Treadmill vs. street running

sfcrocker · November 2017

With winter coming, I'm probably going to have days when I'm running on a treadmill instead of outside. Given that a treadmill is easier (or seems easier at the same pace, anyway), how much faster should I run on a treadmill to keep the exercise the rough equivalent of street running?

brendanwhite84 · November 2017

I think the difference in perceived intensity is due to strain on your legs and feet. I checked some old records of two comparable runs, one on street and one on treadmill, and my average heart rate only differed by 1 BPM.

fitoverfortymom · November 2017

To me the biggest difference is more in the incline and wind resistance. If you must run on a treadmill, turn on the fan and add anywhere between 2-3% incline to simulate street conditions.

I had a treadmill day this week for the first time in a long time and it was dreadfully worse than bundling up and running in the cold.

sfcrocker · November 2017

@brendanwhite84 Interesting...I will have to do this comparison. I don't mind running in cold, but not so much in rain when it gets slippery.

Janice6543 · November 2017

I feel like I work harder on the treadmill than outside. No breaks at lights or slowing down to pass people etc. Just run at least a portion of your treadmill run at a modest elevation.

Duck_Puddle · November 2017

I don’t notice much difference except the treadmill is dead steady and road has some pace variation for a million reasons. But overall, looking at general averages over the length of a run, there’s not a lot of difference in HR or how it feels. It’s said that putting the TM at 1% incline Better simulates road running. I would do that before attempting to run faster. Although I would do neither to start with and just see how it plays out. The TM is mentally tough if you’re not used to it. The wall is not fantastic scenery.

TimothyFish · November 2017

brendanwhite84 wrote: »

I think the difference in perceived intensity is due to strain on your legs and feet. I checked some old records of two comparable runs, one on street and one on treadmill, and my average heart rate only differed by 1 BPM.

Heart rate doesn't measure energy expenditure. Just the difference in temperature from inside versus outside can make a significant difference.

Jthanmyfitnesspal · November 2017

Hmm. HR is a pretty good measure of effort, and mine is about the same. But I agree that it seems easier. Some of it could be that the deck is a bit springy, so it's slightly less jarring, and I, for one, get less sore.

Hey, I just feel it out. If I can do a bit more, I speed up.

fitoverfortymom · November 2017

@sfcrocker I also am fearful of ice and slipping. That's what sends me to the treadmill for sure. I wear glasses so precipitation is also a pain.

OldAssDude · November 2017

I would rather run in a blizzard than on a treadmill. 1 minutes seems like an hour, plus i feel awkward. Like I'm not really running, but just keeping up with a belt, and every step feels exactly the same.

I think the unevenness of the ground, and up/down hills is much better for developing the running muscles. And trail running takes that to a whole other level.

Unknown · November 2017

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spiriteagle99 · November 2017

I find it much harder to run on the TM. I end up having to run about a minute per mile slower on the TM than outside. My HR and breathing are much higher and it feels like I'm sprinting rather than jogging. I used to do a lot of running on the TM, but haven't had to do that much for months. I hope that I will get used to it again.

Be careful about not keeping the incline high. You want to vary the incline, including flat and downhill if you have a machine that does that, or you're likely to get injured. Knees especially don't like constant steep ups.

girlwithcurls2 · November 2017

Maybe look into trail shoes. I live in Oregon and spend a lot of my running time in the rain. It's not too slippery. I'm a trail runner (which can be slippery if it's muddy or times like now, when the trails are covered in newly fallen leaves),but I take that into account as I run. I can't run on a treadmill. My center of gravity is nonexistant. I actually fall off treadmills. If you enjoy running outdoors, I'd invest in shoes with some grip. As for rain and glasses, the ONLY time I wear contacts is for runs in the rain. I keep them for that exact purpose.

delvin2 · November 2017

TM is mentally taxing to me. I’ve always read that adjustments to the incline can give similar results. When I lived in Syracuse, I just geared up and hit the outdoors. I was good for any temp above 20 degrees. Layers, layers, layers. Now in Florida, I have the opposite issue.

The beauty of running is the freedom it provides. TMs are too confining. I call it the DREADmill.

DX2JX2 · November 2017

I actually find running on the treadmill harder than street running. My HR and paces would say otherwise, but I always feel like I'm expending more effort than I should on a TM.

only6icecubes · November 2017

Just a couple of quick thoughts.

1. Don't worry about pace, just run on feel.
2. Don't incline the TM. This will only cause injury. Nobody runs for an hour going up hill. Remember that you're not trying to replicate outside, you're just trying to run your mileage/time.
3. The TM does not move your feet. If that were true we could all set the pace to 4:34 and break 2 hours in the marathon.
4. Running on a TM is not easier. You can test this theory. Go out and run for an hour outside. Then run for an hour on a treadmill the next day. I'm pretty sure it's going to feel like a 60 minute run on both days.
5. 80% of your running should be easy runs. 20% would be workouts. That's if you're training for a race. If not, then all your runs are easy. Running on a TM is easier on your body. Less impact.
6. Pros run on TMs. They do it to recover from injuries and to avoid them. The surface is more forgiving than the road.
7. Pace training on a TM is really good. If you have to do mile repeats at a certain pace, just set it and go. No cheating, no slacking. Either keep up or get shot out the backside of the TM.

So to compare running on a TM to road running is no different from comparing road running to trail running. They're all different. What they all have in common is that they're all RUNNING. And that is really the only thing that matters.

Bonus:
There are well paid, elite, Olympic runners in this country and other countries that run on treadmills. But not in the Riff Valley. They don't have treadmills there.

MelanieCN77 · November 2017

Make sure to set aside time for hip flexor stretches if you're not used to a treadmill. It stresses the muscles in almost the opposite fashion to street running where you're moving your bodyweight.

Heatherthecyclist · November 2017

The whole ‘run on an incline to simulate outside’ thing is really old school. I don’t think anyone recommends that any more. It just stresses the Achilles in different ways and causes other problems. If you’re finding it too easy, just up the pace a bit so effort level feels the same, treadmills are all calibrated differently.

nowine4me · November 2017

bcalvanese wrote: »

I would rather run in a blizzard than on a treadmill. 1 minutes seems like an hour, plus i feel awkward. Like I'm not really running, but just keeping up with a belt, and every step feels exactly the same.

I think the unevenness of the ground, and up/down hills is much better for developing the running muscles. And trail running takes that to a whole other level.

I have run in two hurricanes to avoid the treadmill.

GottaBurnEmAll · November 2017

I find it more difficult to run on the treadmill in that the natural fluctuations that happen with my pace out on the street can't happen intuitively on it.

fishgutzy · November 2017

I recall reading that one must do 2:1 treadmill vs real world distance when flat.
Inclined treadmill can correct for this.
The issue that the tread is moving toward you thus reducing the effort to cover distance.

SoulOfALion5 · November 2017

Road running all the time.

Jthanmyfitnesspal · November 2017

JerSchmare wrote: »

There’s a huge difference. The treadmill moves your feet for you. In the street, you have to propel yourself forward. I don’t know why people don’t understand how the mechanics are totally different.

I have observed only a small difference in HR at similar speeds outdoors vs. treadmill. I might be able to run a few tenths of a MPH faster on the treadmill, and it feels pretty darned similar to running any flat course. Not sure why the mechanics would be significantly different. Sir Issac Newton would equate the two as being mechanically indistinguishable (although there are some small differences).

stanmann571 · November 2017

TM makes me nervous, because one misstep means I'm eating the floor/wall/treadmill behind me. vs on the road where I just stumble and keep going.

Philtex · November 2017

only6icecubes wrote: »

2. Don't incline the TM. This will only cause injury. Nobody runs for an hour going up hill. Remember that you're not trying to replicate outside, you're just trying to run your mileage/time.
3. The TM does not move your feet. If that were true we could all set the pace to 4:34 and break 2 hours in the marathon.
4. Running on a TM is not easier. You can test this theory. Go out and run for an hour outside. Then run for an hour on a treadmill the next day. I'm pretty sure it's going to feel like a 60 minute run on both days.

So to compare running on a TM to road running is no different from comparing road running to trail running. They're all different. What they all have in common is that they're all RUNNING. And that is really the only thing that matters.

Great myth-busting post. I run on the TM all summer and that works just fine for me. Miles are miles.

mph323 · November 2017

I find the treadmill feels easier than running on the road, but my road runs usually come in faster, so I guess without the speed regulation I'm pushing harder on the road. I use my treadmill runs to challenge myself to run x number of minutes a little faster than the previous workout. Outdoors I try to run a little further each time at a pace that feels slower to me (but a lot of times ends up being faster - go figure).

I don't find the treadmill particularly boring, but it's because I zone into my music and get into a state where my mind is focused internally and not on how many minutes I have left before I can stop. A couple of times I've run right past whatever time limit I set for myself.

I've only been running for about 5 months though, so take that into consideration...

Unknown · November 2017

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Jthanmyfitnesspal · November 2017

I guess this is the perfect time to ask if anyone else has tried a woodway. It turns out that my corporate gym bought one several months ago (not sure why). Hardly anyone uses it because they're used to the powered treadmill, but the point is that it is un-powered and thus goes at whatever pace you set. Also, the belt is curved to match your stride. (It has to be curved also to keep you in once place, as it is un-powered.)

Like everyone else, my time is very short and I would really need to set aside an hour or more to even know if it could be something I'd like. Maybe I'll get around to it sometime!

https://www.woodway.com/products/curve

Treadmill vs. street running

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