Treadmill v outside (Read 1999 times)

What level do you run at while on the treadmill? Does anyone ever feel that the treadmill is inaccurate? I sometimes just dont believe it. I know how many miles a minute I run, but the treadmill always says I've run less. It really bothers me sometimes. I always feel I run the same pace on the mill as I''m running outside. Maybe I'm wrong.. Hmmmm...

There is a substantial difference in perceived effort between the treadmill and work and my one at home. I just run for distance, pace on a treadmill is irrelevant except for comparing to other runs on the same treadmill.

I have not run much an a treadmill in a long time. We had an expensive one a long time ago that eventually became a place to hang clothes :-). I had a trainer(not sure his credentials. He was one that we had at our work fitness center) who told me that since the treadmill tread is moving that you end up not getting the same work out. Apparently on you do not have to push off as much on the treadmill as you do on the road to propel yourself forward. The only thing I really know is that the road is more enjoyable for me. I have a whole lot more to look at when I run on the road. I recommend if you can to run on the road and enjoy the outside.

more than any percieved effort difference or innacurate reading is the feeling I get that I am really just reducing myself to being a hampster in a cage...makes me jump off the thing and go outside no matter what the conditions

Does anyone ever feel that the treadmill is inaccurate? I sometimes just dont believe it.

I held the exact same opinion about my treadmill a few months back so I used a measuring wheel (borrowed it from work) to check it and ran the TM until the display showed 1 mile....I did it two times to make sure and yes the mileage was accurate (I think it was only like 28 feet off the first try and 24 feet off the second try). I only use the TM once in a while but it just seems so much harder to run the same distance or pace that I can do outside....many people find it easier to run on a TM than outside but I find it just the opposite... I have set the incline at 1% which supposedly helps simulate outdoor running better and it didn't seem to matter for me...still seems like I can't run as fast a pace comfortably on the TM as outdoors and the same goes for mileage, I feel more spent running 3 miles on the TM than I do running 4 miles outside (even on a hilly course). I posted a similar question on CR a few months back and got what I thought was some good feedback as to why the TM seemed harder to run on than outside. In a nutshell, if I remember right, it has to do with throwing your balance off enough that you may change your running gait some and have higher leg turnover thus feeling more winded....etc. Also, my TM is in my basement and the air flow is not that great even with a small fan running so I tend to sweat more and feel more overheated than I do outside. I also think that I tend to think less about the actual running and feeling of exertion outside so the workout "seems" less taxing. I will continue to use the TM when it is storming outside or it's dangerously too hot but it sits idle most of the time at my house! P.S. the one good thing about my TM is that my soon to be 14 year old daughter (my youngest of 4 kids) has started using it and plans to enter some 5K races with me in 2008 so if it encourages her to take up the sport and run some with her dad, I will look at that treadmill a little more lovingly than I do now

Do you set the incline on the treadmill? It often said that setting the incline between 1% and 2% helps better simulating road running. I never saw any data validating this though. I always set mine to 2%. - R

You never want to run at less than 1% incline because the incline makes you lean forward a little, which prevents the treadmill from pulling your foot back and hyperextending your back. Personally, I never run less than a 2% incline just to make it less likely that I'll hurt myself. I tend to avoid running on the dreadmill any more than I have to, but I'll run outside in pretty extreme conditions. http://news.runtowin.com/2006/07/20/track-vs-treadmill-whats-the-difference.html

I used to buy into the 1% grade theory, but current research is that only applies if you are a VERY fast runner- i.e no need to simulate the wind resistance at anything over a 6 minute or so pace. That said, I can't run nearly as fast on the treadmill as I do outside. I hate it.

I'm a wimp about running in the dark (female running alone isn't the safest feeling), so the winter months limit me to the treadmill. I find I run a mile/minute slower minimum, as when I get outside my pace is significantly faster. I always put it at a 2.5 incline, and eventually will build up to a 3%. The good news is I am base building and not working about speed, so as I run for linger periods, it makes going outside feel easy, and my endurance increases.