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Last night was the first night I really missed him.
May he rest in peace.
No, no, no. Nobody has died, not yet anyway.
I am in mourning not for a person nor pet. No, I am in mourning for my treadmill. After many years of service, the last three being fairly intense, my familiar friend TM has become injured beyond repair.
Like a horse with a broken leg, it may be time to put TM down.
His first injury was actually a little over a year ago when the elevation motor died. At the time I wasn’t too worried because I was training for an incredibly flat marathon (Smuttynose).
But it finally happened.
A few weeks ago, while trying to get myself back into the groove of running, I hopped on TM for a quick 8-miler.
You may ask, why didn’t you just go outside? Honestly, as much as I love running outside, there is something very zen about hopping on a treadmill and being able to turn the brain completely off – plus, I find it a good opportunity to catch up on shows Jess doesn’t like on my DVR.
But I digress…
About 4 miles in I heard a loud “CRACK” and suddenly the ride got a little bouncy – not overly so, but I definitely felt like I was running on a small trampoline. As long as I didn’t run down the center of TM, it didn’t get too bad. He had essentially split down the middle. I was determined to get my 8 miles in, but I now had to run with my feet slightly apart. The zen running was no longer very zen. I did manage to zone out a little but as I passed 7 miles I started to hear a flap! flap! flap!. I looked down in horror to see that the tread of the treadmill was coming apart at the seams.
It was time to stop.
At this point, I realized that TM was probably beyond repair, or that at the very least, the cost of fixing him would be more than simply replacing him. Unfortunately, these are tough economic times, so a replacement will have to be held off for quite a while – as much as running is a necessity to me, a treadmill is a luxury. Ultimately, outside running is better for you anyway, and I do enjoy time in the fresh air.
But last night, as I contemplated going out for a late-night run, I realized just how much I will miss my dear friend TM. We got our first snow of the year last night, and it wasn’t a children’s storybook gentle snow – it was a cold, hard, unpleasant snow. As I walked the dog, I quickly decided that my run could wait another day. As much as I needed a run, I didn’t need to be running in miserable weather.
And so I mourn.
Rest in peace dear friend. You served me well. Hopefully you are up in Heaven keeping the angels in shape.
Run Luau Run 
Sorry about the loss of your friend.
(I am sorry for you, my friend, however I really am not a fan of the dreadmill so I’m not sad for the dreadmill itself)
I hate dreadmills too (and I was planning to say that before I saw @petfxr’s comment!). But I do understand what a loss that is — it’s probably pretty dumb for a Floridian to be insensitive to those who face true weather issues. It would be cool if the treadmill fairy would stop at your house in exchange for you singing their praises!!
I’m with you Luau. I love my treadmill even though I live in an area where I could run outside everyday no matter what season it is. Never thought of it as “Zen”, but now that you mention it, I do get into that mode. Hope you find a new TM friend soon!
Do you Freecycle? I found this:
http://groups.freecycle.org/freecycleboston/posts/11127009/Treadmill
Check craigslist, too. Treadmills are one of those things that a lot of people buy and find they don’t use. There’s not a great used market for them, so you can often get them for free.
Might not be the best one ever, but you could use it until you have the money to buy what you really want, and pass it on to somebody else when you’re done.
I had a very similar thing happen with my old friend. The crack was gradual in forming. One day it “felt weird” but I soldiered on. And the next day I could barely walk. The chiropractor said I had mucked things up.
While not right away, I did end up replacing it with a nicer model I got quite a deal on from craigslist. You might find a bargain there if you spend some time looking.
Once I got the replacement, my husband mentioned to someone I had gotten a new treadmill. The person said, Oh,you mean a clothes rack? My husband said, NO! This is a replacement. She ran the last one to death. Literally.
I prefer the outside more than the treadmill these days, but I’m glad to have it as an option.
I hope you can find a replacement for your old friend soon!
we got ours for free from someone getting rid of it. post it to facebook maybe?
Funny thing? Went down to the basement and found our treadmill refusing to work too… Thank God for the 3 year service plan!