New treadmill: Signed, sealed, but not yet delivered

On February 8, 2015 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Emotion for FreeMotion

Today’s workout (elliptical): 50 minutes

The absence of a working treadmill prompted me to obsessively research replacements for our Sole F63. It’s always a good idea to look at the models around your price range and then find the best value based on your requirements. That doesn’t always guarantee success as evidenced by our Sole. Despite its high recommendation it didn’t live up to its hype.

My starting point was to consider every treadmill brand in the universe (except for Sole) and work backwards from there. I am fortunate to have resources for research that aren’t available to many people and quickly learned that most treadmills priced under $1,000 are really a crap-shoot. I was told that I should be willing to pay $2,000 or more for the quality that I’m expecting. I decided to reject that and focus on machines that are reasonably priced and structurally sound. I don’t need built in fitness programs because we never use them, so why pay for them?

After coming close to pulling the trigger on a LifeSpan TR2000e that I could get for the price of a 1200i, I decided to wait until I had a chance to try out a few in person. We went over to Sports Authority to see what they had to offer. Big box retailers tend to stock the same brands: Bowflex. NordicTrak, Pro-Form, Sole and HealthRider. We had a Pro-Form treadmill before the Sole and we currently have a Pro-Form elliptical. Pro-Form equipment can be a good, inexpensive choice, but they sometimes feel cheap and rickety.

Sports Authority sells FreeMotion treadmills, a brand whose commercial grade units are often found in fitness centers. After looking at the Pro-Forms, we concluded that we’d do better paying a little more for a middle-tier FreeMotion 850 model. The differences in construction between this unit and the similarly-priced Pro-Form were noticeable. For example, the salesperson pointed out how the FreeMotion has shock absorbers all along the tread bed, while the Pro-Form only had them in the middle. That could make a big difference in how long the rollers will last.

I liked that the 850 had a basic interface but was iFIT compatible for people who want fitness features and device connectivity. I also liked the feel of the bed when I ran on it and the fact that this unit can incline up to 15% and decline 3%. There was free delivery for treadmills at that price and we opted to have them assemble it. A 20% off coupon that I got for buying a box of Girl Scout cookies outside the store made it a pretty good value.

I spent 50 minutes on the elliptical this morning. Although it’s a tedious workout, the session went by fast because my daughter kept me company the entire time. My wife and I are anxious get the new treadmill as we both view the elliptical as an occasional cross training tool rather than a primary means of working out. But until we take delivery, it’s going to be our only option.

The little treadmill that couldn’t

On February 3, 2015 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

I’d like to sell this Sole to the devil

Yesterday’s workout (elliptical): 60 minutes

We’re facing a perfect storm in the Emerging Runner household. It’s actually related to the weather in my case. Last year we had a very snowy January and the weather kept me off the road most of that month. Despite that, I was able to do my usual miles on the treadmill. We had better luck this January, but circumstances have changed. Our treadmill’s condition has gone from bad – to worse – to done. Fini.

A failed treadmill is inconvenient to me, but my wife depends on it for her daily workouts. We’re both dedicated to our running, but I prefer to run outside while Mrs. ER likes to keep her workout indoors. With snow, freezing rain and sleet hitting us this week, we’re both missing the treadmill.

It was clear yesterday morning that the treadmill was fading fast. No longer was the ever-increasing sound level the only issue. The machine was now giving off an unholy metallic screech at a decibel level that could only be described as dangerous. I decided to record the sound for posterity and had the brilliant idea of running the Sole at 12 MPH. I was curious to see what would happen and here’s the result. The last moments of our treadmill…

I ended up spending an hour on the elliptical. It’s definitely a good workout, but I never feel it equals a run. Until the weather warms enough to clear the roads we’re stuck with that choice. I’ve been doing my research to find a replacement for the highly recommended but ultimately disappointing Sole F63. Everyone says you need to spend thousands of dollars to get a treadmill that won’t fail with regular use, but I’m thinking that almost anything will be better than this retched Sole.

Take this snow and shovel it

On January 29, 2015 By Emerging Runner10 Comments

Storm of ~~century~~ ~~year~~ month

Today’s run (treadmill): 30 minutes

I’m keeping our weather experience this week in perspective since my friends in Framingham, Massachusetts had to deal with 34″ of snowfall between Tuesday and Wednesday. Considering the media hysteria about the “biggest storm ever” coming through Long Island, we only ended up with 16 inches of the fluffy stuff. No complaints here.

Our philosophy regarding snowstorms is to keep up with the volume so you never have to shovel more than 4-5 inches at a time. My wife and I both like to shovel and now our kids are at an age where they can contribute, so it’s not a big deal to go out every couple of hours. That is unless the schedule requires shoveling after midnight in blizzard conditions. My neighbor stopped by yesterday to let us know that he saw us out at 2:30 AM and thinks we’re insane.

I’m hoping all that shoveling provided more benefit than a clear driveway and amused neighbors. Perhaps a little upper arm development? All told, I went out and shoveled six times, doing my best to push the snow rather than lift it. Still, there were still plenty of occasions to throw shovelfuls of snow over the ever-growing snowbanks. The interesting thing is that I have no soreness from all that work. Perhaps those post-run push ups have paid off.

I worked from home today and managed a short treadmill run in between morning meetings. I had a nice view of our snow covered backyard. That slightly reduced the tedium. The tread jerked so much I felt like I was running outside on the snow covered roads. With more snow likely to come, we really need to get a new treadmill. Otherwise, I’m going to have to get a new pair of Yaktrax like SIOR.

Winter workouts, shovel and machine

On January 26, 2015 By Emerging Runner4 Comments

Yesterday’s workout (elliptical) 25 minutes
Today’s workout (treadmill): 4.3 miles

I awoke Saturday morning at 5:00 AM to a coating of snow on my driveway. The neighborhood looked very pretty from an upstairs window and the streets were still untouched by foot, car and plow. I briefly considered getting out and trying a run before the world woke up. As tempting as it looked to run on this virgin snow, I knew it would look less appealing at ground level.

The weather reports called for late morning rain followed later by more snow. I wanted to get the driveway cleared before the rain so I wouldn’t end up with a sheet of snow and ice later. I put on my snow shoveling gear (double lined track pants, Timberlands, new Rails to Trails hat…) and opened the garage door to see what I was dealing with.

That snow, that looked so pretty from the guestroom, turned out to be pretty saturated with water. Unlike the fluffy snow that I can push across my driveway with moderate effort, this stuff was pure slush. I approached it strategically, moving small amounts with each pass. I got into a rhythm, but it took a long time to get through it all. My daughter came out to help but the snow was really too heavy for her. She stayed outside and kept me company and that made the time go quickly.

When I finally got inside, I considered whether pushing a few metric tons of slush constituted a real workout. I decided it did – but only to a point. I gave myself a break and did a 25 minute elliptical session, following that with 10 push ups. I would have liked to do more, but enough was enough.

Neither the rain nor snow ever came and I was hoping that SIOR, TPP and I could do our planned timed mile on Sunday. Although the snow wasn’t happening, we acknowledged that the track would be in poor shape. I wasn’t feeling all that well and questioned whether I’d be up for any workout today at all. We decided to reschedule the Runsketeer Mile until next weekend.

This morning I felt well enough to do a moderate treadmill run and had the brilliant idea to use earplugs to suppress the treadmill’s noise. The Sole now sounds the same as standing 20 feet from a 747 at takeoff. Those plugs made a big difference. Although it didn’t result in a whisper-quiet experience, it reduced the noise to a tolerable level.

Considering that I went 1.3 miles beyond my mental threshold for enduring the treadmill, I did fairly well with it. In fact, I carefully increased my speed in tenth of a mile increments and managed to get my HR to 87% of max for the last third of my run. Pushing pace on the Sole is tricky, because the tread slips and jerks more as speed is increased. Here’s a tip: don’t buy a Sole treadmill. Even if it’s on sale.

We’re supposed to get a ton of snow starting tomorrow night. That will provide the opportunity for another upper body shoveling workout. I’m predicting that I’ll need to work from home on Tuesday based on reports. That could give me the chance to do a weekday treadmill run, unless we also lose our power during the storm. At least the elliptical is self powered.

Slipping and sliding, inside and out

On January 19, 2015 By Emerging Runner6 Comments

Unstable on every surface

Today’s run (street/treadmill): 5.1 miles total [1.5 street, 3.6 treadmill]

Per yesterday’s post, I’ve fallen into a distance rut by keeping every run in 2015 (but one) under 4 miles. Some of that is related to the sciatica I’ve recently developed and my concern about aggravating its root cause. Other ~~excuses~~ factors included a very busy period at work and a tight schedule on weekends.

I was determined to cover at least five miles this morning. The early weather reports said that today’s rain wouldn’t start until after 10:00 AM. I figured that starting at 8:00 AM would mean dry and clear roads. That was true for the first few minutes, but then a light rain starting falling. I was okay with that, but the 35° temperature made the road slippery underfoot.

I tried to tough it out, but the risk of falling increased as the rain fell harder. I decided to head home rather than deal with a dangerous, unstable surface. Disappointing, but a practical move. I immediately headed upstairs and got on the treadmill to complete my workout. The 1.5 miles outside warmed me up enough to start fast. Unfortunately, like the road, the treadmill presented a slippery situation.

Our Sole F63 has a lot of problems and one of them is that the tread belt jerks randomly, especially when the speed is increased. My desire to get through a treadmill run as quickly as possible is limited by this issue. Slipping at race pace can be scary. As a consequence, I keep the speed around 6 MPH and deal with it.

I managed through 3.6 miles on the Sole on top of what I covered during my outside run. I exceeded 5 miles for only the second time since New Year’s day. We haven’t had nearly as much snow this January as we did last year, so I may catch a break next weekend and put in some mileage. I’m not sure what I’ll do tomorrow, but I’ll do something.

Too short to be endless runs

On January 17, 2015 By Emerging RunnerLeave a comment

January volume to date

Today’s run (treadmill): 3.1 miles

Yesterday morning I ran for the first time in four days. It had been a busy work week culminating with Thursday, where I had to give presentations five times in a single day. The week was exhausting and it left me no time for workouts. Friday morning was freezing cold, but I knew I needed to get back outside and get my run in.

The cold has gotten to me more this year than it ever has in the past. I used to look at 21° runs as a fun challenge, bundling up, but not so much that I’m overheated after a mile. This year, I’ve been especially sensitive to cold (especially my face) and I’ve been layering so I’ll be comfortable at the start. I almost always regret that by the end.

I’d hoped that taking four days off from running this week would provide me good energy on Friday. Initially it did. I moved swiftly through the first half mile and felt relatively strong, although I was colder than I’d wished. At some point, my gear began to work against me. As my body temperature rose, I considered passing my house so I could discard my outer layer. Unfortunately, I didn’t, and the ensuing heat made my short run seem endless.

This morning we needed to head into the city, so I fit in an early treadmill run. It was 16° outside (which didn’t seem to stop SIOR and TPP from tearing up the Run to the Brewery course today) and I wasn’t going to subject myself to another freezing workout. Despite the climate controlled environment, my experience was similar to yesterday. Endless, until it ended.

My weekly volume has really dropped since the New Year and I need to correct that. Running 3-4 miles at a time (as I have) isn’t going to get me there. I need to start putting some 5+ mile runs on the board soon. Tomorrow is supposed to be very rainy, so I don’t know whether I’ll be able to get outside for a long run. 6 miles on the treadmill isn’t going to happen, but I’d consider a dual workout with both elliptical and treadmill.

The Emerging altruistic philanthropher

On January 10, 2015 By Emerging Runner3 Comments

Running prohibited

Today’s run (treadmill): 45 minutes

I get a lot of junk emails (don’t we all?) that I usually ignore or delete. If you ever sign up for something online and don’t forget to opt out of marketing, you’re going to see some unwelcome emails. Worse, those companies sell your address to other companies, forcing you to unsubscribe to mail lists you never joined in the first place.

I don’t know what I did to get on the railstotrails.org list, but they sure send a lot of emails. And guess what, it worked. I am now a member of the Rails to Trails Conservancy. The reason I took the bait was a series of emails that had subject lines like, “Your trails at risk…like Bethpage Bikeway” and contained dire warnings like, “Next year, our elected officials could slash funding for great walking and biking trails!” Those awful, irresponsible elected officials! How could I stand by and watch them do this to my beloved path!? So I made a donation.

As a result, I am now the proud owner of a Rails to Trails membership card that, as far as I can tell, allows me to make more donations to the Rails to Trails Conservancy and buy Rails to Trails Conservancy merchandise. Along with this card, I received an electric blue winter cap and my first copy of rails to trails magazine that seems to suggest that these paths are only for cyclists. Seriously, every story is about biking.

My wife looked at the hat and said two things. 1. “Bad color.” 2. “Are you really going to wear that?” Of course I am! The cap may be vividly ugly, but it’s also visible. If I ever get to run outside the house again before spring, I plan to wear it.

This morning I’d hoped to do a neighborhood run but the streets had too much ice. I made a query on the GLIRC Facebook page to see if anyone knew the condition of the Bethpage trail. Perhaps I should have emailed Rails to Trails since they seem to know so much about about the Bethpage path. I probably would have received a response like, “Dear Mr. ER, please let us know what type of bike you ride and we’ll let you know if trail conditions support it…”

I received some helpful responses from GLIRC members that I don’t know personally and some unhelpful responses from GLIRC members I do know. Those members, SIOR and TPP, were going to SUNY Old Westbury at noon. My schedule didn’t allow me to join them. I hope they had fun running that freezing, hilly course.

I kept inside for my workout today, running about 45 minutes on the treadmill. The machine is ridiculously loud, but it seems to have moved past its tortured screeching metal phase. It sounds more like a wooden roller coaster now. You can think of it as the least fun ride at Adventureland.

My run was fine and, although I had some sciatic pain over the first half, things eventually settled down. Happily, the soreness did not return after my run. In keeping with my one fitness resolution for 2015 (that I’d stop completely ignoring my upper body) I did ten push ups when I got off the treadmill.

One of the GLIRC posters said that the wooded trails at Bethpage are in good shape so I may head there tomorrow and do a trail run. The mountain bikers should be able to spot me before they run me over because I’ll be wearing my new hat.

Faint praise for the elliptical

On December 5, 2014 By Emerging Runner5 Comments

ProForm CE 6: I look different in workout clothes

Today’s workout (elliptical): 25 minutes

It’s been another busy week, but at least tomorrow is Friday. Today was my first opportunity for a morning workout and my intention was to do a treadmill run. I got up this morning and decided that I couldn’t deal with the treadmill’s racket, so I fired up the elliptical instead. Although I’ve never warmed to this unit (it’s far less substantial than its predecessor) the Pro-Form does provide a good cross training alternative.

Compared to the treadmill, using the elliptical is a breeze. Besides the fact that it’s self propelled and quiet, the elliptical doesn’t make me constantly worry about a bad slip and fall. In fact, you can use the elliptical with your eyes closed. That’s something I’d never recommend doing on a treadmill. I ended up getting a decent workout and avoided a noise-related headache.

I always look forward to Friday’s because I can get outside in the morning for a few miles prior to starting my working day from home. Tomorrow will be extremely busy so I’ll need to get out early to fit in a workout. I’m getting mixed messages online about Friday morning’s weather. One prediction calls for morning rain and the other calls for cold but dry conditions. I’m hoping for the latter.

I’d like to avoid the treadmill if possible. And as much as I appreciated it today, I’m not in the mood for another elliptical session.

Heat, exhaustion and a failing treadmill

On November 21, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Torture chamber. Why did I wear a sweater?

Today’s workout (treadmill): 25 minutes

I spent most of the week in an airless conference room filled with computers that raised the temperature into the intolerable range. We were piloting some new business processes and technologies and I spent a lot of time managing the participants and capturing issues on a whiteboard. The heat, lack of ventilation and fumes from the dry markers wore me out.

This morning I celebrated a return to normal working conditions. I hopped on the treadmill at 3:45 AM and hoped to raise my heart rate and ingest cool air that was devoid of marker solvent. I hadn’t run since Sunday and was ready to go. I’m no fan of the treadmill but that didn’t bother me today. Once the machine started up I changed my mind about that.

The F63

Our Sole F63 has not lived up to its reputation as a top rated machine. In the four years that we’ve owned it, we’ve had to rebuild the motor once, fix multiple problems with a slipping tread belt and replace the display console four times. Despite regular maintenance, our technician told us a few months ago that the treadmill is nearing its end. Based on the cacophony of sound I heard today, I thought the end would come today.

The Sole was never whisper quiet, but compared to the 14 year old Pro-Form unit it replaced, our new machine was nearly silent. Now the F63 is making worse noises than the Pro-Form. The motor has grown increasingly louder and the belt rollers are making sounds like gunshots. The belt also feels like it slips when I increase the speed past a certain point.

I managed to get through my workout, but I’m not sure how many runs are left in the machine. I do 3/4 of my running outside, so I can manage without the treadmill, but my wife does all her running on it. It’s going to be cold tomorrow morning, but I’m very much looking forward to a quiet outdoor run.

Running off the grid

On November 9, 2014 By Emerging Runner2 Comments

Today’s run (Bethpage trail): 6.2 miles

My morning run didn’t go quite as expected, but it all went fine. My plan was to park in the Bethpage lot and run south to Merrits Road, just past Hempstead Turnpike. That would give me about 10K overall. When I arrived at the park, I saw that they were collecting entrance fees despite a sign that said that no admission would be charged after November 3rd.

I probably would have been waved in by my friend who runs the booth, but that would have made me feel guilty. I decided to turn around and park further north off Haypath Road. Once I arrived, I tried to start the Garmin, only to discover that I wasn’t wearing it. I remembered that I’d set it up to charge on the kitchen counter and forgot it was there. I was disappointed that I wouldn’t be able to capture the metrics of my run, but I also liked the idea of a no tech experience.

It would have been good to check the time when I started, so I could back into my pace after mapping my distance. That didn’t occur to me until my run was underway. I cold have dug my phone out of my SPIbelt but I couldn’t be bothered. Not tracking my time or distance felt liberating.

Since I started north of Bethpage Park, I figured I’d run a northern route to get my planned distance. I can’t comment on my performance since I had no way to record it, but I didn’t get passed by a single runner today. When I reached Old Bethpage Road, I had to wait for a few cars go by. I automatically reached to pause the Garmin, but found only my wrist. The one thing I needed to worry about was staying on the path, so I could accurately Gmap my run later.

It was chilly out and I’d dressed for the high 30’s weather. The wind was moderate and it came from the north. Since I was doing an out and back, with the second half going south, I knew I only had to deal with it temporarily. When I arrived at Washington Ave, I saw that I had to go to all the way to Sunnyside Boulevard if I wanted to meet my distance goal.

The section between Washington and Sunnyside is one of the hilliest parts of the Bethpage trail and I often avoid it by turning around at the LIE underpass. Today I decided to suck it up and go for it. The first hill is the toughest, as it starts fairly steeply and continues for close to half a mile. What goes up comes down so I was able to recover until the last rise that goes to Sunnyside.

The second half was psychologically easier. Although there were plenty of hills, the elevation and length were far less than what I had already covered. I followed the trail back to Haypath and turned around to run the short distance back where I started, across from where I parked. Without my Garmin to tell me my mileage, I still managed to reach my targeted distance.

Tomorrow morning I’ll be at the Hope for the Warriors, but I won’t be racing. I’ll probably wait until we get home to do my own run. I’m still just fine with my decision, but I’m starting to think about my next race.