Training for 15K on treadmill

BCSMama
BCSMama Posts: 348
in Fitness and Exercise
So, I know it's not ideal, but is it realistic to think I could train for a 15K mostly on a treadmill? Due to needing to be home with my kids most of the time while I'm not at work and my husband's crazy work/school schedule, running outside is simply not possible most of the time for me. I have run a few 5K's and love them, so am not a complete novice to running. I have run up to 6.5 miles on the treadmill in about 60 minutes as well. There is a 15K coming up on 5/18 that I would love to do, but don't want to make a fool of myself if I do most of my training on the treadmill and then get there and realize that I can't do it on a trail. What do you guys think?

Replies

  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    There was a lady in Alaska that successfully trained for the Olympic Marathon Trials running mostly on a treadmill so it can be done.
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,820 Member
    If you can complete the training, I say go for it!
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
    No, it's not ideal, but I think you can do it. Can you set your incline to mimic running up and down hills? That would help. It would also be great if your husband or someone could watch the kids so you could get out and run trails at least once a week.

    Best of luck!
  • squirrelzzrule22
    squirrelzzrule22 Posts: 640 Member
    Totally! Just increase mileage slowly and make sure you have good sneakers and won't get bored :)
  • rayvynn5374
    rayvynn5374 Posts: 272 Member
    it is possible but oh man that first outdoor run is gonna hurt!!!!!! At least for me the first few hurt!!!!! That whole pacing myself and terrain changes...ohhhh makes me hurt just thinking about the hurt! Good luck!
  • megd726
    megd726 Posts: 31
    It's possible. I would recommend at least one run per week outside if possible. Otherwise the race could be a shock to your body. Good luck!
  • crystalflame
    crystalflame Posts: 1,049 Member
    Make sure you're running on an incline, and set your speed to a bit faster than race pace on pace days. Try to have an outside run every week so you can gauge if you need to make your workouts harder. But yes, you can totally do it =)
  • haroon_awan
    haroon_awan Posts: 1,208 Member
    Might not be too much of a problem as long as you have the right shoes, are eating enough and are resting enough.

    You might also want to consider getting something like Insanity as a home workout. It's how I trained for a half marathon following several injuries from running.
  • MorganLeighRN
    MorganLeighRN Posts: 411 Member
    It will be a HUGE shock going from running on the treadmill to outside. Use the incline and see if you can get outside on the weekends.
  • BCSMama
    BCSMama Posts: 348
    Cool! It would be possible most weeks for me to run outside at least once, which I will definitely do as much as I can. Realistically though, most of my training would have to be on the treadmill.

    Kind of excited now to have this as a new goal :-)
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
    You can, but it's a LOT harder and different outside. I can do 10k on my treadmill easily, ran 5k outside Saturday, I was miserable and I'm very sore. Here are a few things I noticed...

    Running against the wind made it a LOT harder. I don't think there is anything you can do to prepare for that.
    I tend to run faster outside and wear out quicker. Must remind myself to slow down.
    The treadmill I use is set at a 2.2 incline and roads/trails are very unpredictable. Must remember to vary the incline on the treadmill.
    Cold air bothered my lungs, but I have always been a mouth breather. I can't do anything about that because a scarf makes me claustrophobic. Warm weather will help.

    I think that for me anyway, I'll really have to push the outdoor runs once it warms up. The sooner I'm off the treadmill, the stronger and happier I'll be.
  • MelissaGraham7
    MelissaGraham7 Posts: 406 Member
    Yes you can. There are Olympic runners and marathon world record holders who do the majority of their training on the treadmill. As above, remember to use your incline and do remember that outside is going to be a different ball game so your timing will be slower, probably. Do try to get some outside running before the race because as mentioned above it is more difficult, pavement harder on your joints, etc. But, there is no reason you can't train on your treadmill. It's what I do! :wink:
  • litatura
    litatura Posts: 569 Member
    Yep, totally possible. I do most of my training on the treadmill and I don't notice any difference in effort when I run outside vs. on the treadmill (actually, I'm faster outside). However, with that being said, the most I've run on the treadmill is 10kms. because I get so bored that I want to poke my eyes out.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    You can do it (mostly), but there is a difference between running on a treadmill and running outside--small things like posture and the specific muscle movements that propel you forward.

    All training effects are specific to how you train. At some point, it would be best to include a little outdoor running, just to condition yourself for those specific effects. It's one thing to hop off a treadmill and do a 5K--15K is a different story. If you can even squeeze in one outdoor run per week, that would be helpful. I'm not saying you cannot do it--I just think you would be a lot more comfortable with a few road miles before the race.
  • BCSMama
    BCSMama Posts: 348
    Thanks for all the advice and encouragement! I talked to my husband and we are going to try to make Friday evening my outdoor run day for long runs. I love that he's so supportive :-) I will try as much as possible to get my other runs done outside, but not fret too much if they're done on the treadmill. So, after the encouragement here and from my husband, I signed up for the 15K. No turning back now, lol. It's 5/18 and it's a night run!

    Any further advice and/or encouragement is very welcome and wanted! Like I said, I've only ever done 5K races before and would have signed up for the 10K version of this race, but it was sold out already. I am alternating between "Yeah, I got this; I'm so excited" and "Oh my goodness, the course will close after 2 hours, what am I thinking", lol

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