Can you get the same work out from running 2 miles on a treadmill as you would just running 2 miles outside.

Well in my personal opinion I always thought the treadmill is a bit easier than traditional running. However, I myself do use the treadmill once in a while just to work on my stride and my pace and ofcourse to stay out of the desert heat. But I would try and run outside and also try running on different terrain like gravel, grass, dirt I did that for 14 months before Indoc and I never got shin splints or stress fractures. Hope some of this helps, good luck!

Most of the people do not the treadmill because you are not really moving your body, just picking up your feet. If you do run on the treadmill, make sure you use at least a 1% incline. It will help counter some of the negative effects of a treadmill. Also, treadmills can be deceiving. People may run a 6 minute mile on a treadmill, but a 7.5 minute mile outside. There are many factors that go into running outdoors (such as heat, wind, weather, dogs chasing you, etc.) that cannot be mimicked in an indoor-treadmill enviroment. I say until they start doing your pt test on a treadmill, hump it outside.

You won't get the same workout due to the treadmill keeping the pace for you (as MOGO intimated)...but that is also an advantage once in a while. Personally, I use the treadmill to "re-sync" my pace...it tunes me in to how fast my pace should be for a roughly 7 - 8 minute mile (slow I know, but for a 22 year Pararescue Veteran...not bad). Also, (as MOGO said), if it's real hot outside, or you just want a change, the treadmill is good.

Bottom line...no, it's not the same workout, but it is a great tool that can be integrated into any running program to enhance your fitness.

Thanks for the answers....i will stick to running outside.

Y'know, treadmills always just bore the hell out of me. Any cardio I do inside doesn't get past 5 minutes. Music, TV, none of it helps.

You know me, I can't resist talking about running. Here is my 2 cents worth:
When ever possible run outside on roads, trails, grass, etc. Run in the worst weather, hot or cold, that you can run in safely. No, I have not found any climate too hot to run in and that includes Iraq, Afhanistan, Kuwait, and others. Too cold? Yeah, I did decline to run on the Ice Cap in Greenland. I was tempted but I had no change of clothes and I figured I'd get lost in the white out so I stayed in my tent.

Just to put my money where my mouth is before writing this, I am running outside all summer and haven't hit a treadmill yet. Today it was an even 100 degrees and the humidity is up in the 80-90% range too. Ran my hilly road route, out and back. First two miles felt easy and relaxed. Two mile turn around time 16:15. Thought about changing run to a 5 or 6 miler. Experience in hot weather and hills made me think better. Decided to stay on 8:07 pace on return trip and if I still felt like goin an extra mile, just continue past the house and get it done. Good thing I had the experience to know about heat and terrain. Had to seriously pick up the effort to keep same pace. Heat began to really hurt, hills must have gotten taller too. Hit the house at 32:29, right on pace. Could not have held same pace for another mile and still run my interval work out on Wednesday. Proved my point to myself: Run in extreme temps and terrain to learn how to pace yourself in ANY conditions.
Why do I think you, the Wannabe or Gonnabe should run in extremes?
Simple. You are going to train and operate in extremes. Ever been to Lackland or Keesler in the summer? How about Iraq or the Phillipines? Now put on body armor, weapon, web gear, ruck, cammo paint, etc.

Ever been to Survival in the Winter? How about Greenland, Alaska, Norway, even Germany and Enlgand. A little sleet and temps around 28-35 degrees and you are stuck in a hide site for two or three days is worse than cold weather ops in subzero clear weather. Hell, the coldest I've ever been was in Iraq in March! Oh, fun, Fun, FUN!

So, if you are going to have to suck it up in Training and in the REAL WORLD, why not get used to it a little at a time BEFORE entering the Pipeline?

To all you Operators, I appologize for preaching. We all do our own thing and if you are of the school of "Don't practice Bleeding", that's cool with me. You know how to train yourself.
To all you Wannabes and Gonnabes, take a dose of SUCK IT the F*#K up and train outside as much as you can. You will be glad you did.

k

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif" alt="" />Well put, lookin forward to being able to run again.

"... a dose of SUCK IT the F*#K up and train..." Yes Sir!
Cant wait for winter and the -20F runs! Appreciate all your advice Guard MC.
Chris

I doubt anyone will ask you to run in 20 below temps but by all means, bundle up and go for it! I have a hard time making myself run once it gets to 20 above. Suddenly, I start feeling like I've been neglecting my swimming...

I know what you mean, Fort Wainwright stops running their troops at that temperature. But if my boss (49 year old former SEAL) is out their doing it... by God Im right behind him. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> I think the coolest and most extreme run Ive ever been on was when celsius and fahrenheit were the same number at -40 (that was a very short run... but I now get to tell my grandchildren .. "back in my day... )

I hear ya. Did the -40 with wind chill in College. Had to get off into the woods to escape the wind. Got in a good run but felt bad because my buddy and I flushed a deer out of its hiding place. Felt really bad. Here he/she finally found a place out of the wind where the snow drifts and thickets had created a nice cozy hidy hole and along came the two of us huffing and puffing and ruin his/her whole day. We were back in the nice heated gym and the deer had to either find a new spot or waste time wating to make sure we were gone.
So, yeah, I also get to say "back in my day..." but I feel a little guilty because those Illinois deer just don't see a lot of 40 below days and when they do, I don't think they like to spend them running from people.

Nice chart. Good info. Thanks for posting.

Wow! Great chart. So I'm actually running a slightly faster pace on the treadmill (I use a 2% incline) then I am on the road?

from what i understand it isn't so much you're running faster on the treadmill but that you are exerting more effort on the treadmill.

[]Y'know, treadmills always just bore the hell out of me. Any cardio I do inside doesn't get past 5 minutes. Music, TV, none of it helps. [/]

man, I am EXACTLY the same way. I gave the tredmill another chance today at the gym. I still hate them. First, because I can't control my own pace, I can't really speed up and slow down when I want to, or break into a dead sprint to hit my next marker for no damn reason. And second, because I can't feel myself moving, so I don't get that good feeling that comes from moving fast. Same way for stationary bikes. I'm an avid cyclist, but I can't stay on a stationary for more than 5 minutes.

I talked to a former TACP who went and got commisioned, he told me that i should never run on the treadmill unless i absolutley have too. He said run in the snow, run in the rain, and aclimate yourself to weather. And to do your Cals or wieght training before you run sometimes, and see if you can still run at that 7 min mile pace. well anyways if you want to get faster, do interval training, and do not run the next day so your legs can rest. It's the only way.

I would much rather run outside because I can control my pace without having to press a button to make myself faster. I get so bored on a treadmill. I would rather be moving to a different location every few seconds than looking at the same wall the whole time running.