Treadmill Running vs. Outside Running

my treadmill pace is always slower (by a minute or so) than my pace outside.. i've tried to pick up the speed on the treadmill and it's not a cardio problem.. it's just that I can't seem to keep my legs going that fast without fear of falling off the darn thing

Yesterday the choice for me was running outside on ice/slush in the teens for 5 miles or the treadmill, I picked outside.

I find treadmill soooooo boring and it feels different to run. I set it on 1% grade to adjust for difference compared to outside running. I to am a bit slower on a treadmill by maybe 30 seconds a mile.

Seems like 10 minutes on the treadmill is like running outside for an hour.

Mental toughness someone pointed out that treadmill running builds mental toughness which I need for IMLP so maybe some treadmill runs will be good for me. 

Any running is better than no running... I tend to keep a slightly faster pace inside.  The 'scenery' is much better at my large gym and I also crank up the Ipod indoors, which is a motivator for me as well.  I don't increase the incline to 1-2% like the experts say to, in order simulate outside running.  I have never noticed a large decline in my outside times due to running at 0% incline.  However, I am not stressing over finishing a 10k in 49 minutes as opposed to my normal 55-57 minutes, either.  I just finish.

Chris

I like the treadmill for tempo runs and paced training as it forces me to go to the new pace  and get used to it a bit....

but now that I have my Garmin that MIGHT be somewhat moot.

I've run on a treadmill maybe a whopping 3 times in my entire running "career."

It's a personal thing, but if I absolutely can't get out and run then it is just God's way of telling me to either take a rest day or get on my bike trainer .......

And if you can't push a tempo pace outside and need a treadmill to do it, then what are you going to do in a race???  Same thing with a electrical toy.  None of those will actually get you to push yourself.

It's not a macho/hardcore thing, it is just how I train.  There is no weather I have not run all my different runs in (long, fast, recovery, interval), so there is nothing I haven't been through come race day.  Today I had a great run and it was frickin' 14 degrees out with 10 - 15 mph sustained winds.  Even my Gu2O turned into a slushie that I couldn't drink towards the end because it wouldn't go through the bottle spout.  But I was dressed for it and was toasty other than my face!

I've heard plenty of people say that they like the treadmill to regulate their pace for the tempo work because it allows them to stay even and consistent.  But once again, I go back to the real world race situation ..... other than racing in totally flat locations with no wind, when is that ever going to happen?  Besides, tempo work is not all about pace, it is keeping your effort in a certain range whether you are going up a hill, flat or down.

To each their own.  I still don't see a need for one (a treadmill) personally ........

I agree with Tony.  Last year, I dreaded running on the TM.  My head told me there was no way I could do a Tempo on it and it always won!  This year due to a lot of snow and ice on the roads and an early Spring marathon, I bought a new TM and learned to embrace it.  I have done all of my Tempo runs and most of my long runs on it successfully.  For me, it was a state of mind.  Now I feel like I am going to crush that Tempo run everytime.

One way to get used to doing faster paces on the TM is doing 4-6 1 minute pick-ups at a pace faster than your Tempo pace followed by a minute recovery.  That way you can start your Tempo pace and it will not feel as hard.

Suzy

I'd rather run outside, but somedays it is easier to talk myself into a perfectly climate controlled 30 min run on the treadmill.  This time of year I have too much ice and junk to deal with outside.   I cant do more than 45 minutes on a stationary machine of any kind without going nuts, though.    

I usually "accidentally" run 8:30-9:30 miles outside at an easy effort.  On the treadmill, those are high effort runs.