Half training on treadmill

Sweettart

I love running on my treadmill over running outside. I am almost one couch to 10k and then I will be starting to train for my first half marathon.

Have you ever trained for a half on a treadmill?

Sweettart

No one has done this before?

joannezuk

I have. It's definitely not ideal. The treadmill is a stable surface with no cracks, turns, wind, people cutting you off, etc. TO truly prepare for the half, you do need to run outside, even if you only do your weekly long run outside.

It's very common that you won't be able to run outside as quickly as you do on the treadmill. Part of this can be calibration - not all treadmills are calibrated accurately...the same pace can feel fast or slow on different treadmills. The other part is that running outside is simply harder - your body needs to work more to be able to run the same pace. As a result, your heart rate is higher, your breathing more laboured. Mostly, this is due to the terrain. When running on the treadmill, basically, only your big muscles do the work - glutes, hams, quads, calves. But when you're outside, all of the small muscles, tendons and ligaments have to work to stablize your body. Overall, it's a harder workout. But it better prepares you for race day.

Can you prepare to run the half by running strictly on the tm? Yes, of course. But don't expect your time to be nearly as fast as what you can run indoors. And expect to be much more sore after the race than you were after any training run.

My advice - at the very least, do your long run, and ideally at least one more run outside. I find it particularly effective to do speedwork on the treadmill...you don't have to worry about terrain or cars.

The treadmill is great, as it's predictable. But the more you run outside, I think, the more you come to appreciate it. I love running outdoors - the challenges of hills, the wind, and seeing other runners en route.

If you're looking for a runner friend, feel free to add me. I've done one full and 10 or 11 half marathons since 2006. So I'm pretty current on training methods. I also LOVE running, so if you need a cheerleader, I'm a good one.

sheri02r

@joannezuk- That sounds like great advice!

LilRedRooster

I haven't done it, but I know many people do their primary running to prep for their half or full marathons on treadmills. Actually, I remember reading several years ago that Kerri Strug prepared for her first Boston marathon with mostly treadmill runs, and only a few outdoors, because she didn't have time otherwise. It worked for her, and she put up a decent time.

That being said, I agree the other poster about treadmill running not being the best way to prep you for what it'll feel like running on the road for that long. The different surface will slow you down, and will use up more energy, which you'll definitely feel during the race. If you can even get in a few longer runs outside, just to get your body somewhat used to what it feels like to run on the road, you'll be much better prepared overall for the challenges you'll face when you hit the pavement.

mum23boys

I have trained using mostly treadmill for 2 half marathons. I found that going from treadmill to outdoors hard, not because it was harder to run, but I really grew to love running on a treadmill. I only head outdoors when the weather is nice (I'm scared to run in winter in the cold and on icy ground) and I do grow to enjoy it (as the sring/summer progresses), but I do like the treadmill experience as well. When I first started out I was told to run with a .5-1.5 incline and this would help to give more bounce, making it easier on your joints. I run with a 2.0 incline and I find with working harder on the treadmill it makes the transition to outdoors not too bad. With both my halfs I had a goal in mind based on what I ran on the treadmill and my few long runs leading up to the races. With both halfs I ran faster than I had expected, taking my time down by 13+ minutes.
If you have some great locations for running outdoors (running/biking paths) nothing beats being outside - but it took me a long time to get to that thought. Both work so do what you enjoy for now and you can always try new run options as you go. All the best as you prepare for your first half!

Sweettart

Thx for your imput. Ill start running more outside and hope to grow the love of running outside.

I do run at a 1%. incline when running on the treadmill.

neverstray

No one is mentioning the obvious. The treadmill moves your feet for you. When running outside, you actually have to move them yourself (lol). It's completely different.

The treadmill is good for cardio, but not for running, IMO.