I recently got a tip from a running friend about treadmills that I had never heard before. Apparently folks have figured out that the optimal incline to simulate outdoor running on a treadmill is 1.5%. The theory is that this makes up for things like wind resistance and hills that you would experience when running outside. Of course if your typical outdoor runs take place in a hilly area you may need to dial up the incline even more but for most folks this will work fine.
I’ve been running at 1.5% for the past month or so and I gotta say it really does feel more like outside running. In fact at times it feels harder, so much so that I think treadmill training is actually getting me in great shape for the outdoor running season!