running on treadmill vs. track

[cali52]

I have been slacking on my work outs lately but I usually try to lift weights in the morning and then run about 3 miles on the treadmill. But after I lifted this morning the treadmills at the gym were all full so I decided to run at the track on campus. Running on the track was night and day, it really kicked my a**. After 2 miles I was through, was a quick reality check, I have about a month to get ready for my first physical part, so I better stick with the track and run every day. I dint think it would that big a difference, so anyone out there training on the treadmill you better get on the track before your physical testing or else you will be in for a reality check testing day. I'm glad I found out early enough to get used to it. PT is pass fail right and has nothing to do with your ranking as long as you pass?

[metallicat]

Up here, the better you do at the physical fitness test the better off you will be. They list minimum numbers that you have to obtain in order to pass, but it specifically says that in order to be competitive with other applicants, you must strive to reach numbers much higher. The better you do, the more points you receive in the entire application process.

As for track running or treadmill running. I go to college where I can have access to the workout gym for free if I wanted to, but I have bought a gym pass outside of the college because there is no track to run on at school; only treadmills. I would never run on a treadmill if I have access to an actual track.

[Darin]

Running on a track or road is much harder as you found out. With running on the track/road you have to deal with wind resistance and moving all your weight instead of just being stationary on a cushioned treadmill. And if you run on the road you have some hills to deal with.

I wouldn't run every day. I'd run every other day and if you have a bike you could ride the off days.

[neinta]

You might want to find out what the department you want to test for tests on. All of the departments in my area test on a treadmill.

[Thumper]

I live in the high altitude of Reno Nevada.
How does this affect the running I will have to do in St.Louis?

Also since Im not a born runner and consider such torcherous excercise to be thought up by the devil how would a person start running being on the 3rd month of a double knee injury?

Double I mean both knees, and injury I mean falling on both of them whilst skating at a rink....with no pads. Docs wont tell me what I did, but I know I have nerve damage in my right knee.

BTW I cant use braces.

My old boxing coach suggested I do wind sprints....walk really fast then run..and repeat...

Thumper

[Darin]

Thumper, get the OK from your Dr. first. Start out slow and do some fast walking then work up to slow jogging then up from there. Wind sprints are good. Do them along with the distance running.

I'm not a natural born runner either. I struggle with it.

[Thumper]

Yeah Im a little bottom heavy to run like a gazelle...LOL

T

[mcsap]

I have run both in and out and it is DIFFERENT. Having to move your body seems to take more effort/energy. I would much rather run outside but use a treadmill in the winter. I don't run in the snow.

[Darin]

I have short legs so a nice long runners stride doesn't work for me. I'm built for short sprints. But I'm working on the distance running.

[tomcat5]

tread mill vs. track, there is a big difference. I was doing road work
for approx. a year (3)MILE every other day.Then decide to buy a tread mill and did (3)mile on it. However, Last saturday, nice day out,
I decided to do some road work instead of the tread mill.
Ran 2mile and had to stop and walk.There is a big difference.

[Jcrazy]

It takes a lot moe stamina to run on the track. Even if the department you want uses a tread mill to test I would still run on a track. You don't only have to be fit to get hired. You have to be fit to do the job and the bad guys you chase will not be on a tread mill.

[Darin]

Originally posted by Jcrazy
You don't only have to be fit to get hired.

That's not true. See my "I'm too fat post".

[jeff92k7]

Maybe I'm just weird but I found the treadmill to be harder than the track. I trained on the track for months and then one day decided to try a treadmill. I couldn't even finish the same distance. I used the treadmill for a week to improve and get up to what I was running on the track. At the end of the week I went back to the track and ran the same distance on the track much faster than I had been able to do before.

Personally, I think the track was probably easier because of the airflow keeping me cool. Staying in one place on a treadmill makes me feel a lot hotter and tired.

The cushioned treadmill excuse that Darin mentioned as making the treadmill easier doesn't fly with me. I won't run on a track unless it's got that nifty rubber cushion surface on it. A cement road/track is too hard on the joints and can do as much damage as good.

[Barenaked]

I also find the treadmill harder than the track. I have a manual treadmill that is on a permant slope of about 10 to 15 degrees. I start feeling that way before I would on a track.

[richjorg]

I'm with Jeff and USCG - the treadmills always been harder for me.