I try to avoid the treadmill unless I have to. Have you tried early morning runs before the heat?
If I do treadmill, I don't mess with the incline at all. Hard to compare the two but treadmill is easier but more boring.
Have you tried measuring heart rate? That usually is a good metric to the difficulty.
I've been running at 6:30am for the past few months, but the past two weeks it's already been 75+ F by then and I simply cannot handle that heat lol. Any earlier and its still dark out.
I actually find that running on a treadmill is slightly less boring because I can watch a video on my phone while I run.
That's a good idea! I do measure heart rate, but I'm not seeing a significant difference between it running outside vs inside. probably because my pace is faster. I'll try keeping my pace \~10 min / mil and seeing what incline I need to get my heart rate to match my outside heart rate.
I run at 5% incline. It works for me but might be too much or too little for you.
Like speed, it’s a personal thing you’ll have to figure out on your own.
My max of 4mph@5% is probably laughably slow/low for most people here but it’s what I’m comfortable at for now so it’s what I do.
Most beginner runners have the problem that running is too strenuous, even at slow speeds.
Why should the indoor treadmill be as strenuous as outdoor? Just enjoy that the intervals are easier.
Get in your mileage, and if you switch to outdoor, just realize that you might have to do shorter intervals or longer pauses in between, or have Fri run slower outside.
I can't help with the question about incline but wanted to ask how youre tracking your distance? There is always a discrepancy between my smart watch and the reported distance on the treadmill. The watch always says I've gone farther than I have!
I’m thinking that a lot of what is challenging and fun about running outside is the variation underfoot and the agility needed to navigate that. On a treadmill your brain is not nearly as stimulated, so I would focus on things like posture, possibly adding arm movements, changes in length of stride or height of knees, etc. If you’re not apt to fall I would turn it down and do some twisting or side stepping. (Be careful!) And on a treadmill I always end with turning around, holding the bars, and walking backwards. It relieves the stress of walking forward and is good for your muscles.
Or, alternatively, you can always pop in a movie and just run farther than you would have!
Generally 1% incline is "supposed" to be the same as running on the flat, at least to counter the lack of wind resistance. That said, I've found that running on a treadmill feels too easy at lower speeds but getting away from me at higher speeds - more so than running outside. On top of that, there's always the question of whether the treadmill is accurately calibrated for distance.
So my advice would be to set incline / speed by feel rather than numbers. Try to figure out what works for \*you\* in replicating the effort you were giving when running outside, and get back out in the real world as soon as you can - especially considering your current goal.
As an aside - repeating weeks / modifying the C25K program to suit your progress is \*absolutely\* the right thing to do.
Good luck - you got this!
Don't do the same thing every day. Try the following
1. Monday: Do a short run followed by stretching.
2. Tuesday: Tempo Run
3. Wednesday: Normal Run + Inclines
4. Thursday: Rest
5. Friday: Normal Run + Intervals
6. Saturday: Rest
7. Sunday: Slow Run
I try to avoid the treadmill unless I have to. Have you tried early morning runs before the heat? If I do treadmill, I don't mess with the incline at all. Hard to compare the two but treadmill is easier but more boring. Have you tried measuring heart rate? That usually is a good metric to the difficulty.
I've been running at 6:30am for the past few months, but the past two weeks it's already been 75+ F by then and I simply cannot handle that heat lol. Any earlier and its still dark out. I actually find that running on a treadmill is slightly less boring because I can watch a video on my phone while I run. That's a good idea! I do measure heart rate, but I'm not seeing a significant difference between it running outside vs inside. probably because my pace is faster. I'll try keeping my pace \~10 min / mil and seeing what incline I need to get my heart rate to match my outside heart rate.
Cool. Good luck to you! I am not a pro but that's how I would tackle that problem!
I run at 5% incline. It works for me but might be too much or too little for you. Like speed, it’s a personal thing you’ll have to figure out on your own. My max of 4mph@5% is probably laughably slow/low for most people here but it’s what I’m comfortable at for now so it’s what I do.
Most beginner runners have the problem that running is too strenuous, even at slow speeds. Why should the indoor treadmill be as strenuous as outdoor? Just enjoy that the intervals are easier. Get in your mileage, and if you switch to outdoor, just realize that you might have to do shorter intervals or longer pauses in between, or have Fri run slower outside.
I can't help with the question about incline but wanted to ask how youre tracking your distance? There is always a discrepancy between my smart watch and the reported distance on the treadmill. The watch always says I've gone farther than I have!
I'm just using what the treadmill says! I don't have a watch.
I’m thinking that a lot of what is challenging and fun about running outside is the variation underfoot and the agility needed to navigate that. On a treadmill your brain is not nearly as stimulated, so I would focus on things like posture, possibly adding arm movements, changes in length of stride or height of knees, etc. If you’re not apt to fall I would turn it down and do some twisting or side stepping. (Be careful!) And on a treadmill I always end with turning around, holding the bars, and walking backwards. It relieves the stress of walking forward and is good for your muscles. Or, alternatively, you can always pop in a movie and just run farther than you would have!
Generally 1% incline is "supposed" to be the same as running on the flat, at least to counter the lack of wind resistance. That said, I've found that running on a treadmill feels too easy at lower speeds but getting away from me at higher speeds - more so than running outside. On top of that, there's always the question of whether the treadmill is accurately calibrated for distance. So my advice would be to set incline / speed by feel rather than numbers. Try to figure out what works for \*you\* in replicating the effort you were giving when running outside, and get back out in the real world as soon as you can - especially considering your current goal. As an aside - repeating weeks / modifying the C25K program to suit your progress is \*absolutely\* the right thing to do. Good luck - you got this!
Don't do the same thing every day. Try the following 1. Monday: Do a short run followed by stretching. 2. Tuesday: Tempo Run 3. Wednesday: Normal Run + Inclines 4. Thursday: Rest 5. Friday: Normal Run + Intervals 6. Saturday: Rest 7. Sunday: Slow Run