If you classify yourself as a treadmill
runner rather than an outdoor runner, than I warn you that your first few runs
outdoors might be a little more difficult than you're used to.
A colleague of mine was recently lamenting about
the demise of her beloved treadmill. She had worked up to running for 20
minutes straight on the machine, but after it failed her first few outdoor runs
have not been as successful. She's found the outdoor running to be much more
difficult and is unable to maintain her usual running pace for very long. This
doesn't surprise me and I'll explain why.
- On a treadmill the ground is
moving underneath you, which means your hamstrings have to do much less work
during the mid-stance to toe-off phase.
- Running indoors means that you
are less exposed to the elements. The wind, rain, sun, humidity can drain a lot
more of your energy during a run outdoors.
- If you habitually run at a low
grade on the treadmill, then the hills you will most likely encounter on an outdoor
run will increase the intensity of your run, making it feel more difficult.
- If the majority of your outdoor
running takes place on concrete sidewalks or paved roads, your body is forced to
deal with a lot more impact since these surfaces have less give than the treadmill.
Your muscles will tire more easily if they are not used to absorbing such
impact. Try to run on trails, grass or dirt roads as much as possible.
What
can you do to improve your outdoor running pace/fitness?
Just stick with it! The adjustments your
body needs to make will not take long at all, and you will be stronger and
fitter than ever. Don't get too frustrated with it and try to enjoy the time
you are able to spend outdoors in the beautiful spring weather.
Kim Bowerman,
Nomadik Personal Fitness Expert