Its Sunday.  Its rainy.  I am in the suburbs at my husband’s parents house with tons of our family (there are currently 10 of the 12 grandkids running around the house) … and I have a 5 mile slow recovery run on my schedule.  Now while I would much rather hang and watch cartoons with these 2 …

To the treadmill I go.

Although a recovery run should be extremely sllooooww, I find that particularly boring on a treadmill.  So I play games with myself on the treadmill to keep it interesting.  I try and make every mile a little different.

I recommend playing around with the incline and speeds on a treadmill or any other cardio machine.  Make it fun …

Here are a few of my favorite treadmill workouts for your rainy day runs.

A run/walk simple 30 mins

Warm up Walk 5 minutes at speed of 3.8 / 0% incline

Run 5 mins at 5.5 / 0% incline

Walk 5 mins at 4.0 / 1%incline

Run 8 mins at 5.6-6.0 (go at a speed that you are comfortable and can sustain) / 0% incline

Walk 2 mins at 4.0 / 1%incline

Run 3 mins at 5.6-6.0 / 1%incline

Cool Down 2 mins at 3.8 / 0% incline

Quick and Sweaty run 30 min Pyramid Run

Warm up run at 5.5 for 5 mins / 0%incline

I would do this at about a 6.0-6.4 speed.  You should pick a speed in the mid range of your typical treadmill speed.

Set 1: steady pace 1 minute each @ 4, 5 and 6 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Set 2: steady pace 1 minute each @ 5, 6 and 7 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Set 3: steady pace 1 minute each @ 6, 7 and 8 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Set 4: steady pace 1 minute each @ 7, 6 and 5 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Set 5: steady pace 1 minute each @ 6, 5 and 4 percent incline
2-3 minutes recovery @ flat jog

Cool Down

Here is what I did today:

Warm up 5 mins at 5.5 @ 0%incline

Mile 1 – slow and steady 5.8 pace @ 0%incline

Mile 2 – 6.0 for 1/2 mile @ 1% incline, 6.2 for 1/2 mile at 3%incline

Mile 3 – 6.4 for 3/4 mile @ 1% incline, 6.8 1/4 mile sprint @ 0%incline

Mile 4 – 6.0 for 1/2 mile @ 1% incline, 6.4 for 1/2 mile at 0% incline

Mile 5 – 6.8 for 1/4 mile @ 0% incline, 6.2 for 1/4 mile at 0% incline, 5.8 for 1/2 mile to cool down.

Not exactly a recovery run … but what can I say  I had a great run !

Now if you’ll excuse me … I have a hot date

How about you … run on the treadmill on a rainy day?  Or brave this …