Is it OK to use the treadmill

[Renar]

Hi there

64 years old and doing C25K on the treadmill mainly because the roads outside are really rural and it gets dark quickly. Now on week 7 R1.Just completed and feeling exhausted but good (if that makes sense) Hearing everyone talk about running outside I am beginning to feel a bit of a fraud!! I will do a park run in the summer and have already looked one up but is it OK to graduate using a treadmill??

[MickGJ Graduate]

I don't think you can be a fraud if you are in week 7. Graduation is simply a matter of keeping going for 30 minutes, wherever you do it.

Running outside is a matter of personal preference...I like it because it's easy to vary the pace and there's stuff to look at. But I have a nice park round the corner from me. Safety should always be a prime concern and running in the dark along roads with no footpath is probably not a good idea.

The only thing I would say is that the parkrun is unlikely to be completely flat so you might want to try using the gradient function on the treadmill when getting ready for it.

[Renar Graduate in reply to MickGJ]

Thank you for this will definitely use the gradient

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Welcome, fellow runner.

Running is running wherever you do it...,.........even on the infernal dreadmill!!!!

Of course you can graduate.

We do recommend that you set your contraption to a minimum of 1° incline to simulate running outdoors, otherwise the transition can be a bit of a shock.

You might gather I am not a fan of treadmills but I admire anyone who can run on one without dying of boredom............I know I would.

Keep going, you are doing great.

[Renar Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks for the support will try using the gradient although today's 25 min run non stop was hard work on the flat!! Will persevere though Thanks again Determined to graduate

[runswithdogs Graduate]

You're not a fraud at all! You're a runner! I hope you can enjoy lots of daylight runs once the days get longer again. The treadmill is a good place to be if you can't be outside.