My Treadmill

I love my treadmill! I should have bought one ages ago! It has made life so much easier for me, at least while I have to get extra cardio in. If you saw my post about it you know that I got a used NordicTrack EXP 1000 for $50.00. I really wouldn't have been able to justify paying much more when I pay a lot to belong to the gym and could use one of theirs.


I found it on Craigslist, and I see them all the time for quite a bit more! 


I am not sure if I would recommend one for everyone, I can imagine that most people buy something like this and never use it. I think that if you cannot get yourself to the gym regularly, then you probably won't make it to your own treadmill either, no matter where it is located in your house.


They take up a lot of room, are usually very expensive and noisy (at least my $50.00 treadmill is). The guys always walk by and close the door when I am on it. At least they wave as they close the door on me.


I have found it indispensable now that I am in competition mode and must get more cardio in everyday to burn extra calories and tighten the skin. How does it tighten the skin? Well, treadmills don't really tighten skin but doing regular cardio, combined with the proper competition diet and lots of water ensures you rid the body of sub cutaneous fat, and then your skin LOOKS tighter!


It's that nasty fat under the skin that makes you look soft and pudgy (yuck). Two things I don't care for on a body - "soft" or "skinny".....In fact, now I have lost enough so as I lay in bed at night, I can run my hands over my stomach and it feels flat and firm, there isn't much under the skin except my muscle and bones and a small layer of fat. This is the stage when I marvel at how the changes occur, I can pinch the skin on my stomach and the thumb and index finger almost meet, not much fat left and in a few weeks there won't be any!

My stomach before cardio on Thursday night.


Combine that with  regime of heavy weights, the muscles pop and voila, killer body!


Back to the treadmill though, I have it set up in my guest room which is rarely used, and have now noticed that the walls really do need some paint. I hate to admit it, but we have owned this house since 1991 and have not yet painted the guest room, it just never seemed important.


As I spend more time on the treadmill I look around, thinking of colors that would be soothing yet bright, I need to spice up this room of mine. I think this summer will be a good time to overhaul my treadmill room. And since my son will be moving out and heading off to college, I have several other rooms to start thinking about too!


Mark said he will come help paint if David can get me out of the way, I am thinking kitchen, all four bedrooms, bathrooms, living room...maybe the whole house!


I think my $50.00 treadmill will eventually end up costing us several hundred more dollars! ha ha 

My New Toy

It's a treadmill! And, it has a great story behind it! This is a NordicTrack EXP 1000, no it's not top of the line, nor is it new, but it was $50.00 and now it's mine!


You see, when you compete, you start doing 'two a days", meaning you are at the gym in the morning, then back again after work (those who are lucky enough to be able to get by without working- power to you and it is a bit more convenient for you isn't it?)


It gets very discouraging when you are hungry because you are dieting, tired because you are dieting and tired because you are training so hard; to have to go back to the gym after work, find a parking space, change and do it all over again.


Now, I can go into my guest room and do my cardio as soon as I get home! I park in the garage, no problems there! Is this going to replace my regular conditioning, sprints, stairs, and jump rope? No - It cannot, but I do need to add in additional cardio as I get closer to competition time, this will be my extra cardio.


I woke up early Saturday and looked at Craigslist and there it was. "Motivated seller", he said the price reflects the fact that he just wants to get rid of it fast. I emailed and told him I would be home by 8:30 am...he never contacted me until late in the afternoon, he had been at work. He said I was the first to respond (I do get up early) and asked if I had a truck- yes indeed I do!


I drove out there and got out of my convertible BMW, Tom had a bit of an annoyed look on his face, "I thought you said you had a truck?" I laughed and explained I do have a truck, but my friend Mark was remodeling (again) and I hadn't realized that he had taken it until I walked out to the front of my house to get in it and it was gone. It was full of bricks at the moment, if I bought the treadmill I would come right back with the truck and get it.


Tom looked me up and down and commented that I looked like I worked out a lot- He asked what sort of exercise do I do. I told him I lifted weights a lot and explained Figure, the competitions, and the reason for needing a treadmill, then he asked if I was a model too. Now that made my day, week, month and maybe even my year.  He asked when I started doing this and I said "when I was 47" and a shocked look came over his face and he said "47?! How old are you NOW?!" I told him I would be 51 in a couple months and he said "I thought you were in your 30's!" I am guessing Tom doesn't get out much....


I bought it and returned shortly with Moby (my big white truck). Tom helped me load it in and I drove home happy as a clam, wondering where on earth I would put it. David and Cooper were out of town until Sunday night, I had about 24 hours to figure it out, come up with a story and then make sure it all looked clean and tidy.

The treadmill sat in the truck in the driveway all night, I needed help and Mark was too tired after removing his brick chimney all day.

I spent the evening, until 10:30 moving everything around in the guest room and discovered a zillion things we didn't need, most of it under the bed, which got moved to every corner of the room as I attempted to fit everything in and still be able to walk around the bed. In the morning, after I returned from the gym, Mark came and we moved it to it's new home, right by a great window that I can open when it's hot.

The boys came home and David walked by the guest room and said "What the??" I explained that it was only $50.00 and he wanted to know why we needed a treadmill. I told him that I didn't have to go back to the gym at night now. He seemed a bit annoyed.


Cooper walked by and said "What the??" and asked what it was doing there. I explained and he wanted to know why we needed  a treadmill. When I told him why he seemed a bit annoyed. "I live here too!" he said. "Well", I explained. "You have two rooms, and the treadmill is in the guest room, not in one of yours, so I don't see how it inconveniences you at all." He replied that treadmills are noisy.


After they got settled we talked a bit, and I told David that he could actually use it every night too, it would be a great way to ease back into exercise! Luckily I had made them beef bourguiginon and buttered egg noodles for dinner, so by the time they finished, all was forgiven and the treadmill stays! 


Monday I had the day off, I met Roy at 10:00 am so I slept in and skipped my conditioning- there was no way I was going to run around the gym, expending all my energy and arrive at BodyComp too tired to train hard. We went longer, his 11:00 cancelled so he said we would keep going. I spent the afternoon prepping food and at 4:30 climbed on my new toy. I started up my Kindle Fire and a movie, 30 minutes went by so fast! I am going to have fun with this.