Do you ride the treadmill?

I totally know what you are talking about. I wear my hear rate monitor every time I work out. I soon noticed that my heart rate drops by at least 5 bpm if I let the tread mill walk me. As soon as I speed up to be a step ahead of the belt, I hold a higher heart rate.

I also noticed that I burn more calories walking, jogging, and running on regular pavement or ground than on the tread mill. I chalked this up to the same idea that the tread mill is doing a little of my work for me no matter what. It is still pulling my legs/weight for me at least a little bit.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed this!

I'm not sure if I ride it. I am training too, but just for a half marathon in April and I've been running a lot more on the treadmill and outside.
What I do notice is that my heartrate is way higher when I run on the treadmill. I was thinking that the heat in the gym had something to do with it, but maybe the treadmill keeps me "honest" and when I am running on the street I tend to slow down a bit.
Next time I'm on it I'll pay more attention...

You are an animal Banks!

I do the treadmill too, but i keep the speed up (even when walking, I am never under 4.2).

2 minutes 4.2
12 minutes at 5.1 (barely over a mile)
4 minutes at 4.5
6 minutes at 5.6
2 minutes at 5
4 minutes at 4.5
6 minutes at 5.1
2 minutes at 5.6
2 mintutes at 4.2

then I go to the recumbent bike or elliptical for another 10-15 minutes

It took me about a month or so. But realize that I was a runner right up through college and was only off running for about 10 years or so. Plus I have a runners body (long lean legs) and was taught in highschool how to run with correct form (it's harder then you think), so it's easier for me then most.

The way I was taught was, once you have correct form, you should increase your speed by 1/2 a mile every 2 weeks, and increase your distance by about 1/2 a mile every month or so (unless you're training aggressively for a race or something). That doesn't mean you need to keep your speed up the whole time, I usually increase for as long as I feel I can, then I back off a bit to rest myself.

The thing that many new runners don't realize (at least from every runner I know), is that running very rarely feels "good" if your doing it right. Growing up playing football and rugby, I got used to being "not quite in good enough shape" so that uncomfortableness never scared me. I see a lot of people that don't realize how much they can push their body, so they never see their heartrate touch 90% (you shouldn't ever keep your heartrate there unless you are a highly trained athelete), but going to the point of physical fatigue is great sometimes, it makes your body realize it can work harder. I know I do that all the time. I run to the speed I know I can, then I push it up beyond, holding back the pain and discomfort, and the next time, I not only know what to expect, I know that I will survive it, and that it isn't as bad as I first thought it might be. this is only opinion, and I don't have any clue what kind of shape you are in, or athelete you are, so this isn't pointed at anyone in particular, it's just an observation I have made over the years.

To continue this ramble, I had one more thought. I look around the gym alot, and see all these people working out, then I look at myself, and me and maybe 2 others are sweating like pigs, the rest have a light mist, and have been on the eliptical or tread mill for like 40 minutes. On these types of aerobics, if you really want to increase your capacity, you need to push it a little, if you aren't dripping sweat after a workout, you probably could have worked harder (sweat gland issues not widthstanding). I know I have to put my shirt in a plastic bag after my workouts because it is one complete mess of sweat (gross, I know, but true). This, of course, doesn't apply to people under medical supervision, or some other kind of restriction. It's not an endictment, it's just an observation. I have no problem with people not pushing themself. It's just something I wonder about when I'm spacing out on the tread mill.

Banks, you're great. You are one of those people who says what everyone else is thinking!

I too ran cc & track in college before gaining weight/pregnancy/life. When I went to the OB last year, he actually told me I shouldn't run because of my weight. O.k. so I was at my highest weight, but sill under 200. Knowing that running doesn't feel good a majority of the time, I chose to ignore him. Here I am 25 lbs ligher than a year ago.

The only time a run should feel good is when it's a recovery run or LSD (long slow distance for any non-runners reading this; not drugs!) If you don't want to see my glowing red face and sweat dripping down my legs, look the other way!