Treadmill

I usually run 4 times a week, but due to a new job I am up too early & home too late to make it practical during the week. I am still running weekends but its not enough. I have therefore decided to buy a treadmill so I can get some sneaky runs in before work - I would welcome anyones comments re their experience with treadmill running.

many thanks

ian

Comments

  • Where are you going to stick it ? If it's anywhere inside it will wake the rest of the family

    Stick it in the garage and the car gets cold

    MAN UP and get out running on the roads

  • If you have time for a treadmill run before work, then dont you have time for an outside run?

  • Max's Mum wrote (see)

    If you have time for a treadmill run before work, then dont you have time for an outside run?

    He's a wuss

  • treadmill running is awful! 

    man up!!

    dont quite understand the statement "due to a new job I am up too early & home too late to make it practical during the week" then you say your going to run on a treadmill before work??

  • Ian

    In the dark, I have been doing intervals. tempo and hill runs. While I'm comfortable running easy and steady paced mileage in the pitch black with a head torch, I prefer the treadmill for the more risky stuff. Plus the local track near me is not all weather and useless at this time of year.

    I have used several treadmills in different gyms recently, and the big big thing for me is decent airconditioning. I hate treadmills where the ventilation is poor. This is one of the reasons I probably wouldn't use one in the house. Luckily for me I have several gyms in warm up distance (1 to 2 miles away) which I use and are open by 6am. The treadmills are easily programmed so putting together an interval session is easy without lots of button pressing mid run.

    If it is just a sneaky run, then for me its simple and quick to just open the front door and get a few miles in. Likewise with a medium long run.

    Ignore the macho/wimp bullcrap and workout why you need the treadmill, and how much over the course of the year it is needed. Bad weather / dark mornings don't last long

     

  • To be fair to the chap, running outside in the dark can be a right ball-ache, and reasonably risky.  Round these parts roads are very pooly lit and the surfaces are dreadful.  If he can manage 45 minutes on a dreadmill good luck to him.  Anyone who can stand that without going mental must be pretty keen.

  • I did twenty miles on the treadmill yesterday in 3 hour 18 minutes. I was trying my best to hold the pace at 6mph which is hard when i usually run at 8mph.

    I won't be happpy until i get up to 5 hours.

    Then i'll work my way up until i can do  5 hours at 7mph

    Then i'll be ready  for  a Treadmill race.image

     

  • If you're buying a treadmil make sure to buy a good quality one with lots of reviews and a top brand. Cheap ones, no matter what they say are never a bargain and result in a loss of money.

    We used to have a cheapish* one but if you ran too heavy footed then the moving belt would touch the floor and stop which made it feel like you were going to a backflip or something quite acrobatic, very scary!

    On the other hand by old gym in Canterbury from when I was a student had treadmills with fans built into the control panel section, was quite 'cool' to be able to change your speed, incline and fan speed whilst running.

  •  

     

    Intermanaut wrote (see)

    To be fair to the chap, running outside in the dark can be a right ball-ache, and reasonably risky.  Round these parts roads are very pooly lit and the surfaces are dreadful.  

    If I can run over terrain like this in the dead of night at a respectable pace then you shouldn`t have any problems with your local roads...

    http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s480x480/482967_486153961448780_465062397_n.jpg

     

  • Ultra waccyracer wrote (see)

    I did twenty miles on the treadmill yesterday in 3 hour 18 minutes. I was trying my best to hold the pace at 6mph which is hard when i usually run at 8mph.

    I won't be happpy until i get up to 5 hours.

    Then i'll work my way up until i can do  5 hours at 7mph

    Then i'll be ready  for  a Treadmill race.image

     

    Christ I did 40 minutes and was going potty by the end ...image

    In my opinon running on a Treadmill is much harder than running outside so good luck Ian image

  • Roland McCartney wrote (see)

     

     

    Intermanaut wrote (see)

    To be fair to the chap, running outside in the dark can be a right ball-ache, and reasonably risky.  Round these parts roads are very pooly lit and the surfaces are dreadful.  

    If I can run over terrain like this in the dead of night at a respectable pace then you shouldn`t have any problems with your local roads...

    http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s480x480/482967_486153961448780_465062397_n.jpg

     

    As I say, if I was doing any speedwork, I would be nuts to do it there. OK for the slower stuff though, everytime

  • Your missing the point David ..

    @ Also-ran : you should see how quickly some of the orienteers can run over such terrain...

     

  • My local council gym have rolling monthly contracts, it is ideal for the winter.Personally I would not waste the money on getting my own hamster wheel. 

    This forum get more unhelpful and unpleasant with each passing month.

  • 1) Less risk of injury in the dark, ice, snow, and mud - agreedimage. My last run in the dark:

    /members/images/693152/gallery/IMAG0104_0.jpg

     Luckily it was bath week.

  • No, but thanks for the compliment.

  • image

    Ian, I flirted with the ideas of getting a treadmill. There are quite a few businesses renting. I was quoted £65 per month for something that would go up to 12mph, minimum 3 month rental. Not bad if you are thinking of buying a decent quality machine. I stuck with Gym membership, and benefit from DF3's apples 1), 2), 3) 4) & 6), although I think there is more chance in getting mugged near my gym so 5) is an issue.

  • It does annoy me when someone wants some info on treadmill running they get a lecture like they are inferior for even considering it.

    I bought one after 5 years of running outside. It is a great alternative. I have mine in the garage and even in arctic conditions it does gets warm. My training has increased as I can always manage a quick 30 min interval session. Although I feel safe running out doors in the dark on your own running down dark cycle paths isn't always advisable and I do end up looking over my shoulder and jumpy sometimes. Working shifts means you can't always run at "normal" times so if I fancy a run at 2300 then into the garage I go.

    My advice is try before you buy I visited a few different shops before I picked one I liked and there is a world of difference in them.

     

  • David Falconer 3 wrote (see)
    Steve Rand 7 wrote (see)

     

    This forum get more unhelpful and unpleasant with each passing month.

    To be fair some people were pointing out the downsides of owning a treadmill, which in a months time after he's forked out £500 for one and then suddenly realises it wasnt actually working the way he hoped, he would thank us for having warned him.

    For what its worth, I run on the 'dreadmill' (I never referred to it as that till I came onto these forums), for the following reasons.

    1) Less risk of injury.
    2) Im sure constantly breathing in zero degree air constantly over an hour or two can't be good for you when done continually day after day.
    3) I can watch TV as I do it, (ta LA fitness lol)
    4) I can monitor what the person next to me is doing, so I can show off that Im outlasting them, particularly now with all the new years resolutioners .....
    5) Less risk of getting mugged in the dark.
    6) The air is slightly stuffier .... but hang on thats a negative right? Well not necessarily, less oxygen in the air, its like virtually training at high altitudes for free.

    How do you guys like them apples?

    Don't eat apples, they give me gut ache image

  • Managed to do a marathon on the old treadmill  today in 4 hours and 15 minutes and i loved every minute of it. No headphones so i had to do it all without instructions.  I could have gone outside but all my local  trails are knee deep in mud so it would be no use to me.  In the gym i've got my bottles of water and towel to wipe my face . I don't take much notice of the tv although i did watch a great game of rugby a few days ago. 

    If you can master the mental side of running on the" thread" mill then your laughing.  

     

  • +1 Cragchick.  Had this treddie for about 5 years now, was a godsend when little C was born and OH was working in London.  They are like marmite, you either like them or you don't.

    Mine is in the dining room, folds flat up against the wall.

  • CC82CC82 ✭✭✭

    I don't see the problem with treadmills.  Yes, it's more fun and more rewarding to go out in the fresh air, but it just isn't always practical.

    I did a 10 miler at the weekend on the treadmill in 1:20.  I got a cheap second hand treadmill that does nothing fancy - it only goes up to 12kph, so I can't do any speedwork or shorter runs at a good pace on it, but when there's a massive blizzard blowing outside, it's a great alternative for a long run.

    I have a mini-gym out in our shed, hooked up for internet, so can watch TV on the laptop whilst running.

    The best bit about treadmill running which I discovered on Sunday is getting so hot that I took my top off for most of it.  Topless running is the business.  image

  • Lol, doesn't quite work the same for us women folk image

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