Arun Gupta, Miles to go ...

Arun Gupta is a technology enthusiast, a passionate runner, and a community guy who works for Sun Microsystems.

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Monday February 18, 2008

Bought a new treadmill - Ironman Envision

Finally bought a Treadmill - Ironman Envision!

I must say it's turning out to be a great so far (in around 2 weeks) and I'm able to run regularly in spite of rain/chill in the morning. And moreover I can tune my workouts to the desired intensity. If you are in that market, it's a big jungle out there - Treadmills range anywhere from $258.71 (Unbranded) to $5899 (True Fitness Excel 9.0) and probably more expensive ones as well. Here are some tips I found handy in order to buy a treadmill for home usage:

Here is the 3-step process I followed:

Identify the need - What purpose will the Treadmill serve ?

What will a typical running week look like ? How many miles ?
How many runners will use it ? - Just yourself, or spouse as well or may be a buddy or neighbor. Always plan for a little extra cause it may end up getting used if it's in home :)
What is the weight of the biggest runner ? - Treadmills can handle certain normal weight reasonably well. You may as well need more professional support if you are above that weight limit anyway ;-)

Identify the model (within your budget). This is the most difficult step but if you've done the first step diligently, then this is much easier. This is mostly done by checking the online reviews at some of the websites mentioned below:

Treadmill Doctor

Best Buy Treadmill (classified by budget) - here, here, here, here,

Treadmill Adviser
Treadmill Tips
Treadmill Ratings, Reviews & Comparisons
Treadmill Comparison Charts
Just Treadmill Reviews
Treadmill Resource Center

Run on the exact Treadmill model (that you intend to buy) in a store. Even though this step is important before spending a high 3-figure or low 4-figure $$ but it may not be possible all times (for example in my case). Then you rely on online reviews & return policy of the store.

Post a question in Runners World Forum if you have any doubts or clarifications or seeking particular model comparison.

Here are some of the joys of this machine:

The installation was really smooth with well guided instructions. It took me around 90 minutes from opening the box to get the machine running. The first nut took some time and then it was seamless.
The speed and incline controls on handle bars are really useful.
One-touch speed and incline controls are very useful too.
MP3 input keeps you occupied for some time but it takes some experimenting to figure out how exactly it works. Still need to hook up my TV.

The maximum distance I ran on this machine so far is 5 miles/40 minutes and it has behaved well! In all, I've spent approx 5 hours on this machine feeling happy. Few things that I don't like:

Once the Stop button is hit, all the meters are reset to 0. A summary of results would be useful.
The speakers are not powerful enough, especially at higher speed the music is barely audible.
If the security key is detached, the belt comes to a sudden stop. This could be dangerous if you are running at a high speed.