Treadmill & shoe advice please

[BikeSwimLaugh]

Well guys....2 things have happened:

1) My knee is well enough that I've now started working on a treadmill. I guess I have some torn meniscus but aside from a bit of clicking, I seem to be doing well. My physical therapist has me doing sets on the treadmill.

2) It's time for me to finally approach my final objective. I can bike for hours, I can swim for hours...but running has never been my thing. But today I'm 40-45 pounds lighter and I'm in much better shape...suddenly I CAN run! So it's time to implement some running into my routine....let's hope the theory that the impact of running causes the body to drop weight, eh?

So here's the thing, like swimming in a pool, I like the idea of being able to stop at any time and relax. I don't want to run on the streets or places where I'm far away from taking a break should my knee give out. Bottom line; I wanna get a treadmill, the thing is, they vary in price from $500 to $5,000 and quite honestly, they really don't seem to be all that much different from eachother! Costco has a nice one that looks great...it's a NordicTrack unit, very nice looking, strong warranty and about $900...but they also have units that cost $3,000. As dumb as this may seem, I really can't seem to discern the differences between these units! Any advice or suggestions?

Also, I want the best shoes I can buy. I recall either FF or G8r80 saying which are flat-out the very best. For me, with my weight & knee, it's all about impact reduction, comfort and reducing the damage that running causes.

Advice much appreciated! thanks!

 

[fit4life1976]

Find a nice park where you can run on the grass, it would be very kind on your knees. A good shoe for you would be the Asics Gel-1130, or the Saucony Grid Trigon 4, both with good cushioning for more comfort and relatively light.

 

[g8r80]

BSL, the wife has a treadmill that was a few hundred dollars (less than $900) and is comparable to the treadmills I use in gyms and hotels, which are much more expensive. I think the main difference is in durability.

I'd go with the $900 unit.

As for shoes, I am extremely flat-footed and my feet pronate excessively (see for explanation of pronation). For me, the 2130 are best and these are real popular with a lot of runners.

 

[Wrangell]

Well guys....2 things have happened:

Bottom line; I wanna get a treadmill, the thing is, they vary in price from $500 to $5,000 and quite honestly, they really don't seem to be all that much different from eachother! Costco has a nice one that looks great...it's a NordicTrack unit, very nice looking, strong warranty and about $900...but they also have units that cost $3,000. As dumb as this may seem, I really can't seem to discern the differences between these units! Any advice or suggestions?

Advice much appreciated! thanks!

If you've got a gym membership already, and given you're coming off a knee injury ( and somewhat uncertain how it'll respond to sustained endurance runs ) the first thing I'd do is use the treadmills at the the gym for 6 - 9 months instead of buying one just yet - but that's just me.

Beyond that, if you are committed to buying a home treadmill, I'd try and check out the ratings of the various treadmill brands that you see. This a good site for brand reviews....



...as are various running magazine / websites ( i.e Runner's World ) who do treadmill reviews as well.

Also, found this on the net FYI...on what to look for when buying a treadmill....

I've been on treadmills for over 25 years now...these are some pretty sensible tips to keep in mind IMO ......

a) Platform: If you are buying a treadmill for running purpose, make sure it has a running platform of at least 60 inches.[ based on my experience,I would agree, the more room you have the better ]

b) Horse Power: Do check out the Horse Power of the machine. It shouldn't be less than 1.5 CONTINUOUS DUTY Horse Power because anything less than this can be quickly worn out. The concept behind this is, the heavier the motor would be, the better.[ another good point, find the best motor you can buy for the $ - compare motors b/n machines ]

c) Heart rate Monitors: An optional Feature. [ I never used this much, I stuck to exertion measures like the "talk test "and my breathing ]

d) Incline Adjustment: You can adjust the incline of the treadmill as per your needs and as per your cardiovascular muscles need.[ as you progress, this is an excellent feature to have to do interval training or just to increase intensity - a must have IMO ]

e) Deck : A Good Deck operates at low temperature and doesn't need much maintenance. [ common sense ]

f) Belt: It should accommodate your longest stride That means the length of the Belt should be no less than 48". Width should be no less than 17". [ this is critical IMO....it has to fit your stride above all else...but at 5" 8", it may not be a huge issue in your case ]

g) Electronic Board. You can cut your expenses here. Generally the normal Treadmill has speed, incline, time, distance and calories. With the addition of other features, price go up. You can always compromise on additional features according to your pocket.[ tough call on this - i stuck to the indicators above and not much else, but you may want to have some pre-programmed workouts BUT it is an area where you could save $ ( on non-issue in your case ) by just going with the minimum indicators ]

h) Frame: High alloy Steel is preferred over the aluminum Frame. Select Welded Frame over bolted Frame. [ stay away from bolts if you can afford it - go welded - always ....which, given the fact you're 240 lbs. is probably one important reason you want a well constructed frame ( i.e welded ) that can sustain that sort of heavier weight load over the long term ]

i) Shut-off: Find out does your treadmills has emergency shut-off? [ nice to have only IMO - not critical ]

j) Incline : range should vary from 0 percent to at least 10%.[ as per d) above ...incline is what will whip you in to shape...remember running at around 2 degrees is the same as running on the road on a flat surface ]

k) Noise: Listen to its noise in running state and make sure it isn't too irritating for you. [ I'd agree ]

l) Last but not the least, do look out for services and set-up. make sure it is included in the price. Also watch out for Warranty. [ Sears is good in this dept ​