Treadmill running is not "real running"...

[SOCOM242]

So I'm up to 10 miles in my quest to run my first half-marathon next month. With the exception of the 10 mile run I did last Saturday all of my runs to this point have been on my treadmill. Well, the outdoor run killed me; I could barely walk for two days and my left foot stills hurts four days later. It was definitely different than a run on a treadmill.

So the guy I'm supposed to be running with in this upcoming race has informed me that the reason I got hurt was that running on a treadmill isn't real running, and that outdoor running (on the concrete) is REAL running. What this means is that my recent 9-mile run that came in right around 1:43 wasn't "real". Funny, I distinctly remember the treadmill saying "9 miles" for the distance and "1:43:30" for the time.

It's this kind of snobbery these days that really bugs me. Whether it's running or some other sport, or the kind of car you drive, or where your house is located, people these days seem obsessed with convincing you that the way they do things and the things they have are the best choices, universally.

If running on a treadmill is considered too easy, then I guess I'm a wimp.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Just different mechanics. I did the same thing 3 years ago and killed myself on a 9-mile outdoor run. Shins killed. Run at 1% grade on treadmill.

it's real running as far as weight loss and your cardiovascular systems are concerned, but it is different. Regular running has you make micro adjustments every step for terrain differences and so forth. I didn't run the mini because it took me several weeks to be able to run again after that. I had been doing treadmill because I couldn't leave my two kids for 90 minutes.

 

[HoughMade]

^

Yep- It's real running, but that doesn't mean that running outside isn't more difficult. I even feel the difference between concrete, asphalt and hard-packed trails.

 

[Denny347]

Running on a treadmill is not nearly as hard as "real" running. In "real" running, you are forced to propel yourself forward which uses more muscles. On a treadmill, it moves along at the speed you set it at. Pick your feet up and put them down. It's not "easy" but it does use less muscles. It's not snobbery. If the treadmill is your only means to training...so be it. However, do not expect to be as prepared as a runner who just runs as preparation.

 

[TheEngineer]

First off, congratulations on setting a goal and working hard to achieve it...it'll feel awesome crossing that finish line next month

But, while your friend was being kind of "my way is better than yours", he wasn't entirely wrong. It is more physically demanding to run a mile outdoors vs. one on a treadmill. When you run on a treadmill, the moving surface constantly propels your foot behind you. This hurts your workout in a major way...it finishes each stride for you. You start the motion by placing one foot in front of the other, but the treadmill finishes the motion by moving your foot to the rear. You only have to put in half of the work so to speak.

While running outdoors on a completely level terrain and a calm day (don't need to include wind resistance and hills), you are forced to constantly propel your body forward with no assistance...this takes more energy and would be the reason you felt such a difference between your two runs.

Don't let your friend get to you...your treadmill training is 1000x better than the average joe's couch training...keep it up

 

[TheEngineer]

Running on a treadmill is not nearly as hard as "real" running. In "real" running, you are forced to propel yourself forward which uses more muscles. On a treadmill, it moves along at the speed you set it at. Pick your feet up and put them down. It's not "easy" but it does use less muscles. It's not snobbery. If the treadmill is your only means to training...so be it. However, do not expect to be as prepared as a runner who just runs as preparation.

Man...beat me to it

 

[gunman41mag]

Running outside you have to deal with the HEAT, UNEVEN SURFACE, WIND, & the loose PIT-BULL

 

[BehindBlueI's]

As stated, its not so much that it isn't "real", it just doesn't really translate into non-treadmill running.

When I was overseas I did all of my running on a treadmill. Summer temps reached 130 degrees and running in the air conditioning held a lot more appeal than running circles in rocky sand. When I came back home and started running on real roads again I wasn't going nearly as far/fast as a treadmill work out.

That said, you're lapping everyone who's on the couch. It boils down to what your goals are. If you don't care about speed on "real world" runs, why care how well it does/doesn't translate over?

 

[rockhopper46038]

Yeah, I would posit that it is "real", but different. I like running outdoors a lot more, but consider it physically more demanding. On the other hand, for me running is very much a mental exercise - I get bored usually long before I physically run out of steam, and running outdoors is for me a lot easier mentally than running on a treadmill. The indoor monotony kills me much faster than the hills. But I HATE running outside in the wind. Abhor it.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Yeah, I would posit that it is "real", but different.

Where else have I seen this line of reasoning...something to do with silicone if I remember right...hmmm....

 

[Que]

The treadmill is padded and provides comfort necessary to keep running.

 

[TB1999]

you dont have wind resistance on a treadmill, which as you saw, makes it a lot easier

 

[vitamink]

Where else have I seen this line of reasoning...something to do with silicone if I remember right...hmmm....

Why can't we have a thread about that?


I only run when chased.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Running on a treadmill is not nearly as hard as "real" running. In "real" running, you are forced to propel yourself forward which uses more muscles. On a treadmill, it moves along at the speed you set it at. Pick your feet up and put them down. It's not "easy" but it does use less muscles. It's not snobbery. If the treadmill is your only means to training...so be it. However, do not expect to be as prepared as a runner who just runs as preparation.

Right and wrong to some degree... the motion is all relative. Once you get "up to speed" there is no "propelling forward" except to overcome wind-resistance. As stated above, the only differences between running on treadmill vs running outside are wind-resistance, cushioning, and terrain.

Terrain makes running outside harder due to surface changes and changes in direction etc...
Wind resistance makes running outside slightly harder
Cushioning of the treadmill makes running inside easier for your joints/bones/etc...

 

[SmileDocHill]

The treadmill is padded and provides comfort necessary to keep running.

This is a big deal if you have knees that are not 18 years old anymore.

Also, on a treadmill you can stop at any point and you are home already. This helps when you need to check and see why it sounds like the kids are killing each other in the next room.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Right and wrong to some degree... the motion is all relative. Once you get "up to speed" there is no "propelling forward" except to overcome wind-resistance.

On a motorized tread mill, the belt moves your planted foot backward for you. You can take longer strides because of this. In road running the further in front of your hips your foot gets, the less leverage you have to propel yourself forward, using more energy to maintain the same speed. With a treadmill leverage is largely irrelevant because the belt will push your foot backward without your muscles assisting. This also makes it easier to increase your cadence.

That is the most significant difference. Wind resistance, stabilizing muscle use, etc. all add up as well, but the automatic moving of your planted foot is the main reason tread mill running is easier.

 

[Phil502]

I read somewhere that you should raise the incline a few degrees on the treadmill to make up for the fact that your leg rides back on the moving tread. I've run both and get a good cardio workout either way but running without is a bit harder.

 

[CountryBoy19]

On a motorized tread mill, the belt moves your planted foot backward for you. You can take longer strides because of this. In road running the further in front of your hips your foot gets, the less leverage you have to propel yourself forward, using more energy to maintain the same speed. With a treadmill leverage is largely irrelevant because the belt will push your foot backward without your muscles assisting. This also makes it easier to increase your cadence.

That is the most significant difference. Wind resistance, stabilizing muscle use, etc. all add up as well, but the automatic moving of your planted foot is the main reason tread mill running is easier.

I certainly don't mean to insult you, but a firm background in science, specifically regarding relative motion and physics will tell you this is not possible. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. If a person were merely allowing the belt to "push" their foot backwards then the equal and opposite reaction would be that the person is pushed off the back of the treadmill. Why is that? The person, to stay on the treadmill must maintain net zero momentum relative to the ground. If a person is allowing rearward energy to be transmitted to their foot by means of the treadmill belt, they must counteract that rearward energy by propelling themselves (or foot rather) forward by the same amount at the end of their stride. The very same thing happens when running on a road etc. Think of the road as a giant belt moving beneath you (the earth is moving very, very fast under our feet) and it may make more sense. Just like running on terra-firma, at the end of a stride you must pick your feet up and forcefully propel them back forward where, when they meet the surface you're running on, they match that speed and travel backward again...

 

[lovemachine]

Just switch it up. Run on your treadmill sometimes, run on the road sometimes.

Basically, all that matters is you get off your ass and do something.

 

[avboiler11]

Anybody that might say treadmill running isn't "real running" is a moron.

It provides very real benefits - base mileage, intervals/fartleks, inclines, not being out in inclement weather.

But you do need to get out and put sole-to-asphalt, for all the reasons mentioned. Wind, humidity, radiant heat, changes in grade (very few treadmills have the ability to negative incline), etc....to say nothing of getting your shins/calves/feet used to a substantially harder surface.

IMO, doing long runs on asphalt are more important than shorter maintenance or interval runs.

I did 90% of my training for my first half on a treadmill, and got my ass totally kicked. After that I split it up indoors/outdoors with all my treadmill running at 1% incline, and have had much better success.