Treadmill Wobbley-ness

Hello Fellow Runners!

I m a 28 year old female and I have a problem in that everytime I run on the treadmill, I feel like I am going to fall off the side or the back! I feel sooo unbalanced and unsafe and generally wobbly! I run on the roads alot and have done for quite a few years! But now I avoid the treadmill for fear of falling off! I did used to run on it a lot a few years ago (maybe longer) and I was fine! However I was once teaching Year 7 Fitness and stepped on the treadmill from the side unaware that one of the little delights had left it on at a fairly decent speed and WHOOSH I flew off the back..much to my embarassment and their delight! I don't know if this has affected my current dislike/fear of treadmills!? I was unhurt but slightly stunned!
Please help because I want to be able to use the treadmill for speed training at least!

Thanks everyone!

 Bex xx

Comments

  • Hi Bex,

    A lot of the runners on here will tell you to get ouside and leave the tread alone, but I've got a reasonable amount of experience with them, and I do like them for ceratin aspects of training.

    I started my running career on a treadmill and the secret of running on a tread is being able to keep up a pace within yourself - Don't ever use a treadmill to push yourself as it's extremely unsafe. I've got upto 17km/hr on one and it's verging on suicidal if anything goes wrong. I'll try and keep my pace to around 13.5km/hr.

    I use a tread to pace myself over 5k or 10k, at a speed a couple of km/hr below my race pace, I fix my vision on something ahead of me (not a TV, they will distract you) keep you head up straight and get into a rhythm that will suit you

    What do you mean by speed work? Remeber if you're going fast you're limited to a small patch of ground that won't care if you trip, skid or waver slightly - and if you run out of puff you've got to adjust a machine, probably looking down, while running at speed. Dangerous.

  • I hate treadmills too Bex - I suffer from some balance problems and a treadmill can give me motion sickness!  Even when having a gait analysis done a few months ago was traumatic.  I always feel unsteady when I get off!  I've never fallen off the back though but then all my speed work is done outside.  I think your fear is possibly a learned behaviour caused by your fall - did you have the same problem before that happened?

    SFTL advice is good - keep your head straight and stare at a fixed place straight ahead and I have always had to keep one hand on the rail at the side - not good for technique.  The only time I use one is for 10 minute warm up before gym work - never to "train" on.  But thats just me!

  • Don't like 'em either, I feel unbalanced.
  • Hi Bex

    I'm fairly new to this running business and I do use a treadmill a fair bit - particularly when it is cold and raining outside, but also to keep myself going at a set pace for a long period of time.

    Some treadmills are inherently more wobbly than others - just down to how robustly they are made. This can sometimes be improved by checking that all the accessible nuts and bolts are as tight as they should be. The other thing that my treadmill occasionally does is work it's belt loose. This makes it slip slightly when you are running on it which is very disconcerting. Mine has a couple of adjustments at the side that need tightening when this happens.

    Assuming that the mechanicals of the treadmill are ok, then the advise above to look at a fixed point ahead is very good - and something I do to try and keep my posture while running. I guess that Tigerlily is probably right though and that much of your anxiety could be a learned response. Do you feel more stable when running at a much slower pace?
  • Is the treadmill you use quite a narrow one? I've was told once that narrow ones are more likely to make you feel unstable or wobbly.
  • My O/h came off the back of a treadmill and is now also wear of them i have one in the garage and use it all the time for speed work maybe you need to start off with the treadmill running slowly and gradually increase the speed as your confidence increases
  • Hello all!
    Thank you for the replies! I am glad that it is not just me that has the issues with the treadmills!

    Sprint For The Line- Thank you for your advice! By Speedwork, I mean I do 2km p/h faster than my 10 k speed for 2 mins then go 2 kM p/h slower for 2 mins. So I run at 12 then 8, 12 then 8 etc x

    Tigerlily- No I don't remember having this problem before falling off so you are probably right! How do you do your speedwork outside? How do you really push yourself? That's what I find hard about doing speed work outside- really pushing myself! Thank you - I m glad its not just me that hates them! x

    Vicky- It s just a pretty standard one I think. A typical gym one.x

    Vds - Yes I do feel more stable running at a slow pace but I wanted to use the treadmill to push myself a bit more in speed work as I find it harder to do this outside!x

    Ultra Iron Wolf- I am glad it isnt just me that feels this way then! x

    Toby3- Is your partner okay? Did she mind them before she fell off?


    Sorry for the delayed replies guys. My Grandma died and I ve been laying low for a bit.

    Bex

    xx

  • sorry to hear about your grandma no she never had a problem with them before she came off the back
  • Have seen the result of a nasty treadmill fall (I'm a brain surgeon!) - be careful!- DON'T run at absolute limit!

    Does your gym have the stupid safety clip thing?- mine does, but they're always rusted- I never know to what extent it would stop it in time, but might slow it a bit.

    I use it for speed work, but not at top whack- better to go for longer intervals where each interval is run at within your limits, rather then pushing to a level where you aren't in control.

    Start with a comfortable pace, and work up slowly- beware of TV's with distracting motor bike racing- I've falen off the 'mill once 'cos I was so zoned into the TV that I leaned into a fast corner- with predictable results!

  • tricialitt wrote (see)

    I'm a brain surgeon!

    Wow! any chance you could have a tinker about with mine and make a few changes? image

  • I know this post is a bit old, but thought I'd add to it as I've just joined this site.
    I'm not a particular good runner by any stretch, but I love running on a treadmill. However, I've noticed that since my eyesight has deteriorated in the last 5 or so years, so has my balance and that has really effected how stable I feel on them. I've recently bought a new one after not running consistently for a couple of years and it's taking me some time to get used to it again, however I'm taking it slow and will (hopefully) build up to a decent pace again.
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