Treadmill v road

emmab0902

Has anyone here done both treadmill and road OR gone from treadmill to road and found much difference? I have recently got back into running and made it to 5k then had a sore knee so switched to treadmill for less impact. I put the incline at 1% and actually found treadmill at least equally difficult as the road. I have read that a 1% incline equates to road and that the research showing that treadmills are easier only relate to running at very high speeds ie 10mph +

From this chart it looks like at lower speeds there isn't much difference

http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_running/run_treadmill_chart.asp

hdlb

I had a huge shock when I went to road. It was incredibly hard (for me). I was running on the treadmill at a 1% incline, but after trying the outdoor running I find that 2.5% is the lowest I can go without losing the road feeling. But I'm also running outside in snow and ice, I imagine that makes a difference.

PaytraB

I trained on the treadmill and found a big difference when I went outdoors. It's much harder outside. I'm adjusting to it and enjoy the outdoors much more than the treadmill.

rduhlir

I think this differs from person to person. I started out on the treadmill and went to trail running, and found the transition to not be too hard. I actually am starting to find outside becoming easier than a treadmill.

romyhorse

I have read that a 1% incline equates to road and that the research showing that treadmills are easier only relate to running at very high speeds ie 10mph +

I would imagine this would only be the case if you were running on a perfectly level, perfectly straight road, and I have yet to find one of those!

johnlatte

I almost completely trained for my very first 5k on a treadmill. When I started running outside I could tell a huge difference. I changed the insoles in my shoes to keep the shin splints from happening and that helped a lot. It took a bit of time, but i got used to the road and it wasn't that bad. Fast forward about 6 years and I am back training on the treadmill again. But I will get back outside once it is less chilly in the AM. I'd rather run on the roads, but also like to keep warm. :happy:

Scar1964

I do both. I am fair weather (not serious) type. The wind has been blowing 20 to 30 mph and cold lately and I am not running in it, so I use treadmill on these days. The difference I experience is that I tend to try and run at a faster pace on the road for some reason. I would not discount the treadmill, but I would put in some road runs as well.

bttrthanevr

I had a huge shock when I went to road. It was incredibly hard (for me). I was running on the treadmill at a 1% incline, but after trying the outdoor running I find that 2.5% is the lowest I can go without losing the road feeling. But I'm also running outside in snow and ice, I imagine that makes a difference.

I had a similar shock when I switched from indoor (flat) track to road. The road kicked my butt. Hills, wind, 25-30 degree weather...Indoors made it too easy. So then I tried the treadmill at 1%...It was still not equal to the road, but it was more challenging than the track. However, I really disliked the dizzy feeling I had after running on the treadmill. So road for me if at all possible.

NareenaTheGypsy

I know that seeing the numbers on the treadmill keep me going... knowing it's been *exactly* 2 minutes since my last run, and another is coming soon, I can prepare a bit for it. I know that I can keep a steady running pace of 4.4 to 4.6mph on a treadmill, whereas there's no way to know my actual speed if I were running outside. I worry about all kinds of things running outside versus on the treadmill...
I am a very mental person, can anyone tell? LOL

sandi117

The first time I tried running outside, I started to get shin splints so I had to stop. I upped my treadmill incline to a minimum of 2%. I just ran for the first time outside since then, and did 3 miles fine. I had to walk a couple times during my run, but I did it. I think it helped that I picked an area that was relatively flat and what incline there was was very gradual. You'll be able to do it, just be patient.

anndmorg

I just finished week 3. I tried running outside today with a group and it was very, very difficult. I'm sure the pace was faster then when I'm on the treadmill and we started off going uphill. Needless to say I walked more then ran (or probably trotted is a better description). Planning on joining them next week and hopefully I'll be able to run a little further and faster.

brattyally82

It's funny, I think I'm the only person who is the opposite! I HATE treadmills- my jogs seem so much harder on them. I guess I've gotten used to being outside, having scenery, and being able to adjust my speed when I need to give myself a break for a minute. It seems like on the treadmill, there's *more* impact on my legs/knees and I'm just not able to find a "pace" that feels the same as my pace outdoors...

I wish I enjoyed treadmill running for the rainy, cold, yucky days but I think I'm just always going to be an outdoor jogger!

brattyally82

I know that seeing the numbers on the treadmill keep me going... knowing it's been *exactly* 2 minutes since my last run, and another is coming soon, I can prepare a bit for it. I know that I can keep a steady running pace of 4.4 to 4.6mph on a treadmill, whereas there's no way to know my actual speed if I were running outside. I worry about all kinds of things running outside versus on the treadmill...
I am a very mental person, can anyone tell? LOL

Those issues were easily solved for me with a GPS Nike watch (tracks distance and speed...and location) and a podcast with cues. I'm also someone though who does NOT want to watch my time. When I started getting into longer jogs (the first time I went through C25K), I found very quickly that I did MUCH better when I just listened to my music and distracted myself (from my achy calves) and didn't just watch the clock. So maybe that's another reason I'm so anti-treadmill!

There's just something about starting a 30 minute jog, getting an ache in one leg and then looking down at the time and seeing you've completed a whole 8 out of 30 minutes. No thanks!

NareenaTheGypsy

Those issues were easily solved for me with a GPS Nike watch (tracks distance and speed...and location) and a podcast with cues. I'm also someone though who does NOT want to watch my time. When I started getting into longer jogs (the first time I went through C25K), I found very quickly that I did MUCH better when I just listened to my music and distracted myself (from my achy calves) and didn't just watch the clock. So maybe that's another reason I'm so anti-treadmill!

There's just something about starting a 30 minute jog, getting an ache in one leg and then looking down at the time and seeing you've completed a whole 8 out of 30 minutes. No thanks!

I'm curious.. you mentioned a podcast with cues? You don't mean an actual podcast that cues you to walk, then run, etc do you? Or did you mean listening to a podcast while your app cues you to walk/run? I ask this absurd question because while I'm a serious tech geek, I have only recently started dabbling in listening to podcasts and I'm quite the newbie at them.

Julie_Donahue

I'm curious.. you mentioned a podcast with cues? You don't mean an actual podcast that cues you to walk, then run, etc do you? Or did you mean listening to a podcast while your app cues you to walk/run? I ask this absurd question because while I'm a serious tech geek, I have only recently started dabbling in listening to podcasts and I'm quite the newbie at them.

I use the free C25K app from Zen Labs. (iPhone, but I believe they have Android too). It gives me cues to run, walk, and cool down. AND, it allows me to use my playlists from within the app. (I can pause and skip the music).

vkmoorthy

I started off on the treadmill. On week 4 day 3 I ran outside. It was hard but from the second day onwards my body adjusted. I am on week 7 now and I alternate between treadmill and outside. It is not as much fun on the treadmill but it does help you run.

BigBigBertha

I was shocked by the difference between treadmill and road.

A couple of years ago I started using the treadmill in the gym a few times a week, and within a month or so I could run for at least an hour and a half on 1.5% incline between 7 and 10mph. When I decided to get back into running last month (after a two year break) but outdoors, I was shocked that I could barely run 800m at 4-5mph... It's taken me 7 weeks to be able to run for just 20mins in a row. I'd never go back to treadmill though, for me outdoors now feels more like 'real' running.

Edit: Oh, and I also got a knee injury from running on the treadmill, which running on uneven ground outside has cleared up!

AmandaW01

I think this is such a personal thing - I find that road running is so much easier than treadmill! I may not be able to do the kind of speed I can on the treadmill but the undulations, the breeze (or gale), the camber, it all adds to making things feel different every step - the treadmill is relentless... on and on and on.... it never changes, it just is what it is and what it is, for me, is much much harder! I was so scared to go road running as I'd heard that it was harder and all the horror stories about transition and I put it off for weeks - when I finally went out I came back feeling still fresh! I use both - the treadmill I can't just stop on and slow down, it keeps going unless I manually alter it so it pushes me much harder, the road gives me uphill, downhill and changing scenery :-)