Review of Runervals 3.0: Cheetah Fast

I got Runervals Cheetah Fast DVD for Christmas. As with the Spinervals DVDs, I love the workout and I love Coach Troy. “Get your mind in your muscle”.

Here’s my review/comments:

Cheetah Fast is a 45 minute intense treadmill workout where Coach Troy Jacobson leads a team of 4 elite triathletes as they do interval training sessions on the treadmill. The workout is set to upbeat music, and Coach Troy gives verbal instructions and visual cues to help you correctly gauge your own intensity.

First thing Coach Troy says to do is to set your Base Pace. Base Pace is an easy comfortable jog used for warm up and recovery sets. The intervals are based on Base Pace + x mph. He recommends the following for Base Pace:

• If you do a 5k race in under 18 minutes, your base pace should be about 5 mph.
• If you do a 5k race in 18 – 21 minutes, your base pace should be between 4 and 5mph.
• If you do a 5k race in over 21 minutes, your base pace should be less than 4 mph

When I first got my treadmill, I came up with the idea to do my recovery sets at 6 mph, because I wanted 6 mph to become my easy pace. I’m guessing that thinking is all wrong! Based on Coach Troy’s recommendations, I decided to try this workout at a Base Pace of 3 mph, which is easy walking. The elite athletes on the video were using a Base Pace of 5 mph.

The workout starts out with a Warm Up at Base Pace (BP) and 0% incline. My treadmill’s lowest incline setting is 1.5%. That didn’t cause a problem – 3 mph is still very easy.

Next you do a 3 minute Tempo Run at BP + 3 mph, keeping an incline of 0%. Still felt easy.

Then onto the hard stuff…

Pyramid Set:
30 sec: BP + 5, 5% incline
30 sec off: same speed, 0% incline
60 sec: BP + 4, 4% incline
30 sec: same speed, 0% incline
90 sec: BP + 4, 3% incline
30 sec: same speed, 0% incline
2 minutes: BP + 3 mph, incline 2%
30 sec off, then back down the other side of the pyramid
90 sec: BP + 4, 3% incline
30 sec: same speed, 0% incline
60 sec: BP + 4, 4% incline
30 sec: same speed, 0% incline
30 sec: BP + 5, 5% incline
30 sec: same speed, 0% incline
2 minutes off at BP, 0% incline
Repeat above
2 minutes rest at BP, 0% incline
Power Set:
3×90 seconds on; 1 minute off
30: BP + 5; 3% incline
30: BP + 5; 4% incline
30: BP + 5; 5% incline
1 minute off at BP, 0% incline
30: BP + 5; 4% incline
30: BP + 5; 5% incline
30: BP + 5; 6% incline
1 minute off at BP, 0% incline
30: BP + 5; 7% incline
30: BP + 5; 8% incline
30: BP + 5; 9% incline

During the 30 seconds “off” periods of the interval sets, I bumped the speed down by 0.5 mph to account for the fact that my treadmill doesn’t go to 0% incline. Otherwise, the rest set wasn’t quite enough.

I couldn’t quite manage the last Power sets (the 3x30s). I kept the pace, but ended up reducing the incline a bit (the 6% incline is the most I can do). Even still, it was so hard that I felt like I was going to puke by the end of that set.

My Heart Rate stats during this workout: 158 Avg, 180 Max. The video shows a bar graph in the upper left of the screen to illustrate the desired effort level for each part of the workout. (Look at the screen capture by clicking on picture.) Based on my HR data and how I felt throughout the workout, I think 3mph was just right for my BP. Hopefully, I will improve to the point where I can bump that up.

I like the background music, and how the tempo of the music fluctuates with the intensity of the workout. And I love the motivational things that Coach Troy says…it helps me push myself beyond where I ever thought possible…

30 seconds done, come on nice and steady. drive with your arms. maintain good form, come on you guys are doing great. 1 minute done, 30 seconds to go. come on keep it up, drive the speed. 15 seconds. Come on work it. Push it, push yourself. drive up the hill.