Use Mile Repeats to Get Ready for Race Day. Here’s How

As a certified running coach, I am always on the hunt for the best running workouts. There isn’t a single “best running workout” because every runner has their own unique training goals and fitness level. However, mile repeats are one of the best bang-for-your-buck running workouts for athletes of nearly all levels.

While it is certainly possible to run mile repeats on a track on a measured outdoor course, running mile repeats on a treadmill gives you a consistent training environment, and allows you to control the speed and incline of your workout. To share more about the benefits of treadmill mile repeats, and how to incorporate this running workout into your training program, we spoke with Peloton Instructor Mariana Fernandez.

What Are Mile Repeats?

A mile repeat workout involves an easy warm-up, and then alternating between running one mile at a specific pace or effort level with an easier recovery interval.

In this way, mile repeats are sort of like any high-intensity interval training workout except that the “hard“ intervals are specifically one mile long. 

This is much longer than most intervals in a HIIT workout, so the relative speed you run for mile repeats is slower. That said, the speed or effort level for a mile interval is faster than your regular training pace. 

You might run mile repeats at your goal race pace to help your body get used to that pace, or at threshold pace to increase your lactate threshold. Marathon runners might run them even faster than race pace to improve leg speed, VO2 max, and anaerobic fitness.

Why Should You Do Mile Repeats On the Treadmill?

Mariana, an avid distance runner herself, said that she used to be somewhat adverse to doing any kind of faster speed work; she preferred to just get in the miles at a comfortable pace. However, she discovered that using the Peloton Tread (instead of doing all of her runs on the road) made it much easier to incorporate structured speed workouts into her training. 

“Because the Tread allows you to access specific speed right away, it came a little easier to plug into my workouts and then even let that translate into the outdoor long runs,” Mariana shared.

She also noted another key benefit of running mile repeats on the treadmill: it breaks up the monotony of a long treadmill workout. Running at different paces for different sections of a longer treadmill run helps pace the time and keeps you focused.

Of course, there are also the typical benefits of running on a treadmill vs roads or trails such as consistency in the terrain, control over the incline, convenience, safety if you are running alone or in the dark, the absence of traffic lights or stop signs that might interrupt your mile repeats, and protection from bad weather.

Because of the consistency of the treadmill, you can use treadmill mile repeats workouts as a gauge for improvement in your fitness by comparing your mile interval workouts over time.

How Do You Do Mile Repeats On a Treadmill?

The pace and number of mile repeats in a workout will depend on the runner’s fitness level, training goals, and the purpose of the workout.

For example, a beginner might do a mile repeat on the Peloton Tread as follows:

An advanced marathon runner might do a mile repeats speed workout on the Peloton Tread as follows:

Keep in mind that one of the other benefits of any Peloton Tread workout is that you can also play around with the incline. If you are training for a hilly race or want to increase the resistance, you can also bump up the incline during your mile repeat intervals.

How Often Should You Do Mile Repeats?

The optimal frequency for running mile repeats on the treadmill (or outside) depends on your training goals, fitness level, and the structure of your mile repeats workouts. 

For most runners, this type of interval workout should only be done once a week. Mariana tends to incorporate mile repeats on the treadmill during long runs and endurance workouts, but only every other week to prevent overtraining. It’s important to consider that marathon long runs are already taxing on your body when you’re running at an easy pace—adding intensity with mile repeats at your race pace or faster increases the stress on your body.

What Are Common Mistakes With Mile Repeats Workouts?

Mariana says the biggest mistake or difficulty runners of all fitness levels struggle with is determining the optimal pace for the mile repeats.

“It’s longer than you think and shorter in the grand scheme of things. So it's this weird variable,” shared Mariana. ”It’s a long effort that you have to hold.”

She explained that runners who are more accustomed to HIIT workouts often start out too fast. It takes time and practice to figure out the optimal pace for mile repeats so that you can sustain the hard effort for the full mile and then recover quickly enough to perform one or several more mile repeats.

“Give yourself a little bit of grace,” advised Mariana. “I know that it's a lot of trial and error until you find the right place that you want to be hitting.”

So, your first mile repeats Peloton Tread workout may not have you feeling like an instant convert, but consistency with this challenging running workout is sure to pay off in the long run.