Treadmill running

“I can’t run on the treadmill; it’s too boring,” says a local runner who has run the same route near the house three times weekly for fifteen years.

Okay, this isn’t the Onion, but you get the point. Mention the word “treadmill” around a group of runners, and within seconds, someone will respond with “boring.” I’m not here to argue this point. Treadmill running is boring. But my question to you is:

Exactly how exciting is your average run?

Running, by definition, is boring. There’s no offense, no defense, and no strategy. Just left, right, repeat. For many, the ideal running route is a perfectly flat, paved route with no interruptions and no obstacles. And if like most of us, you’re trying to squeeze your run into your daily life between work, family commitments, and the occasional social gathering, a considerable percentage of your runs are likely going to be traversing some variation of the same route near your house. EXHILARATING!

This is not to say that I don’t love a good outdoor run. Those deep gulps of fresh air during a run are one of the main benefits. And if I find myself in an unfamiliar location, on vacation, or otherwise away from home, exploring the roads is one of my favorite activities. Probably 95% of my life runs are done outdoors. I LOVE running outdoors, but…

The Advantages of Running on a Treadmill

• It’s warm! It’s winter in New England, the temperature is 15 degrees, the wind is blowing 20 mph and somehow creating a headwind no matter which direction you run. So, you put on your heaviest socks, leggings, running pants, base layer, sweatshirt, jacket, mittens, balaclava, ear muffs, and hat… and in 15 minutes, you’re still freezing cold. On the treadmill, it’s a balmy 70: advantage, treadmill. 
• The laundry situation. In the above scenario, you’ll wear approximately 127 fewer articles of clothing on the treadmill than outdoors. Advantage, treadmill. 
• The treadmill isn’t icy. Ice is not the perfect texture for running. Snow’s not great either. And depending on the weather situation, poor road and sidewalk conditions can remain for weeks after a snowstorm. So the treadmill is always ice- and snow-free. Advantage, treadmill.
• Entertainment! While you’re running outdoors, you can look at those same houses and trees that you look at every time you run your favorite route. On the treadmill, you have the entire internet’s catalog of content at your fingertips: advantage, treadmill. 
• Safety. On the treadmill, you won’t have to worry about distracted drivers. You won’t have to worry about avoiding that one stretch of road that’s isolated and poorly lit. You can use your headphones and crank the volume to eleven without worrying about being aware of your surroundings. You won’t have to worry about the aforementioned icy roads. Advantage, treadmill. 
• Pacing. One of the more difficult aspects of running is keeping an even pace. Whether you’re trying to hit a tempo run at your 5k pace or keep it easy on a recovery day, we all struggle to hit that ideal pace and keep it there. On the treadmill, it’s “set it and forget it.” Set the treadmill to your desired pace, and it’s impossible not to keep that pace. Advantage, treadmill.
  

Treadmill running isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine. There are some disadvantages. To have one in your home is expensive and space-consuming. To have a gym membership is also pricey, and in this time of COVID, packing into an enclosed area next to a bunch of strangers is not ideal. And there are some real physiological disadvantages to treadmill running: the perfectly even surface does not require the constant micro-adjustments by your foot and leg muscles that running outdoors does, and the mechanics of the treadmill requires less effort by your hamstrings than outdoor running.

So, not that anyone ever would, but it’s not recommended to do all, or even most, of your running on a treadmill. 

You don’t have to run on the treadmill, but it has its advantages!