To begin the run, I left it on your normal treadmill mode to get a feel for it. This just means I had to adjust my pace manually like you would on a normal treadmill. After warming up, I selected the Run Free mode, and wow! The first couple of minutes were awkward as I almost forgot how to run! I had to remember that I was in control of the pace now and it took a second to get the hang of it, as well as where to run on the treadmill, as the treadmill sped up or slowed down based on what I was doing.