Review: Treadmill - Proform 415 CT

I was not compensated in any way by the manufacturer or the business I bought it from. Solely my unprofessional personal opinion.....

Most of you who follow my blog knew that I bought a treadmill not too long ago. I have done several runs on it now and thought I would let y'all know what I think about my treadmill (Proform 415 CT). I usually run at a pace that usually ranges from 5mph - 6.5mph).

Let's start with the specifications and information I was most interested in.
- Product: Proform 415 CT
- Cost: $499 (before tax)
- Length of belt: 20 x 55 quiet treadbelt
- Cushioning: ProShox Max 3

- Motor: 2.25 CHP Mach Z

It has other "fancy" stuff like a place where you can stick your iPod in, 2 cup holders, preset distance and calories buttons and it also came with the iFit stuff. I haven't used any of those bells and whistles because I am only really and truly interested in the run. So for more information, go to Sam's Club web site.

What I don't like about the treadmill?

Initial Thought: The belt width could be a little wider.
I have always used the treadmills at the gyms and so, I am used to commercial treadmills which usually have wider belts than this Proform 415 CT. It isn't like I have no room to run and am falling off to the sides. And it hasn't affected my running either. Now, almost a month into it and using this treadmill exclusively, I haven't really noticed the belt width anymore.  

Initial Thought: The treadmill can get a little loud.

It is still loud. Nothing you can do about that. The treadmill sits on a carpeted floor.

What I liked about the treadmill?

I enjoy having the one-touch button for speed and incline. Unlike the treadmills at the gym where I have to hit the up/down buttons to change the pace/incline, I can hit "6" for the speed and it will take me to 6mph pace in just one touch on the treadmill.

The stats stay on the treadmill until I removed the "safety lock" thingy off the treadmill. The treadmills at the gym automatically resets the stats but this allows me to keep my stats on the treadmill until I am ready to note down the pace/distance etc. 

Now, here are the reasons why I like having this treadmill.

I get to run in my house - any time, any day. I ran while waiting on laundry to get done, while waiting for a dish to finish cooking in the oven. I can fit in a run just before I take a shower or go to bed. It has been AWESOME to have that kind of flexibility and convenience. 

I can be totally mismatched in my running clothes and it won't even matter because no one sees me. You can have a cameltoe in your running capris and it won't matter one single bit!  In fact, I also ran in just my sports bra and bottoms and without abs like Run EMZ.

I get to open the windows in the room and have fans blowing at me. Perfect right now because I can feel the cool outside breeze on my legs. It was always stuffy and hot at the gym. But now, I have fans blow on me, at me.

Overall: Yes I like this treadmill so far. I know that some treadmill review websites will likely call this treadmill amatuerish and probably almost a piece of junk. But for the price I paid for it, I am happy with it. I hope to at least get about three or four years out of it and that will end up being just over $100 a year. This is vastly cheaper than the membership to the Y. Speaking of which, I haven't been to the Y at all in December, which means that was my last $24 down the drain...... 

Gentle Reminder

Mr. J sent me a text and asked if I wanted to run today. He doesn't have to work on Veterans Day. And I agreed.  Since I have to work, it's almost like a free pass to just do a short run. I stipulated the ONLY one term I have - nothing more than 4 miles.

It was so difficult to get out of bed on a cold cold morning. It isn't freezing yet, but low 30s is cold since our high was in the mid-70s yesterday.  I had a snug tank top (nothing fancy, just some Danskin ones from Wal-Mart) and wore a long sleeve technical top over it. I had a pair of long pants, a pair of my Nike gloves, and some ear warmer band thing.

Overall the run was more on the tough side than the easy-peasy end. I have this hacking cough for days now and I can feel the draining action going down the back of my throat and kinda gets hung over the esophagus. It hurts my vocal folds when I cough, which is why my voice has been rather manly and husky these past few days. In addition, I just wasn't able to get my breathing sync up. I was literally gasping for air at some parts of the run.  We walked about 10 steps so I could slow down and catch my breath.  

About one mile into it, I rolled my sleeves up. Two miles in, I took my ear warmer band thing off and wrapped it around my wrist. Three miles in, I took my gloves off. Four miles in (and nowhere near our finish spot) I cheered and said "Wooo hooo! Four miles." Mr. J thought I was done, but I said, nope, let's just finish the route to get to our cars. It was a big grand total of 4.59 miles. I was really glad that I didn't come up with some lame excuse to avoid today's run. It was a pretty pretty morning for a run. The moon was still shining brightly and it lit up the path we ran. The temperature was perfect. I remembered why I loved running in the late fall/winter time. It is this temperature. It is the feeling of crisp, cold air against the face. It will be the smell of firewood burning in fireplaces before too long.   That being said, I cannot wait to get my treadmill and have it in the house. I love having the convenience of running whenever I can instead of planning my runs around opening hours. I would place it by the windows and open the windows in the winter time to run.

Let's talk 10K, boob muscles and Pippa

Saturday's long run was postponed to today. (More about that later)
I ran a 10K (6.2 miles) on the treadmill after work today.
Slow.
Easy..
Steady.
Surely.
All 6.2 miles in 70 minutes 32 seconds.

I am proud.
I am happy.
I am stoked.
This run tells me I can do 10K despite the lackluster training runs.
This 10K is a little less than a half marathon.
That means I can do a half marathon in October.
Surely, I can. 
I know I can.

Random Weekend and Random Thoughts: 

This weekend was another one spent out cleaning up the yard.

 

  Me, in PJs, lopping the holly bush, which in reality, had turned into a small holly tree.

At the end of Sunday, we've got a trailer full of yard waste. 

Needless to say, my boob muscles are slightly sore today. 

 

According to my running journaling on blogger, last year's August 20ish is when mid 60s-degree weather graced us in the mornings.... I am looking forward to that.

Last random thought, I am so interested in Pippa Middleton right now. I am thinking, "How does this girl stay so fit and active?" and MOST importantly, "What does she eats to give her all the energy for her to be active and still have such a good body?"

There you go - weekend and Monday all wrapped up in one post. Resting tomorrow and will run again Wednesday! :) 

Long Run and A Question

I finally got my first long run of this training season in today.

A grand total of 5 miles on the treadmill in almost 56 minutes.

It wasn't easy peasy. I had to encourage myself to keep going for 0.5 miles before I can stop for a brief 10 secs or less to take a sip of water. It helps break the monotony up. It helps make the "long" distance seem shorter. At the end of the 5 miles, I thought, I think I can do 6 miles.

In a way, I cannot wait for the next long run. It always makes me feel accomplished.

It is still ever-so-hot here in Arkansas. Triple-digit temperatures are here to stay for a while.  It looks like we might get some reprieve from the heat and enjoy a high 90s temperature with some rain later this week.  I have been drinking lots of watermelon juice. They are delicious.  However, I find that plain watermelon juice lacks some "ooh la la." I usually spike it with a light sprinkle of salt. It kinda gives the juice more body.

In other matters:

I totally just realized it is AUGUST! Now, where did July go?

For August, my goals are simple:

1) Keep up with my half marathon training.

2) Run at least 40 miles this month.

(This would be the most I have ran since my injury. And I need to keep my goal digestable and doable).

Questions

Speaking of half marathon training,
most of you know that I am doing like a Galloway training program and am doing only 3 runs a week. Now, I am feeling a little inadequate, especially since the 2 weekday runs are only 30 minutes long.

I feel like it is quite a jump to go from 30 minutes run (that's about 2.7 miles) to a long weekend run.

What's your take?

Does anyone know how to delete a run from Dailymile? I posted a run last week and somehow, it got double-posted. I want to set it straight. Let me know. Thanks!

Happy Weekend!

Another Month, Another Run, Another New Goal.

I started this week rather well, I guess.
Ran an easy 1-mile yesterday and today, I logged in 3 miles in 32 minutes.
When I got home from work, I peeled myself away from the computer (Facebook, Blogger, email, shopping for running tops) and went for a run. I had 2.5 miles planned.

Got to the Y and the cooler cardio room that has only 1 TV (I like this TV because I didn't have to bring my earphones) has BET channel on and the functioning treadmills were taken.   So I went to the warmer cardio/weights room without earphones. Running on the treadmill with no form of entertainment really sucked!

So I did intervals instead. I had it set to about 5.5 mph and increased the speed to at least 6.5 mph. The rest portions were set to 4.0 mph. I started with a run/walk ratio of 2:2 and ended up with a run/walk ratio of 3:1. Sometimes, instead of walking, I stopped to stretch the calves/Achilles' tendons. 

At the end of this run, I felt good. Happy. Satisfied. Thrilled. And BACK in the game. I think I am able to slug out another mile or so ... or even a 10K... but I didn't push it, partly because I was already bored and partly because I'm still trying to be cautious about my knee. I just don't trust the knees completely just yet.

Tomorrow, I'm going to do some form of cross-training. Maybe break out the Jillian's Week 2. Maybe a swim instead? We'll see. 

For supper, I had some curried lima beans and potatoes, brown rice and salmon (cooked on the grill pan I bought while shopping for my air tickets) It was delicious. Totally satisfying!

According to the Dailymile ...

I ran 27 miles this month.

A far cry from the 80something gazillion miles I ought to be doing to hit my 1,000 mile-mark,

but I am just glad to be able to run pain-free again.

It is more than what I ran in March and April.

So, I am happy.

I'm setting 40 miles for the June.

Baby steps, right? 

What are your goals for June?

I ask. You answer.

I struggled this week with my exercises and runs.
Almost epic-failure quality, but not quite.
Apparently, my creative scheduling skills were quite sucky this week. 

Ingredients for workout disaster:
Late nights.
Sleeping ins.
Temperatures hovering above 80 degrees.
Much rather spend time with the boyfriend in 60-degree room. 

I woke up a little too late this morning - 7:30 a.m.
It was already a blazing 80 degrees outside.
I can't bring myself to run out in that kind of heat. 
Seriously.
I am wishing for a snow storm right now.
Really.
Let's just fast forward to winter.

Another reason why I am hating late spring/summer.
Bugs! Flies, mosquitoes, ticks, fleas.
ITCHY!
I can't seem to step outside my front door
without letting the mosquitoes have a feast on me.

I am considering buying a treadmill. 

I have membership to the Y to use the treadmills.
I don't usually go to the classes. I hate classes.
But the treadmill room is kinda hot and stale.
If I have a treadmill at my house, I can turn the air down to a low 60s
and set up fans blowing into my face.
 What do you think? 

Do you have a treadmill at home? What kind?

Do you like it/use it?

I am thinking about spending not more than $600.

Fast and Not Furious

Still feeling yucky ... the cough, the drainage, the nasty. Yikes.

But NO TIME for being sick.  I needed to get that 2 miles out of the way ....

And so I did.

I went to the Y and hopped on the treadmill and plugged away. 

Total: 2 miles = 21:41 minutes. 

I believe it is one of my faster runs since March .... 

I feel good. 

Every part of me is smiling. 

*

In my last post, Aneta asked where I was going.

I'm going home to Singapore for a little bit this summer.

And nope, it didn't cost $173 .... I think that was the ad for a hotel room in Singapore. 

Paddy the Pacer Puppy

I drove to the Y for a run on the treadmill. Well, I was supposed and hoping to see Mr. R there. But he wasn't. Ms. M wasn't running today. So, I took it to the treadmill and ran 0.5 miles - boring, mind-numbing, inspiring-killing 0.5 miles. 

So I went home. 

I had a plan. I was going to take the girls out for a run. 

Paddy and I have been "practicing" doing this running thing together with walks/runs. 

Today will be THE day.

Meet Paddy the Pacer Puppy.

Buttercup and I just followed Paddy Wag's pace. 

Not too shabby. 

Apart from having to stop and let some big trucks pass, we did well. 

Paddy is definitely a good pacer.  

Here's our splits.

Mile 1: 10:53/mile

Mile 2: 11:16/mile

Mile 0.54: 11:46/mile

Do you run with your dog?
What's the most challenging thing you have to deal with when running with your dog?
Any tips/advices for me?

Friday Night and the Lights are Low ...

Looking for a place to go .....

And I went to the Y for a 3-mile run.  

Took me 32 minutes on the treadmill and managed another negative splits today.

Most normal people would be out having dinner at some restaurants.

 Me? I had an uninspiring dinner. 

Shrimp was bland. Spaghetti was bland. Tandoori chicken was bland. 

Weird that these were delicious tasty and full of flavor a few days ago. 

So, after dinner, while most regular, non-boring, happening youngsters are out partying and drinking, 

I stayed home and am drinking to my heart's content! 

 

Here's a pitcher of freshly juiced oranges and apples, on the rocks!

Yes, I'm drinking the ENTIRE pitcher.

Good thing the taste buds aren't acting funny on this.  

(Yes, that's plastic wrap over my drink because I'm paranoid about having non-kitchen air/random puppy hair fall off my shirt and into  my drink.)  

Dirty. Need detox.

It was 17 degrees F this morning. The running partners decided not to brave the cold and canceled today's outdoor run. However, Ms. M said she would be at the Y in the morning.  So, I woke up at 5 a.m. and drove to the Y with the grandest intentions of running some 4 or even 5 miles.

The usual room that I usually do my runs in has no free treadmills.  I like that room because I don't have to wear those pesky earphones. The TV is just there, sound and all. So I went to the other room. Three TVs, but they are silent, unless you plug in your earphones to the machines.  That means I ran watching a mute morning show. 

Random Thoughts:

1. Brrr. It's cold.
2. Ms. M isn't here. Is she at home in her warm bed? Smart lady!
3. That makes me the dumb idiot.
4. Just 0.25 mile? Oh gosh. This is gonna be loooooooooooooong.
5. What in the world are they talking about on TV? Should have brought my earphones.
6. How did I run 7 or 8 miles on this treadmill during summer time?
7. I'm weak. Mentally weak.  OJ and peanut butter sandwich sound good!
8. Why is it sometimes easier to run 8 or 9 miles and so hard to run short runs like this?
9. Let me finish 2. Just 2.

See?
Lots of negative thoughts. Lots of self-doubts. This is not good. No wonder they say running is a mental sport. 

I don't know if it's the negative thoughts of the self-doubts,  or the fact that I only ran 2 miles this morning and ate a filet fish sandwich for supper that makes me feel dirty. But I feel dirty.

I need a good run to detox.
You know what I mean?

Snow Days and Brick

I'm a runner!
A conversation between a runner and non-runner.

*

It was Snow Day for me on Monday and Tuesday!

We had a good 3 to 4 inches of snow. Laugh if you want. Southeastern Arkansas doesn't get snow like this. We usually have sleet, ice and fallen trees and have no electricity. So, this right here is a rare sight.

There's something about snow that send us in a tizzy (is that a word?)

Grocery stores were packed with people stocking up staples in anticipation for the snow. They bought milk, bread and eggs and generators. I took my chances.  I do have about 2 dozen eggs and lots of bread at the house. Lots of Gu too!

What did I do during my Snow Days?

I came up with a Snow Day To-Do List and steadily checked the items off the list.

I still have unchecked items. But I did check a lot of items off too.
And I ran lots of errands around town today too!

I could be laying in bed with a tub of ice cream.

Tuesday morning run was canceled. Ms. M was worried about ice, and would rather not chance falling and hurting her recently-fixed rotator cuff. She headed to the Y in the morning. I should have went this morning. But I slept in, felt no remorse, ate cinnamon raisin toast, ate KFC (just 2 wings for dinner)

and guilt took a big gulp out of my bottom!

I headed to the Y and ran.

KFC two hours before your run = not a good idea!

So I did a R-B-R workout (run-bike-run workout or Brick workout).

I felt super speedy on the treadmill after I had been on the bike.

It was awesome!

Will do my planned 4ish miles tomorrow morning instead.

Turn It Around

Today, I did my first treadmill run since the heat wave of 2010.
It was hard. At Mile 0.2, I was already dreading it.
How did I manage to do 7 miles on the treadmill this summer is beyond me. Probably the heat fried my brain. Nothing was interesting on TV. It was too dark to see what's happening outside. And it was getting warm inside. See the negativity going on there in my head? Well, it sucks! I just wanna stay home and eat some bons bons.

Then, something sparked in my head and I decided to channel some positive inside me.  I can hate every single friggin' step of this run, or I can just be happy to be able to run!
So, I decided to enjoy it. There was another lady a few treadmills away from me running. I told myself that, "she runs, I run." And I am not going to stop before she does.
It did the trick. I finished 4 miles on the treadmill in almost 45 minutes. It wasn't many miles, but I would have thrown in the towel at Mile 1.

The moral of the story?
Stay with it. Think something positive. Turn it around. It isn't as difficult as you think.
And most of all, enjoy the fact that you are able to run.

And I am 12 km away from hitting my goal for this year. So close! So close! So close!

25 facts on 25th Post

Yay! This is my 25th post and to celebrate this little milestone, I shall share 25 random facts about me. But first, this is today's workout.

I planned on doing a run-bike-elliptical combo today. I was over-zealous and hopped on whatever I can find when I arrived at the gym. I started with the bike for 5 miles which took 18:17 minutes @ 16.5mph. Then, I jumped onto the treadmill and attempted to be Speedy Gonzales. I almost fell flat because I overestimated myself, not realizing that my legs turned into Jell-O. I laughed at myself and then called myself a ditzy klutz. I didn't go too fast after that.  Then, I left, and realized after I drove off that I didn't do the 3rd part to that combo.  O0ps!

If you haven't got enough of me yet, here are 25 facts about myself.

1. I am Singaporean...
2. who came to the U.S. when I was 21.
3. From West Palm Beach, I chose to transfer to college in Ruston, Louisiana because it is supposed to be peach-city.
4. I finally have a best friend when I was about 21 years old.
5. I like bananas that are still somewhat green.
6. I like to label things/shelves/pantry.
7. I dance while driving to keep me awake.
8. I ate road kill once.
9. I used to be deathly scared of dogs.
10. Lately, I have quit wearing high heels so they'll have plenty of rest to run however many miles I have planned for them.

Now, you wanna share a random fact or two about yourself with me?

Trotting on the Treadmill with Thoughts

Trot Tally.  I find that writing my goals on a Post-It works for me when I run on the treadmill. It keeps me focused and very driven. And it keeps me safe (since I can quickly jot down the numbers instead of texting it on my phone.) I didn't plan on setting the treadmill on incline today, but I did! It kinda puts some stress on the ankle. But I needed that elevation, since this Saturday's Shamrock 5K race is definitely not on a flat terrain. Mile 1 @ 11:19/mile @ 2% incline (Plan: 11:30/mile)
Mile 2 @ 10:21/mile @ 1% incline (Plan: 10:30/mile)
Mile 3 @ 9:31/mile @ 0% incline (Plan: 9:30/mile)
Total: 3 miles in 31:43 minutes.

Thoughts.  #1 Poor Keith. His computer crashed and his work is there. He is usually diligent about saving his work on an external harddrive, so I am crossing fingers, toes, and whenever possible, my eyes that he will be able to retrieve those files.
#2: Why do my ankles ache and why do my toes go a little numb when I run? Is it because I tied my shoe laces too tightly? Any suggestions?
#3: When will the UPS truck bring my box of goodies to me?
#4: If I keep up with my schedule, I will hit 100 miles of running this weekend.

Thankful.  A good run. A sweet boyfriend. Knees that don't hurt. Fellow bloggers/runners who keep me accountable, inspired, motivated and give me such wonderful advice.  Spring break. (not in any order).

How was your Monday workout? I hope it was great!

I am liking the treadmill runs.

I learned.  Plan your run the night before. It helps me focus and keeps me less flustered. I know where I am going, and how fast I should be going. 

Attitude Change.  I am beginning to really like the treadmill, especially if I need to keep up at a certain pace. Today's workout was a mere 3 mile run. And last night, before bed, I wrote out on a piece of notepad what I wanted to achieve in those 3 miles.  I was so excited that I really can't hardly wait to go for that run.  I didn't make it to the Y this morning because of the time change and I can't help feeling gipped off my sleep.  But the run was at the back of my head the entire day. I knew that when I got home, I will have to put on my running shoes and head out. I did.

By the Numbers.  Here's the data for today's treadmill run. The pace in parenthesis was my intended goal, and the highlighted pace was what I accomplished.
Mile 1 = 11:32/mile (Plan: 11:30/mile)
Mile 2 = 11:07/mile (Plan: 11:19/mile) Yay, that kinda made up for the slack in Mile #1.
Mile 3 = I started off at 10:00/mile pace for 0.5 mile, increased the speed to 9:41/mile for the next 0.25 mile and finished up at a 9:30/mile pace. (Plan:10:00/mile pace.)
Total: 3 miles in 32:32. My best time ever.

How I Am Feeling.  STILL feeling good

Highlight.  Ego boost! A somewhat fit looking man came and got on the treadmill next to mine. He started off kinda at the pace I was going. But I just keep going faster and faster and faster. It felt so good. I feel strong and thought I could go faster than the final 9:30/mile but I refrained.
So, do you have any ego boost moment?    Haha. I am still feeling pretty darn good!

Giveaway.  Confessions of a Rambunctious Runner is giving away "My life on the Run" by Bart Yasso.  She wants to start a "Bloggerhood of the traveling book" where the person who gets the book will read it and have a giveaway and pass the book around bloggers.

Tuesday on Treadmill

Prerun Jitters.  My left knee has been feeling funny since my Sunday run.  Here's an exchange between my boyfriend and me over the shoe and the knee. 

Me: Babe, my knee hurts.

Boyfriend: Your miracle shoes didn't work, huh? 

Me: NO, it works. I think running two days in a row isn't for me. 
According to him, I talked in my sleep again last night or early this morning. He said I told him I really like to run and I don't want my knee to hurt so I can keep running. Hah! I must really really like running!

The Treadmill Run.  I finished the 3 miles that was on my schedule.  And the best part? The knee didn't feel worse, so that's a plus! I also added some inclines to the run today.  I didn't finish as strongly as I had wanted because I was out of steam but nonetheless, I didn't go beyond 12:00/mile.  


By The Numbers.  Keeping track of numbers isn't my forte. Being clumsy is definitely in my blood. Didn't want to risk tripping over my feet and plopping my face against the treadmill, here's the data to the best of my ability. Texting info on the phone while running - don't try it. I'd probably stick with a pencil and paper in the future.
0.5 mile @ 12:00/mile @ 0% incline,
0.5 mile @ 11:30/mile @ 0.5% incline,
1mile @11:19/mile @ 1% incline,
1 mile @ between 10:00/mile to 11:19/mile.
Total: 3 miles at 34:41/mile.
Even though the 1% incline may look like a joke to the pros, I am still happy with them. I gotto start somewhere, right?


A Question:  I am planning on running a 5K race sometime. However, my training schedule has me running 10 miles that day.  How do you circumvent situations like this?  Do share.
Thanks!

Have a wonderful rest of the week.