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Wow, that is kind of rude to assume that you know what the roads and parks are in her area(not to mention country roads come with an entire host of other issues such as ranch dogs, tractor equipment, cattle crossings and if you have ever driven over a cattle crossing, then you would know that getting across one on foot can be a significant danger) and dismiss her concerns as "excuses". My area is a highly trafficked area at all times of the day and night due to the fact that I am literally a block from the new highway and a highly busy residential area(my house was built in 1930, long before the highway arrived but now it makes my street a thoroughfare) and the parks here are filled with either early morning mommy & me playgroups or homeless people and transients(as the railroad tracks run right through my town also). I would never presume that someone's concerns are irrelevant based on what my area is. I run at the gym, on the treadmill and when the weather is decent, I run at the track outside at the gym or at the local high school. Having suffered through several severe sprains on my left ankle, I am very conscious of the type of surface I run on and/or the detritus on the surface(lots of oak trees in my area, lots of oak balls, roots through sidewalks, leaves etc). I have incorporated hikes(weather permitting) to get in my hill work even though I am not "running" them per se, I am at least getting the hill work in. Good luck! I am on Week 3 this week and have my first 5k scheduled for May 1st!

Here is a difference between treadmill and the ground: 1) On the treadmill you have only stick out your foot forward and the belt will move this foot under you. On the ground you move your foot forward and then you have also push your body forward. That is why on the treadmill we need to use incline 2-3%. 2) Also incline on the ground is not constant and surface is not that leveled (little bumps and holes) - all that required additional efforts. 4) And we need to (re-)learn to manage the pace when we are running outside... And one more thing: when we are watched by other people we all I have tendency to "show off"

I hear running outside is easier mentally, harder physically. I am still to do my first outside run. On the treadmill make sure you have at least a couple of degrees gradient (no wind resistance inside) and train at various gradients in one session. I set mine to do a "course" or "random gradient".

This^^^. You may be suprinating and thery have shoes jsut for that.

have you gone to a running store and had your self analyzed and properly fitted for a good pair of shoes

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