treadmill/running outside

Sinope82
Sinope82 Posts: 108 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi all,

I've been running on & off for 18 months or so now, outside only at first as i did not have access to a treadmill but i finally got round to buying one towards the end of last year.

I had a couple of months off running due to injury and then started to slowly started to ease myself back into it in January using my shiny new treadmill as the weather here has been awful.

Anyway to cut a long story short i'm now training for my first half marathon in September (what was i thinking) so i'm increasing the distance of my long runs each week and i'm back running outside where ever possible. I was expecting to really struggle going back on the road as all the posts i've read seem to say that running outside is harder, hilly roads/wind etc and that people tend to be quicker on the treadmill.

However, i'm finding completely the opposite, yes my legs are aching more but my outdoor runs have all been my longer runs so i'd expect that but i seem to be less out of breath (other than going up my favorite hill!!!) Also i'm quicker by around a minute per mile.

I wondered if any of you runners could shed any light on why this might be? Although i've run on & off for a while the furthest i've gone up to now is 10k (6.2mile) so i still count myself as a newbie and i want to be sure im doing everything i can to help me get to my goal of running the full half marathon while minimizing the risk of injuring myself so any tips/insight/advice would be greatly appreciated

Thank

Sarah

Replies

  • Jenneffinier
    Jenneffinier Posts: 16 Member
    Maybe for you the outdoors helps you mentally vs on the deadmill?? I know personally I find it easier to run further and faster on a treadmill but I much prefer my run outside! Wish warmer weather would hurry up though
  • KristiRTT
    KristiRTT Posts: 346 Member
    I had some aches when I first transitioned outside, but now i can go from treadmill to pavement without noticing a difference. My pace feels slower outside, but I keep the same ranges as on the mill. However a year ago I was faster outside than indoors. Personally i spend as little time as possible on the mill, but this winter has made outside runs hard, too much ice. I will run in any temperature, one of my profile pics is from a 4 mile run in -25f windchill, but I refuse to run on ice, I am training for a marathon and cannot get injured!
  • Samstan101
    Samstan101 Posts: 699 Member
    I find running outside much much easier than on the treadmill. I think its a number of factors - the changing terrain outside means my stride and speed natuarally alter rather than running at a constant speed with the same stride pattern on the treadmill, boredom on the treadmill makes me more aware of every ache and pain plus my breathing so I feel tired quicker than outside when I go with the flow and enjoy the countryside rather than being totally self absorbed. I think these are the main reasons so one physical and one mental.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I find outside easier too. I'm faster there, it's more comfortable, and WAY more interesting.
  • Jotis1983
    Jotis1983 Posts: 48
    On long runs, I find that running outside works better for me. I thnk it is the change of scenery and the natural air that makes it better for me. My times are always faster than I plan when outside and I always feel better with less soreness after running outside. I still like to do my interval training on my treadmill though, just because I can be exact about my times and speed.

    On long runs, I will even run outside in the rain before staying indoors on a treadmill.
  • queenofozfitness
    queenofozfitness Posts: 21
    I don't notice that much of a difference, whether it is outside or on the Dreadmill! I use the app Zombie Run to keep my find off of the actual running, and just listen to the story/music on the app.

    I do run faster outside, but tend to go a shorter distance, wheras on the treadmill I go at a steady pace and for longer distance.

    Good luck with your running, OP! Sounds like you're making fantabulous progress. :)
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
    I cannot hit the paces i can outside on the treadmill. And I've tried. I was using the mill for my speed workouts but it really was working because I couldn't get enough variations in my speed. So i stopped that. But I do most of my running outside so it makes sense that it would be easier for me. Running on the treadmill makes you better at running on the treadmill. Running outside makes you better at running outside.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
    Okay, so, I hate running outside. Where I live it's just unsafe anyway as the town managers have never heard of sidewalks or jogging paths. Honestly I wouldn't run outside even if we had a place to go.

    When running on a treadmill, you usually run at a steady pace, right? Then, if you need to slow down or speed up, you have to do so manually. When running outside, you adjust your pace unconsciously, going slower when you need to and speeding up when you can. I think that might be at least part of the answer.
  • kimbisek
    kimbisek Posts: 2
    I never run on a treadmill, can't stand the thing, but I run laps on an indoor track when it is awful outside. I find running outside easier and faster. My pace per mile is at least a minute faster when running outside vs inside. I think it is because of fresh air vs recycled stale air.

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