Treadmill set: Olympic-distance

Perfect for increasing fatigue resistance

Published: December 30, 2013 at 9:00 am

This treadmill session is designed for Olympic-distance triathletes, and involves running a second session of the day at a controlled but continuous speed and tempo.

Don't forget to check out our treadmill tips, and indoor running sessions for sprint and middle distance athletes.

Frequency

One double run a week is enough.

Benefits

You discover that 10km can feel quite short, but only if your form is the focus and the pace is aerobic.

Session one

A very easy aerobic cruise, not hilly, ideally outdoors over approximately 5-8km.

Session two

Warm-up

Start with an easy 8mins to loosen run muscles. Less than 80% HRmax.

Main set

Set speed to hit 80% HRmax. Watch your form, keep running for at least 5-8km, aiming for focused smooth running, despite that second-run-of-the-day feeling.

Cool-down

Again, light jogging or perhaps a spin on the bike. Easy stretching and/or self massage with compression tights if you have a pair.

Take things up a notch

Add distance to the first run of the day and to the main set of the treadmill session. For example, 6km and 5km becomes 8km and 8km.

Don’t aim to enter zone two (81-86% HRmax) for the second run – just run at the fastest speed to stay at 80% HRmax.

What's your favourite Olympic distance treadmill session? Let us know in the comments!