Treadmill Miles

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dirtchick97
dirtchick97 Posts: 58
in Fitness and Exercise
Just curious as to why it takes me longer to clock miles on the treadmill then it does for me to run outside? Anyone have any suggestions? I have got to the point that when I run on the treadmill I just run time vs. running miles.

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  • kfraz33
    kfraz33 Posts: 27 Member
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    Just curious as to why it takes me longer to clock miles on the treadmill then it does for me to run outside? Anyone have any suggestions? I have got to the point that when I run on the treadmill I just run time vs. running miles.


    I have wondered this same thing, it is one of the reasons that I do not like to run on the treadmill!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    You could increase the speed on the treadmill to match what you run outside. I find I can go faster on the treadmill than outside, unless it is a race, then outside I tend to go faster.
  • cherub_72
    cherub_72 Posts: 45 Member
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    Just curious as to why it takes me longer to clock miles on the treadmill then it does for me to run outside? Anyone have any suggestions? I have got to the point that when I run on the treadmill I just run time vs. running miles.

    I don't know the answer but I am sure glad that I was not the only one that noticed this. I thought it was just me being slow.
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
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    My treadmill is cheap and I am pretty sure that the distance and speed are incorrectly calibrated. Running with the speed set at my normal pace has me winded and tired very quickly.
  • Nettabee
    Nettabee Posts: 296 Member
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    So it's not just me! I always feel I don't get as much distance on the treadmill than outside...
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
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    For me it is as follows:

    Mental dedication for me on a treadmill only lasts about 30 minutes. Sometimes I can squeeze out 45, but never more than that.

    The treadmills may not be correctly calibrated for distance, particularly in a busy gym getting a lot of use. This being the main reason for many people.

    I naturally run faster outdoors. I don't know if again this is a mental thing or not. i do know my outdoor pace is a full minute/mile faster.

    I'm sure there is an exact reason, I just don't know what it is and can only offer my observation based on my experiences.

    Happy Running!
  • raisealittlehell
    raisealittlehell Posts: 341 Member
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    Treadmills run at a constant speed, there is no variance to it unless you up or lower the speed. When you run outside you automatically adjust your pace for things like hills, crossing streets, etc.

    I have always found for myself that running on a treadmill I run slower than I run outside. Partially I think its due to boredom and seeing the time and miles in front of me psychs me out into thinking I cant run as far or as fast. But also because of the lack of speed adjustment/variance.

    If you have an indoor track available try running on that on days when you have to run inside- that is what I do and it keeps me more honest about the miles/times that I run so when I get to hit the pavement again I feel better.
  • KeithAngilly
    KeithAngilly Posts: 575 Member
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    treadmills are almost always incorrect..I agree that time would be a better measure. I use a footpod and also a heart rate strap. The footpod isn't the most accurate thing in the world either, but when I look at my effort (heart rate), I can get pretty close to a workout I get outside. I think the most important thing is to not obsess over the calibration details and just make sure the time and effort is there.
  • sjaplo
    sjaplo Posts: 974 Member
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    Treadmills run at a constant speed, there is no variance to it unless you up or lower the speed. When you run outside you automatically adjust your pace for things like hills, crossing streets, etc.

    I have always found for myself that running on a treadmill I run slower than I run outside. Partially I think its due to boredom and seeing the time and miles in front of me psychs me out into thinking I cant run as far or as fast. But also because of the lack of speed adjustment/variance.

    If you have an indoor track available try running on that on days when you have to run inside- that is what I do and it keeps me more honest about the miles/times that I run so when I get to hit the pavement again I feel better.

    This

    And there are more stimuli outside which can encourage you to run faster - sometimes too fast and you hit the anerobic zone too quickly. I like treadmills because I can play with the speed - yesterday my workout was;

    - 5 min warm up at 6mph
    - increase speed by 2 mph every 2 min until 7mph
    - back to 6mph for 1 min
    - increase speed by 2mph every 1 min until 7mpg
    - back to 6mph for 30sec
    - increase speed by 2mph every 30 sec until can't go anymore - in this case 30sec @ 8mph.

    I like outside when its about 6C+ and sunny - however - I live on top of a mountain so every where I go I have to do hill repeats! :laugh:

    Another note on the treadmill concerning Runner's Worlds article on incline. I still set mine to 1degree until the last 5min of my workout - there is a greater "perceived" effort for me.
  • TLwineguzzler
    TLwineguzzler Posts: 289 Member
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    So does this mean that when I managed 5km on the treadmill (which nearly killed me!) that I'd probably run further?!
  • pandsmomCheryl
    pandsmomCheryl Posts: 168 Member
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    Ugh I despise running on the "dreadmill" but have been forced to log so many miles indoors this winter. Massachusetts has had one snow storm after the other and in my opinion it is not currently safe to run outdoors. I miss running outside so much! I completely agree with you about the miles going so much slower on the treadmill. I wear my HRM to gauge my effort (some days I want to run easy, sometimes I want to push it) and go by time, and try not to focus on the distance. That'll be more of a focus after the big melt...which hopefully happens any day now....good job getting it in any way you can. :-)
  • dirtchick97
    dirtchick97 Posts: 58
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    Thanks everyone for all the input! My time is way different than outside, I am not a fast runner by no means but hey at least I am running. I did a 5k a couple of weekends ago and I ran a 12 minute mile but when I run on the treadmill its more like a 15 minute mile. It use to discourage me, but not so much anymore. Think I will stick to timed running for now. I started training for a 10k and I am pretty excited about that!
  • 123bonfire
    123bonfire Posts: 4 Member
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    I have a cadence sensor ( a little pod you put on your shoe that syncs with my watch) I use on the treadmill to log my runs. It counts that in fact I run further than what the treadmill reports and faster as well. I always use my watch because when I'm out on trail and it's using the GPS it is correct in distance and is calibrated to my stride. I use it indoors without the GPS and it tells me I'm running much further than the treadmill says I am. It adds up over time but in 25 minutes I can run 3.1 miles consistently. However the treadmill will report I've only run 2.75 or 2.8 miles which I know isn't true. I think it has to do with cadence, stride length and the treadmill not being calibrated correctly.
  • dirtchick97
    dirtchick97 Posts: 58
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    Does anyone know of an app that I can put on my phone that would keep up with distance while I am running on the treadmill? I haven't been able to find one.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
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    Does anyone know of an app that I can put on my phone that would keep up with distance while I am running on the treadmill? I haven't been able to find one.

    Nike + tracks for treadmill without the foot pod. I did however find that wasn't close to accurate either. I purchased a Garmin HRM, Foot Pod and Cadence sensor to use with my phone. Works pretty good for indoors, seems way more accurate than Nike or the treadmill.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    If calibrated, treadmills should be very accurate, probably more-so than GPS devise when running outside. The tread is just a certain length and it spins x speed, so pretty easy calc for the treadmill to make.
  • KeithAngilly
    KeithAngilly Posts: 575 Member
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    ultimately, the only truly accurate equipment is a wheel on the ground and a stopwatch...both properly calibrated, of course :laugh:

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