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... By Karli Taylor
As the snow melts away and the sun begins to shine for a few more hours every day, the runners and walkers start to emerge onto the roads and let the dust start to pile up on treadmills in basements and gyms everywhere. If you are an outdoor enthusiast who has been inside for the past few months, there are some things that you have to keep in mind as you venture out onto the concrete.
Believe it or not, running or walking outside is HARDER!! Running on a treadmill is somewhat easier physically because the ground is being pulled underneath your feet and there's no wind resistance. Keeping that in mind, count on it taking about 5% longer to cover the same distance the first few times you hit the road.
Remember that the terrain on a treadmill never changes. Though you can increase or decrease the incline at will when running inside, the changes are under your control. Though you can pick a route that is fairly flat, keep in mind that there are always slight ups and downs on any road that can break your stride.
When running on roads instead of sidewalks, try to stay a foot from the edge of the road when there is no traffic as most roads are pitched slightly for drainage. Running on this sideways incline can beat up your shins and your feet, so if you run only on highly trafficked roads, try doing some track or trail run to give them a break every once in a while.
The last thing to keep in mind is pacing. It may take you a few runs to remember how to pace yourself. It’s easy to set a pace on the treadmill and stick to it, but with all of the variables that we have mentioned already, pacing can become very difficult. It’s better to start out at a pace that feels a bit easy, and if you are almost finished and you feel good, pick it up through the finish!
