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Indoor Track equivalent (Read 109 times)

FSBD


    What do you think the equivalent is of running on an indoor track versus on the road?

    I was thinking that due to the softer surface compared to concrete or asphalt plus the fact that it is flat except for the banked corners versus variable terrain that counting only 85-90% of my mileage would be about right.

    So if I am running 60 miles a week with an easy pace of 8:00/mile then when I switch back to running outside I should drop to about 50 miles at an 8:30 easy pace and build back up from there?

    I feel like my mileage and speed just about justify that number but I was wondering what others thought.  

    We are the music makers,

        And we are the dreamers of dreams,

    Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

        And sitting by desolate streams; 

    World-losers and world-forsakers,

        On whom the pale moon gleams:

    Yet we are the movers and shakers

        Of the world for ever, it seems.

      I think a mile is a mile.

      Runners run

        I think a mile is a mile.

         

        This ^^^^

         

        Softer surfaces might be a easier on the legs, but race times are usually slower on soft surfaces... the softer the slower.

        TJoseph


          I agree, a mile is a mile, and I don't modify the data when I record it in my log.  However, many people categorize their runs by type and you can note if it the run was on hills, a track, or on a treadmill that way.

          spinach


            I think a mile is a mile.

             

            +1

             

            I agree and I don't differentiate between my miles indoors and the ones outdoors.  Trying to compare times, the outdoor records are faster than the indoor records so indoors would seem to be slower than outdoors.  However where I am in Minnesota, my indoors miles this time of years are a lot faster than the miles I run outdoors.  But that is probably because the footing indoors is a heck of a lot better than the icy surfaces outside and I am also wearing a lot less clothing when i run indoors than what I wear outdoors.  But once the weather improves my outdoor miles will improve.

              It also depends on the wind.

              "Good-looking people have no spine. Their art never lasts. They get the girls, but we're smarter." - Lester Bangs

              AmoresPerros


              Options,Account, Forums

                It also depends on the wind.

                 

                Really it's the humidity.

                It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.

                onemile


                   

                  +1

                   

                  I agree and I don't differentiate between my miles indoors and the ones outdoors.  Trying to compare times, the outdoor records are faster than the indoor records so indoors would seem to be slower than outdoors.  However where I am in Minnesota, my indoors miles this time of years are a lot faster than the miles I run outdoors.  But that is probably because the footing indoors is a heck of a lot better than the icy surfaces outside and I am also wearing a lot less clothing when i run indoors than what I wear outdoors.  But once the weather improves my outdoor miles will improve.

                   

                  I hope so. I've found that I'm a lot faster at the indoor track too.

                    You're over-thinking waaaaay too much.

                     

                    Also, some may come back and show some comparison between the outdoor track times vs. indoor track times; I would bet NONE OF US would run fast enough to worry about such differences.

                     

                    Just go by DURATION and EFFORT BY FEEL.

                     

                    What do you think the equivalent is of running on an indoor track versus on the road?

                    I was thinking that due to the softer surface compared to concrete or asphalt plus the fact that it is flat except for the banked corners versus variable terrain that counting only 85-90% of my mileage would be about right.

                    So if I am running 60 miles a week with an easy pace of 8:00/mile then when I switch back to running outside I should drop to about 50 miles at an 8:30 easy pace and build back up from there?

                    I feel like my mileage and speed just about justify that number but I was wondering what others thought.  

                    TJoseph


                      This could give the number crunchers a lot of fun though.  Create an "environment factor" (EF) for each type of run and multiply your actual miles by the factor.  The result would be your equivalent miles or EM.  Then log your EF EM for each run.  You can then compare the results of each run to determine if you were a "factored underachiever" (FU) that day.

                       

                      Hill Run EF: 1.25

                      Head Wind EF: 1.1

                      Indoor Track EF: 0.90

                      Road EF: 1.0

                      Trail EF: 1.25

                      Treadmill EF: 1.1

                      FSBD


                        Thanks for the replies.  I have just found that I am running a lot easier at comparable paces, or faster at comparable efforts when I am inside so I was just curious.  Some of it may be the terrain as well since I live in a fairly hilly area.

                        Over-thinking it could definitely be part of the problem, but what else am I supposed to do when I am averaging about 80 laps a day around a track?

                        I think I am going to go with the fact that I am now training for my third marathon so it should get easier over time, and not that I am cheating by running on soft surfaces.   Smile

                        We are the music makers,

                            And we are the dreamers of dreams,

                        Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

                            And sitting by desolate streams; 

                        World-losers and world-forsakers,

                            On whom the pale moon gleams:

                        Yet we are the movers and shakers

                            Of the world for ever, it seems.

                        FSBD


                          This could give the number crunchers a lot of fun though.  Create an "environment factor" (EF) for each type of run and multiply your actual miles by the factor.  The result would be your equivalent miles or EM.  Then log your EF EM for each run.  You can then compare the results of each run to determine if you were a "factored underachiever" (FU) that day.

                           

                          Hill Run EF: 1.25

                          Head Wind EF: 1.1

                          Indoor Track EF: 0.90

                          Road EF: 1.0

                          Trail EF: 1.25

                          Treadmill EF: 1.1

                           

                          As an accountant by day I can get on board with this idea.

                          We are the music makers,

                              And we are the dreamers of dreams,

                          Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

                              And sitting by desolate streams; 

                          World-losers and world-forsakers,

                              On whom the pale moon gleams:

                          Yet we are the movers and shakers

                              Of the world for ever, it seems.

                            Thanks for the replies.  I have just found that I am running a lot easier at comparable paces, or faster at comparable efforts when I am inside so I was just curious.  Some of it may be the terrain as well since I live in a fairly hilly area.

                            Over-thinking it could definitely be part of the problem, but what else am I supposed to do when I am averaging about 80 laps a day around a track?

                            I think I am going to go with the fact that I am now training for my third marathon so it should get easier over time, and not that I am cheating by running on soft surfaces.   Smile

                            Run outside?

                            "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog

                              If it's too easy, just show up when all the other folks get there.  That should slow you down a little... especially when they bring their kids and let them run the wrong direction.

                              Live the Adventure. Enjoy the Journey. Be Kind. Have Faith!

                                This could give the number crunchers a lot of fun though.  Create an "environment factor" (EF) for each type of run and multiply your actual miles by the factor.  The result would be your equivalent miles or EM.  Then log your EF EM for each run.  You can then compare the results of each run to determine if you were a "factored underachiever" (FU) that day.

                                 

                                Hill Run EF: 1.25

                                Head Wind EF: 1.1

                                Indoor Track EF: 0.90

                                Road EF: 1.0

                                Trail EF: 1.25

                                Treadmill EF: 1.1

                                <chuckle>  When I was new to running, I really did have an "adjustment" factor for snow depth, hardness, etc. (I was only running in winter at the time) with a similar idea. I logged both the actual duration and an "adjusted duration".  Snow was harder to run in but easier on the feet. As I ran more and got into different conditions, esp. on trails, I just reached the point of an "hour is an hour" (and a "mile is a mile" if I had a distance estimate) but did still log snow conditions, wind, course factors, etc to explain certain responses (like 30-min miles breaking trail in snowshoes on a hilly course). Those factors are useful for explaining excessive fatigue, prevent injury, etc.

                                "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog
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