Outdoor running is the version with wind, hills and uneven ground, and where the pace is decided by you rather than a belt. It is harder to repeat exactly than a treadmill session, which is the trade — you get real terrain and the variable surface that treadmill running removes.
How to do it
- Start slower than feels right — the first kilometre sets the pace for the rest.
- Keep the cadence quick and the steps short rather than reaching with the heel.
Common mistakes
- Running every session at the same moderate effort, which improves nothing in particular.
What it trains
- Quads and hamstrings
- drive each stride and absorb every landing, with the hamstrings working harder the faster you go
- Calves
- push off at every step and take the first hit on landing
- Glutes
- extend the hip and keep the pelvis level, and do much more of it uphill
- Abs
- hold the trunk steady against the rotation of every stride
- Heart and lungs
- the actual training target — the legs are how you get at them
Variations and alternatives
Common questions
Why is running outside harder than the treadmill at the same pace?
Wind resistance, gradient changes and the fact that you are pushing yourself forward rather than keeping up with a belt. The difference is small on a flat, still day and considerable into a headwind — so do not be surprised when an outdoor pace you find comfortable does not match your treadmill number.
How often should I run if I am also lifting?
Two or three easy runs a week fits alongside lifting for most people without costing anything. Keep the hard ones away from your heavy leg days and keep most of the running genuinely easy — the interference people worry about comes from lots of hard running, not from running as such.
Should I track distance or time on a run?
Both, because pace is the thing that actually improves and it needs the two together. StackUp logs runs as time and distance for exactly this reason — the same 5 km three minutes faster is progress that a rep count could never show.
My shins ache after running — what is going on?
Typically too much, too soon, on hard surfaces. Cutting weekly distance back, running more on grass or trail, and taking shorter, quicker strides all reduce the load going through the lower leg. If it persists once you have done that, it is worth seeing someone rather than running through it.
In StackUp. Logged with a stopwatch that keeps running if you leave the app, plus distance. Get the app.
Cardio
