Running On A Treadmill...

What do you consider running (in terms of mph)?  And when are you actually jogging?  When are you sprinting?

I'm 5'3...so with my short legs, I consider 8.5 mph sprinting!!  I've seen people call 5.0 mph running...and one of my best friends who's got legs up to my neck...haha...he's tall...6'2-ish...he can't find a treadmill that can go fast enough (10.5+ mph?).  Is this because one stride can cover so much area?  I dunno...it could just be that he's fast.

But yeah...how fast do you need to be going in order to consider it running? 

I don't think there is much of a difference from running and jogging. Basically, if you aren't walking, then you're running! But if you want to say there's a difference, I guess you could say that running means you have to consciously push yourself a little, and jogging is more of a relaxed motion. I'm 5'7", and I tend to jog between 5-6 mph and start running at above 6 mph (but I'm a slow runner/jogger anyway).

ainedb--so you'd say 8.5 is a sprint? 

I always think of running and jogging as very similar - there are just different speeds for both. An article in Runner's World defined jogging as anything under a ten minute mile. I don't think it matters what you call it - if you're moving faster than a walk, you're running. As for sprinting, 8.5 is definitely a sprint. Any speed that is difficult to maintain for longer than 30 seconds could be considered a sprint.

For me I would consider 5 to 6mph jogging as I can do that easily for 20 mins or more. 7 to 8mph is running for me, I can do for maybe 2 miles before having to stop, anything over 9mph to me is running flat out. Sprinting has to be for like 200 yards or less and I have no idea what I would do because my treadmill only goes to 12mph.

I have short legs that are built more for sprinting and power then running. I am sure these answers will all vary wildly between us all.

let the answers vary!

i'm just trying to gauge what people consider a jog/run/sprint.

i've never considered myself a runner at all...so i wanted to figure out where i am athletically in terms of running!  i guess that also means i have to run more...haaaa. 

Jen, I'm 5'3" too. My natural "running" pace is about 4.5mph, which most people would consider walking! But that's what my body can do right now, and what feels best for it. My "sprints" on the treadmill when I'm doing intervals is around 6.5-7.0mph, and I feel like my stubby little legs are flying.

 

 

Original Post by jen_n_juice:

ainedb--so you'd say 8.5 is a sprint?

 For me it would be! I'm sprinting at 7.5 mph!

Another short person here (5'2") and these posts make me feel better! :)

My "easy long-run" pace is 5.0-5.3. 
My 5K pace right now is about 5.6 (I'm working on upping that). 
My sprint/interval pace is 7.0-7.2. (yes, I sometimes have to hold on to the rails at this pace)

My pace has definitely gotten faster since April.  I started out "running" at 4.0, so I'm pretty pleased.

50 minutes

5 at 6.0 mph the next 10 minutes 6.5 to 7 mph, then 5 minutes 6.0........ until im ending my 50 minutes in the treadmill great workout, my legs look great after a week

I'm 5'5" and 5.5mph would be an easy run that I can sustain for more than 30 minutes, 6.5mph would be a run that I can sustain for 30 minutes, and 7.0-7.5mph would be a hard run that I can sustain for less than 30 minutes, and anything above 8.5 would be sprinting.

5'3''

My "jogging" is 6-7 mph; running as 8-9, sprinting as 10+. Mind you, I was a sprinter on the track team, so my numbers might be a bit off.

I'm 5'4ish with long legs...for me 5.5-6 is an easy jog, 6.5-7 is closer to running but maintainable, 7-8 is pretty fast running, and anything above is sprinting.

Wow I am a wimp on the treadmill haha! 7.0 is a sprint for me and i can keep a steady jog on 4.5-5 mph for about 20 minutes. I can't go any higher then that for extended periods of time. Of course I am rarely on the treadmill being a taebo gal.

Wow, you're right, these do make me feel better.  I'm 5'3" as well, and after a couple years of running (after many many years of no running) I consider 5-6 mph a jog, 6-7 a run, and above 8 a sprint.  I see these tall guys in the gym where I workout jump on the treadmill next to me and bump up the speed to 8 mph while I'm feeling pretty good with a sustained 6 mph, and they'll go 15 or 20 minutes with the same apparent sense of workout as I am with a similar length of time at 6 mph.  Meh.  I'm proud of how I do, so there!

Ok, this gives me a pretty good idea about jogging vs running vs sprinting...

My issue with "running" is that it makes me angry...I'm not really sure why...my shoulders tense up, and I just get pissed off!  Haha, this is probably the reason why I never really got into it.  BUTTTT...sprinting leaves me no time to be angry as I'm WAY TOO BUSY trying not to fall off the treadmill!!  

Maybe that's the way to go for me?  Sprint sprint sprint!  The quicker you do it, the sooner it can be over!  Woohoo!

Does anyone else feel like running makes them angry? 

jen -- have you tried running outside? i have trouble running at a steady pace on the treadmill, i DO get angry, it's just so boring. i HAVE to do intervals on the treadmill to keep me engaged. however running outside is completely different, when there is stuff to look at, nature to see, hills and bumps to navigate, stoplights to take breaks, doggies and children...that kind of running is fun to me, although i don't do it often enough. you know me, i'm like you, i'm more of a pump iron, calisthenics kinda girl.

of course you don't know what pace you're running, unless you time yourself, but running on the treadmill is way easier than running on the ground...you know...cause the ground doesn't move. so where i can run on the treadmill for a while at 6.5 mph, i don't think i could do a mile under ten minutes. but i want to see what i'm capable of!

 

ashanti, we need to race.