We got hit with some more snow in my area this week and that always leads to the same question from many of the runners I coach: Will I be ready for a spring race if I do a lot of my training on the treadmill?

There’s no way around it—sometimes it’s just not safe to run outdoors in winter, either because of darkness or extreme weather. Although treadmill running is somewhat easier than running outdoors, it’s still an effective way to train for races during the winter.

If you can only handle one outdoor run per week, try to make it your long run, so your body gets used to road running (because your race is most likely on a road) for long distances. Some gyms don’t allow members to use the treadmill for more than 60 minutes, so it might not even be feasible for you to run long on the treadmill. And, as someone who’s run double digits on the treadmill, I can tell you it gets pretty boring.

So that means you can save your shorter runs for the treadmill, which actually has its benefits. One of the great things about treadmill running is that it’s very easy to control your speed and intervals, as well as hill inclines and lengths. This lets you create your own custom workouts.

Another plus is that treadmill training will help you prepare you for race day conditions. Your spring race will most likely be in warmer weather, and running at room temperature will help you get acclimated to race-like conditions and give you a chance to test out potential warm-weather racing outfits.

Are you doing any of your race training on a treadmill?

Tags: running, training, treadmill, race