Running speed/calories

ArtificiallyBalanced

So as some of you know, the calories burned on any cardio machine you use are WAY off. I have known this, luckily, for quite awhile now so I have always deducted at least 40-70 calories from what the machine says. I now deduct even more after an article I read in Runners World about net calories vs actual calories burned. I wanted to share the formula so that no one is fooled. The results are pretty shocking and bummed me out at first because when you weigh less, you burn WAY less! I obviously should be happy that I weigh less, but it's not fun to realize you have to work harder! This has totally inspired me to increase my running speed though because I was getting too comfy at 5.6-5.8 MPH. I am mainly a treadmill runner because I live in NYC and it's not too safe to run alone at 5 AM! And mornings are my only time to run because I do fitness classes at night that I love. So to figure out my calories burned, I take my total treadmill time and divide by 60 (for 60 mins in an hour), then multiply that number by the number of miles I ran. This gives me my average speed, and I have been using that on MFP to determine calories for that specific speed. However, today I realized maybe I AM burning more than I am calculating because I change my speed every few minutes. Today's session I stayed primarily between 6 MPH, 6.3 MPH, and 6.6 MPH, with some 6.8 and 7.0 MPH thrown in. But because I count my warm up, which is a few minutes of walking on an incline at 4-4.2 MPH, then a slow jog of 5.5-5.8 MPH for about 12 minutes, my average speed is still below 6 MPH. Should I enter into MFP each mile and how fast I went? Or is the average speed probably the most accurate calorie amount since it isn't overestimating? I'm not too too concerned with the calories because I just want to get faster for me, but I do like to know a good idea of what I have burned as to not eat more than half of that.

goron59

Why not just use an HRM?

javaruck

Your average speed should work to provide your best total calorie burn. Even then, that will not be the most accurate measurement if your throwing hills into the equation. If you want to take the guess work out, investing in a heart rate monitor is going to be your best bet. A HRM will take all variables into account and give you the most accurate measurement.

JenFerguson1

When I run on the treadmill, I usually walk at 5.0 for 3 minutes in the beginning then run at 10mph (according to the treadmill) at a 1% incline for 27 minutes. The treadmill says I burn like 450 calories and my HRM gave me a rude awakening that I only burn about 200 at the most! ughhhhhh. oh AND yesterday, Kevin and I hiked 9 miles. almost 6 hours up a steep mountain, climbed huge rocks and we walked as fast as 6.5mph at some points and I only burned 757 calories. Other people told me that they burned over 3,000! I was soooo bummed that I only burned that much after doing a crazy workout all day! HRM's make me sad! haha