• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Mile By Mile

Life is what happens when you're busy running marathons...

  • Home
    • Contact Page
    • Privacy Policy
  • Recent Posts
  • Run Coaching
    • Coaching Philosophy
    • Contact Page
  • Left Menu Extras

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Training Plans & Downloadable Resources
    • Store
    • Cart
    • Checkout
    • Virtual Race Resource Guide
  • Running
    • Running Posts
      • Runners’ Roundup
      • Fartlek Friday
    • Favorites
    • Races
    • Workouts
      • Running Workouts
      • Strength Training Workouts
  • Right Menu Extras

in Coaches Corner, Hills, Running, Running Workouts, Tuesdays on the Run, Workouts · February 20, 2018

The Lazy Runner’s Short and Sweet Treadmill Hill Workout

You may have noticed that I have been doing most of my runs on the treadmill lately. As much as I like running outside, the treadmill has just been so convenient this winter. The one problem is that I really haven’t been running any hills this when I use the treadmill. Finally, last week I created this treadmill hill workout to finally get in a few hills on my run. 

This is a short and sweet treadmill hill workout for those of us who tend to get lazy on the treadmill and not run any hills! A simple workout that can be adjusted based on how much time you have and your fitness level. #run #runningworkout #hillrun #treadmillrun

I knew that if I made it too intense or long that I would probably back out of doing it. I wanted something short and sweet as I adjusted to running hills on the treadmill. This workout can easily be adjusted based on how many intervals you want to do. I started with 3 and will likely increase each time I do this workout. Obviously, you can adjust the incline to whatever is appropriate for your fitness. However, this is not a very long workout so it’s important to remind yourself to try to make it challenging. 

Remember to always start with a warm up and end with a cool down. During the hill intervals, increase to a little faster than an easy run pace. You want the intervals to be challenging but the incline will already make this part of the run feel harder. Also, these are longer intervals so you want to be sure to choose a pace at which you can still maintain proper form throughout the run. 

The Lazy Runner’s Short and Sweet Treadmill Hill Workout

1 mile warm up
.3 mile 4% incline
.1 mile flat
.3 mile 5% incline
.1 mile flat
.3 mile 6% incline 
1 mile cool down

This workout is 3.1 miles the way it was written, but as I said you can easily make it longer, or even shorter if needed. 

This is a short and sweet treadmill hill workout for those of us who tend to get lazy on the treadmill and not run any hills! A simple workout that can be adjusted based on how much time you have and your fitness level. #run #runningworkout #hillrun #treadmillrun

The treadmill is a great way to run hills if you live in a flat area. It also gives you control over the incline and distance of the hills so you can do specific workouts based on your training goals. Right now, I am just trying to ease back into running hills and also adjust to doing them on the treadmill. 

Hills are a challenging but important part of running. If you are lazy about running hills like me, give this workout a try and you’ll see that running hills on the treadmill is not so bad. 

Do you run hills regularly?
Ever do hill repeats on the treadmill?
Do you prefer specific hill workouts or just including hills routes in your run? 

You may also like:
How To Run Hills Safely and Efficiently
Why You Should Be Running Hills In Your Training
The Benefits of a Home Treadmill
3 Benefits of Treadmill Running That You May Not Have Realized


Coaching

Interested in learning more about the coaching services I offer? Learn more here!

Newsletter Sign up

Subscribe to the Mile by Mile Newsletter for Updates, Running Tips, and More!

* indicates required
Previous Post: « Gearing Up for a Spring 5k
Next Post: February Runfessions »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marcia says

    February 20, 2018 at 7:15 am

    Hills? What are those?? Haha! What I call a “hill” here is probably just a subtle incline for people in other parts of the country. We are super flat. That said, I trained hills on the mill for Boston obvi, Flying Pig, and NYCM, to name a few. Love this short, sweet workout!

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:20 pm

      That reminds me of what it used to be like when I lived in the city and ran by the harbor every day! There was one “hill” that would probably feel like nothing now!

  2. Wendy says

    February 20, 2018 at 7:31 am

    Hills are pretty much non-existent here. If we want to do hill training, we have to do hill repeats. Or the mill. My CrossFit coaches are really good at throwing exercises at me that train the glutes for hills.

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:21 pm

      I remember trying to do hill repeats when I lived in the city but the “hills” there were not very steep at all!

  3. Kimberly Hatting says

    February 20, 2018 at 8:06 am

    ugh. You know me and my relationship with ‘Milly. Maybe it’s due to the fact that she’s approaching 17 years of age, but she is very slow in adjusting her speeds when I try to do intervals. That said, I don’t mind doing hills with her, but they never feel as effective as a real hill outside 😉 I’m just better off without her LOL

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:22 pm

      I agree running hills outside is probably better! But if I’m gonna run on the treadmill I better force myself to run hills once in awhile.

  4. Laura @ This Runner's Recipes says

    February 20, 2018 at 8:26 am

    Hills are one of my favorite ways to pass time on the treadmill. I try to run hills at least a few times per week – there are a lot to choose from out here!

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:23 pm

      The hills are definitely a good distraction when running on the treadmill!

  5. Jenny says

    February 20, 2018 at 8:34 am

    I live in a super hilly area and any run I do outside involves hills, so I actually use the treadmill to run flat! I find hill repeats are still a hard workout though. The treadmill is so great for adjusting the incline to make hills exactly how you want them, and it really isn’t that boring if you mix it up every few minutes!

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:23 pm

      Exactly! And that makes alot of sense to use the treadmill for flat runs if you live in a hilly area.

  6. Lacey@fairytalesandfitness says

    February 20, 2018 at 9:05 am

    I usually keep the incline the same while I am on the treadmill. I find that I run a variety of inclines while I am outside with the hills that I try to incorporate, so I guess I use the treadmill for my easy days….haha.

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:24 pm

      That makes sense! In general I prefer running easy on the treadmill although hills and varying the paces help to keep me distracted.

  7. amanda -runtothefinish says

    February 20, 2018 at 9:59 am

    One of the best running tricks is always the little mind game of I’ll just do X where you make X really small…then just keep doing that over and over, ha!!

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:24 pm

      So true! I constantly need to play mind games while running on the treadmill.

  8. Erinn says

    February 20, 2018 at 10:14 am

    This looks like a great workout to get in those hills! Sometimes hills seem easier on the treadmill and I know exactly how long I’ll be running them. Thanks for sharing!

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:25 pm

      Its nice to have some control over hills when running on the treadmill!

  9. Lesley says

    February 20, 2018 at 10:21 am

    I might do this. I have to do hill training this cycle to prep for San Francisco.

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:25 pm

      I hope you like it if you do decide to give it a try!

  10. Kelly @ Noodle to the Rescue says

    February 20, 2018 at 10:49 am

    This looks like a good one! I am doing most of my runs of a treadmill lately. I’ll often pick the “random incline” setting but it’d be good to be more intentional and really up the % incline sometimes.

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 6:43 pm

      Its a good way to add some hills for those of us who have been on the treadmill alot this winter!

  11. Lisa @ TechChick Adventures says

    February 20, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    I have done a lot of hill workouts on my treadmill. We now have it “tricked out” to have decline too, which was super important in my Boston training. My “lazy” workout of hills is to adjust the incline every time I hit a round minute, or maybe by distance – so every time I hit a half mile increment. I adjust the pace like that sometimes too. And some days I just make the last mile all decline because it’s an easier run that way! 🙂

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:26 pm

      I’ve done almost the same workout, just increasing pace or incline at a certain time or distance. Thats awesome that you were able to get it to be on a decline! Sounds like a great way to end a run.

  12. Jennifer @ Fit Nana says

    February 20, 2018 at 1:03 pm

    Ugh, the only place I can really get in a good hill workout is on the treadmill. My coach has me do hill repeats once a week. I’ll learn to love them one day, right? haha

    That does look like a fun workout, though! I like that you can customize to make it longer, if need be. 🙂

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:27 pm

      I’m not sure if I’ll ever learn to love hills! But running them on the treadmill is a good option if you don’t live in a hilly area.

  13. Laura says

    February 20, 2018 at 2:12 pm

    Great workout! The treadmill can be a great way to get hills in. I did a hill workout a few weeks ago on mine but my older treadmill got stuck on an incline, ha! My husband finally fixed it this weekend but I learned the hardway that my treadmill is not up for that challenge. 🙂

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 5:27 pm

      Oh no! I guess it’s best to just keep it flat then. The last thing you want is to have to run ALL your miles on an incline!

  14. San says

    February 20, 2018 at 5:32 pm

    I do NOT run hills regularly and while I have done the occasional incline run on the treadmill, it’s nowhere near consistent. This is a great routine, that could can throw in here and there…. thanks for putting this together.

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 20, 2018 at 6:39 pm

      I hope you like it if you give it a try!

  15. AmyC says

    February 20, 2018 at 7:59 pm

    Ironically I am not a fan of hills but I do have a treadmill HIIT hill repeat workout that I love to do when I’m not in the mood to sprint. I have a date with the gym today and I think I’m going to try your workout. Thanks for sharing it!

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 21, 2018 at 4:53 am

      Running hills can be a great alternative to speed work. I hope you like it if you give it a try!

  16. Zenaida Arroyo says

    February 20, 2018 at 8:03 pm

    No hills here so I would definitely need to train on the treadmill. I love this workout! I’ve been doing most of my runs outside. But I remember during the summer when doing a long run on the treadmill I would change the speed to get a variety and not get too bored. 🙂

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 21, 2018 at 4:53 am

      Changing things up on the treadmill definitely helps to pass the time!

  17. Kristina says

    February 21, 2018 at 6:24 am

    Do you know it’s been so long since I’ve followed a training plan that I forgot hill workouts existed! I was looking through my old Instagram pics the other day and came across a pic from when I last ran bridge repeats. I was like OH YEAH that’s a thing! I am actually looking forward to doing them again. I hate most speed work but I really like bridge repeats!

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 21, 2018 at 6:38 pm

      Bridges are a great way to run some hills!

  18. Deborah @ Confessions of mother runner says

    February 21, 2018 at 7:36 am

    I have not done a treadmill hill workout in forever or ever ha ha. Our regular run route has rolling hills so we do them that way. Seems like a better way to trick myself into doing them

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 21, 2018 at 6:39 pm

      If I run more than like 4 miles outside then I cant avoid hills. But Ive been on the treadmill so much that I needed a way to make sure I got them in!

  19. MCM Mama Runs says

    February 23, 2018 at 6:55 am

    I hate running incline on the treadmill – it messes with my stride. Luckily, I live in a super hilly area, so it doesn’t take much effort to find a hill workout. LOL

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      February 24, 2018 at 6:11 am

      Sometimes its nice to run hills outside and use the treadmill for easy, flat runs!

  20. Cari says

    March 3, 2018 at 10:35 pm

    I do Mile High Run Club for proper hill training, but when I’m just at the gym I usually do a randomized incline on the treadmill. It changes it up enough to keep it interesting.

    • Lisa @ Mile By Mile says

      March 4, 2018 at 2:55 pm

      That’s great! Running inclines on the treadmill can be so effective.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome!

logo
Food Advertisements by

Training Plans and Running Guides

Training Plans
  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
July 2025
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Jun    

Past Posts

Categories

VDOT Certified Coach

VDOT Certified Coach

RRCA Certified Coach

RRCA Certified Coach
logo
Food Advertisements by
logo
Food Advertisements by

© 2025 Mile By Mile Blog All rights reserved

Footer

Mile By Mile Running

Life Is What Happens When You're Busy Running Marathons

Lets Run!
  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
Ignorance is bliss, sometimes. (Until you’re dyi Ignorance is bliss, sometimes. (Until you’re dying 5 minutes into your run wondering when it will finally cool off again). But really, this time of year I feel like there’s no point in checking the weather. It’s either hot or really hot. #summerrunning
Another cloudy day at the beach. At least it isn’t raining and windy today. I felt the 95% humidity on this fartlek run (maybe last night’s wine and bad sleep too) so it was a tough one. But workouts are for building fitness, not proving fitness, right?! How do you move on past a hard workout?

#run #runner #runnersofinstagram #runchat #vacation
Just a few random thoughts (and videos) from Satur Just a few random thoughts (and videos) from Saturday’s race…even though this wasn’t a goal race there are always lessons learned!

First off, my daughter woke up  around 1 am the night before the race. She almost always sleeps through the night now, but out of the 2 races I did this spring she woke up before both of them. It’s like she knows I am going to leave somehow. At least this time she went back to sleep pretty quickly and so did I!

Parking was easy, but it was a long walk to and from my car! (In past years I had parked closer but there was a ton of traffic coming and going)

The start line was so crowded that I couldn’t line up in the appropriate pace area. Many runners had the same challenge so the first few miles were chaotic with some people around me walking and others trying to run faster and weaving. I was just trying not to crash into anyone.

I didn’t bring my own water and wish I did! I needed it due to the weather and the water stops really slowed me down.

My watch never lined up with the mile markers. For some miles it was far ahead and others it was far behind. But overall my watch read 10.09 so it wasn’t too far off overall. 

Hard iced tea is a nice post race option. They also had hard lemonade and Heineken. (A few sips was good enough for me though)

Spring races < Fall races!

What’s the best post run beverage you’ve gotten after a race?

#run #runner #runchat #runbaltimore #baltimore10miler
I’ve had pretty bad luck with race day condition I’ve had pretty bad luck with race day conditions lately and this was no exception. Mid 70s, 92% humidity, wet roads but not enough rain to cool us off. Started pouring right when I finished. Just tried to run this for fun after a month of on and off sickness and not being prepared for those conditions. I forget how much Baltimore races really bring the positive energy (and the potholes!) 

#run #runner #runchat #runbaltimore #baltimore10miler
Follow on Instagram

Some of the links on my site are affiliate links. This means that I may receive a small compensation for clicks and/or purchases, but this will not cost you anything. Your support is greatly appreciated!

 

© Mile By Mile Blog, 2025. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Mile by Mile Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Mile by Mile Running · Copyright © 2025

Copyright © 2025 · Carpe Diem on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in