Run of the Mill
Choosing—and Using—the Treadmill that Is Right for You
By Jim Gerweck
As featured in the Jan Feb 2002 issue of Running Times Magazine
Besides intervals, DeMarco does his anaerobic threshold runs on the treadmill. "It’s perfect for that," he says. "You get totally even pacing, without the effect of hills or wind, so your heart rate is based on how fast you’re running. You can really learn a lot about your body that way."
DeMarco only uses a treadmill in the winter— "It’s too hot in the summer, even with a fan on." His only problems in ten years were a glitch in the digital readout and replacing the belt once. The 1.5 HP motor is small by current standards, but he’s never had a problem with it.
THE TIME JUGGLERS Ed and Stephanie Kulhawik work jobs with crazy and changeable hours, he as a policeman and she as a nurse. With often only one of them home to watch their two young sons, a treadmill seemed to be the only way to maintain a regular running program. They purchased a Sears ProForm model, which cost under $1,000, and have been "extremely happy with it, no problems."
They each use the machine three to four times a week during the winter, far less, sometimes not at all, during the warmer months. "On days when you might not want to go outside because the weather’s nasty or it’s dark, the convenience factor makes it more likely you’ll do your run," says Stephanie, who finds the machine particularly suited to faster paced workouts. "You just set the speed you want to run, and go, no worrying about whether you’re over or under pace." Ed, who has completed several marathons but now competes less frequently, likes the random intensity workout programs and the adjustable incline. "I wouldn’t use it for longer aerobic runs—more than 30 minutes or so is tough. But it cuts out an excuse not to run."
SOME MAJOR TREADMILL COMPANIES: