Treadmill v. outside - Beginners

Batgirl

30/04/2003 at 11:32

Hello,

I am new to this forum.. have been quietly reading for the past couple of weeks but thought it was time to join in!

I keep being told that rnuning on the treadmill is much easier than running outside, however, my times are just as good outside as they are on the treadmill, and I in fact seem to find it harder on the treadmill sometimes (restrictive). Has anyone else encountered this? I am starting to wonder if the speedo measuring thing on my bike is wron and I am incoreectly recording my times outside??

Any thoughts??

cougie

pirate

30/04/2003 at 11:35

General reckoning is that if you put about a 1% gradient on a tready, then that simulates the resistance of the road. Works pretty well for me anyway.

I find treadys hard work just because of heat build up.

Ginger One

30/04/2003 at 11:38

Different people prefer different things. I find it easier on a treadmill just cos there are no hills - unless you use an incline, no wind, no cars to stop for, no dog mess to avoid, no lumpy grass and an even, soft running base.

But as a relative newby to outside running I love the feel of the wind/sun/rain on my face and the feeling of actually getting somewhere.

I will continue to use the treadmill as I can combine weight and cross training too, but prefer the great outdoors.

The Road Runner

30/04/2003 at 11:39

tready - hard to go for long, they can knacker you fairly quickly where if you were outside, you would be able to continue on, I think its partly a psycological thing

Batgirl

30/04/2003 at 11:40

Thanks for your replies.

I find that my legs have to move much faster on the treadmill - more steps to go the same distance as outside. Maybe this is due to the freedom of movement outside, taking lkonger strides??

I will try the 1% incline thing, thanks..

Twist

30/04/2003 at 12:35

I've been a user of treadies for quite some time (used them for much of my FLM training in 2000 and this year), but I still find them pretty unsettling for a variety of reasons - see my moan on Wednesday Plodding thread. But for all that, will continue to use them, with all the above provisos (incline, speedwork mostly etc), as and when!
Oh, and Domm, welcome to the madworld that is the Forum!

The Road Runner

30/04/2003 at 13:29

see the latest issue of RW (June - just through the post today) on page 30 for treadmill vs outside

Twist

30/04/2003 at 14:14

Is it on the site too, only (don't shout this too loudly) I don't subscribe to the mag!

The Road Runner

30/04/2003 at 14:32

sorry, mag only!

Twist

30/04/2003 at 14:43

Ah well.

3TL

30/04/2003 at 14:44

i find it easier to watch tv on a treadmill

Christopher P.

30/04/2003 at 16:41

I find that treadmills have too much bounce and the running action is very repetitive - I also find it hard to maintain
my motivation on them as the boredom
factor kicks in - also if you've run 5k away from home on the road - then you've little choce but to run back - whereas with the
tready you can just get off - but basically
I think they are no fun

makmak

01/05/2003 at 05:48

I love running outdoors because the country trail behind my flat has loads of interesting birds and small farms with donkeys, horses, and cows that peek over fences at you when you run by. Visiting (i.e. greeting them as a I plod on by) with the animals slightly distracts me from the "I'm going to die" feeling I get at the 1.5 mile mark!

Froggy Jo

01/05/2003 at 07:55

Karen
What are you doing awake at that time???????

makmak

01/05/2003 at 09:07

Froggy
I woke up at 4.30 for some reason! This is not a usual thing. :)
K

Andrew Cunningham

03/05/2003 at 23:39

I've spent about the last 2-3 years running exclusively on treadmills at my gym, though having said that only for the last 6 months or so have I been doing it seriously putting in about 20km a week, with the odd outdoor run for good measure.

The thing that I like about the treadmill is that its easy to set my pace and measure my performance - not to mention the ability to switch off my brain and listen to music.

Lately I've been preparing to run in my first race - The Great Welsh Run on Monday - so I've been doing about 10km with a 2% incline. Fingers crossed I'll get through it OK.

Sam Vimes

03/05/2003 at 23:54

Good luck Andrew. :o)

Jose.

03/05/2003 at 23:56

Martin Fiz, European and World Marathon Champion, said on RW's Spanish version that he made one of his best seasons training during winter on treadmill.

For me bad weather=treadmill
good weather(doesn't mean sun)=outside

Andrew Cunningham

04/05/2003 at 00:05

Thanks, Sam.

Treadmills are definately nice when the weather's a bit dodgy. I reserve my rain drenchings for the gold course! ;-)

Andrew Cunningham

04/05/2003 at 00:06

Whoops - that should be Golf course.