I'mUsing treadmill is that better or worse than road running?

[Igrim]

[shelleymcb Graduate]

the treadmill is a lot kinder to your joints & easier to pace yourself as this is all done by the buttons. if you are planning to run outside in the future then it is recommended that you set an incline of 1 or 2 percent. & if running outside is where you want to be eventually then perhaps run 1 run a week outside?

I ran for almost a year inside before going outside & found outside difficult at first because I ran too fast. also Im scared of dogs so they are a bit daunting

effort wise I would compare running along a long hill downwards the same as running on a treadmill as the ground comes to your feet easier.

& of course, theres lots more to see & smell outdoors.

[Hidden]

I run outside and love it but I gave the treadmill a go in week 3 because I was convinced I was so slow it hardly counted as a jog. It gave me a huge boost of confidence seeing the speed difference between my walk and my jog and stopped me quitting. Also, it didn't hurt my knees half as much as running outside.

I'm on week 5 now and I'm thinking of running indoors once a week to help with pacing (I don't own a posh gadget). Thanks, shelleymcb, for your tip about the incline I will give that a try.

I would mix it up if you can Igrim. Running outdoors gives you a real buzz and you feel less like a hamster in a wheel. Good luck with your running.

[sfb350 Graduate]

I've done most of the program on a treadmill, with an additional 3 runs with a local beginners running group. The outdoor run is definitely more challenging and I suspect I push myself a bit more because I'm with someone - and it is very hilly around here. The thing I like with the treadmill is being able to pace myself more easily - I always make sure that when Laura says it is time to ease off if I'm feeling tired I do the opposite and try and run a bit faster until the end. I also like knowing how long I've been running for. This week I had to do W7R1 outdoors as I'm on holiday and I found it really difficult not being able to glance at the clock on the treadmill to see how long I had left - it all seemed to take a lot longer. It didn't help that I'm unfamiliar with the area so ran backwards and forwards a bit ! I'm planning on doing a couple of "rollling hills" sessions on the treadmill to try and get a bit more prepared for outside.