Introduction:

Stress. It's unavoidable, especially in the life of a college sophomore. Hello and welcome to my term project. My name is Kelsey and I'm on a mission to DE-STRESS my life. I am a physical therapy major at Loyola Marymount University and was recently assigned a project in which creativity was the only requirement. The purpose of this blog is for me to relieve a little stress in my life through running, and to learn about the physiological mechanisms involved in these processes along the way.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

To tread or not to tread?

Yesterday was my first day back in the swing of things; the Monday after Spring Break is always a rough one. Regardless, you'll be proud of me! I went to the gym and pushed myself to get a nice long work out. My arms are paying for it today, but it felt so good to run. Although I didn't go home over spring break, I went to a lot of different places and it felt good to finally be back on a schedule. 

My distance: 4 miles (eh, I'll take it)
Time: 45 minutes
Location: Treadmill

Considering I hadn't run in a couple of days, I was pretty happy. As I was working out, I got to thinking (as I often do when running long distances) about why I run longer and faster on the treadmill than I do outside. I did some research and generally, this is what I've found:

Running on a treadmill actually develops imbalances in your running style and muscular development, which will lead to improper form and increased risk of injury. If you place a foot on a moving treadmill it gets thrown back along the line in which the treadmill is moving – the treadmill is moving your foot back, not the foot moving itself back…


(I couldn't help myself)

As you run on a treadmill, the main difference your body experiences is related to the moving belt beneath you feet. 

Another thing to keep in mind is that running on a treadmill might seem easier since you don't have to deal with weather conditions, such as wind resistance, extreme heat and cold weather. 

Basically what I've been finding is, RUN OUTSIDE IF YOU CAN :)

Now that we've covered that, I want to share some exciting news with you! I am hoping to do another half (possibly full) marathon in the near future. I've been discussing it with my parents, and I've told my dad that if he does a half marathon, I would do a full. Seems pretty crazy. I think I would have a long road ahead of me if this were the case.....

Nothing set in stone yet, but I'll keep you posted.

That's all for now!

(http://jamieatlas.wordpress.com/2009/03/07/treadmill-running-vs-outdoor-running-which-is-better-the-debate-continues/ )


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1 comment:

  1. KateMarch 10, 2011 at 7:51 PM

    Wow that was inspiring. Thank you for posting this video Kels!

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