I’ve used the treadmill quite a bit this year. I know a lot of people hate running on treadmills, and I was formerly in Team Treadmill Haters. But not anymore.

While a run outside, somewhere scenic would always be my number one choice, sometimes the treadmill is the more realistic option for me. This past week has been HOT in London. We’re talking 30C. That’s not outdoor running weather, especially when you have speedwork to do.

Obviously there’s other ways to get round the rising temperature: run early, run late, slow down. But as my work sees me training other runners early in the morning and later in the evening, this means my own running has to be done in the middle of the day when the mercury is at its highest on the thermometer.

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Luckily I have a cheapo gym round the corner, and at midday the 20 treadmills are pretty empty, meaning I get to pick the one directly under the aircon vent. #winning There’s still a fair bit of sweat going on though and at the end of a session my treadmill looks like a front row seat at Seaworld.

This week I did my speed session at the gym – 6x800m at 6:20/mile pace. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have hit that pace outside in the sun. That’s the other thing I’ve found this year – once you punch in the number on the keypad, your legs have no option but to run at it.

Yes, you can still have that internal ‘I can’t do it, I need to slow down’ dialogue but, it involved that extra step of reaching out your hand to press a button. Your hand becomes a third party mediator between your head and legs that says ‘hang on guys, just give it a little more time’.

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They’ve been a good tool for me learning a set pace this year too. My marathon-paced runs at the start of the year were a bit all over the place. I’d go off too hard then be struggling in the latter miles which totally messed with my head (and legs). Then I did my last 10 miler at marathon pace on the treadmill a week before Edinburgh. Feeling pretty good throughout built my confidence going into the race and cemented what race pace felt like so I could hit it from mile one of the marathon.

Yes, 10 miles on the treadmill was pretty dull but I came armed with an iPad and a film (my low-cost gym means I bring my own entertainment).

There is a difference between running on a treadmill and running outside. But it’s not as massive as some would have you believe. I think a lot of it is mental, in that you have to push yourself to hit a certain pace outside rather than have the belt force you into it. But knowing that you’ve done it in the gym can give you the confidence to do it outside.

So, if circumstance means that you’re doing a fair bit of your running on a treadmill, don’t worry about it. A run is still a run. If it’s the difference between a good treadmill run and a bad outdoor session (or no run at all), I know what I’d take. But do get outside whenever you can, it’s better for your running and your soul to mix it up a bit and get outside in the fresh air.