either watch show or listen to music. But then he also talks about kind of, playing these little mind games where you almost break the the run or the the intervals into chunks. Is this something that you found helpful or played with at all? And, how how specific do you think that is to the treadmill?

Jeff Gaudette [00:34:22]: Yeah. So, I mean, using an iPad or listening to music, I think that's pretty common. I I've tried and, like, I mean, I can get through it, but it doesn't seem to help too too much. Like, for me, use it like listening to watching a show or something, like, maybe it gives me, like, a 5 minute distraction, but then I'm immediately, like, Oh, this is what, you know, I'm watching something, or I'm, like, running, you know. Like, it has to be, like, the best show I've ever seen, you know, like, super super, like, involved in it. Otherwise, I I start kind of mentally drifting away from the show. And then in terms of, you know, building mental toughness, that kind of stuff, I think, And or splitting the run, I guess, up into chunks. Like, that's what I always would try to do with my long runs.

Jeff Gaudette [00:35:04]: If I had to do a long run on the treadmill, I would always try to break it into sections. What, you know, could be 30 minute intervals, could be 15 minute intervals, like, something to just change it up. And I would say that that worked about as well as it could. Right. So I think a lot of times when we talk about whatever training aspect it might be, something might not be perfect, but it's better than nothing. And so for me, Using those breakdowns was a way to get and get through it, but it never made it, like, super enjoyable or something that I, like, always that I look looked forward to. So

Cory Nagler [00:35:35]: Yeah. And I think that actually connects well with the last point that Maurice brought up, which is that he'll sometimes intentionally avoid distractions, Just to kind of simulate a race. It's interesting because, personally, my thought process has always been there's so many distractions in a race with all the cheering and crowds that I haven't Worried about it. But I can also see the flip side of that being that it's it's such a controlled environment that maybe you you almost want that discomfort on a certain level to To build mental toughness. So what do you think can can you build mental toughness in this way just by kind of eliminating any kind of, distraction or podcasts and music?

Jeff Gaudette [00:36:11]: Yeah. So I never actually heard of that. And so congrats to Maurice for, like, bringing something novel to my attention. But, dad, that's a really great idea, and and if if that's how you wanna execute it. It it kind of reminds me of, David Goggins, who's the, guy that's real famous for doing a lot of, like, mental toughness, physical activities, that kind of thing, for lack of a better way to to synopsize what he what he does. But, absolutely. Like, if if that is something that you feel is a a benefit to you, And absolutely. I can see, you know, it's kind of that thing where or or that concept where you put yourself into difficult situations purposefully And remain mindful and cognizant of the difficulty of being in that in that state, and using that to build mental toughness.

Jeff Gaudette [00:37:00]: And so, Hands down. I think that's a a pretty cool idea. Some people may need it more than others. I don't think that it would have been I don't wasn't mentally tough during races. But there are definitely you know, I've coached plenty of runners who have, after races, been like, you know, man, I I was right there and I just fell off mentally, you know, kind of thing. I just couldn't get myself to push. And so for those types of people, that could be absolutely a great strategy.

Cory Nagler [00:37:30]: Yeah. I I think it's pretty incredible self awareness, if that is the case, that Maurice is kinda recognizing he needs to build that. So, Either way, congratulations for being able to push through those workouts.

Jeff Gaudette [00:37:42]: Definitely.

Cory Nagler [00:37:44]: Awesome. Well, thank you so much, Maurice. I'm gonna go now to our next fonts, which, again, is in written form. So let's hear from Chaya. They don't call it the treadmill for nothing, But it's a necessary evil and a gift. My 1st top tip is recruiting a friend to run on the treadmill side by side and chat as if we're outside. I also enjoy bringing an iPad to watch a guilty pleasure, breaking the run into smaller chunks so it does not seem as long, and, of course, Listening to a favorite podcast or playlist is a must. And lastly, always let people know so there is a sense of accountability.

Cory Nagler [00:38:20]: Alright, Jeff. What do you have to say about Chaya's response?

Jeff Gaudette [00:38:24]: Great response. The 2 things that I had was, obviously, her main point of using the treadmill as a necessary evil. That's exactly kinda how I look at it is I I just need to do I need to use this in order to get better. Right? So it's a good way of mentally framing it so that you're not Drenning it going in. The 2 tips that I really like that she said was running with a beside a friend, which I'd never tried on a treadmill. So I would be really interested to see how well that worked because I definitely know running with somebody beside you on a on a run outside can really make the time fly by. So, I just never for me, what if nobody ever probably wanted to go on the treadmill with me, I don't know. But, that's definitely something to try if you have that ability.

Jeff Gaudette [00:39:05]: And then, telling people about your run for accountability, I think that's super helpful for People that may may skip a workout if they have to do it inside. I I've never really got to that point where I was gonna skip something, but, I can definitely see that being super helpful.

Cory Nagler [00:39:21]: Yeah. Absolutely. And for those listening, Jeff, I'm not sure if you had the chance to actually look at the comment section of this response from Chaya. But I think we had somebody mention that you were a little confused here on the running beside a friend. So I should clarify that we're talking about multiple treadmills here, not trying to fit More than 1 person on the same treadmill.

Jeff Gaudette [00:39:41]: I didn't see that comment, but it it didn't occur to me that 2 people would try to run on the treadmill at the same time. But that would be would definitely make the a unique experience for sure.

Cory Nagler [00:39:52]: Definitely. I I thought it was a funny comment, but I I I do like this idea. I've I've only ever once really, been in a gym and tried to to run with a friend, but it it is a cool way to kind of bring some of those, Fun aspects of outdoor runs to the treadmill.

Jeff Gaudette [00:40:07]: So, you know, here's a great idea for treadmill companies. They can make double wide treadmills. You know? So to make one that's, like, that's specifically designed to have 2 people running on it. I I don't know what the like, how you know, I don't I can't think of anything that would make it not work as long as you're both comfortable running the same pace. If the treadmill was wide enough, To me, there'd be no different than running outside, in terms of, like, safety.

Cory Nagler [00:40:34]: Hi. I I love this idea.

Jeff Gaudette [00:40:37]: Yeah. I I think I'm gonna present it we'll present it to, like, NordicTrack or, some of the bigger treadmill companies, Woodway, And just make a a huge double wide treadmill and see how see what people think. Maybe they can, you know, they can debut it at Boston in one of the, one of those show booths or whatever.

Cory Nagler [00:40:55]: Okay. Drop a comment in whatever, platform you're listening to if you want us to pursue this idea, and we'll work on getting it licensed. And then just coming back to this, piece of accountability in in telling others About your run. This one is something that I actually tried myself recently and that I was feeling a little bit of niggles, and felt like I should probably cross train rather than run. And so I put it out there on Shrava. It's like, hey. I'm I'm not running tomorrow. I'm gonna bike or I'm gonna use the Elliptical.

Cory Nagler [00:41:28]: And I love that idea of applying it to the treadmill, where you're telling everyone, I'm gonna do this. Do you find with a lot of your runners, Jeff, that it's, Effective if you let others know that they're more likely to stick to their plan?

Jeff Gaudette [00:41:40]: Absolutely. And so, you know, it's funny. That was a big part of runners connect. So I've talked a lot about Kind of our story and our history. And I would you know, the main component was connecting people that were running the same races or doing the same type of training, But also part of it was allowing people that for I would say that there's 2 different types of people when it comes to exercise. There are people that are extremely self motivated and that are going to put in their workout no matter what and to a fault to some to to some extent. And then there are some runners who really, like, consistently need motivation. And and and not one is not better than the other, you know, Because it's just it's just different ways of how we, like, approach and visualize things.

Jeff Gaudette [00:42:25]: But for the runners that do need accountability, Then absolutely, like, being in a position having some type of platform to be able to tell people and to get that accountability from friends or whether Whether it be real life friends, online friends, whatever it may be, can be super, super helpful. And so I encourage I always encourage anybody who, Needs that accountability to seek it and to use it utilize it to the best of its ability, because it's not a, It's not something that's hard to do in the sense of, from a physical standpoint to to put something out on a platform to try to get some accountability. Not hard to do, but can make a dramatic difference in how, consistently you're able to stay with an exercise program or running program, whatever it may be. And, again, there's not that's not to say that there's that's a bad thing to need accountability. There's benefits in, to both for sure. So absolutely.

Cory Nagler [00:43:18]: Yeah. No. And there's there's so many ways to do that. I I think I mentioned I myself use Strava, but you can absolutely do that directly through, the Runners Connect platform, if you are somebody training with us or you can do that on social media, I think it's it's really helpful to to kind of put it out there sometimes.

Jeff Gaudette [00:43:34]: Mhmm. Absolutely.

Cory Nagler [00:43:35]: Thank you again, Chaya, and I'm gonna go to the last response that we have time for today, which is coming from Angela. So let's hear from her. I'm not a treadmill runner, but I use a program called Zwift for cycling, which does have a running option. You can run on a smart treadmill that syncs with Zwift, And the faster you run, the faster your avatar on the screen runs. You also have the ability to race against others, do preset workouts, or explore various worlds and terrains. The other avatars in the worlds are actual people who are running at the same time. It's pretty cool. Okay.

Cory Nagler [00:44:11]: So we we have a response actually a little more specific to cycling, but applicable to runners. Jeff, do you have any thoughts on this one?

Jeff Gaudette [00:44:19]: Yeah. So this is funny. I tried Zwift as well or some type of version of it, for the bike. And, Personally, I I thought it was gonna be something that was super motivating for me. Like, I kind of just I was like, I was so excited my gym got one, and so I was like, oh, this is awesome. Like, I'm gonna love it. And for whatever reason, I didn't connect with it. I I can't say exactly why, but I never I never, like, felt, like, super motivated by it.

Jeff Gaudette [00:44:48]: I never it was, like, oh, I can't wait to get back to the bike tomorrow to, like, do this competition. Then again but, you know, that was me personally. That said, I mean, I do follow, like, you some YouTube influencers, like fitness influencers that, Like, love the Zwift workouts. Like, they post all their you know, they post the results. They are constantly thinking about who the competition was that day, whatever it may be, like, And so they get super motivated by it. So I think, again, this comes down to finding the specific elements that motivate you. And so was kind of the whole idea about this episode. Right, Corey? Was to, use to to get a bunch of ideas in there, things that may not work me, it may not work for you, but have worked for other athletes, and to kind of put them all out there for people, so that way you can the listener can experience can experiment with An idea they may not have had or may not have heard before.

Jeff Gaudette [00:45:39]: And so absolutely, I think the Zwift can definitely work for people. I've seen it with other with other people, but for me, it wasn't something that was super helpful. For whatever reason, I I really did think it was gonna be like a game changer. I thought I was gonna be, like, Turn into, like, a cyclist, like or an indoor bike cyclist, anyway.

Cory Nagler [00:45:56]: Yeah. It's interesting. I haven't tried it myself. I know a lot more cyclists than runners who have used it, especially, when I was doing my undergrad, I was actually part of the triathlon club there, and it was especially popular among those who really favored the The cycling, but I think it's it's one of those things where the people who use it on a regular basis really love it.

Jeff Gaudette [00:46:15]: Mhmm. Yeah. Again, and so it gets into that, you know, like, when if if you're listening to this and you're and you struggle with treadmill training, I definitely hopefully, this episode gave you some unique ideas of, like, things that you can try. And and that's the whole idea is, right, is What worked for some what works for 1 person isn't necessarily gonna work for you. That said, you can continue to experiment and continue to research about things that or Or things that may work and just give them a try. And you may find something that you didn't think unexpectedly would work, and it it does. And it's, like, gives you that motivation To get on the treadmill, and you may try something and just realize, okay, and there's no harm in it, and just realize, yeah, wasn't really for me, for sure.

Cory Nagler [00:46:58]: Yeah. No. Hopefully, this provides listeners with some helpful ideas. And, if nothing else, maybe now you'll be, tempted to go speak with friends and get more ideas. So I think Whatever strategy works best for an individual, if it improves your training, then then that's really our goal here at Runners Connect.

Jeff Gaudette [00:47:14]: Absolutely. One thing I didn't we didn't mention too too much, I just wanted to bring up quickly was, well, I know you brought it up that sometimes running in the On a treadmill can be hot and humid because generally you're running inside. So whether it be your own setup at home, which is obviously a little bit easier to manipulate manipulate. Or if you're going to a commercial gym, there are some ways that you can get kinda just get creative with creating a more Conducive quote unquote weather environment. And, you know, in your own home, obviously, there's a like I said, there's a lot more things you can do. You can set up air conditioning units. What I found, I had friends that it was in the basement, so they set up those portable air conditioners and just had a feed to, like, the basement window. So, like, a portable air conditioner for in your own home and you don't have air conditioning in the unit.

Jeff Gaudette [00:48:01]: And then, obviously, fans, super helpful. And you can do some something similar in The gyms, you know. So, like, there are they're not quite air conditioners, but, like, they're somewhat portable machines that can blow cold air, like, more than a fan. Not just Circulating air, but can actually blow cold air. And so it just takes a little bit of time to set up even if you're at the gym, and you may look a little silly. But if it's one of those things that For me, I, like, I hated running in the in hot weather, and so that was always another thing for me with the treadmill. It's just that even in the winter, the gym was warmer, and so I would be sweating like crazy. And, yeah, I may have may have looked a little stupid, but it really made my run so much more enjoyable on the treadmill to be able to set something up that kept me cool.

Jeff Gaudette [00:48:45]: And so, I encourage people to if that if that is a struggle for you, To, just do just do some reading or some research, like, different setups people have used, and you'll find something in one of those setups that you're like, oh, yeah. I could utilize that or I already have that at home, or I could set this up at my gym, and you can make it work and Significantly, increase the enjoyability of running on the treadmill.

Cory Nagler [00:49:09]: Very cool. And have you used these fans? Can you just find them at at any store or online through Amazon?

Jeff Gaudette [00:49:15]: Oh, yeah. Like, you see them a lot in, like, the dollar store, because, again, they they kinda advertise as, like, air conditioning units. Like, that's how it advertises itself, but it's really not. It's hard to describe if you've never seen one, but they basically, they they have they have a reservoir of ice cold water, and then it uses that reservoir. So rather rather than just Circulating the air around the fan. It circulates the air through that cold water first, and so which is theoretically how an air conditioner works, but Not quite. And so but they're not expensive. They're like 25, $50, and that's and that's how they, Quote, unquote, blow cold air on you.

Jeff Gaudette [00:49:54]: So it's, again, it's not gonna be an air conditioner in your face, but it's not a fan either. It's kind of, like, in between.

Cory Nagler [00:50:00]: Alright. Well, this seems like a new positioning for this product. So maybe if we release our RC patented, treadmills, we'll have to build these right in.

Jeff Gaudette [00:50:08]: It'll be it'll have them built we'll have it built in right in there.

Cory Nagler [00:50:11]: Absolutely. Perfect. We're getting started on the blueprints now. Okay. We we've gone over some great strategies here for the treadmill, talked The benefits and drawbacks. Just kind of a concluding thought on this. Do you think that every runner needs the treadmill, or is it possible to get by without using it?

Jeff Gaudette [00:50:30]: So yeah. I would say I would say not every runner needs a treadmill. So for those that don't know, I now live in Mexico. Well, very close to Southern California. I lived in San Diego for well, I grew up in Maine, so I know when you definitely need a treadmill. And I also lived in San Diego for quite a few years, and now I live in Mexico. And the weather is pretty perfect year round. So in the summer, it doesn't get above 75, 90% of the days.

Jeff Gaudette [00:50:52]: And in the winter, it doesn't get below 60. The below 60 would be crazy. So, sunshine, 90% of the days. And so at least in those cases, I don't think that people need a treadmill necessarily. Obviously, like I said, if weather conditions, or course specific conditions require you, then absolutely.

Cory Nagler [00:51:15]: Yeah. I'm, I'm very jealous, Jeff. It's probably about 20 degrees Fahrenheit where I am now, so 60 degrees, sounds just fine with me. And for those who are trying to build the treadmill into their routine a little more, or just get started with it, For all the benefits that we've discussed today, what do you think is the best way to kinda get started with building that in more?

Jeff Gaudette [00:51:37]: Yeah. So I would the first thing is, obviously, if if you're not somebody that loves general warning and you do need to build it into your routine more, whether it be for training for a specific race or the weather conditions, then, like I said, Relisten to this episode and try to find different hacks or tips that can help you get through it. And so, I mean, I can think of you know, we've listed off quite a few ideas Of just different things that you can try that may work for you. And then once you find the things that work for you, then just continue to incorporate them more and more. And I think you'll soon find that treadmill running doesn't need to be quite as boring and difficult as as it may seem initially.

Cory Nagler [00:52:23]: Yeah. I think that's great, and I'm certainly myself gonna try some of the strategies we shared here today. So, for everyone who wrote in with, Some awesome answers. Thank you so much. And, Jeff, thank you for coming on and joining me today.

Jeff Gaudette [00:52:35]: Oh, my pleasure. Thanks, Corey. It was great to chat with you.

Cory Nagler [00:52:38]: Pleasure is all mine. Thank you, and, to everyone listening, happy running.

Finn Melanson [00:52:56]: Thanks for listening to the Run to the Top podcast. I'm your host, Finn Melanson. As always, our mission here is to help you become a better runner with every episode. Please consider connecting with me on Instagram at Wasatch Finn and the rest of our team at Runners Connect. Also consider supporting our show for free with a rating on the and Apple Podcast players. And lastly, if you love the show and want bonus content, behind the scenes experiences with our guests, and premier access to contests and giveaways, then subscribe to our newsletter by going to runnersconnect.netbackslash podcast. Until next time. Happy trading.