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Running: inside/outside?

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This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
I'm on the 'only run outside' side. Only tried indoor treadmills many years ago and got very bored very quickly. A couple of things on that would be that you need to be careful - I once tried to take a couple of paces off a path and ended up going over and fracturing my ankle - but also that running outside in the dark is fine if you have a head torch and you feel safe to do so.

If you're trying to get faster, for both indoor and outdoor, I'd add a mention of the benefit of running slowly for a large portion of your miles. Lots of links all over the web and youtube but one example here https://runninforsweets.com/run-slow-to-run-fast/
 
Rob Oldfield said:
I once tried to take a couple of paces off a path and ended up going over and fracturing my ankle
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I can relate to that. I went off the pavement for a couple of strides to skirt pedestrians one evening and pulled my calf muscle as I landed the first stride down on the road. Thankfully no bone breaks but it took months to get back to where I had been, fitness wise, and even then, I regularly felt it bunching up and had to adjust my stride to ease it off again. I much prefer being outside though. Mostly I yomp (ie a fast long strided walk) and jog every now and then in between and set myself targets to reach when I drop back to a yomp again. So I might yomp the first 2 fields and then jog the next one and if I feel I can comfortably go on, I set myself a tree or turn in the path to reach before I drop down a gear. Once I get fitter, I do the same with jogging and running, so I jog to a set point and then run to a predesignated point and then jog or yomp again. I suppose that is the interval training mentioned by others. I prefer to be out in the country rather than along the roads/pavements but in winter it is safer to keep to streetllght areas. The ground is too uneven (and muddy) cross country by torchlight.
 
rebrascora said:
I prefer to be out in the country rather than along the roads/pavements but in winter it is safer to keep to streetllght areas. The ground is too uneven (and muddy) cross country by torchlight.
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I'm lucky enough to live very close to a Sustrans shared used path so not on road but not cross country either. I'd also be worried about doing that. (Though I'm always astonished seeing fell runners and the speed they go over really iffy terrain. Is that a skill that you can develop?)
 
Rob Oldfield said:
I'm lucky enough to live very close to a Sustrans shared used path so not on road but not cross country either. I'd also be worried about doing that. (Though I'm always astonished seeing fell runners and the speed they go over really iffy terrain. Is that a skill that you can develop?)
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I too live near Sustrans tracks and incorporate sections into my route but I have a riverside pathway right outside my house, so I head off along the flat by the river first and then hit the hill after a mile or so onto the Sustrans and do a loop with the downward hill on the way home when my knees are well warmed up.
Yes, I do think negotiating the rough terrain is a skill that you develop. Not a fell runner at all and my hat goes off to them but as a small example, I have a very steep stony path that drops down from the village to my house and when I am doing that regularly I can see where my footfalls are going to be and very confidently run it, including some areas of steep uneven steps, a muddy gully and rocky path. Going up I am much slower as not fit enough but of course that gives you more time to see the terrain and place your feet. Before the path was resurfaced the longest stretch of it was mostly just rocks sticking out of the ground that were like uneven stepping stones that weren't in a straight line but I could run them easily.
 
Rob Oldfield said:
I'd add a mention of the benefit of running slowly for a large portion of your miles. Lots of links all over the web and youtube but one example here https://runninforsweets.com/run-slow-to-run-fast/
Click to expand...
Similarly, running downhill is much more beneficial than most people would think! See, or in this case listen, for example to https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0016xq7 .

I used to feel guilty/wimpy on days when I did more downhill jogging than uphill jogging; now I know they're both good for me, and it's fine to do what feels right on the day.
 
Rob Oldfield said:
I'm on the 'only run outside' side. Only tried indoor treadmills many years ago and got very bored very quickly. A couple of things on that would be that you need to be careful - I once tried to take a couple of paces off a path and ended up going over and fracturing my ankle - but also that running outside in the dark is fine if you have a head torch and you feel safe to do so.

If you're trying to get faster, for both indoor and outdoor, I'd add a mention of the benefit of running slowly for a large portion of your miles. Lots of links all over the web and youtube but one example here https://runninforsweets.com/run-slow-to-run-fast/
Click to expand...

I can beat that.

I was was only walking in the dark, went off the path, and finished down a bank in the river.
It was very steep, it took the fire brigade to get me out with a ladder, then a trip in an ambulance to check for hyperthermia.
I discharged myself, and had to go home, very wet, in a taxi! :rofl:
 
Spathiphyllum said:
Similarly, running downhill is much more beneficial than most people would think! See, or in this case listen, for example to https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0016xq7 .

I used to feel guilty/wimpy on days when I did more downhill jogging than uphill jogging; now I know they're both good for me, and it's fine to do what feels right on the day.
Click to expand...
Ooh thank you! That is really fascinating about downhill jogging - definitely helps with the mental 'guilt' of downhill running 🙂

It's hilly where I'm based - really useful to know for the declines! :O
 
I tend to yomp up the hill (I live at the bottom of a mile long and quite steep hill in both directions) and then jog along the flat and back down. It is amazing how the jogging down the hills really tones your quads.
 
Ciara DUK said:
What are some tips for running outdoors?
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I known its a cost but a proper pair of running shoes bought from a shop that specialises in running are worth there weight in gold.

Start by doing a C25K which is a run/walk/run that quite literally takes you from your couch to being able to run/jog 5k/3.1 miles. There are many phone apps for this.

If the budget stretches I'd highly recommend a Garmin watch.... not so much for the actual watch but the Garmin Connect phone app. Its a mine of information/motivation to see your progress and it also has "Garmin Coach" which will devise a tailored running plan to suit your goals and level of fitness.

Probably the best advice I can give though is.... STAY HYDRATED!!! you most certainly don't need any fancy and costly sports drinks to start with but before a run and after have a good drink of water. It definitely, definitely helps you negate any sore aching muscles.
 
I do a lot of my long runs on the South Downs (Beachy Head, Seven Sisters, etc) so lots of steep climbs and downhills ( but mere bumps compared to the Lake District, Yorkshire, etc).
Years ago a very experienced ultra trail runner advised me that to get the best out of hills you should walk (reasonably quickly) up the steep bits and run down them. After many races over this terrain I have found that it does work!
 
Spathiphyllum said:
For one thing, runners are generally well advised to start with a warm-up walk and end with a cool-down walk. For another, 'interval training'-- alternating between bits of running and bits of walking-- is widely recommended, for everybody from beginners to serious athletes. And for a third thing: probably the most widely used running programme in the UK is the NHS Couch to 5k app, which uses interval training. So-- it is so common to see people in running gear walking that nobody will think it looks daft.
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I definitely also endorse the C25K app and programme. Starting in July 2021, it helped me get outside running in a structured and workable way. Gone from not running since I was 20 (aged 66 now) to running the London marathon couple of weeks ago. Recommended.
 
Ah thanks for the additional replies all! Some really great tips 🙂
 
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