C25k- Treadmill ONLY. Start over outside? What to do?

Just_Alyssa · July 2012

Ok, I'm in week 8 of C25k. It's not been easy. I still feel like I want to die sometimes when running. :sad: I am proud of myself for this because I've never been able to run and am VERY prone to quitting/backing off when faced with hard exercising. However, I have done it only on a treadmill. Luckily (?) for me, my treadmill's lowest setting for incline is 1.5% which I have heard is (sort of) comparable to outside. I'm pretty scared to transition outside (see above- not a runner/prone to quitting).

I was looking for opinions/advice on how to transition... Should I keep doing my long runs on the treadmill and then supplement with a small "try" outside? Should I wait to graduate and start the whole program over strictly outside? Should I suck it up and just get off the treadmill now and try outside even though I'm up to 25 min of straight running?

I have to decide soon because I'm going to be away from a treadmill for vacation.

Thanks for reading! I appreciate any suggestions!

scottb81 · July 2012

There is very little difference between running on a treadmill and running outside. Most of that difference is mental.

There is no need to start over. Do some of the runs outside and know that you already have built the fitness to finish them.

Do not let your mind defeat you!

abnerner · July 2012

Don't start over. Just add in some outside running. But start off slow outside. To me, there was a difference, the uneven ground, the heat/humidity, etc. But it's not impossible, it'll just take a little bit of training, JUST like when you started inside.

mpankratz79 · July 2012

I agree...just do it. You will probably surprise you self on how well you do. I love mapmyrun.com for vacation runs. Good luck and you got this.

idream2bgwen · July 2012

I started with running on a treadmill at the gym and then started running outside. To me there was a huge difference...maybe it is mostly mental but I also have bad knees so I think that made a difference. Don't start over. I say finish it inside and then see where you are and attempt it outside. Don't be too down on yourself if you do it differently and not exactly how you did it on the treadmill. Good luck and great job!

phillieschic · July 2012

There is a HUGE difference. Running outside takes work to get used to if all you have ever really known is the treadmill.

Start small and don't get discouraged if you don't feel like you can can as far as you normally would on the treadmill. Being persistent is the key.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

hypotrochoid · July 2012

The biggest difference is going to be hills. Even running on an incline you're not going to have the up and down of normal terrain on a treadmill. That being said- I'm doing C25K too and I can run longer outside than I can on a treadmill. For me, it's because I get bored and then it's a chore to push through the treadmill workout.

So, try it. It may be harder, or not, depending on the lay of the land where you're running. You may also find yourself going either slower or faster than your treadmill pace since you don't have the machine to regulate you. Still, totally worth it. And no reason to start over.

Have fun!

tmtolbert · July 2012

i run most of my runs on a treadmill with saturday being my outside run day. at first running outside was hard for me because i found that i would be running way too fast and not even realizing it. running on a treadmill helped me build up my endurance to run for longer and longer stretches of time, but i love running outside so much better! when you start running outside just keep telling yourself to go slow and steady. if you get winded very quickly it is probably because you are naturally running faster than you do on the treadmill. when i run outside now i feel like i am going at a nice slow controlled pace, and it is still much faster than i would run on the treadmill! good luck! you can do it and it only gets easier over time!

meshashesha2012 · July 2012

i personally think there's a big difference between running on a treadmill and running outdoors. For me, my stride is much different plus there's a big difference in the push off since outside i propel myself forward (and therefore use more power) than i do on a treadmill. My speed is also affected (i run faster and smoother outdoors than on a treadmill). Even going the same distance, at the end of an outdoor run i can definitely tell that i've engaged my hip and calf muscles more than on the treadmill, and it's not like the loop i take is particularly hilly

anyway, yeah it sucks to have to start over, but you might not be as far behind as you think. you're probably not going to have to start all over from week 1, but you might have to drop back a little and work your way back up.

dont worry about it though. it's definitely worth it.

Just_Alyssa · July 2012

Thank you all SO much for the encouragement and advice.

I think posting here was the best thing that I could have done for my training. Everybody's suggestions & experience were great and it held me accountable since it was in print.

I did NOT start over. I just went outside this morning and walked up my hill until I found a relatively flat-ish route and planned to just do what I could. I did not bring my C25k app so I wouldn't be pressured to do it all (25 min run is what I'm on).

Two things I learned: 1. Slow is ok. The pace my short legs are used to and can handle feels like a snails pace outside but that's ok. 2. I can run 17 minutes straight outside! (probably more but I was back at my house and had to get a kid to camp)

Yay for Couch to 5k!

RenovatingSuzanne · July 2012

congrats on overcoming. Good for you.

the big difference I found was that not knowing how fast I was running outside I took off and didn't keep the pace up for very long. I need to be able to learn to pace myself without looking down at the treadmill display.

C25k- Treadmill ONLY. Start over outside? What to do?

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