Where Should You Be Running - Inside or on the Treadmill?

Three weeks from now we will be lacing up our favorite running shoes, donning our festive running apparel and hitting the pavement for the Y Turkey Trot Charity 5K! This means we still have plenty of time to prepare for the event - the question is where should you train?

You most likely have four options: run inside on a treadmill, run inside on a track, run outside on a track or run outside in a neighborhood/park.

When training for the Turkey Trot we recommend you train predominately outside. Training outside will let your body, mainly your lungs, adapt to running in a colder temperature. If you start now, by time it gets to late November, cold air will be less likely to burn your lungs. Training outside (not on a track) also allows your body to get use to keeping its own pace; A treadmill will force you to hold a steady pace, where without it, you have to keep those legs moving. Another benefit for training outside is allowing your joints and feet to adjust to different terrains; treadmills provide a lot of cushion and shock absorption, which is beneficial, but if you suddenly switch to pavement, it may be uncomfortable.

Now there will be days when it is too dark, too rainy, or too cold to be outside and then is a good time to come inside. Hopefully you have a Y in Central Maryland membership, which will give you access to some fantastic treadmills. Put your favorite show on the tv right there on your treadmill and before you know it, you will have completed your work out. There are a lot of reasons people prefer running on a treadmill - you can easily track you time/pace/mileage, there is built-in entertainment, you may challenge yourself more by increasing the incline or your speed, you are not dealing with cars or uncertain roadways and much more.

Mix it up! Run half the time inside and half the time on a treadmill. Just remember to be nice to your body and be safe out there!