Treadmillers

BeccaB1981

I am doing C25K on the treadmill. I did W4D3 this morning. Week 4 went pretty well and overall I think I am doing pretty good. I have signed up for my first 5K on Dec 11th and I am so excited/nervous about it. I don't really have any opportunities to run outside so I am worried that I will be in for a rude awakening when I try to run outside in the 5K... are there any exclusive treadmillers who have done a 5K and if so what was your experience like?

nopeekiepeekie

I know when I switched from the treadmill to pavement that my footfall was different, which ended up causing me extreme shin pain. As long as you have a good pair of shoes and stretch well before/after you should be okay.

ABetterBalance

I am restarting after months off from running. I trained exclusively on a treadmill in 2009 and 2010. In 2010 I ran several 5K races, and did ok.The main differences I saw were

1) I ran faster outside, because I did not have my speed set, I would pick up and slow down my pace as needed, and discovered that my average running pace would be a 7 on the treadmill (when I had been training at a 6.0-6.5)

2) I was NOT prepared for hills!

I still primarily run on a treadmill, but I do try and get outsdie now and then so that I can practice with the weather, hills, etc...

mom2nate08

You may notice that you have to work a little harder outside. The treadmill keeps you moving forward whereas on the pavement, it's all up to you to propel yourself forward. Don't worry too much about it - you are building strength and endurance and you will adjust to the change pretty quickly. Besides, there is not much better than breathing in cool, crisp, December air while on a run!

a_stronger_steph

I did my first 6 weeks or so inside on the treadmill, then gradually switched to outside. One tip that I read was that you could set the incline on the treadmill to 1 or 1.5% incline, which helps simulate the extra resistance you get when you switch to outside. I did this from day one, and when I took my runs outside I ended up having very little difficulty making the switch... so it's possible there's some truth to it, anyways.

I found I liked running outside and actually ended up running faster than I did on the treadmill, by a little bit, which totally shocked me. Now it's really hard for me to go back to the treadmill - I only do it if I want to do intervals (so I know exactly how fast I'm going/how far I've gone) or if it's miserable outside.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

BeccaB1981

Thanks for your comments! I have recently changed my incline to 1% maybe I will go up to 1.5%. I could try to get out and run outside on the weekends but it is so darn hilly around my house that I think it will be too much for me at this point but I guess I will give it a shot.

MegSommer

I am starting week 2 tonight and i really had no plans of running outside (its chilly here in PA and i hate cold!) I will take the advise of upping the incline and probably try to run outside here and there. My husband and i are planning on running our first 5K on Dec 10th. Ill be on week 6 so we'll see, i just want to finish...not break any records :bigsmile:

Meg

Lesley2800

I did weeks 1 - 4 on the treadmill then switched mainly over to outside when the weather permits. I never used an incline on the treadmill. I must say I prefer running outside and I acutally think it is easier. I find I run faster too. Now of course I find it almost unbearable to run on the treadmill

shellyc7182

Does anyone else experience bouts of dizziness after running on a treadmill? Any ways to combat this? I guess I get vertigo really bad because I still feel like I'm moving, but this isn't the case when I run outdoors.

sgoldman328

I started on the treadmill, then went outside.... and now that it's colder I go back and forth. I found that I picked up my speed from running outside.... so if I'm having issues getting to a new "level", I'll first run it on the treadmill, and then outside -- so that mentally I can tell myself I've already done that distance