Street Running vs Treadmill?

Question

I'm training for a marathon and have been doing most of my milage outside but because for the first few weeks of my training I was wearing old shoes so my knee and ankle suffered they are still tender but because I don't want to lose the endurance I've built up I was thinking about running on the treadmill just because it's a softer surface well the knee and ankle still have a break. Do you think this is a good idea? Because I know it's easier to run on a treadmill should I add on an additional mile so my endurance stays up? I bought the top of the line asics so my shoes wont be a problem.

Answer 1

Is this your first?  Either way, good luck!

I was in a similar situation to you and did most of my winter training on the treadmill.  It is not necessarily easier to run on a treadmill.  Here are some disadvantages:

1. Quite often, people adjust their stride length due to the length of the belt.  I know I do this.  Some of this is just not being aware of how long the belt actually is, some of it is due to the belt actually not being long enough.  This can take its toll on your knees.

2. Depending on where your treadmill is located, the enviroment might inhibit your training and make it more difficult.  If you are a gym, you have more humidity in there than you might outside.  The lack of air movement, lack of fresh air, etc.  If it is in a basement, there could be molds that aggravate your lungs when running.  Also, being inside in these atmospheres, your heart rate might be higher than normal.

3. Most treadmills (except for the ridiculously expensive ones) are not totally accurate.  If you have ever tried to get your workout summary, you may have noticed that the pace/time/distance did not really work out right.  Many treadmills actually run faster than it is telling you (not by much, but enough that if you are doing your long runs (over 18 miles) you may run a half mile or so more than you think).

I would go ahead and do your treadmill training (taking these things into  account), but still try to do one run a week outside (maybe your longer one since you will probably be going a little slower and running long on a treadmill with your stride adjusted may hurt you more).

Again, good luck!

Answer 2

Very valid concern....to ease your mind...i recently ran my first marathon...and for a few months (december thru feb) i actually ran 5 days a week on the treadmill and my long run outside...If you have to run on the treadmill, make sure you up put the incline on at least 1.5, otherwise the treadmill is doing all the work for you.

To hear yourself, you may want to back off runs...not run as much and allow your body to heal...as long as your hitting your long runs for the week, taking a few days off early wont kill ya too much.

Have fun....if you have any other questions about training, feel free to let me know

Answer 3

Give your legs the necesary time to recover.  I recently had some shin splints, and miscellaneous other aches and pains.  It takes patience not to run, so here's what I did.  I took 2 weeks off from running completely.  During that time, I ONLY did the Stairmaster.

Then, I ran for another 2 weeks on the treadmill, gradually increasing intensity and distance.  After 4 weeks of indoor training, the aches and pains were GONE!  My legs were recovered.  It should probably work for you as well.

Answer 4

Treadmills do not give you the pounding that you will endure on a road surface, so it is less stressful on your knees, legs, and shins, but you need that for the race, since you will running it on a road surface. If your injured I would not run on either, give yourself a chance to heal, you will not lose that much endurance. Asics in my opinion are not great shoes, Nike and NB are the best for high mileage running.

Answer 5

I've run in a marathon, so I's have to say run on the street, but here's why.  A treadmill doesn't give you a change in elevation and ground angle relative to level ground where a street does.  When you run, your knees and ankels take a pounding, so pain could be from getting stronger.  Don't trian just on a treadmill because you don't get the feeling of running on a changing ground enough to be safe in running a marathon.  When I ran mine (Columbus, 2007), I knew the route enough that I knew when the ground shifted in elevation because I went to OSU and half of it was on campus.  Street running just seems a little better because you adjust to street and not a flat and small conveyer belt that moves as fast as you.