Treadmill incline!

[Ivegottheruns]

Much as I try not to think about it, I've been lamenting the fact that I don't seem to be very fast at all and yet still find it pretty hard. I now run at 4.6mph so would be looking at around 45 mins for a full 5k and it doesn't seem to get easier... or not yet. I'm not very young but I'm also not that old either so I felt like speeding up a little doesn't seem unreasonable! A friend recently posted a casual 5k run on social media that he had done to "relax" and he had done it in 25m so I'm then thinking how am I half his speed almost! And they also say treadmill running can be easier...

Anyway I did some reading around all this and it turns out that I have been underestimating the impact that the incline of the treadmill has on things. My treadmill is great and a pretty good brand but its a home treadmill and I bought it based upon its ability to fold up fairly small- otherwise my spouse was going to be very annoyed!!! This means it doesn't have a lot of fancy functions and it has a set 4 degree incline and this is probably having a significant impact upon speed! I hadn't really appreciated that the impact was quite sizable, I'd assumed it would be small.

So I just thought I'd post this for anyone else who is doing the same as me and running on a treadmill. I found some tables of what equivalent pace is by incline and at 5mph (sadly they started at 5mph and not any slower!) at 4 degrees it would actually be equivalent to a 10 minute mile on a flat track so I'm potentially not too far off being able to run 5k in 30m... well, if I ran on a flat track ha ha!

Obviously I know there are other differences to running outside but this is still interesting and slightly reassuring. I do hope to end up doing my running outside at least some of the time but still haven't bitten the bullet! Really I need some better running gear if I'm going out in public (not sure the public would appreciate my gym trousers with holes between the thighs) and definitely need some different shoes.

[Yesletsgo Ambassador Graduate]

Well done for completing C25K on the treadmill, sounds like hard work if you were running uphill the whole time.

Running outside is a whole different thing. Be brave, there's a whole world out there, and who'd pass over the opportunity to get new shoes and running gear

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate in reply to Yesletsgo]

Brave new world... and isn't it amazing...Loads of super gear, out there for the finding Ivegottheruns , and loads of bargains too... Lidl and Aldi and loads of other places do some pretty decent stuff! No holes!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

Exciting times! There was a thread this morning talking about moving to running outdoors… you might like to have a browse through the replies for some tips. I know it’s not quite the same situation as you’re in. Here it is just in case it’s useful…

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Buying kit is one of my favourite things about running. Sweaty Betty have a sale on so loads of their leggings are about £35-40 with the extra discount on today. They’re my top favourites not only on sale or via vinted! Decathlon is brilliant too. Absolutely start a thread if you want recommendations…people love talking about kit and I’m sure will gladly tell you what they like!

Good luck to you!

[Sandraj39 Graduate]

Bite the bullet - it will open up a whole new world to you and you will wish you had done it earliner! I have read many posts on here from folk who were initially worried about running outside but I promise you, you very quickly realise that the world is too busy to notice us runners! Good luck!🙂