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TreadmillRunningversus

OverGroundRunning
Thedebatebetweentreadmillrunningandroad/groundrunninghasbeenragingeversince
treadmillswereinvented.Themajorquestionyouwillbeaskedisdoestreadmillrunning
representovergroundrunning?Likemostthingsinsciencethereisnosimpleanswerbut
thefollowingparagraphsshouldgiveyousufficientinformationtoanswerthiscommon.
Fromananalysisperspectivebothtreadmillrunningandgroundrunninghavetheir
inaccuraciesandtechnicalproblems,thequestionreallyiswhichhasthelessernumberof
problems.

TREADMILLRUNNING
Advantages:
Therunnerisinoneplaceallthetimeandthismeansthecameracanbeveryclose
tothem(even0.51meter)creatingahighlevelofaccuracyinanymeasurement.
Therearenoaccelerationordecelerationphasescomparedtorunningonanindoor
tracktherforeyoucancapturetherunneratsteadystatewhichiscritical.(NOTE:
thisisalsoahugeproblemwiththevalidityandusefulnessofpressurepadsonthe
floor,thecustomerneverrunsnaturallyoverthepadatasteadypace).
Decreasespaceneededinthestore.
Speedcanbeveryaccuratelyreproducedforeachshoetested.
Disadvantages:
Detailedbiomechanicalstudieshaveshownthattreadmillrunningdoesdifferfrom
roadrunningbutthesedifferencesdodecreasethemorethecustomerpracticesand
feelscomfortablerunningonthetreadmill.

OVERGROUNDRUNNING
Advantages:
Itisnatural.
Disadvantages:
Youneedaverylongrunway(1520m)togettherunnerinasteadystateandavoid
accelerationanddecelerationproblems.
Yourcameraismanymeters(46m)awayfromtherunnerinordertogetonefull
cyclein;thisdramaticallyreducestheaccuracyoftheanalysis.
Speedcannotbeaccuratelyreproducedbetweenshoes,speedaffectsfoot
mechanics.
SUMMARY
Thetreadmillisthebestoptionforspaceandconsistencyofanalysisinrunningretail.
Becauseyouarecomparingoneshoetoanothershoeorperhapstobarefootrunning,
consistencyandcloseupanalysisarecriticalandthetreadmilloptionprovidesthese.

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