Treadmill vs. Road running

[ERCougar]

Why is that? Use your sick physics skillz to break this down for the rest of us.

Something about wind resistance, extra effort to move your body forward, etc.

Really, my specialty is projectile motion.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Really, my specialty is projectile motion.

Mine is harmonic motion.

[Sea Chicken]

I could've sworn you were a sub 7 pace kind of guy (from something you posted somewhere). To me, that's wicked fast.

I can hit 7 in a 5k on a good day. I just race against myself. There are too many people out there who are younger, thiner and faster.

[Eddie]

I can hit 7 in a 5k on a good day. I just race against myself. There are too many people out there who are younger, thiner and faster.

I would take 7 on a 5K - and would LOVE to get to sub-7. Got a ways to go to get even there; closer to 8.

[Pheidippides]

I would take 7 on a 5K - and would LOVE to get to sub-7. Got a ways to go to get even there; closer to 8.

When I was a long distance track guy in HS, I ran a 5 flat. It was the proudest day of my running life.

I can't do sub 8 now, and I won't even try.

[Eddie]

When I was a long distance track guy in HS, I ran a 5 flat. It was the proudest day of my running life.

I can't do sub 8 now, and I won't even try.

Running track in H.S. I think my fastest time in the mile was 5:12. I used to hit around 12:30-12:45 in the 2 mile.

I've kind of set a goal to run a 5K in 20 minutes - just so that I have something to work towards. Right now (on a treadmill, mind you) I can finish 5K in about 24 minutes. That includes my warm-up, so I think I could drop another minute without a lot of work - but I'm sure those other three minutes will cost me some time on the track.

[LA Ute]

I like treadmills and use them whenever I am in a hotel. (How can you beat getting a good cardio workout while watching "Law and Order?") I always have a higher heartrate at the end of a treadmill workout, for some reason. I don't think I could do it every day - I like being outside too much, and we do have awfully good weather here . . . .

Ellipticals are even better for a non-impact workout but when I use one more than occasionally I get patellar tendinitis. Exercise machines can be funny that way.

[Sea Chicken]

Running track in H.S. I think my fastest time in the mile was 5:12. I used to hit around 12:30-12:45 in the 2 mile.

I've kind of set a goal to run a 5K in 20 minutes - just so that I have something to work towards. Right now (on a treadmill, mind you) I can finish 5K in about 24 minutes. That includes my warm-up, so I think I could drop another minute without a lot of work - but I'm sure those other three minutes will cost me some time on the track.

I didn't run track in High School (third-string running back here). I did a mile road race last summer in 6:05:84. I ran in the geezer race. Funny thing is that I would have placed better in the open. Too many midlife crises out there in my age group.

[Eddie]

I didn't run track in High School (third-string running back here). I did a mile road race last summer in 6:05:84. I ran in the geezer race. Funny thing is that I would have placed better in the open. Too many midlife crises out there in my age group.

That's a great time!

In the sprint tri I'm doing I have the choice of competing in my age group or in the "clydsdale" group for anyone over 200. I figure I'll run into what you're describing in my age group, and I'll run into some 6'5" 201 lb. young athlete in the weight group. Either way, I'm just hoping to finish.

[cowboy]

Thanks for the tip. Even more than before I'm thinking I need to start with just taking one of my short runs each week on the road and then move up from there.

As another point of reference, my BIL trained fro the SLC marathon entirely on the treadmill. He trained to run a 9:00 pace, and ended up running a 9:46. He was doing well until about 20, then lost his stamina. Afterwards, though, he said his legs weren't hurting any worse than any other marathons.

[scottie]

When I was a long distance track guy in HS, I ran a 5 flat. It was the proudest day of my running life.

I can't do sub 8 now, and I won't even try.

4:31 was my personal best in high school, run at the state meet my senior year. That was for 1600 meters though, a true mile is actually 1609.3 meters.

[Teenage Dirtbag]

Hal Hidgon posted this as his "Tip of the Day" on Facebook today:

"Tip of the Day: Running indoors on a treadmill certainly is acceptable behavior if the weather is rotten or if you don't want to run in the dark. But there never will come a time when race directors place treadmills by the starting lines of 5-K races and marathons and offer people a chance to run their race on a moving belt. Get outside as much as you can."

[marsupial]

Hal Hidgon posted this as his "Tip of the Day" on Facebook today:

"Tip of the Day: Running indoors on a treadmill certainly is acceptable behavior if the weather is rotten or if you don't want to run in the dark. But there never will come a time when race directors place treadmills by the starting lines of 5-K races and marathons and offer people a chance to run their race on a moving belt. Get outside as much as you can."

Ugh. I have gotten really bad about running outside. I ran 13.1 today on the treadmill in preparation for a half I have in a month. The problem right now for me is 1) I started at 5 a.m. and I don't like running in the dark. 2) I'm breastfeeding and require an obscene amount of water to stay hydrated (I drank about 120 oz during my run--try and carry that in a camelback.)

I ran a 5k earlier this year and I didn't notice a difference in my pace from treadmill to road, but I imagine that I won't be able to keep up my treadmill pace for a half.

[Teenage Dirtbag]

Ugh. I have gotten really bad about running outside. I ran 13.1 today on the treadmill in preparation for a half I have in a month. The problem right now for me is 1) I started at 5 a.m. and I don't like running in the dark. 2) I'm breastfeeding and require an obscene amount of water to stay hydrated (I drank about 120 oz during my run--try and carry that in a camelback.)

I ran a 5k earlier this year and I didn't notice a difference in my pace from treadmill to road, but I imagine that I won't be able to keep up my treadmill pace for a half.

I wouldn't stress about it too much, you can only do what you can do. There's no way I'd be cool with my wife running outside at 5.

[BigPiney]

I wouldn't stress about it too much, you can only do what you can do. There's no way I'd be cool with my wife running outside at 5.

I sent my wife out at 6:00 this morning. The worst that can happen around here is a cow attack or maybe the coyote that hangs about.