Question for runners

emmab0902

How do you make treadmill running more equivalent to road running?? I have heard some people say set it at 1% incline (or 2%) but others say that's not true. Or is it just impossible to replicate and do I have to accept that treadmill will always be the poor cousin in terms of effort, fitness and endurance building? The weather here is on the downwards slide and I have just begun running so want to keep it up over the colder months so the treadmill at the gym will be a necessary part of that for me.

tehzephyrsong

The treadmill is pushing your feet back for you; you don't have to overcome inertia like you do with outdoor/track running, which can affect your form. Setting it at an incline helps some, but at the core of it, they're not the same thing. That said, treadmill running is a fine way to keep up your running ability until it warms up enough to go outside, if you're not yet totally sold on it as the sport for you. Just be aware that you'll need time to adjust to running outside versus on a treadmill, and don't get discouraged if you can't run as long or as fast on the road as you can on the treadmill. If you're doing a C25K type program, go back a week or two when you move outside.