Running advice
capaul42
Posts: 1,390 Member
I'm only just starting out and am treadmilling it for the most part due to crappy cold weather and no winter running gear. I do make sure my incline is at a minimum of 2.5 on my runs but also know that 5k on a treadmill does not equal 5k on the road.
So...how far would be normal for a treadmill run to equal 5k outside.
So...how far would be normal for a treadmill run to equal 5k outside.
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Replies
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5k is 5k, it is a measurement.
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^ThisRuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »5k is 5k, it is a measurement.
Except, I think what you might be referring to is how it "feels" to run outside vs. running on a treadmill. When I was using a treadmill I did find it went a lot easier than doing the same time/distance/speed outdoors, due to weather conditions, wind, and really, lots of other factors. If you're trying to make it so outdoor runs aren't a huge shock when you can run outside again, I would think switching up your incline between lower and higher inclines, would help imitate the difference in terrain one is likely to encounter. You could also get one of those giant shop fans to blow on your at high speed to get some resistance in.
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RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »5k is 5k, it is a measurement.
This.
It's just easier on a treadmill because there's no weather or changing surfaces etc to contend with.0 -
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Yeah, there are differences between running outside and running on a treadmill but I think it's a waste of effort and time to try to quantify the differences and somehow replicate them inside. When weather or other factors cause you to run inside, just focus on having the best treadmill runs you can. 5K is 5K whether you do it inside or outside. It's other factors that are different.2
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The distance is the same. A 1% incline should be similar to running outside. Wind resistance etc. But more incline is excellent. I'm a big fan of hill tempos.0
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I do mean the "feeling". I can do 5k on the treadmill at 2.5 incline easily. Outside, even on relatively even surface, I can barely do a couple hundred meters without trouble. Granted it was cold and windy and my first time ever attempting a 5k outside but still.
Maybe I'm just over thinking it.1 -
I do mean the "feeling". I can do 5k on the treadmill at 2.5 incline easily. Outside, even on relatively even surface, I can barely do a couple hundred meters without trouble. Granted it was cold and windy and my first time ever attempting a 5k outside but still.
Maybe I'm just over thinking it.
Are you pacing yourself properly? Some people like the treadmill because it sets the pace and you just go with it.
When you are running outside, start slower than you think you need to. You also just need to push through the beginning part. When I run, the first mile or so is pretty crummy. After that, my legs loosen and I find my rhythm and the run becomes easy.6 -
I see them as two different kinds of training, both with benefits.
Outside there's hills and wind (and sun and rain and hail) etc., but it's also more enjoyable and scenic and I can speed up and slow down as I feel.
Running on a treadmill eliminates the environmental challenges but adds boredom and speed consistency. I see boredom as an essential part of distance running training, as so much of running a marathon (or a half) is in one's head, one needs to get used to being bored and overcome it. I also find it challenging to keep the consistent pace a treadmill necessitates.2 -
You are probably going too fast to start with outdoors. Go easy until you have gone a mile or so to warm-up. It does feel different on a treadmill than outside but if you can run 5k on a treadmill, you can run a 5k outside (as long as you don't start too fast). I personally don't like the incline on a treadmill because it is only up and not down. I worry about developing a muscle imbalance. I just like to make the pace faster on the treadmill.
I'm just getting into running a little this last year or so and I use the treadmill once a week to do long intervals. I like being able to control the pace. I go indoors or outdoors and do a fartlek session once a week and do a hill run and an easy distance run outside once a week also for 4-runs/week. This is what i did today.
1-mile warmup (on indoor track)
1/4-mile walk
5x40-m strides w/40-m walk between efforts
1/4-mile walk
1x3/4-mile @ 7:30-min/mile pace (on treadmill)
1/4-mile walk
4x1/4-mile @ 7:00-min/mile pace, 1/8-mile walk between efforts (on treadmill)
1/4-mile walk
1.2-mile cool down (on indoor track)
4-miles total running and about 1&1/2-miles of walking. Watch said about 800kcal. This is my planned workout for Fridays. I plan on keeping the same distances but increasing the pace for the intervals as time goes on. Slow but it is progress for me!
You don't need fancy gear to run outside. Gloves, spandex or long underwear underneath, sweats on the outside, beany and if real cold beany with a face mask. Can run in some cold weather with that gear.0 -
When I started out, my first few outdoor runs felt harder than the TM. At this point, I find the TM much harder, because of the continuous pace. When I am outdoors, my pace varies a lot more, but I am generally a lot faster. Of course, TM's aren't all calibrated correctly, and it is possible that mine is too fast, since i run about 30-60 seconds per mile faster outdoors than I do on the TM.
Don't keep a constant 5%. That is hard on your knees. You want to vary the incline and include some downhill if your TM has a negative incline.1 -
I do mean the "feeling". I can do 5k on the treadmill at 2.5 incline easily. Outside, even on relatively even surface, I can barely do a couple hundred meters without trouble. Granted it was cold and windy and my first time ever attempting a 5k outside but still.
Maybe I'm just over thinking it.
Best way to get better at running outside is to run outside!4 -
Unfortunately it's quite cold here and my low blood pressure can't take the cold, drops even more. There's an indoor track nearby but it's filled with walkers most of the day. And it's a hassle to try to run around people.
Pacing is a problem for me without the TM I know. I'm an all or nothing kind of runner. Starting to get out of that mindset with the treadmill. And it's not at 5% incline, but 2.5% (hard to tell since the lowest my model goes is 1.5). I'll try out some of the preprogrammed stuff which varies the incline throughout. No negative though
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I hate the treadmill! Have ran for 10+ yrs For me the dreadmill is only good for speed work. that being said, I find its harder than running outside. From everything Ive read or referenced an incline of 1% is the equivalent of outdoor running.0
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Unfortunately it's quite cold here and my low blood pressure can't take the cold, drops even more. There's an indoor track nearby but it's filled with walkers most of the day. And it's a hassle to try to run around people.
Pacing is a problem for me without the TM I know. I'm an all or nothing kind of runner. Starting to get out of that mindset with the treadmill. And it's not at 5% incline, but 2.5% (hard to tell since the lowest my model goes is 1.5). I'll try out some of the preprogrammed stuff which varies the incline throughout. No negative though
You can take your place on the track too. Stick to the inside part of the track and people will eventually learn to move out of your way.0 -
Unfortunately it's quite cold here and my low blood pressure can't take the cold, drops even more. There's an indoor track nearby but it's filled with walkers most of the day. And it's a hassle to try to run around people.
Pacing is a problem for me without the TM I know. I'm an all or nothing kind of runner. Starting to get out of that mindset with the treadmill. And it's not at 5% incline, but 2.5% (hard to tell since the lowest my model goes is 1.5). I'll try out some of the preprogrammed stuff which varies the incline throughout. No negative though
You can take your place on the track too. Stick to the inside part of the track and people will eventually learn to move out of your way.
Trust me, they won't lol. Walked the track a lot since it opened and even speed walking is difficult. There are 20-30 people at any one time and most are seniors. They don't like getting out of the way.
Unfortunately my best times to go are the busiest for walkers.0 -
Trust me, they won't lol. Walked the track a lot since it opened and even speed walking is difficult. There are 20-30 people at any one time and most are seniors. They don't like getting out of the way.
Unfortunately my best times to go are the busiest for walkers.
Ah, don't go age-shaming just because they are seniors.. I've personally found the "youngsters" much ruder and inflexible, even to the point of hitting me rather than giving a cue they are there. The track does not belong to just one person, fast or slow and cooperation and patience is a must.
So when you run, a simple... "on your right" or "coming on your left" makes people aware you are there. You have to remember that the people in front do not know you are coming up, they don't have rear-view mirrors or eyes on the back of their head. When I hear an audible cue I move accordingly or at least make sure there is plenty of room to the side they want to pass on. It's just like in biking and skiing, the person coming up from behind has the responsibility to make their presence known and give audible cues to warn those in front. Now having said that, I run and even as a Sr. I have difficulty at times with crowded tracks etc and it can be annoying but I find that one or two times around the track with audible cues makes people aware I am there and I am moving faster than they are. And for those people that refuse to move, I actually stop and politely talk with them and explain to them that I am running at a faster pace and that getting "stuck" behind them really interrupts my stride and pace. I tell them that I will be giving them an audible cue when I come up behind them and I would really appreciate it if they would make sure there is room for me to pass. Most of the time being polite and having a civil conversation with them does wonders and I've met some lovely people as a result. There are one or two that are kind of "up yours" attitude and I just ignore them and go my way. You can't make everyone happy. Do I have to sometimes change lanes? Yes. But that's part of running.
Best of luck with your running.
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I would suggest varying the incline on the dreadmill a bit. It is not natural to run up hill nonstop. It will put strain on your calves and may end up with a strength imbalance when you finally go outside. Plus, there's no way to replicate going downhill on the dreadmill so be extra cautious.
Good luck.
FWIW - When I'm forced inside I never elevate. Just run to get my miles in.2 -
treadmill running is way different than running on the ground. my sister can run 3 miles on the treadmill easy, but cant even run a quarter mile on the ground, so don't believe people who tell you there is no difference.
i would recommend layering up, get a hat and gloves, and hit the road if you want to train to run 5k.
i wear 3 t-shirts, a long sleeved shirt, a hoodie, a hat, and some good cold weather gloves. in fact, i just got back from a 3.5 mile steady state run in literally 2 to 3 inches of snow (the entire run), and it's 23 degrees here. just make sure you layer up and keep your hands and head warm and you'll be fine.
there is no machine that is going to duplicate the real thing. i worked my way up to being able to run 5 miles on the ground, and when i first started i could only run for about 30 seconds.
Oh, and not all seniors are slow. i'm 60 and can power walk at up to a 4.5 mph pace for up to 10 miles, so you might be moving out of my way on the track...lol
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I'm not age shaming. The seniors are very accommodating. The ones who won't move are typically my age and younger (I'm 42). But I even so I don't like asking a senior to move aside for me, even though they would. Some are walking the track for physio and some to recuperate from surgery. They can't move fast or easily.0
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I just started running in late October on the treadmill to see if I could do my first 5k on Thanksgiving. I went for a relatively slow pace of 12 minute miles and created some playlists by researching BPMs for songs on jog.fm. I had no problem with my 5k even though it was outdoors with some elevation changes and it was super cold that day. But I think the music was critical for me to know what kind of pace to keep because I had only run on the treadmill before.1
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I do mean the "feeling". I can do 5k on the treadmill at 2.5 incline easily. Outside, even on relatively even surface, I can barely do a couple hundred meters without trouble. Granted it was cold and windy and my first time ever attempting a 5k outside but still.
Maybe I'm just over thinking it.
I was so disappointed with my running when I first ran outdoors. I trained on the treadmill and could run 5K without too much issue. But moving to outside, I was like you and could barely run a couple hundred meters.
It takes a couple of weeks to make the transition but then you'll be able to run 5K outdoors as well. It's a number of factors: temperature, wind, pacing, road surfaces changing, inclines changing and, I've been told, a set of muscles that help propel you forward. These muscles aren't trained on the treadmill and take a couple of weeks to adjust and strengthen.
Keep doing what you're doing. Run outside as often as you can. It's a nicer run and quite exhilerating; much more fun. Just be prepared for a different and more broken run at first. It won't take long and you'll be running 5K on the road and the treadmill.
Nice running!
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Nope. Not dreadmill weather yet.
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Out side will always win for me. I take my furry running buddy (answers to Bruno) and I'm away. The fresh air, the smile on Bruno's face and the 'morning' from other runners is priceless!
It's emotional exercise as well as physical!2 -
Unfortunately it's quite cold here and my low blood pressure can't take the cold, drops even more. There's an indoor track nearby but it's filled with walkers most of the day. And it's a hassle to try to run around people.
Pacing is a problem for me without the TM I know. I'm an all or nothing kind of runner. Starting to get out of that mindset with the treadmill. And it's not at 5% incline, but 2.5% (hard to tell since the lowest my model goes is 1.5). I'll try out some of the preprogrammed stuff which varies the incline throughout. No negative though
You can take your place on the track too. Stick to the inside part of the track and people will eventually learn to move out of your way.
Trust me, they won't lol. Walked the track a lot since it opened and even speed walking is difficult. There are 20-30 people at any one time and most are seniors. They don't like getting out of the way.
Unfortunately my best times to go are the busiest for walkers.
Reminds me of when I used to swim before work. I would get to the pool before they opened and there was a group of senior ladies who would get there at the same time. They would literally run through the locker room to grab a lane so they could float around for hours. I finally just decided that, since I got there when they did and i paid my membership just like they did, if there wasn't a lane left when I got to the pool, they would just have to share their lane. They didn't like it but I had to get my workout in and get to work and they had no choice.
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I would say, get some winter running gear and get outside. I know, it seems daunting at first. I can tell you, 95% of the time, once I get out there, it isn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be and usually very enjoyable. Tread mill running is really not like outdoor running.Treadmills are BORING and they don't replicate the real thing very well. Nowhere will you run where the surface beneath your feet moves for you. I guess, the incline is intended to replicate the difficulty but, as many point out, that sets you up for an over-use injury or imbalance. I will use a treadmill as a last resort when training for a marathon and I need to get the scheduled run in and the weather just won't allow it. The weather conditions that keep me inside are thunder and lightening, heavy winds, sheets of ice and snow too deep to run in. Cold? Nope. I go outside. Rain? I go outside. It may seem hard at first but, I think, you will find it much more enjoyable. I know you mention health issues that make you more sensitive to cold. I don't have those issues. Are they such that the proper winter running gear won't help?1
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I don't understand the people who find treadmill running boring. I just download something that I'm engrossed in on Netflix and the time flies by. Outside running is boring for me as I can't vary my route that much so I see the same boring streets day after day. An audiobook helps though.0
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I don't understand the people who find treadmill running boring. I just download something that I'm engrossed in on Netflix and the time flies by. Outside running is boring for me as I can't vary my route that much so I see the same boring streets day after day. An audiobook helps though.
Why can't you vary your routes? I usually drive to a park. sights like these can never get boring for me. I like getting out in nature. I feel it is good for my soul.
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