Treadmill pace versus outside running

I almost always run slower on a treadmill then outside..Not sure why but since i weigh 250 i

do think the treadmill gives more than the road..Coming out of the rebound off the treadmill seems to slow me down..

Since the road does not give, i seem to get more rebound which for me translates to faster running times outside.

To run my 5k race pace on a treadmill would be extremely hard for me to do even for one mile ..

I'm not really sure your analogies were exactly useful in trying to explain what you mean, so if you were trying to say what I'm about to say, then I agree, otherwise I disagree.

I'm sure that this thread is old by now, but I had a few cents, and a bit of time to throw in my two.

When running at a fast pace on a treadmill, there is more difference than just air resistance. Especially if you can be classified as a 'power' athlete. When running outside the entire purpose of my runs is to output as much power as I can 'tangential' to the ground if you will. Therefore when running at a fast pace on the treadmill, because of the backwards movement of the surface, some of the energy required to 'move my foot backwards' or to push off, is provided by the treadmill. When running outside at a fast pace, all of the energy required to get me moving is provided my my quadriceps and associated muscles, which isn't the case necessarily on a treadmill, because it is possible to let your foot be pulled along by the treadmill, and only focus on returning your legs to the forward position.

A little bit rantish, but I hope my point was at least made clear.

Running on the treadmill feels easier because you're basically standing in one place and just lifting your feet up and down.

For every mile that I run on a treadmill I beat the track time by at least two minutes ?

Treadmill is a lot easier for me as long as I have a fan blowing right in my face. Otherwise, anything over 3 miles, I start to over heat and become a sweaty mess to the point where the cup holders are half filled with sweat.

Just noticed this thread is super old.

From the study quoted:

In his famous treadmill study, Jones tested experienced runners at six per-mile paces (9:11, 8:03, 7:09, 6:25, 5:51, and 5:21) while they ran on a treadmill that was either flat or inclined by various amounts. Setting the treadmill at a 1% incline made the effort equivalent to outdoor running only to those running 7:09 pace or faster

Nevertheless, treadmills are one of the most well known bits of cardiovascular hardware both at home and in rec centers, because of the numerous points of interest they offer. By running outdoors, your muscles and joints will be more molded to the differed territory you'll experience in a race.

Alright. I am an expert on treadmill running?

I ran 4 months in a row on treadmill every f@cking day.

1) treadmill effort (by oxygen consumption) is the same as track running, if:

a) treadmill properly calibrated:

- belt speed same as display

- 0% incline display is 0% real incline setup of treadmill (check by clinometer apps or water level device).

If treadmill is not calibrated, use below calculators to adjust pace:

https://42.195km.net/e/treadsim/

https://exrx.net/Calculators/WalkRunMETs

While using speed, incline compare "oxygen consumption".

2) on treadmill is different stride.

3) muscles for downhill are not working on treadmill

4) small muscles for stabilizing feet are working in different way than outdoor

5) treadmill is the best pacemaker for fast workouts (absolute pace accuracy)

6) treadmill is much better than solo TT outdoor.

7) treadmill motor power should be more than 2.5 HP

8) treadmill rubber track, motor belt should be tightened as hell.

9) If treadmill max speed is 20km/h, but you need to run more, use incline and above calculators to adjust, always compare "oxygen consumption".

10) treadmill is forgiving impact to your joints and bones

After treadmill I spent 2 weeks for adaptation my stride, muscles until I was able to run exactly same pace vs same heart rate.

The main issue with treadmill training (one of them anyway) is that it’s uncommon for them to be calibrated correctly - the pace is always off on the display and even if you have it corrected it will fall off again. The answer - Stryd foot pod.

Your stride is definitely altered a bit on the mill and if that’s all you do you will have to reaclimate your legs to real running as the last poster mentioned ......can be a great tool or a crutch depending on how you use it IMHO.

Treadmills are harder for me too. Outdoors you often have a better cooling mechanism for sure, but I think the overall factor is visual feedback.

On a track you can see how hard to push for 400m, 300m, 200m, etc.

On a treadmill you're just suffering through with just a number. The lowest level of feedback.

I will point out that the treadmill listed speeds are often a bit higher than actual speed. I have a runnn on mine which uses white markers on the belt to track actual belt speed. The treadmill screen usually shows 10-15 sec faster than the actual belt speed when I am running on it, putting weight on the belt and increasing the drag. It’s pretty close though

I've used treadmills for over 25 years. The treadmill pace always seemed to translate to about 30 seconds slower per mile outdoors, for me. The good thing about treadmills is that they are much easier on your joints. I've never had an ortho injury.

jajjabbadooo wrote:

I will point out that the treadmill listed speeds are often a bit higher than actual speed. I have a runnn on mine which uses white markers on the belt to track actual belt speed. The treadmill screen usually shows 10-15 sec faster than the actual belt speed when I am running on it, putting weight on the belt and increasing the drag. It’s pretty close though

A problem that the Runn won't account for is that treadmill belts do not move at a constant speed. When you step on the belt, you slow it down. The motor strains harder to maintain speed. When you are airborne, the belt accelerates because there's less resistance, and the motor adjusts by putting out less power. What this means is that sensors like Runn, or even standard calibration which just counts revolutions, can be totally accurate in terms of average belt speed, but inaccurate in that the speed when it matters (when your foot is in contact with the belt) is slower.

You use Garmin HR monitors, yes? Have you looked at a comparison (treadmill vs track and/or vs road) using EPOC loads?

hr measurement wrote:

You use Garmin HR monitors, yes? Have you looked at a comparison (treadmill vs track and/or vs road) using EPOC loads?

Even if you have not yet compared the EPOC loads, you would not need to go back an perform the tests over, because if you have saved Garmin activity's, you can go back and retrieve the EPOC loads from those activities for the evaluation.

stan the corgi wrote:

I've used treadmills for over 25 years. The treadmill pace always seemed to translate to about 30 seconds slower per mile outdoors, for me. The good thing about treadmills is that they are much easier on your joints. I've never had an ortho injury.

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This. Using the stryd footpod I find treadmills to typically be around 30 seconds per mile slower than what the display suggests- Which is strange because the pace feels 30 sec *faster* than the display suggests.....a mill has it’s place in a healthy training regimen (I believe) but don’t put ANY merit into the display metrics....even the built in heart rate monitor on my Precor Commercial duty machine picks up Cadence better than heart rate.

My Stryd gives me absurdly slower paces which don't correlate with HR/perceived effort. I contacted Stryd and they just recommended Fellrnr's calibration post. My (factory-calibrated) Runn unit gives me almost spot-on readings with my NordicTrack T12.

It's strange because the same Stryd is scary accurate on a standard 400 m track.

jiggymeister wrote:

My Stryd gives me absurdly slower paces which don't correlate with HR/perceived effort. I contacted Stryd and they just recommended Fellrnr's calibration post. My (factory-calibrated) Runn unit gives me almost spot-on readings with my NordicTrack T12.

It's strange because the same Stryd is scary accurate on a standard 400 m track.

I agree, my Stryd is very accurate on the track - I’m taking for granted it’s just as accurate on the mill.....