27-03-2012, 10:40 PM
dmw9255 Wrote:Anywhere between 11 and 15km/h depending on training.
My experience is the same whether with an incline or not, I think the tediousness and boredom make the running harder on a treadmill. I would rather run outdoors, as I enjoy it more.
Thats interesting...I find that with a 1% incline its more difficult. Not amazingly more difficult. But say about 10s/km faster than my 5k pace of 3:50/km (ie 3:40/km) will result in me DYING at about 14minutes if at 1% vs surviving to completion if at 0%.
dmw9255 Wrote:I think you have over analysed this. You only need to exert enough energy to keep up with the treadmill. You are not actually accelarting your body, as the body is not moving. Where as in the real world outside you need to propell and accelerate during each stride, there is a large difference in energy used. I bet you can run at a higher top speed on the treadmill than you can outdoors????
Hehe...I think it may be you over analyzing...I think the treadmill being so small makes you think that it pulls you along. I too sort of got this impression initially....But as a thought experiment, imagine the treadmill is much much larger...say...1km long. (imagine a larger version of the moving walk ways in airports ... really just a long treadmill).
Now if you're standing still on that 1km long treadmill in the middle, whether its moving or not you won't really know. (ignoring momentary acceleration when it starts or slows down....and more importantly ignoring wind resistance). If you start walking in one direction now...is the belt 'pulling' your feet along and making walking 'easier'? So now start running in one direction (lets for the sake of not dying, pick the direction needed not to fall off the end)....is the belt pulling your feet back now? You were previously moving, and now you have accelerated your body to 'stationary'.
Thinking in your terms, when you're running on the road, you only accelerate your body briefly to 'moving'...then just keep it going. Hehe...thats not true ofcourse...and neither are you stationary on the treadmill...the force of the treadmill on the soles of your feet pushes your body backwards...and your feet, pushing on the belt pushes your body forwards...staying stationary.
I think the strongest point here is the LARGE treadmill...so if you think of it in those terms, you'll come to realize you're wrong about the belt pulling your feet along line of thinking.
My original line of inquiry was not so much on the mental side of things...but on the actual difference energy in joules between treadmill and road...though the mental side of things, as well as other variables makes it an interesting topic.
Regards