Forums >General Running>Treadmill Calibration
Can treadmills be really out of calibration? Here's my story.
I'm currently doing low heart rate training as I continue to rehab from an injury I've had since last March.
3.2 miles outside- 9100 feet elevation, 2 degrees (literally), hard snow, some ice- Yak Traxs. HR ave. 134, pace 14:00 (lots of clothes, some walking, altitude etc).
3 miles inside the rather sparse gym on the dreadmill. Could NOT keep HR where I needed it to be at anything over 3.7 mph which I think is about 16 min pace- and that was running. At 4 mph it felt like sea level dreadmill 12:30 pace. I would have expected about the same pace as outside- 14:00 if not faster since I didn't have the terrain, clothing, ice etc. It just seemed totally wrong.
Out there running since dinosaurs roamed the earth
Hey HStreet. Yeah, I'd try with another treadmill at the gym.
But, it could also be that your legs are super-tired from running under the tough conditions.
MTA: I've had days a treadmill run has seemed super-taxing relative to road running.
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It sounds like the conditions/altitude make it hard to interpret. Your HR is going to do weird things at altitude. I remember the first time I raced in Denver, which is much lower, I felt just fine at first. Then I realized that my heart was going much above normal for the pace though I felt fine. Then I hit the 1 mile marker and fell apart quickly.
But yes, treadmill calibration and effort can vary widely. Worse than that, it can vary on the same treadmill set at different speeds! My home one seems relatively accurate as long as I keep it below 11 mph. Though it is supposed to go to 12mph (5:00/mile pace) if I set it to that and time a mile after it is up to speed, it's only around 5:20.
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I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills
My LHR running on the dreadmill vs. outdoors is quite a bit slower on the mill. I'm probably a good min per mile slower on the dreadmill at the same HR as when I run outside.
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Why is it sideways?
Wow! That's a huge difference. Interesting.
MTA: I just looked at your log. You recently did a progression run, and your heart rate was essentially the same at 10:15 pace as it was at 9:15 pace. This seems really weird to me. Maybe your heart rate monitor is off?
Max HR drops with increases in elevation... were the two runs at the same elevation? (not sure the effect is linear at low HRs, but it seems to at least mostly hold true for me... my runs vary from 5500' - 14,000')
Yeah, they can be outta wack. I've had times when I've run for 20 min on the treadmill, and it tells me I did two miles. That, for me, would be slow, and I knew I was running faster than that. So, that's when I estimate pace to find distance.
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I cant comment on your comparison between running out doors and comparing them to the TM using a Heart rate moniter (Ive never had much luck with a HRM to begin with)........
BUT - the answer to your second question is definitely, treadmills can get out of whack and need to be recalibrated - in fact, I suspect its farily common. I used to run at the local Y and on one specific treadmill I would be sweating bullets and almost puking at a setting of 5.0 and on another one I could could chug along very comfortably at 6.0 setting.....
i have a treadmill at home now and I calibrate it about once per month in the winter because I use it more often in the winter time and it usually needs an adjustment almost every month...
FWIW -- I never try to compare TM running to running outside --- I almost consider them a seperate by similar exercise because my time out of doors are so much better and I feel so much better when I run out of doors....
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My runs were at the same altitude and about 2 hours apart. I do tend to be slower on the treadmill, but not as much as this one would indicate.
Thanks for all the comments!
not bad for mile 25
How would you calibrate a TM, with a measuring wheel?
You could determine whether or not it is accurate that way, but if it is not, how would you adjust it? I doubt you could on most....it would require either reprogramming or changing the pulley.
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Totally agree here. I just got a new TM earlier this year and frequently have to recalibrate it. Because it goes out of whack so often I really consider inside/outside running separate. I do soooo much better outside!
So bittersweet,This tragedyWon't ask for absolution;This melody,Inside of me,Still searches for solution.A twist of faith,A change of heart Cures my infatuation.A broken heart, Provides the sparkFor my determination.
What kind do you have and how is it recalibrated?
It's a Horizon T103. I just go into the ENG mode and then hold down 2 keys and it runs through its entire RPM spectrum and says it's done. The recalibration always works for a while; but after more and more use, it slips back into un-calibration.
Hmmm. Thanks. Time to pull out the manual for my tm and see if there is a fix. I just did a fast finish last mile on my run tonight and 5:27 was all it would do at "12mph".