Transitioning from treadmill to road running

DoBetterDrea

How long does it take your joints to get adjusted to road running if all the running you've done has been on the treadmill?

I have a 5k on April 7th (I may have grossly overestimated my ability) and I've been training on the treadmill using the couch to 5K program. It was too cold to run outside and it's only just gotten to be pretty weather for outside running. I'm a little scared though because I know that road running is a different animal from the treadmill....

esphixiet

A year or so ago I ran solely on indoor tracks or treadmills, but then a change of surroundings meant I didn't have access to those anymore. I tried running on the sidewalk in a city, and the side of a road in the country and got the worst shin splints I've ever had. That effectively ended that bout of running for me.
Then again, I wasn't nearly as determined to succeed then as I am now. I'm just starting to look into running again....

jesserussellnoll

I feel there is more leeway when you're running on roads. Rather than having a set pace for 20 or however many minutes you're on the treadmill, you can slow down if need be or speed up if you feel you're going too slow. You'll have shin splints only if you run like you're angry at the ground, which used to be me, and over time it won't be much of a difference. Good luck on your 5k!

kjm3579

I tried to run using the C25K in the gym and had a horrible time with it. Then I tried to run on our local roads and it was just slightly better. Taking the advice of several people, I bought a pair or Vibram FiveFingers that were on sale and they made a big difference. The night they came, I put them on and was able to run for about 3/4 of a mile without feeling horrible. I currently run the same route approximately every two days and am now doing 3/4 to 1-1/4 mile each time. My goal now is to get better at those distances and then slowly increase the distance to get to the 5K goal. I'm hoping to be able to run a 5K this fall in my area.

knapowell

I have found running outdoors much easier on my body, the treadmill was horrible on my ankles. I did have a couple of weeks of adjustment to the road, but mostly because as someone else said, I was running like I was mad at the road. Outside, I can listen to my body, and adjust my pace as needed.