Treadmill seems much harder!

joehempel

The past month my fiance and I have started with a gym. So this means I'm running on a treadmill for the first time.

I usually run at around 9:00 a mile at the moment, but when I step on the treadmill, even 10:00 seems like a huge effort! Then when I move it to 9:00 a mile, there doesn't really seem to be much of a change at all! It's even easier sometimes!

But I seem to tire out a lot easier running on a treadmill than in the outdoors.....can someone explain this to me? LOL.

Its not endurance, I can keep my endurance up, did 6 miles in 53 minutes on it....but it just seemed so much harder haha

Crazy4Healthy

I hate treadmill running, used to love it until I started running outdoors. For me, I think it's because it forces your pace. When I run outside, I may average a 9:00 mile, but I know I'm not always running that. On the treadmill, you will run that until you change it. For me, it also screws up my natural stride, I have more freedom outside. On the treadmill my feet can only move so close or far apart because of the limitations of the space on the treadmill. Just my two cents.

BrianSharpe

I hate treadmill running, used to love it until I started running outdoors. For me, I think it's because it forces your pace. When I run outside, I may average a 9:00 mile, but I know I'm not always running that. On the treadmill, you will run that until you change it. For me, it also screws up my natural stride, I have more freedom outside. On the treadmill my feet can only move so close or far apart because of the limitations of the space on the treadmill. Just my two cents.

^^^ Agreed - it's a mental thing.

RGv2

IDK if it's a mental thing.

I was a steady sub 21 min 5k runner and couldn't run 3.2 on a treadmill under 24.

I forced a hard pace at 8-8.5mph over that time and never felt like I was running harder in my 5k's

joehempel

sub 21 5k? sheesh! I'm happy to hit under 27! lol.

junipearl

Treadmill seems so much easier to me than running outside! Maybe it just depends what you are used to?!
Or treadmill seems more laborious because of the lack of change in scenery?
OR you change your pace more often outside whereas the treadmill forces you to stay at a constant speed?

Weird that we'd have opposite perceptions.

joehempel

The weirdest thing for me is I feel no different when I run 10 minutes a mile compared to 9:30 compared to 8:57.

I only feel it more when I got down to about 8:45-8:30 minute per mile.