Reader to Reader: Running Outside v. The Treadmill
What's the best way to get used to running on the roads after clocking up all your miles on a treadmill? Here are your suggestions
Posted: 6 August 2007
by Catherine Lee
Runningon roads can be quite a shock to the system if you’re not used to it,as this week’s questioner has just discovered. Disappointed in hisperformance and struggling to see past this temporary setback, can youoffer him practical training advice to help him succeed in pounding thestreets?
"Ihave just started running outside (with a GPS watch), whereaspreviously all my running was on a treadmill. I've found it so muchtougher outside, it's really depressing! Either I stick to my treadmillspeed and can only manage half the distance I would normally expect todo, or I run at a comfortable pace, which is about 1mph less than Iwould normally run indoors. Is this just me or do others find a bigdifference?" – Ben Gillam
Your best answers
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Listen to your legs not your watch
Istarted off running on a treadmill and, like you, had a big shock whenI started running outdoors. Having said that, once I got used torunning outside I've really never looked back. It’s easier in lots ofways to ignore the GPS and run at a pace that’s comfortable. You knowyour legs can move at pace from the treadmill work, so you'll easilyget that back outside. People might look at you oddly, but you’ll stopnoticing them after a while. Now I just remember that I can dosomething that they evidently can't, otherwise it wouldn't be oddenough to them to stare! – Wotsit
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Don’t be ashamed to walk if you have to
Juststick at it and slow down. I started running five years ago and it wason a treadmill. I got up to about 20 minutes. First time outside, aftertwo minutes, I was absolutely dying. It was so much harder! I simplyslowed it right down on a two-mile run and would have a two-minutewalking break halfway through. As the months went by I slowly startedpicking up the pace and eventually the walking breaks went. A few yearson, I'm now a marathon runner and gone from a size 14 to between an 8and a 10. So stick at it, it's worth it in the end. Oh, and by the way,you'll burn a lot more calories outside - what an incentive! – Little Lizard
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A little fresh air can work wonders
Findsome countryside or a park (even your high street), get the soles ofyour trainers muddy, take the jeers and sneers from the local hoodiesand indulge in the true spirit of running. England is a beautifulplace, so get out there and see it rather than watching MTV or theother drivel that is on in the gym. As long as you are as consistentwith your road running as you were with the treadmill, your fitnesswill come on leaps in a short space of time. – carl gardner
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Use your training time to explore your local area
Ifyou have any interest in racing I would advise that you spend most ofyour time training outside. Save the treadmill for intervals orthreshold sessions. This will allow you to simulate race conditionsi.e. hills, wet, cold, uneven ground etc. and also discover what youractual pace is, rather than a treadmill pace. It may help to find apartner to run with or to join a local club. I found the latter was thebest boost for my training as I found some new routes, could train allyear round and got to put in a longer mid-week session. – Jason Wilson
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Break free from your demoralised gym persona
Ihate treadmills as they always seem to be placed in front of mirrors orwindows. There is nothing worse than the sight of me running, so I endup getting all upset at the reflection of me getting red, hot, andsweaty. Outside I can be the graceful gazelle I imagine I am withouthaving the illusion shattered by a mirror! – SlowCharlotte
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Combine the benefits of both to see all-round improvements
Ialways ran on the road, then joined a gym and used the treadmill a bit.The result? It's shortened my long loping 11-minute-mile stride into ashorter nippier nine-minute-mile running style (I’m too worried aboutfalling off the back!). It’s also made me run more upright rather thanlooking like I'm stumbling along. Treadmills are great for doing speedsessions, but nothing can replace the fresh air endorphin rush that Iget after a really good run. Mix and match, but think of them as twoseparate entities rather than comparing. – E :-)
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Structure your sessions according to your goals
• Itall comes down to why you run. If it’s for fitness, it does not matterthat you are slower outside, a workout is a workout. Follow a trainingplan and you will get faster and fitter. If you are training for a race(highly recommended, especially somewhere different to where you liveand train), then you need to run outside. If you run because you loverunning then this is a moot point - who in their right mind wants torun on the spot breathing in stale air? As for jeering idiots, thepopulation is getting fatter while you’re getting fitter, so thinkhappy smug thoughts. – Wil-der-beast
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Increasing the belt speed is the best way to mimic running outdoors
Runningon a treadmill is easier than running outside. I tend to set mytreadmill to one mph faster than my outside speed to get the same as anoutside workout. I personally wouldn't set an incline on your treadmillto replicate running outside as it doesn't use the leg muscles in thesame way. Although that's good for all-round toning, if you clock uploads of miles on the treadmill it'll build up your calves in the wrongplaces. – CraigB
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Let the treadmill dictate your pace
I'mconvinced that treadmill running is harder. Over the past year, I'veended up having to do a lot of my speedwork sessions in the gym on atreadmill, simply because I'm doing them in my lunch hour and there areno usable roads nearby. My times are now significantly faster on theroads, even when I'm doing the same distances at the end of atriathlon. I think the difference is that when using a treadmill, youcan force yourself to run at a set pace for a set amount of time,regardless of how you feel. I never touch the speed controls once I'mup and running. I find that's a good discipline for when you're runningoutside - I'm less tempted to back off when I feel like I'm tiring. – wickett
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Boredom can be a sign that you’re not working hard enough...
Treadmillsare softer on your legs than the road, thus serving as a handy‘off-road’ alternative. I've never understood how anyone can claim toget bored on the treadmill. When I'm on it, I’m 100 per cent focused onkeeping going at the pace I'm going at, so boredom doesn't come intoit. I would only ever get bored if the pace was so much slower than mycapabilities that the session was pointless. – moonferret
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... or a great test of your mental endurance
Ido all my training on the treadmill at this time of the year as I livein a very warm place. I find that it's easy on the legs, making iteasier to run outside. I have even done 3½ hours of continuous runningon my treadmill. I think it's very good training for willpower,especially when doing a long-distance race. I don't agree that thetreadmill does half of the work for you. If you stop running you willfall backward. You have to work your legs the same way as runningoutside. It's very common for beginners to run too near the front boardand hit their feet there, losing balance. Try running near the back,though this will take time to get used to. – UltraSpud
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Making time to run is more important than where you do it
Ijust adore the treadmill - I'm addicted to the thing. I find that whenI run outdoors I have this mental block and my brain is saying "Howmuch further? I can't do this!" I'm sure it's better to run outside,but if like me you're at home with two kids 24/7, then a treadmill willjust have to do! At least I'm managing to run five times a week. – Slim722
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Discuss this story
Some research has been done into the treadmill v real world running. Check out http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/treadmill.htmlSome of the best runners on the RW Forum do a lot of treadmill running. And even a plodder like me finds the treadie invaluable in winter when the track is covered in ice for weeks on end. But if I come out of the gym and attempt to run the last half mile home, it feels sooooo hard!
Posted: 31/07/2007 13:56
Hi there. Tricky one this one.
I did most of my preparation for my first half marathon in St Albans earlier on this year on the treadmill with an aim to finish in 1h45m.
Then one day I run outdoors and found it much harder, but, as the weather was nice, I started running outdoors more often. In the end I finished in 1h47m.
Now that the weather isn't so great, I've gone back to the treadmill as personally I don't fancy running in the mud/rain/cold too much. I think a balance of treadmill/outdoors is good. The treadmill can help you pace yourself (especially if combined with a heart rate monitor) and build up the miles durig the winter, but running outdoors will prepare you for the real thing.
Also, if as I do you combine a bit of weight lifting with your running, sometimes it is just easier to jump on the treadmill straight after the weights, it's handy to have everything in one place.
And finally, so sorry for the lenghty diatribe, the treadmill is more mentally fatigating, which is not bad training either if you plan to run long distances.
Take care everyone.
Posted: 31/07/2007 16:16
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