Way back in January 2019 I was training with the Zwift RunPod and was a little bit scared that it wouldn’t record accurately enough at slow speeds for my VK training. A VK is an acronym for Vertical Kilometer, a very specific type of trail running race on steep gnarly terrain, sometimes even with mountain climbing as a hazard. The course is typically about 5 kilometers in distance with about 1000 meters of gain, or 1 kilometer of vertical ascent. When I’m training on a treadmill very specifically, I’ll set it to approximately 21% inclination, which is about the average ascent incline for a VK. An hour VK is really good for my age group, and previous to 2019 my best VK time was 1:32 (that’s an hour and 32 minutes). After hard training primarily on a treadmill, with an outdoor run about once a week, I was able to bring my PB down to 1:16.
It’s surprising how important and beneficial incline treadmill training can be, and I do highly recommend it for everyone who wants to make quicker better success in fitness.
In the video below I experience my first test of the Zwift RunPod on a treadmill set at 21%. Some gyms have such a treadmill, but many only go up to 12-15%. You can still get all the benefits at that inclination though without the exact sport specificity. I’ve been on a treadmill about 90% of my training for the last quarter of 2019. I’m going to do a repeat of the Broken Arrow Skyrace VK in June 2020. I’ll be doing most of my training on an incline treadmill and most of the time it will be set between 12-16%.
If you want to check the Zwift RunPod out on Amazon HERE’S THE LINK [note as an Amazon affiliate I might make a small commission from the sale of this or other goods on Amazon which will not affect your final price]
2020 is here! I’m excited because I’ve come up with a super plan to help you get started taking the incline on your treadmill seriously with a challenge. Sign up below and I’ll keep you in the loop to help get you in shape for the challenge, and news about the challenge you won’t want to miss.