Treadmill Running vs. Road Running

WhitneyDurham777

In the winter I run exclusively on a treadmill. It is fantastic. I always get the workout that I want. I usually keep the deck at 1.5% incline. I can do intervals, work on efficiency. There are facilities within a hop jump. It is a lot less impact then the road. I know exactly my work load. Usually come out of winter a lot faster than when I go into winter. It does however take me a bit to adapt to the road again usually my calves aren't as strong so I get some soreness in my calves, and because of the uneven surfaces I have to watch my IT band a bit. Other than that I am ready to go on the road. Takes me about 2wks to adapt.

BrianSharpe

Take it easy making the transition and make an effort to got at a slower pace, at least at first.

Personally I only resort to the treadmill if there's freezing rain or a hurricane etc.... I'm one of those lunatics who enjoys running outside in Canadian winters (depending on where you are in NS you may actually get more snow than we do in Ottawa but our average temperature is a bit lower and if you're dressed properly winter running can be very enjoyable) One thing you will find that's different is having to pay attention to your surroundings more, I don't suggest running with headphones as they make it difficult to hear oncoming traffic etc.

I'm spoiled rotten as I have recreational paths that run along the Ottawa River a few hundred metres from my front door...... I saw my first doe of the season this morning and regularly see ducks & geese (occasionally have to skirt around skunks....) it makes early morning runs almost like a meditation.

StaciMarie1974

Different, yes. Most would say better/preferred I think.

Treadmill advantage is you control your speed by button. Real world, its all you. Tendency might be to run faster which can leave you burned out sooner. So focus on keeping your pace reasonable, even a little slower than you can handle, to start. Enjoy the scenery.

collectingblues

Definitely different but not in a bad way. I get better paces outside because I can go with what feels right, and not with whatever I've set the treadmill to. That first run outside after weeks inside (I don't like running in the 80s+ with humidity) sucks, and is usually pretty slow, but then it gets easier and better.

jenferann73

I find it harder to run outdoors! I know that when I am on the treadmill I have to keep up or fall off. Being outdoors is great tho, change of scenery, but in order for me to get a better work out.... I stick to the treadmill.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I did all my off-season training on the treadmill and got a lot faster. One thing you can do on a treadmill is select your speed highly accurately. This is good for interval training. I don't regret a minute I spent on it.

moonstroller

I always run outside. There's a five mile loop around a pond that I run pretty near every day and it's hilly on one half, and then fairly level on the other. When I'm not running I use an old NordicTrack ski machine that I bought last year. I prefer my outside runs to the machine. I've run on treadmills in the past, but I find I get a much better workout when I run outside, especially when I'm on varied terrain.

Running on a treadmill isn't 100% different than running outside. It's not the same because the treadmill is level and a constant speed, whereas when you're running outside you're going to get changes in elevation and the levelness of the surface you're running on so you're body is going to be making constant adjustments to keep you balanced. I noticed that after running for a few months exclusively on a treadmill and then switching to running outside I felt muscle soreness in muscles that never felt sore on the treadmill. I think this is because I didn't need to use those muscles until I was running outside.

If you set the treadmill at a higher speed you're going to work harder, but that can be accomplished just as easily by running faster and/or longer outside. When you start running outside and you're going up a hill that's really working you hard, drop down to a walk until you reach the top and then return to a run. The thing is you can easily change your pace to match your fitness level. There are a couple of hills on my run that I had to drop to a walk, and when I ran all the way up them for the first time, even though I was breathing hard and really working, I was also smiling because I made it all the way.

Personally I see nothing wrong with using the treadmill in the winter and then running outside in the summer, or even using the treadmill in the summer when it's a cold, rainy day in the summer. I imagine you get those days on Nova Scotia. Mixing things up will help keep your body adaptable.