Picked the Beltline for my run over the gym, no regrets after 6 weeks
Everyone in my run group swears by treadmill intervals for speed work. I went the other way and did my tempo runs on the Eastside Beltline three times a week since early March. The uneven pavement and dodging strollers messed with my pace data but my 5K time dropped from 24:10 to 23:05. I think the constant stops and starts actually helped my turnover and forced me to stride shorter. Plus I got to see the murals near Piedmont Park change every week, which beat staring at a wall. Has anyone else traded structured track work for trails or paths and seen better race results?
So you went from 24:10 to 23:05 in six weeks of dodging strollers. Not saying that's nothing but a treadmill block would probably get you there too, just with better data. Feels more like you found a way to actually stick with it, and that part matters way more than the surface you run on.