Is this common sense? Running outside >>>>> treadmill

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  • lbmore33
    lbmore33 Posts: 1,013 Member
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    this right in my wheelhouse...either way is cool with me...treadmills are fine (for me) b/c I like the fact if I need to drink that all my stuff is right in front of me...thus I help alot of folks out who are beside me to push them to go a little more...outside is great like you said fresh air, scenery etc...though I have never been chased by a dog in my gym lol...
  • julieh391
    julieh391 Posts: 683 Member
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    I keep seeing these posts, and it's kinda freaking me out. I'm on week 5 of C25K, and I'm really loving it (on my treadmill.) My plan is to work up a little more endurance (probably a week or two more on the treadmill) and then take it outside to get ready for a 5K I want to run in October. It's looking like I should anticipate kinda sucking once I go outside, huh?
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    The one you aren't used to will feel harder.
  • monkeybrain2012
    monkeybrain2012 Posts: 47
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    I love running outside, but I live in a very flat area so once in a while I hit the treadmill for some hill running.
  • lbmore33
    lbmore33 Posts: 1,013 Member
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    I keep seeing these posts, and it's kinda freaking me out. I'm on week 5 of C25K, and I'm really loving it (on my treadmill.) My plan is to work up a little more endurance (probably a week or two more on the treadmill) and then take it outside to get ready for a 5K I want to run in October. It's looking like I should anticipate kinda sucking once I go outside, huh?

    you have to account for the outside variables...running outside is different not all the comforts of the treadmill...adjust your breathing for being outside...debris...road conditions...weather...etc
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    Oddly enough, I find it to be the opposite. I tend to run faster with greater ease outside.

    Same experience. When I'm on a treadmill, my HR is much higher and my perceived exertion is through the roof.

    Outside, same pace, and it's pure awesome.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
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    I'm fairly certain that I am in the minority when I say I prefer the treadmill.

    Count me in the treadmill minority too. My case is a little different though. I'm not able to run because of injury, so just walking outside it'd take me forever to burn off any significant calories. At least with the treadmill I can crank up the incline and sweat a little.
  • MyTime1985
    MyTime1985 Posts: 456 Member
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    I'm fairly certain that I am in the minority when I say I prefer the treadmill.

    I'm with you!
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    I find running outside easier but only because I enjoy it more. It's a much less controlled environment, for better or worse
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,821 Member
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    I do both. I use the treadmill to work on my pace. When you set it at 7.4 miles per hour, it pushes you to have a steady pace and rhythm. This is where i fine tune my music and tempo for a race.

    I love to run outside, and I do all my long runs there. I do hill work and tempo runs as well. But I always return to the TM for making my pace consistent.
  • flyingwrite
    flyingwrite Posts: 264
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    I'm fairly certain that I am in the minority when I say I prefer the treadmill.

    You're not alone. I can't breathe outside. Of course, my air is not all that fresh. It's muggy and polluted. So I MUCH prefer the treadmill.
  • geminigrl622
    geminigrl622 Posts: 144
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    I love running outside the heat in Houston is terrible so it's probably better to run on a treadmill. Today I did 4.5 miles outside and plan to do another 3 miles on the treadmill.
  • katnic898
    katnic898 Posts: 5
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    I usually run outside and its beautiful and a nicer experience ... except on my joints. Even though I'm young (19) I prefer treadmills just because there is less impact on knees and hips.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,248 Member
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    I find running outside easier, just because the treadmill is so bloody boring!

    Plus, I'm less likely to quit when running outside, since I no matter what, I still have to get home. I make a pact with myself to at least go one mile, which is automatically a two mile run, and usually by the time I get one mile under my belt, I want to keep going.
  • kiminikimkim
    kiminikimkim Posts: 746 Member
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    For some reason, I thought the treadmill was harder. The monotonous 6mph pace was just draining my will to keep jogging. I hated it.

    I started running around the lake in the country. It's only 2.1miles but it is hilly and there is lots to see & puddles to avoid. I saw 5 wild turkeys cross the road. It made me run faster because I wanted a closer look. Plus if you don't keep a quick pace, the mosquitoes will bite!
  • PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot
    PeteWhoLikesToRunAlot Posts: 596 Member
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    I was doing a lot of treadmill (25-30 miles/week) for months, then decided to move 3/4 of that work outside, so I'm doing maybe 1-2 a week on a treadmill (intervals mainly) and 4-5 outside. Here's my thoughts:

    I can't say one is harder than the other. They're different. I tend to feel like the treadmill isolates specific areas in the legs (calves, quads), whereas going outside makes of your whole leg, ankles, hips, etc, due to the changing terrain. I will say that depending on the course, going outside can often feel like it takes more out of me because there's more variables (crown of the road, frost heaves), but the time passes more quickly outside because there's variable sights, sounds, weather, etc. Obviously a hot, humid day outside will be tougher than inside a climate controlled building on a treadmill, but a sunny, dry, breezy day can actually make it feel easier because it's so pleasant outside.

    Many have said to run with a 1% incline on a treadmill to better simulate propelling yourself forward, as you would outside. While it will give you a better workout, I don't find that the 1% on a treadmill equals the effort of going up & down hills outside.

    While I'm doing 75%+ of my runs outside now, don't feel badly about doing treadmill work, they can be lifesavers for bad weather (I'm in the northeast so winters can be tough), or for doing some pre-programmed interval/speed work.
  • beccci91
    beccci91 Posts: 214
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    I loveeeeeeee running outside. I actually can't run on a dreadmill, I find that it wears me out a lot easier and that I can't do anywhere near as much as I can outside.


    (runners add me!!!)
  • dsjohndrow
    dsjohndrow Posts: 1,821 Member
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    I'm a numbers person, I like the treadmill because I can 'see' the progress in digital sticks that tell me the how far, how long and how high...

    ... but I hate making myself go to the gym some days, so I'm more than happy to strap on my shoes and take off like a goofy antelope around the neighborhood.

    I use an app on my SmartPhone that gives me all the numbers I need. They are free for both iPhone and Android.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
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    I'm a numbers person, I like the treadmill because I can 'see' the progress in digital sticks that tell me the how far, how long and how high...

    ... but I hate making myself go to the gym some days, so I'm more than happy to strap on my shoes and take off like a goofy antelope around the neighborhood.

    I use an app on my SmartPhone that gives me all the numbers I need. They are free for both iPhone and Android.

    Cool. Heard about it but haven't checked it out. Which one has been good for you? I have an Android. Thanks for the protip.
  • ShannonMpls
    ShannonMpls Posts: 1,936 Member
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    I'm a numbers person, I like the treadmill because I can 'see' the progress in digital sticks that tell me the how far, how long and how high...

    ... but I hate making myself go to the gym some days, so I'm more than happy to strap on my shoes and take off like a goofy antelope around the neighborhood.

    I use an app on my SmartPhone that gives me all the numbers I need. They are free for both iPhone and Android.

    Cool. Heard about it but haven't checked it out. Which one has been good for you? I have an Android. Thanks for the protip.

    Runkeeper and MapMyRun are two free popular ones.

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