Sunday, February 17, 2019

A Runner's Gotta Run...

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

I have become a weather stalker in the worst way possible. Without a treadmill as a backup, planning my runs during the last couple of weeks has required flexibility. The forecast might call for snow and we get freezing rain. The thermometer might say 42 but the streets are coated with black ice because the temperatures dipped below freezing overnight. The polar vortex slips off its rocker and rolls into Chicago once again on gusty winds. You get the picture.

Winter is always a crapshoot but for this outdoor runner, Winter 2019 has really killed my mojo. A runner's gotta run and crappy weather or not, that's what I did. There's a happy ending to this sad, sad story, though...

Monday's icy, snowy run
On Monday, I woke up in a world of hurt. Every joint in my body was having a pain party. After a couple of cups of coffee and some serious self-talk, I took some ibuprofen and made the decision to head outside for a run. When I talked with my rheumatologist a few weeks ago, she reassured me that while my RA activity was low, I could have these "pain" episodes. Ok, then, I thought if it wasn't a flare, I'd see if I could push through the pain. Best case scenario, the run would loosen up my joints. Worst case scenario, I'd head back home and call in sick to work. The outdoor conditions weren't horrible. A predicted ice storm never materialized and instead, we were left with a dusting of snow. I was pleasantly surprised that my legs let me fly. I ran my 6 planned miles and finished with minimal pain and stiffness. Take that, RA!!

The wind was crazy on Wednesday and it was bitterly cold. If I could have run inside, I would have. Instead, I donned my full ninja garb and headed out into the sunshine. This run was HARD. Running into the wind, there were moments of nausea as I pushed my effort to 150% to try and maintain my pace. I called it quits at 4.66 miles. I just could go no further. I felt as if I ran a full marathon that morning.

Don't let the sunshine fool you. It was brutal.
Thursday's strength sesh with Coach Sammy Jo was awesome. I did chest presses 65# x 5 sets and I was feeling it the next day. In fact, I felt everything from my workout and in all the right places. That's when you know you've done it right. I kinda love that. We worked on my hips and glutes, with banded side-steps and pistol squat practice, and finished up with toes to rings, which was fun. Bootcamp was brutal, in the best way. 60 ball slams, 60 abmat sit-ups, 60 shoulder to overhead (with a bar), 60 abmat sit-ups, and 60 ball over shoulders. But that's not all...we finished up with a Tabata of supermans, hollow holds, and planks. 


On Saturday, the CrossFit box held a bootcamp benefit for the American Heart Association. We did a workout which started with a 3 minute row, followed by 1 minute each of thrusters, plank step ups, push ups, ball over shoulder, and abmat situps. After 3 rounds, it was back to the rower to cash out for 3 minutes. It was fun to see Steph, too!

Steph, Sammy Jo, and me
I woke up Sunday morning to 3 inches of fresh snow on the ground and it was still snowing. So I had no excuse but to try out my new treadmill! You can read my review below but I ran 6 miles using 9:1 run/walk intervals. I wasn't feeling great and while I finished my run in under an hour, I had to make a couple pit stops and was really glad I was able to run indoors.

Sunday's run on my new treadmill!
Also sporting a new InknBurn skirt as well as Mizuno Wave Horizon 3s.
 I'll have a review coming on the shoes in a few weeks.
I TRIED IT! ProForm 505-CST
A few weeks ago, I posted my very sad story about the death of my 22 year old ProForm treadmill. I wasn't surprised when it stopped working, as it had been circling the drain for a while. However, I was disappointed that it chose to stop during this ridiculous winter we are having. Knowing that its days were numbered, I had already been eyeing new machines. After one last review of the treadmills that met my criteria, I made a decision to purchase the ProForm 505-CST. Obviously, I've had a great experience with the brand. Reviews for this model were overwhelmingly positive and it was featured as a best buy on Wirecutter. I wanted just the basics--a treadmill that would let me run and accurately track my stats. Interestingly, I paid the same amount for this treadmill as I did for the treadmill I bought 22 years ago! My son Tom easily assembled the treadmill in about an hour and it was ready to go.

The easy to read console
The console has a nice digital display that shows time, distance, speed, calories, and incline. There is also a My Trail tab that shows a 400m track and counts laps. The console has built-in speakers but I will have to connect my iPhone to them using an aux cord. The shelf on top of the console can accommodate a tablet and there's a shelf along the bottom of the console for a book or a magazine. The treadmill has Bluetooth capabilities but only for heart rate monitoring and the iFit app. My treadmill came with a one month free membership to iFit, but as of this posting, I have been unable to connect the Bluetooth to my iPad. I'm not all that concerned since I won't be using the iFit anyways. I will say that I didn't like that I couldn't turn on the treadmill without activating iFit first, which required me to enter a credit card number. I'll need to remember to cancel that membership before the 30 day trial is up. 

As far as performance goes, posted reviews said the treadmill was noisy but I didn't think that it was noisy at all! In fact, compared to my old machine, the new one is whisper quiet! My husband said he couldn't hear me running on it. The platform has shock absorbers and that gives the runner a nice cushiony ride. Folding up the treadmill after a run requires the use of a pin on the side and it's a little tricky. It's going to take me a little while to get used to the digital display and the features. I kept pushing the incline buttons instead of the speed buttons. But overall, I am thrilled with my new treadmill. If you are in the market for a basic, budget, well-built treadmill, the ProForm 505-CST delivers. 

How was your week? Are you battling some brutal outdoor running conditions? Do you test yourself with a run when you're not feeling well? Are you a basic treadmill person or do you like all the bells and whistles?

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55 comments :

  1. I feel like the black ice has been worse this year. Maybe the temperatures have been just right -- or wrong -- for that thin layer of slickness. Your new TM sounds like fun. I wonder if I could see over that display. ;-)

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    1. I'm having the same issue! The console on my old mill was basically flat, so this one is taking some getting used too. The quiet smooth ride tho.... gosh, I had no idea how bad my old mill was!

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  2. You all have been hit way harder than we have this winter but this this year has been more of a struggle for me as well. I don't know why I've lost my mojo of late. It is nice to have a brand new treadmill just in case!

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    1. You know, in winters of past I probably wouldn't have considered replacing my treadmill but this winter has been something else!

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  3. Darn near 5 miles in brutal wind conditions is very much like running a marathon! I'm amazed you stuck it out for that long!! #beastmode

    So, that bootcamp fundraiser for the AHA...a minute of thrusters? x3?!?! OMG. I would die!! lol The rest of it sounds fun, though! :)

    Great job on those chest presses!!

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    1. My heart was pounding pretty hard! And there was no recovery between activities. But man, it felt good to conquer that WOD!

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  4. As much as I've been camping on my treadmill recently, it was just this morning when I actually noticed it was a ProForm. I think mine is loud, but it's 18ish years old....maybe it's just that old-fashioned or maybe it's flirting with death. Probably both LOL We probably now have upwards of 10 inches of snow since last night & it's still coming down...

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  5. Glad to see you got another treadmill! As much as I don't like to run on one, I'm thankful for mine for those just in case moments. Knock on wood that it doesn't decide to die anytime soon because it's pushing 15 years old!

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    1. I had a thought that if my new TM lasts 22 years, I'll be 78 years old...I don't think I'll replace it then!

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  6. Wishing you many happy years and mile with the new machine! Hopefully you won't have to rely on it the way you did this year with all the freaking ice. My mill is basic but has a good motor. I wouldn't know what to do with all the bells and whistles.

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    1. I don't care for all the fancy treadmill accoutrements. All I want to do is run!

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  7. Strong lady!! This year it's not too bad, but you could be writing about my last year. Of course, that was the year I had a spring marathon to train for ...

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    1. I'm considering a few spring halls, so I need to get some miles in!

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  8. Sometimes i’m not sure if i’m just run down or actually sick so I may run just to see. I definitely feel you on temps not telling the whole story especially with black ice forming overnight. I know you don’t love treadmills but glad you have the option again.

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    1. I do the run "test" when I'm not sure how I'm feeling, lol! If I can run, then it means I'm go to go for the day.

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  9. You kicked RA in the butt on Monday - great job!

    I am glad that you are loving your new treadmill. Sure, nothing compares to running outdoors, but if you're running indoors, you might as well like the treadmill!

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    1. I just can't believe how different my new TM is from the old one! It feels decadent!

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  10. Yikes, that gusty windy run sounds rough! You are tough!

    Congrats on the new treadmill! Definitely a must-have for those black ice days. Those days are tough because 42 degrees is great running weather but not worth a broken leg!

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    1. I slipped on the way into work last week and I was walking. I don't even want to think about that happening while I"m running!

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  11. I don't mess with black ice, I've had too many scary experiences! And you are a warrior for fighting that wind, too. I'm not sure I could be a winter runner up there :)

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    1. I'm not sure any of us can be winter runners this year! I've been a runner for over 25 years and I don't ever remember a winter like this.

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  12. Running in the winter feels harder than summer (it is) and I felt equally as exhausted by the end of the week. Luckily I've been able to get onto my gym's treadmills without too much issue. If I had a superpower I would control the weather.

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  13. My treadmill tends to get loud - and then it's time to change the belt! But it's always a slow progression, so you don't even notice it over the years. Your new treadmill looks nice. Hope it lasts as long as your old one did. You really got your money's worth out of it! (well, even though it was a gift)

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  14. Glad you got another mill - hope you won't need to use it that much ;) We've got more snow coming tonight with ice to follow so it looks like I'll be on the mill a lot this week. I surrender!

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  15. Congrats on your new treadmill! When I bought mine, I bought a club series one since clients of all sizes would be using it. My very first treadmill's motor (years ago) didn't have enough umph for me to run on it and I returned it after the third time the motor had to be fixed (the repairman told me to tell the store manager that it was a piece of junk) and I should get a full refund. I was nervous that might happen again with an overweight client...

    This has been a crazy winter. You've had so much snow and extreme cold. We've had lots of rain, but might get snow on Tuesday/Wednesday.

    Thanks for the linkup!

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    1. I'm grateful for the new mill. It doesn't make me like running inside any better but it's nice to have.

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  16. Yay for the new treadmill! I got a new one last winter and i don't know what i would do without it this year! I went outside yesterday for the first time in a week and slipped on some black ice. So it is back inside again for me tonorrow.

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  17. I thought of you when I was on the mill finishing up my long run saturday. My mill suddenly hiccuped and blanked out and i thought OH NO, not mine too! It seemed fine after it restarted but I was scared for a few minutes there!

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    1. Well, if you need to buy a new one, I can make a recommendation! :p

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  18. February has been rough this winter! I don't mind powder and cold, but the ice and wind right now are just rough. Hooray for a new treadmill, just in time for possibly more ice this week!

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  19. Hooray for new treadmills! As much as you love outdoor running it’s great to have alternatives during the winter. My hopes for you are many outdoor running days ahead!

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  20. I admire you for trying to get out there though, and you did have some good outside miles! luckily the new treadmill is a reality!

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  21. So glad you like your new treadmill! I'm amazed you get to run outside at all when there's snow on the ground - you are much more adventurous than me.

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    1. If we didn't run in the snow, we'd probably not run at all for a few months!

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  22. I'm curious to see how you will like your new treadmill over time. A few extra bells and whistles may just make it much more palatable for you!

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    1. I really do like it but it's a TM...I much prefer being outdoors.

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  23. I'm a fan of the Proforms! Maybe the treadmill isn't as loud because you're a light-on-your-feet kind of runner? I love our treadmill (also a Proform) and it's quiet with me on it, and SUPER LOUD with my bro-in-law on it... he also happens to be about 6 inches taller and much heavier than me. Just a thought! Reviews are so helpful though sometimes it's hard to know what to believe!

    I love that you have this as a back up option now if the weather goes super crazy :) Never know in the Midwest, right?

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    1. The old TM was such a clunker! I didn't realize it until i got the new one. So glad I bought it!

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  24. Fancy new treadmill! Love it!

    We stalk the weather, too. It's harder when you have someone scheduled to run with you, but sometimes, we look at the rain or the forecast (be it super hot or super cold) and decide to just take a pass.

    While we aren't dealing with the cold like you, this morning was so humid my stomach cramped. I'm not thrilled that summer seems to be back.

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    1. Yeah, not a fan of humidity either. I feel like I need to move to San Diego, where conditions are pretty much perfect!

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  25. Fabulous Florida! Sorry to hear that it rained during your race though! Looks like you had an amazing time all in all!

    Sorry to hear you have a bit of a shin issue. What did you do, do you know?

    And you WALKED 40 CITY BLOCKS? What is that, like 10 miles???

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    1. I get the feeling that this comment was meant for another blogger?

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  26. I love the size of your console display. I don't need bells and whistles, but I love clear & easy to read screens
    And I feel you on the weather stalking - I had both extremes last week

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  27. Ah, congrats on the new treadmill! I've been looking at the curved base treadmill. Not cheap, but looks really slick.

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  28. What a good purchase! And well done for persisting through this winter and showing RA who is boss!

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  29. I love your description of the weather! Makes for a very vivid picture ha! Congrats on the treadmill...kind of weird that you had to input cc info to basically activate it??? Must be a relief to have now though since the weather is not exactly predictable.

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