Treadmill Pace vs. Road Pace, Why Such a Disparity?

[allnightgrocery]

I've been running on the treadmill for about a year now and have seen reasonable success. I have been averaging around 3 miles at roughly 5.5mph. Recently I picked up a Nike+ GPS Sportwatch so I could watch my pace on the road and track my runs. I'm quite surprised every time I take off for a morning (road) run. My pace is much faster than my treadmill pace - this morning was 8.31mph with a usual around 7.5mph. I know I'm working a little harder, as I tire a bit quicker, shortening my road distances. Logic tells me I should just slow my pace down to around 5.5mph and my road run distances will start to climb back to what I can get on a treadmill.

The questions...

Why does a road pace feel so much more natural?

Am I deluding myself? Will my road distance increase to my treadmill distance if I keep my pacing the same?

Thanks for the help.

[Frost of the Gloaming]

I don't know, but running on the road feels so much more natural to me too, It probably has something to do with our bodies running form, where our legs don't move in a straight line on the road/trail, which we are forced to on the treadmill

As for the distance thing, I find it easier and more enjoyable to run longer distance outside than on a treadmill, I just think your body needs to adjust to doing it. Pretty soon you'll be running further and faster outside

[Jcannon98188]

It could be the fact that on a treadmill, your pace is determined for you. Unless you reachout and change the speed manually, it will remain the same, but with road running, you set your own pace depending on how you feel at the time.

[fire.eagle]

Not to be stating the obvious, but the road pace feels more natural because it is. I always had a hard time running on a treadmill because you have this small strip to stay on, and the ground is moving, not the other way around.

I've heard air resistance being one reason for running outside being harder. The places I've seen that usually recommended a 3% grade on the treadmill to simulate the resistance. Also, the treadmill is a even, constant surface. The road can angle slightly, go up and down hills, etc. But, if you slow down, you should get closer to the treadmill distance, although probably not exactly the same.

I'd recommend running outside when you can. More realistic, and I personally tend to enjoy my runs more because I'm looking at actual changing scenery instead of the inside of my basement.

[msuroo]

I've heard air resistance being one reason for running outside being harder. The places I've seen that usually recommended a 3% grade on the treadmill to simulate the resistance. Also, the treadmill is a even, constant surface. The road can angle slightly, go up and down hills, etc. But, if you slow down, you should get closer to the treadmill distance, although probably not exactly the same.

I've heard this too, but like the OP - I find the outdoors to be much easier. I do almost all of my running outdoors, and I almost always wear a gps, so I have a pretty good sense of the level of effort it takes to maintain certain speeds. And maintaining those speeds on a treadmill is much more challenging, no doubt about it.

[Wicked Pixie]

This is perfect timing!

Most of my recent runs have been outside, but this morning (too dark and I'm chicken) I went to the gym to run. It felt awful to run on the treadmill, I seemed to get tired so fast- only did a bit over a mile.

When I started running I loved the treadmill. I'm not sure why. I can tell you, in my own bubble of life, running outside is easier because you can vary speed/pace instantly, effortlessly. If I try to change speed on a treadmill, I'm likely to hurt myself as I am not the most coordinated person in the world!

[TinkG6]

I just started running in the last month. I definitely enjoy running outside better than the treadmill, but tend to stick to the treadmill right now to learn how to pace myself. I have the habit to "go big or go home" in all i do and cannot seem to "jog" when outside, before I know it I am in sprinting mode, which means I'm exhausted after a few laps. I also quit smoking 7 months ago so my body/lungs are still getting used to the whole cardio thing, so the treadmill helps me maintain a better pace so i can go longer without having to stop and pant. One day at a time.

[Wicked Pixie]

I just started running in the last month. I definitely enjoy running outside better than the treadmill, but tend to stick to the treadmill right now to learn how to pace myself. I have the habit to "go big or go home" in all i do and cannot seem to "jog" when outside, before I know it I am in sprinting mode, which means I'm exhausted after a few laps. I also quit smoking 7 months ago so my body/lungs are still getting used to the whole cardio thing, so the treadmill helps me maintain a better pace so i can go longer without having to stop and pant. One day at a time.

Congrats on your smoke-free-ness!!!

[ChristArtist]

I just did my walk on the treadmill....instead of the outside walk with the dog....

here's my personal/experiential/anecdotal opinion from a person with many surgical and malformed foot/ankle problems FWIW

When I walk on the treadmill, my heel hits differently than on the road...and there is something that is different about it pulling the tread, as opposed to propelling me forward.

In fact, for the longest time, I could not walk on just any treadmill...some caused too much strain on my feet....so, I walked and walked and walked on the indoor tracks and on the outdoor paths - I couldn't go .5 mile on a treadmill, but could walk 7 miles on a gravel path.

Treadmills have also caused severe stress on my hips...and I can only assume that hips are not moving in the same freedom on the treadmill as they do on outdoor tracks.

As I walked on the treadmill this morning, I had to work to move my hips freely...was this reverting to old habits or just treadmill-itis? I don't know. I also caused a shin splint in the first .5 mile on the treadmill by not fully moving my foot through the stride...again, old habits or something the treadmill just tends to pull someone towards. I have used the treadmill, in front of a mirror to work on getting my feet to both fully roll through the stride...which is important to protect knees and hips...and ankles...and after 6 surgeries...they roll through just fine now! ;-) Stride is VERY important in walking....and someday, I hope I can experience it in running!

Another thing that this group probably will never realize - the walking video tapes that say you are walking 5 miles...WHEN YOU WALK IN PLACE! Nope...that doesn't translate to walking on the road...the hips don't work the same, nor does the feet. I had to break that to some dear women that really thought they were adding up the miles...at least they were moving!

I am assuming that spin classes do not correlate to road biking, either.

I do know that bathtubs do not correlate to swimming pools...just FYI.

The one thing I do love about the treadmill or the stationary bike is the ability to do intervals - that is how I have always worked up my endurance...but, to me, the real test of walking/running, and biking is out in the real world.

The test for swimming will be when I do an open swim during some triathlon...and that scares me to pieces!!!

As I said, FWIW...two different beasties - but if utilized intelligently, with purpose...they are tools to victory!

[KellyElizabeth]

I discovered I can go faster outside than I do on a treadmill but I actually thought I was going slower! Awesome right? I think the whole pace being dictated has a lot to do with it. If you say a certain MPH that's about it. No more no less. I still use my treadmill cause I feel like I get a good workout but I love being outside with my ankle weights and my hills. Ooo so much fun!!!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found this out. I thought I was just weird.

[allnightgrocery]

Thank you all for the great responses. Oh, for the wonders of modern technology and the shared knowledge. It sounds like I just need to acclimate a bit more to road running and maybe watch my pace a bit more. Somewhere there's a happy median.

[Wicked Pixie]

I discovered I can go faster outside than I do on a treadmill but I actually thought I was going slower! Awesome right? I think the whole pace being dictated has a lot to do with it. If you say a certain MPH that's about it. No more no less. I still use my treadmill cause I feel like I get a good workout but I love being outside with my ankle weights and my hills. Ooo so much fun!!!

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found this out. I thought I was just weird.

*edit*

My overall pace seems to be faster when I'm running outside too, I think that is because you can adjust on the fly- sprint when you feel like it and slow to a crawl if you must.

I was told that running with weights below the knees was super awful for your joints. I can't confirm or deny- definitely NOT an expert. Have you had any issues running with weights?? I did it for a while and found that it made my knees very sore. I started using thigh bands (Designed to give great resistance to improve kicking speed in taekwondo) and that seemed to give a better 'feeling' workout, I felt like I was making more muscles work without the joint pain.

Anyway, not knocking you or anything, just curious about your experience.

[cob]

it may have to do with visual perception. On a treadmill, it may feel very unnatural to run at a pace because the world around you is stationary. When you are on the road, you can see and guage your pace. As Fire Eagle said, it IS more natural. Your body expects running to cover real distance. When you don't actually go anywhere, your mind gets confused... I think.

[Zorch]

One thing thing that may apply here is that there's sort of a no-man's zone between a natural, fast walk, and a natural run - for me it's from about 5 to 7.5 mph as far as speed goes - I'm sort of running, but not really, it feels awkward and generally sucks. I'm tall and have a really long stride- so going 6 mph is actually no easier than going 7.5 for me, as I'm unnaturally shorterning my stride and doing funky things that make it less efficient. Research has actually shown that there's a range of speeds over which we are most efficient(as measured by the amount of energy required to travel a certain distance) - normal walking speed is very efficient, and a moderate run is quite efficient as well - but a very fast walk/slow jog/run is actually less efficient than either going faster or going slower due to the biomechanics involved, so it may be that folks who experience this simply have found a speed at which they're more efficient, and are thus going faster without expending too much more energy.

[Corbab]

I know there are gripes about the treadmill not activating your hamstrings, pulling your foot back rather than letting you lengthen your stride and go faster. Personally, I tire much more quickly on the treadmill, going at barely half my usual pace. I'm on the big side, so I hesitate to run like I usually do for fear of stepping off the front and becoming the subject of another hilarious youtube video. Also, a dynamic pace works much better for me, as I usually clock decent times despite my min/mi pace being a bit off.

[Raincloak]

Treadmills are also sometimes set at an angle. Some of them have an adjustable slope that moves up and down. It is possible your treadmill slope was set too high and you were running uphill, which is why it felt like more work.