Today I did four at lunch. 43:48 was my time, so about 10:58 min miles. I actually ran the last lap I was going to walk because I saw I had a shot at sub-11 min miles. The first two miles were good but I'm going too fast, I did them in 10 min each. I've decided its probably because my first two treadmill miles I do on a 2% incline, so maybe I'm putting in the same effort and that makes me faster? I don't know but I'll take it. Except I need to learn to pace myself again so I don't burn out before the end.
Update: Did some reading today on the differences between treadmill and road running and there really doesn't seem to be any consensus on which is harder/better. Many say to put the treadmill at 1% incline to make up for lack of wind resistance, and I've been doing 2% then 1%. But then read below, implies treadmill may be harder?
http://mysite.verizon.net/jim2wr/id110.html
Many people claim that you have to add a 1% incline on treadmills in order to make treadmill running equivalent to road running - due to the lack of air resistance inside. However, there is also evidence that refutes this claim purporting it to be a myth; stating that air resistance is negligible and only factors at speeds close to sprinting.
Quote:
"Although over-ground running creates air resistance, such resistance brings an added aerobic demand only at velocities considerably faster than those routinely used in our evaluations. According to the studies of Pugh (1970), the effect of air resistance starts to increase O2 consumption measurably only at faster paces."
Thus by adding a 1% incline, you could in fact be making treadmill running harder than road running!? (On a flat surface with normal weather conditions).
Other evidence claims that treadmill running could also increase muscular demands, and require a higher stride frequency for equal distances.
Quote:
"Reporting in Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, researchers evaluated the kinematics and biomechanics of treadmill running and determined that running on a treadmill increases the muscular demands made on hip flexors and knee extensors. The authors concluded that treadmill running might improve sprint times due to the extra effort of those key muscles. Other studies have shown that the treadmill requires a higher stride frequency because the treadmill pushes the rear leg forward and the advancing leg must plant more quickly. As a result, a faster cadence and shorter stride produces more steps per mile and the cardiovascular demands of running may be higher on a treadmill than outdoors at the same pace."
It seems to me that the relevant quote might be "on a flat surface." Outside there are inclines, even slight ones, all over the place, so it would be difficult to do an outside run that is completely flat and that definitely makes the outside running harder. I also think outside running might be "harder" in that it is far more difficult to pace yourself, so you might end up running much faster outside than you would on a treadmill, resulting in it feeling much harder. I think that is what happened with me.
ReplyDeleteI just don't know.... my experience is that road running is harder, but I am totally willing to admit that might have only been in my own head.
I am completely and utterly convinced that treadmill running is easier. The surface you are running on is moving underneath you.
ReplyDeleteWell, I was reading that "coach Jenny" column in Runner's World the other day and she was talking about treadmill running due to inclement weather, and she was advising the person that if he hadn't been running on a treadmill before, to start out slow, only go a couple of miles at first. And that struck me, because that was my problem when I was transitioning to running outside, I kept thinking that I should be able to go the same distance as I was doing on a treadmill right away. My point being, I think she was saying that there are different muscles used for each type of running, (she said you had to use different muscles to make sure your feet are landing on the moving belt, and those muscles are not engaged in outside running), but she wasn't saying one was more challenging than the other. I don't think one is easier than the other, I just think they are different. The fact that I can easily control my pace on a treadmill allows me to run farther and take fewer walk breaks. The fact that I can't control my pace as easily outside allows me to, for the most part, run faster than I would on a treadmill. That doesn't mean one is easier, it just means that they challenge you in different ways and I think both have a valid place in a training program, which is good, because otherwise, people in Phoenix or Tucson would never be able to train for a Summer or Fall race and people in Denver would never be able to adequately train for a Winter or Spring race.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I just went and read the actual thing post Sandy is referencing. Very interesting! Although the thing I most came away with is that for the most part none of this shit matters when you are talking about a 13 minute mile! I really liked his conclusion:
ReplyDelete"My recommendation is to ignore any advice that says that it is necessary to always use a 1-2% incline adjustment to compensate for the lack of wind resistance. Instead, use the combination of speed control and incline adjustment that best makes a treadmill run “feel like” it is giving you the training benefit that you desire."
That's really it in a nutshell, I think. If I am wanting to work on endurance, I can set the treadmill at a slow pace and run without walk breaks (and possibly use an incline if I am so inclined, haha). If I am wanting to work on speed, I can set the treadmill at a higher speed. Bottom line, I think, is that the treadmill is a useful tool in training. Plus, I maintain that that treadmill running is far less likely to result in injury, although I gather from reading various running websites that this is also a matter of some debate.
Mari I think you got it. They both use different muscle groups, which is why running outside seems so fatiguing after only doing treadmill training (due to the fluctuations in the road). And, that explains why I've been running so much faster - I've been overcompensating for the road at a 2% incline. Missy, go to that link I posted and read it, then tell me what you think.
ReplyDelete