Treadmoves: Training For Speed

I've done this tape four times so far.

There are three "presenters", although only one woman, Lynn, actually leads the workout. She is the intermediate runner. Barb is the beginner and Melinda (Melissa - maybe?) is the advanced runner. There are two additional runners in the back row who seem almost superfluous. The camera never focuses on them and you don't really know what they are doing throughout the workout.

They set a baseline speed. The beginner is 3.0 mph, intermediate 4.0 mph, and advanced 5.0 mph (one of the runners in the back is apparently running faster than this - hard to tell though). Be aware, you will only be at this baseline speed for a total of five minutes throughout the workout. Be sure you are very comfortable with the speed you choose as baseline.

The tape includes hill, speed and team intervals. The intervals are tough. For your resting intervals you will run at one mile over your baseline speed, so be prepared. If you have set your baseline at 4 mph, you will spend a lot of resting time at 5 mph. You will do intervals of 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 (!!) miles over your baseline speed. The penultimate interval set, about ½ hour into the workout, is a combo hill and speed interval. You begin with a 30 second interval at 5.0 mph over baseline (if you set a baseline of 4.0 mph that means you are sprinting at 9.0 mph) at a 5% incline. You slowly lower the incline and speed from there. The final interval set is at your baseline speed (finally) but is a hill climb. There is a good, thorough stretch at the end.

Tough, tough, tough, tape. I have noticed, however, that after only four run-throughs I am much more comfortable sprinting. And of course, you can modify and increase at ½ mph or even ¼ m ph intervals if you want. You can also reduce the incline.

A good running tape, but I'd say it's geared toward runners, not walkers (even power-walkers) and if you are new to running I'd definitely work up to it. Even the beginner speed could be a bit daunting.