Faster Outside or In?

NinaSharp
NinaSharp Posts: 101 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
I am currently training for a half marathon and mix running indoors and out. My neighborhood isn't the safest and I don't have time before or after work to run outdoors without being pitch black. So during the week, I run on a treadmill at the gym. My weekend runs are longer and done outdoors. The odd thing, is I'm noticing I seem to be faster outdoors, which I don't understand. I ran a race for thanks giving and got 11:30 minutes per mile at one point, and I felt fine, like I wasn't going fast at all. I realize it could have been adrenaline, but even non race days, I'm still at 12:30 per mile. Running on the treadmill is the exact opposite, I cannot get myself past 4.4 mph which is the equivalent of 13:56 per mile. Does this happen to anyone else?

Replies

  • Glossberg
    Glossberg Posts: 40 Member
    I'm the same way. I live in Michigan so I run at the gym November through February. My times are typically always a little faster outside.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    It's a common phenomenon. The decreased stability of a treadmill vs solid ground is one hypothesis I've read to explain why that is.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,743 Member
    I am also faster outside. I think for me it's that I feel like there is less room to run on the TM so I take smaller steps.
  • NinaSharp
    NinaSharp Posts: 101 Member
    stealthq wrote: »
    It's a common phenomenon. The decreased stability of a treadmill vs solid ground is one hypothesis I've read to explain why that is.

    Ok, this makes me feel far better. I think I'll just save speedwork for spring.
  • niblue
    niblue Posts: 339 Member
    I'm faster outside (and it seems less hard work) - suspect it's either boredom on the treadmill or overheating.
  • curlsintherack
    curlsintherack Posts: 465 Member
    I go the other way. I hate the dreadmill so when I have to run on it I crank my pace up as far as I can stand it and go as hard as I can sustain over the distance. my comfortable outdoor pace is 10 to 10:30 per mile but I force my treadmill time down to around 9:00. I'll sometimes even run my entire five miles on a very slight grade. Outside I always have traffic, people talking to me(small town), and of course every direction I go from home is up a hill to start the run.

    another thing could be my music level its barely on outside for the same reasons as above but indoors I can crank it, zone out, and go.
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    NinaSharp wrote: »
    I am currently training for a half marathon and mix running indoors and out. My neighborhood isn't the safest and I don't have time before or after work to run outdoors without being pitch black. So during the week, I run on a treadmill at the gym. My weekend runs are longer and done outdoors. The odd thing, is I'm noticing I seem to be faster outdoors, which I don't understand. I ran a race for thanks giving and got 11:30 minutes per mile at one point, and I felt fine, like I wasn't going fast at all. I realize it could have been adrenaline, but even non race days, I'm still at 12:30 per mile. Running on the treadmill is the exact opposite, I cannot get myself past 4.4 mph which is the equivalent of 13:56 per mile. Does this happen to anyone else?

    Have you thought of purchasing a light(s) so you could run outside at night after work?

    You can still do speedwork on the TM. Effort is effort, so don't worry about just the mph. Work the various HR Zones in your intervals on the TM knowing that it will pay handsome dividends.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    Faster out...dreadmill is a huge dread, cannot empathize that enough for me.
  • aspencompton
    aspencompton Posts: 5 Member
    I'm definitely faster outside (but I'm generally slow no matter what my surroundings are). For me, I think it's mental. I see a speed on the TM and think it'll be too hard, so I sell myself short.
  • SLLeask
    SLLeask Posts: 489 Member
    I'm much faster INSIDE, but that's probably because I live in a really hilly place, so actually there are no flat places to compare an average speed on similar ground.
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