Treadmill to pavement running transition
KylaDenay
Posts: 1,585 Member
Hi all of you runners.
Quick question. I can run for 30-40 minutes straight on the treadmill at 5.0-5.5 mph no problem, but when I try to run outside I cannot keep a good pace. I seem to always go too fast and lose breath easily. This is my first time ever trying to be a runner outside. Any suggestions on how to transition from treadmill to pavement?
TIA
Quick question. I can run for 30-40 minutes straight on the treadmill at 5.0-5.5 mph no problem, but when I try to run outside I cannot keep a good pace. I seem to always go too fast and lose breath easily. This is my first time ever trying to be a runner outside. Any suggestions on how to transition from treadmill to pavement?
TIA
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Replies
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Slow down and then slow down some more.
When you're on a treadmill the belt is moving a a steady pace and helping propel you along. On the road you set the pace and that takes a little practice (it's perfectly normal for new runners to try and go too fast)
Do you have an experienced runner that you could buddy up with, or a local running group / club?
Your pace for the majority of your runs should be such that you can speak in complete sentences.0 -
Your legs should definitely not be moving as fast when you run outside as they do on the treadmill. Odds are, you won't be able to run quite as fast outside, at least not at first. There's a big difference between propelling yourself along on the road and keeping up with a belt that is moving backwards beneath your feet.
You could try setting the treadmill on an incline for starters, maybe 2% or so. That should help you get used to the pace you can keep outdoors. Otherwise, just run a lot more slowly than you think you should when you're outside. Brian's suggestion of a pace at which you can hold a conversation is a good one. It's actually recommended for beginning runners because they're supposed to be building up endurance, not speed. It should also work for you until you get used to your proper outdoor running speed.0 -
I do not know anyone who runs or at least that I know of, but that is a great idea. I will look into that. Thank you.BrianSharpe wrote: »Slow down and then slow down some more.
When you're on a treadmill the belt is moving a a steady pace and helping propel you along. On the road you set the pace and that takes a little practice (it's perfectly normal for new runners to try and go too fast)
Do you have an experienced runner that you could buddy up with, or a local running group / club?
Your pace for the majority of your runs should be such that you can speak in complete sentences.
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Your legs should definitely not be moving as fast when you run outside as they do on the treadmill. Odds are, you won't be able to run quite as fast outside, at least not at first. There's a big difference between propelling yourself along on the road and keeping up with a belt that is moving backwards beneath your feet.
You could try setting the treadmill on an incline for starters, maybe 2% or so. That should help you get used to the pace you can keep outdoors. Otherwise, just run a lot more slowly than you think you should when you're outside. Brian's suggestion of a pace at which you can hold a conversation is a good one. It's actually recommended for beginning runners because they're supposed to be building up endurance, not speed. It should also work for you until you get used to your proper outdoor running speed.
Thank you! I am trying so hard to keep a steady pace. When I use map my fitness it says when I run it is over 6 mph and I can't even do that on the treadmill. So I have to stop and walk til I catch my breath again. I try again and get tired. I will have to keep practicing and try you and Brian's advice.0 -
I transitioned from treadmill to road last week, my first try was a disaster. I went WAY too fast. I was training at 12 min/mile and my first mile was 8:30 min/mile. Needless to say I couldn't maintain that speed and it through off the whole workout. I tried again the next day timing my splits and was able to complete a 5k in 30:30. So my suggestion would be to check your splits every .5 miles or so to try and adjust your pace.0
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I definitely second the slowing down. When I first started running, I had major trouble on a treadmill, decided I hated it and began training outside. Fastforward to last month, I found myself at the gym and decided to do some time on the treadmill after a leg workout. It was SO much easier for me than running outside... maybe that was just me though. Good luck!0
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I definitely second the slowing down. When I first started running, I had major trouble on a treadmill, decided I hated it and began training outside. Fastforward to last month, I found myself at the gym and decided to do some time on the treadmill after a leg workout. It was SO much easier for me than running outside... maybe that was just me though. Good luck!
For me it was the EXACT opposite, I thought outdoors was so much easier because your mind can wander and you don't have the numbers staring you in the face.
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Like others have said, slow down. Also realize that there will be slight inclines (and declines) when running outside that you won't be used to unless you had set your treadmill at an incline.0
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I recommend going to a local high school and use their track when there isn't an event going on. It's easy to check your pace and slow yourself since a normal lap is a 1/4 mile. It helped me pace myself when I did my first 5k. I was running on a treadmill at first then transitioned to a track before road running.
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It's not just you. I rarely use a treadmill but it's definitely much easier to keep a faster pace while using one. In fact, I sometimes use one specifically to run faster and get my legs used to moving with a faster turnover even if it isn't as much of a workout. It sure is a lot more boring and sweaty, though!I definitely second the slowing down. When I first started running, I had major trouble on a treadmill, decided I hated it and began training outside. Fastforward to last month, I found myself at the gym and decided to do some time on the treadmill after a leg workout. It was SO much easier for me than running outside... maybe that was just me though. Good luck!
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what everyone else said...also check out some new shoes....my feet and shins hurt like hell when I went to pavement, I needed different shoes that I had been using.....0
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Fantastic info from all of you. Thank you. I will try it this afternoon at the park pavement trail. Hopefully I can keep a pace.0
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Let us know how it goes. I know it can be quite a transition mentally but the good news is that it shouldn't take too long for your body to get used to the change.0
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I will. Thank you again 0
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It's not just you. I rarely use a treadmill but it's definitely much easier to keep a faster pace while using one. In fact, I sometimes use one specifically to run faster and get my legs used to moving with a faster turnover even if it isn't as much of a workout. It sure is a lot more boring and sweaty, though!I definitely second the slowing down. When I first started running, I had major trouble on a treadmill, decided I hated it and began training outside. Fastforward to last month, I found myself at the gym and decided to do some time on the treadmill after a leg workout. It was SO much easier for me than running outside... maybe that was just me though. Good luck!
Funny - I have the opposite experience.
I can run a good 1min/mi faster outside for what feels like the same effort. I can get up to that pace on the treadmill, but it takes extra effort, I feel like my legs are going like mad, and boy am I sweating up a storm. Plus, I'm somehow always crammed in the front of the thing - can't seem to drop back to the middle of the belt.
Maybe it's because I almost always run outside, and almost never on a treadmill?
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I definitely second the slowing down. When I first started running, I had major trouble on a treadmill, decided I hated it and began training outside. Fastforward to last month, I found myself at the gym and decided to do some time on the treadmill after a leg workout. It was SO much easier for me than running outside... maybe that was just me though. Good luck!
For me it was the EXACT opposite, I thought outdoors was so much easier because your mind can wander and you don't have the numbers staring you in the face.
I thought I was the only one! I run much faster outside than on a treadmill.0 -
Runkeeper app has the option to tell you your pace at different intervals. If it doesn't annoy you, it could help notify you if you're going to fast/slow.0
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Ooooh that's sounds like another option. Well the mapmyfitness tells me my pace after each mile. Is that what runkeeper does? or is it more often?MissHolidayGolightly wrote: »Runkeeper app has the option to tell you your pace at different intervals. If it doesn't annoy you, it could help notify you if you're going to fast/slow.
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I can't remember for sure but I believe there was a timed interval option as well as a distance interval option. I think it came up more than every mile when I used it.0
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I think there might be a setting to have mapmyfitness report that more often. If not, I'll bet some of the others do. I love my GPS watch for this functionality. I am constantly glancing at it to see how fast I'm going.
Ooooh that's sounds like another option. Well the mapmyfitness tells me my pace after each mile. Is that what runkeeper does? or is it more often?MissHolidayGolightly wrote: »Runkeeper app has the option to tell you your pace at different intervals. If it doesn't annoy you, it could help notify you if you're going to fast/slow.
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Try to find some music that fits with your outdoor pace. For me, I could go miles and miles and miles at the pace of "Bang Bang" by Jessie J an "Black Widow" by Iggy Azalea. Find a song that matches a pace youre comfortable with and then find songs with a similar pace. That's what keeps me on track during my runs!0
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I have runkeeper too and just checked on my phone. If you look under settings (on my version of the app it's 3 vertical dots on the top right hand side of the phone when you have the app on), there will be a link for audio cues, touch that, and you can choose a time trigger or distance trigger. Mine is set on time and tells me very 5 minutes. But you can choose distance and it can tell you every quarter or a mile if you want. There are other choices too-half a mile, a mile, etc. Even if I don't wear headphones I can hear it ok jogging in my neighborhood when it tells me my pace.0
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I had the same issues until I started wearing a Garmin that I can look at regularly. The Nike+ running app will give you your pace every 1/4 mile and this can help a bit. I fully agree with the slowing down as moving through time and space is quite a bit different than moving just through time on a TM. For the other part of the discussion, I fall into the faster on the TM than on the road group although most of my running is pounding the pavement. Enjoy your run!0
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Ah let me check on that before I head out. I would love a watch like that. I have my phone on my arm in the arm case thingy (idk what it's called lol) and I cannot see it, but only hear it.
I think there might be a setting to have mapmyfitness report that more often. If not, I'll bet some of the others do. I love my GPS watch for this functionality. I am constantly glancing at it to see how fast I'm going.
Ooooh that's sounds like another option. Well the mapmyfitness tells me my pace after each mile. Is that what runkeeper does? or is it more often?MissHolidayGolightly wrote: »Runkeeper app has the option to tell you your pace at different intervals. If it doesn't annoy you, it could help notify you if you're going to fast/slow.
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While on treadmill try some HIT that will also help increase your pacing outside. I was the same when I first started. I could go fine at a certain pace for a certain time inside. But when I got outside it was quite discouraging just keep at it your endurance will build rather quickly at first. Go for distance not pace, as you endurance builds so will your pace.0
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OMG you guys are such a big help for me you have no idea. I never thought in my lifetime that I would ever ever ever run. This is great advice from all of you!0
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I lied. I'm not even using mapmyfitness anymore. I forgot I switched to runtastic. Okay let me look into other apps.
ETA: Runtastic lets me change the settings also 0 -
I havent tried the running specific apps, but my fitbit activity mode will keep track of my pace so I can see it after, and Google MyTracks will also tell you average speed, elevation changes, etc. Those are good for overall stats when you get back. I love numbers and data, so I plan to get some of the in-run apps too, but I still want to analyze the whole run when I get home!0
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My sister who runs with me uses some Nike app that tells you your splits at half mile increments. It drives us nuts since we just want to talk and run, but it is helpful if you haven't found your rhythm yet. Be ready to feel slow and sluggish (maybe, maybe not...). I usually run on trails through a state park. When I run on pavement, it feels like a treadmill to me. Everything is different. Don't worry too much about it for the first few runs. Just remember to sloooow down so you can keep going. Your pace will get faster as you adapt to running outside.0
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