Running outside vs. treadmill

tomcornhole

First run outside. 5k. 30 minutes. Loved everything about it. Sun. Not bored. More challenging. Had trouble initially with pace (running too fast) but RunKeeper helped me out. Seemed to settle into a pace a lot quicker than the treadmill. Mild hills are nice. Wind was nice. Time went MUCH faster. Simple things like jumping over a curb were interesting. Turning corners was new. Looking for cars and dogs and bikes was new. Just an overall engaging experience.

But concrete is really, really friggin' hard. It beat me up much more than the treadmill. Knees are a little sore. Ankles are sore. Big toe on right foot is sore. So I am going to do a slow transition to outside and I may never fully transition all of my training. I need to keep my legs and joints solid for powerlifting and they are not happy right now. I think that run was harder on my joints than any powerlifting I have done so far. Not sure how you long runners handle the beating.

Anyway, most enjoyable. Just wanted to share. And yes, I did not wear a shirt.

Tom

PinkNinjaLaura

I started running outside. Started in May and ran outside until October when I first tried to transition to a treadmill. My knees hated it. Trying to run on a belt impacted my stride and I ended up having to buy different shoes to compensate for that.

As far as impact outside, once my knees and/or shins start to hurt after a run I know it's time to buy new shoes.

_Waffle_

It's amazing how different everything can be each day even on the same route. Sunrise, wind, animals, other people, and countless other things make it much more mentally stimulating.

But concrete is really, really friggin' hard. It beat me up much more than the treadmill. Knees are a little sore. Ankles are sore. Big toe on right foot is sore. So I am going to do a slow transition to outside and I may never fully transition all of my training. I need to keep my legs and joints solid for powerlifting and they are not happy right now. I think that run was harder on my joints than any powerlifting I have done so far. Not sure how you long runners handle the beating.

Concrete < asphalt < dirt < grass. Softer surfaces are easier on you. If you can find one of these or do part of your run on a softer surface it helps out. Just transition into it slowly. Your body will adjust to it eventually and your joints will be stronger than ever. I have one sore toe from accidentally kicking a big rock on a trail run but my knees, ankles, and all my other joints don't even feel used much. I just feel soreness in the muscle tissue after a good run.

I remember doing a 3 mile run a few years ago that made my knees so sore I had to take advil twice a day for a week to be comfortable. Now that's just a warm-up run. You'll get to that point eventually.

Chain_Ring

Could you do trail running? Anything nearby?

skippygirlsmom

And yes, I did not wear a shirt.

Tom

LOL As I read your post this was the question going through my mind!

Great job on your first experience outside.

runner359

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Concrete < asphalt < dirt < grass.
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This. This is why runners are often in the road not on the sidewalk.

Mrsjones172

This is exactly why I love running! I never used to run, hated it and couldn't even do a mile without feeling like my legs were going to fall off. I started running back in April to help my cardio for Muay Thai. I started out at 10:30min miles and am now doing 8:45min miles. Legs feel stronger and I've noticed a lot of changes in them shape wise.

I did a run on a treadmill the other day (5K) and it was so weird, felt a lot easier even on a 2% incline. But i actually preferred running outside.

ariesflame

Might want to look into shoes geared for pavement, I always switch it up when I start training for half marathons outside.
I also do a ramp up of the mileage on the pavement in half mile increments so the knees can adapt as the miles are tacked on. It takes some time to adapt stride and posture outside.

I find that the runs are easier if I can keep at least one session of Bikram Yoga a week. Something about the stretching in the heat keeps the muscles and joints happy.

tomcornhole

Might want to look into shoes geared for pavement,

I will stop by the local running shop and see what they have. Really like the shoes I have for the treadmill. Seemed to be fine for outdoors, too. I'll keep running outside to see what happens just because it is so much more interesting.

I did find it interesting that after 30 miles on the treadmill, all the nagging aches and pains I was carrying around from powerlifting are gone. The most significant being my hip flexors. They feel better now than they have in a long time.

Tom

Swiftlet66

Running outside is great! Just not every day though. . That and invest in some really good running shoes. They make all the difference, seriously.