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Speed on Treadmills

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BRM21o

BRM21o

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Is it me or does the speed on treadmills seem abnormally fast. Every time I jump on there I feel like the pace/mph it says is way faster than how it feels when I run outside. Could just be the kool-aid they serve here at Army bases??
 
BRM21o said:
Is it me or does the speed on treadmills seem abnormally fast. Every time I jump on there I feel like the pace/mph it says is way faster than how it feels when I run outside. Could just be the kool-aid they serve here at Army bases??
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Well there is no wind resistance on a treadmill, that should account for some of it.
 
Yeah, I notice the same thing. I don't really know what to attribute it to, but for me I think it's because when you're stationary (treadmill) you get a different sensory perception experience than when you run outside. When I'm outside I'm constantly looking around and noticing different things so it doesn't seem like I'm going as fast but when I clock my speed I notice it's a heck of a lot faster than I thought. I'm sure there's an explanation, I just don't know it.
 
I've noticed different treadmills are also different.

If I use mine at home, I feel like I'm working much harder to keep a specific rate. If I go to the local YMCA, I can keep the same pace easier.

I'm not sure if the motors ware has something to do with the speed or not. If so, newer treadmills would run faster than older ones. I'm not sure which would be correct (most likely the new ones?)

I've thought about getting a roll-a-tape from work and measure mine, but I haven't done it.
 
it probably has something to do with stride length too. if i run on a treadmill i end up chopping my stride so i don't keep kicking the base of the treadmill.
 
I agree, treadmills shorten your stride. I also feel that you seem to be going faster because the treadmill is pushing your feet back, unlike road which is all you. Probably a combination of both.
 
An article I read on runnersworld.com recommended setting a treadmill at 1% incline to make up for the difference in forward push and lack of wind resistance on a treadmill.
 
Set the incline to 1.0 to simulate flat-ground running. If you leave it at no incline, it'll feel like you're going slightly downhill (hence, faster than normal).
 
I've found that if you're going to use a treadmill it's a good idea to give yourself a tempo.

I like to start with a 2% grade at about 8.3 speed, then after 5min up the speed to 8.5, then up to 8.7. After 5min for each of those speeds, I up it again to 9.0 for 2min, then drop the grade to 1% for 3min. Then up to 9.5 for 3min, drop the grade to 0 for a minute and up the speed to 10. I keep the speed there for a final minute during which i continuously increase the incline.

That's a 25minute run.
 
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