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Treadmills and Running

1K views 13 replies 8 participants last post by  AlB 
#1 ·
A little over 2 years ago, I did major damage to my right ankle (forced to run with pain and an extensive history of previous injury to the joint). It was recommended that I not run for at least a year to allow everything to heal.

Once the year was over, I've tried running off and on but without much luck. I'd run for a while, my ankle would become tender and I'd lay off.

Recently, I've been going to a gym that has a nice treadmill. It has a nice long, wide platform to run on and has some type of cushioning system. I've managed to run/walk now for two weeks without any problems and I'm up to 2.75 miles with warmup/cooldown.

What I want to know are the long term implications for doing all my training on the tread mill. (I have to run 1.5 miles twice a year for work and need to keep that time reasonable, say less than 12 minutes.)

Any advice or comments????
 
#2 ·
I do all my running on the tread mill but in my tests I have to do it on the street. My advice is to make sure you can do it in way less time on the tread mill then what you need to do it on the streets. It is harder to run on the ground for me, plus you have to figure in different terrain and incline, so make sure you crank up the incline on that tread mill some too. Every once in a great while I will run on the high school track too just too stay acustomed to running on the ground. When you are on a track you use alot more of your quads and hamstrings then when you are on the tread mill so I suggest doing some leg extentions and leg curls along with your leg press or squats. Since you have a preexisting ankle injury I would suggest using a leg press machine apposed to doing squats. From my experience squats are hard on the joints. Something else that might help you, If you go around a standard basket ball court 25 times that is near a mile and a half. I've never figured it up but I have been told that.

If you're doing this for a law enforcement job I also suggest you run once a week in boots and duty gear. You dont have to do this, some might make fun of you for it but when you HAVE to run you will most likly be in this set up. Just keep in mind its your life or your partners life. In a stressful situation you wont rise to the ocasion you will default to your training.

Hope this helps, might not make any sence. It's late!
 
#4 ·
Originally posted by California Jack


Cellison,

Not to hijack this thread, but how is the bench press coming?

Thanks for remembering me!
I am improving greatly, I am getting help from a guy that used to train for body building. I am lifting five days a week, one day isolating certain muscles. I have never lifted this hard or been this sore. I still cant pass my test but I know next time I go up for it I will pass with flying colors. I think I might start looking into a few suppliments, I have talked to alot of people about them and it seems like most have gotten some sort of results out of them. I know it might sound stupid but I think my biggest hold up has been were I had to work out, I was limited to the YMCA which is really dirty and the equipment is not taken care of. We just had a new gym open up that is extremely nice and clean and I actually look forward to going to work out. The people there are actually willing to help out, at the YMCA once you gave them $400.00 for the year you were on your own no one would offer to help you.
So all in all I am happy with were things are going.
 
#5 ·
I'm not saying Cellison is dead wrong, but I disagree with his advice about running once a week with boots and LE gear. First, with your ankle having already been seriously injured once, don't risk injuring it again by adding the weight of duty gear. Instead, strengthen your ankle with exercises from your physical therapist or doctor.

I do quite a bit of running and used to be a cop and heard similar advice saying to run with my duty gear. While on patrol, if you have to run, it's probably for a serious situation, so you want to be able to run fast to handle that situation. You can increase your fitness and speed in safer ways of training, than adding weight to your runs. By developing your endurance through smart running, you will make gains well over what running in gear once a week can accomplish. I don't think adding 20-30lbs of gear is safe for novice runners and can add too much stress to your lower body.

If you think I'm off the rocker and still want to wear your duty gear for training, then please ease into it. Start with just your vest on for one run a week. In two weeks time, add your duty belt with no gear in it (remove mags, flashlight, cuffs). Run with this for another two weeks and then take a week of just regular running with no added weight. The next week (after your easy week) start back with the vest and empty belt for another two weeks. The next cycle would be to start adding gear here and there, but in small increments. Once a month, take a week with no gear to give your body a break. Just don't start running with all your gear at once.
 
#6 ·
I forgot about the ankle injury when I said that about the gear, so I guess I also disagree with myself. I also should have went into further detail about running with the gear on. I will typically run in three mile stretches, if I run with duty gear on I will only run in half mile stretches and I dont have the gear completely loaded. For me I know what slows me down more than the weight is the extra "bounce" that the belt has when you try to run. I just have enough stuff to creat the bounce, Cuffs and Baton.
 
#8 ·
Running on the ground is different that the old treadmill. Not only are the muscle groups slightly different, but the impact is greater. Good advice above regarding the incline and the better time on the TM.

At the gym my cardio routine is treadmill and stair climber or treadmill and eliptical. I alternate days due to time contraints. I must admit that working on the treadmill is nicer than running on the pavement when it is raining, scorching, or frosty!
 
#9 ·
Start with the treadmill and use it for the sole purpose of building up to running on the street/dirt. Two things you must understand and remember:

1. A treadmill does half of the work for you. When you are running on a treadmill, and your foot makes contact, the treadmill carries your foot back. When you are running on regular ground, you muscles must push your foot back and you forward.

2. The impact of running builds your bones, tendons, joints and ligaments much better than running on a treadmill. For real reconstruction of your injured ankle to take place, I believe you need to work up to running on regular ground and practice doing that for at least several months.

Yes, running on a treadmill is easier because it is much less impact that your muscles need to absorb and the treadmill does 50% of the work for you. It's like using machines versus free weights. Everybody knows that if you want real and effective results, and real strength and muscle development, you have to go free weights.

Olympic runners (sprinters or marathon) do not train on treadmills.
 
#10 ·
Originally posted by younggenious
When you are running on regular ground, you muscles must push your foot back and you forward.

2. The impact of running builds your bones, tendons, joints and ligaments much better than running on a treadmill.

Yes, running on a treadmill is easier because it is much less impact that your muscles need to absorb and the treadmill does 50% of the work for you. It's like using machines versus free weights. Everybody knows that if you want real and effective results, and real strength and muscle development, you have to go free weights.

Olympic runners (sprinters or marathon) do not train on treadmills.
muscles, tendons, joints, bones, ligaments...okay, okay, understood, although there are other ways to strengthen those bodyparts as well

purely from a cardiovascular standpoint, how does training on a treadmill translate to training on the ground in effectiveness? still 50%? 75%? 90%? equal? how about swimming in a current pool versus swimming laps in an olympic pool?
 
#11 ·
Originally posted by LittleFoot
muscles, tendons, joints, bones, ligaments...okay, okay, understood, although there are other ways to strengthen those bodyparts as well

purely from a cardiovascular standpoint, how does training on a treadmill translate to training on the ground in effectiveness? still 50%? 75%? 90%? equal? how about swimming in a current pool versus swimming laps in an olympic pool?
A level treadmill will still give you cardio. If you want to gain strength at the same time, ramp up the incline to 5 degrees and it becomes more like running on the ground.

Regards,
Glen
 
#14 ·
Olympic runners (sprinters or marathon) do not train on treadmills.
http://www.usatf.org/athletes/bios/oldBios/2001/Clark_Christine.asp

..."Clark's Olympic performance was made all the more impressive, considering she had suffered from plantar fascitis throughout much of the summer ...did pre-Olympic Trials training on a treadmill in her basement"...

I've read a little about her winning the 2000 womens marathon trials doing a majority of her training on a treadmill due to the extreme weather in Alaska. I used to think no results could be had from treadmill running, but I've since learned otherwise. Look below at Chris Bergland. He's won the triple ironman twice and does the majority of his running on a treadmill.

http://vnews.ironmanlive.com/vnews/1006373497

..."Within this approach to training, Bergland has developed the mindset to not only perform well in Ironman competitions (he’s completed 11 Ironmans, including four appearances in Hawaii), but to twice win the triple Ironman-length ultra competition (7.2 mile swim, 336 mile bike, and 78.6 mile run) put on by Odyssey Adventures, breaking the record in 2000 with a 38hr-46min effort. One month after this record---that’s right, one month---Bergland finished the Hawaii Ironman in 10:41:38."...
 
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