125 miles and 15 pounds!

I'm walking back to my hometown and I'm almost there! I had been gaining weight at my desk job, but I've not only stopped gaining weight, I've lost 15 pounds!

The Machine

When searching for a treadmill that would meet the demands of a treadmill desk set-up I found the following variables to be important:

-It must be able to run at a very low speed
-It should have a continuous duty motor for long durations of low speed use
-It should not be so loud as to bother office spaces adjacent to mine.
-As much warranty on the motor and electronics as I could afford.
-Purchasing the treadmill from a reputable store that would stand behind the product beyond the manufacturer warranty.

I am only aware of two stores with the committment to stand behind their products for a significant time period after purchase: Sam's Club and Costco.

Sam's Club did not have a treadmill that met the other variables. Costco did. At Costco I found the Smooth Fitness 7.6 HR, with excellent warranty terms: lifetime warranty on frame and motor combined with 5 years parts & electronics and 2 years in-home service. Costco was also priced significantly less than any other outlet selling the same model, with in-home delivery and set-up included in the cost! I decided on this model and ordered it online for delivery at the office.

Here is a more comprehensive list of the features and specifications. If you have questions, feel free to send me a message.

Features:

Exclusive Power Fold: No more struggling to fold your treadmill. One switch elevates the Smooth 7.6HR Pro's deck into the upright position to free up floor space. (not necessary for planned office use, plus it's freaky having that deck hanging up there, would you really use the space under it?)

Extra Long 20" x 60" Whisper Weave Treadbelt: Industry experts and customers alike rave about how quietly the Smooth 7.6HR Pro treadmill operates. The generous length accomodates the tallest users and gives all runners the freedom to explode into long, sweeping strides.(Length not needed, but quiet operation is essential)

Quiet, Powerful 3.0 HP Motor: Built for long life and complete silence. Engineered with an advanced Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) circuit board typical of commercial treadmills, the 7.6HR Pro operates noise-free. Optical speed sensors working in conjunction with the PWM ensure smooth speed changes, plus dual motor fans give added life to your treadmill. (Commercial grade, and dual fans, also great for durability)

Triple-Laminated Phenolic Deck with Im-Pression Shock Absorption: This exclusive technology provides a soft landing for the front foot and firm push-off for the rear foot, reducing harmful impact on the joints and back. Exercise more safely and for longer periods of time with less fatigue.(I've been told that treadmill decks can be like walking on concrete so this *sounds* good)

Heart Rate Control with Wireless Chest Strap: Through programmed settings you control, the wireless heart rate monitor can automatically adjust the intensity of your treadmill workouts. An ergonomically positioned handgrip pulse monitor is also included so you can conveniently track your pulse when not wearing the strap. (Nice addition but not necessary for this application)

Deluxe LED Console: Praised in treadmill reviews for its ease of use, the well-planned display allows you to monitor your distance, calories, speed, speed profile, time and pulse simultaneously. (Seems pretty standard)

Nine Storable User Profiles: This tool comes in particularly handy for households with multiple treadmill users. No more keying in your information each and every time you get on the treadmill: up to 9 users can save age, gender, weight and target heart rate information for instant access. Not really applicable for the intended use

Specifications:
Motor: 3.0 HP Continuous Duty
Speed Range: 0.5-11.2 mph
Incline Levels: 0-15
Running Surface: 20" x 60"
8 Challenging Preset Exercise Programs Target Distance, Target Time, Target Calories, Interval Incline, Interval Speed, Weight Loss, 5K Self-Learning/Competition, Heart Rate Control
3 User-Defined Custom Exercise Programs
Hand Grip Pulse Sensors and Polar Wireless Heart Rate Sensor Working together to calculate the most accurate pulse reading
Transport Wheels: Yes
Floor Level Adjustment: Yes
Water Bottle Holders: 2
Treadmill Dimensions (Open): 82 L x 39" W x 58" H
Treadmill Dimensions (Folded): 49 L x 39 W x 68.5 H
Treadmill Weight: 310 lbs.
Max User Weight: 350 lbs.
Frame Materials: 11-Gauge Powder-Coated Steel
Power Supply: AC 110V Input

After purchasing this treadmill I was lucky to find out that this model can be easily modified to remove the console from the arms to allow a desk to be fitted over the treadmill at an ergonomic height. As you can see on the picture to the right, I used an IKEA height adjustable desk. I will follow up with a post on my treadmill hack in the near future.

The need to be strategic when starting out....

I have found that if I split my walking into two discontinuous chunks during the day, utilizing time at my desk away from the treadmill in between the "sessions", my feet get enough rest to allow me to walk more miles. Previously I walked until my feet hurt too much, then figured that was it for my feet for the day. Granted, this is based on how much I am able to plan that particular day, given meetings and other distractions that naturally occur. If anyone else has this same experience, or this insight is helpful to other "trekkies" starting out, let me know!

100 Miles!

I have passed the 100 mile mark! I was hoping to have gotten to 100 miles sooner but I had some technical difficulties...

My first pair of shoes bites the dust!

I was going to post the brand and model of shoes that I found to be supportive enough for walking on the treadmill, and discreetly black in color to not look too "sneakerish". Unfortunately, I realized that I have worn a hole in the heel where the back of your heel meets the inside of the shoe! I certainly didn't feel my heel slipping up and down but it must have been. I'm now trying some shoes called Propet, that I just received from Zappos in the mail today. I was delighted to see that they appear to have soles made out of similar material to Crocs, which are my most favorite shoes for comfort. People seem to have a love/hate relationship with Crocs. The wierdest comment I have read online about Crocs actually described people that wore them as "having obviously given up on finding a mate." The person that made that comment is also probably able to wear 6 inch heels without the slightest bit of foot pain. I, dear sir, am not one of those people. I'll let you know how these shoes fare on the 'mill as I pass the 100 mile mark very soon.

75 Miles!

I've now hit 75 miles on the treadmill. I wish I could walk more each day but the limiting factor is aching feet. I suppose I am asking a lot of my feet, especially when they are carrying too much weight around as it is.

The 50 Mile Mark

Today I hit the 50 mile mark, in about a month and a half using the treadmill desk. I'm so happy that I did this!

One Month

I've had my treadmill desk for a month now and walked about 40 miles. I've probably lost about 5 pounds, which is great. Hopefully as my body gets used to walking I will be able to walk more each day. For some silly reason I thought I would be able to walk most of the workday but my body doesn't really like that idea. I currently average about 2 hours of walking per day, depending on my work schedule. I put on a pedometer just to see what the number of steps look like. I have yet to hit 10,000 steps, even walking 2 miles a day at the treadmill! As a person trained in public health I have to say that the oft cited goal of Americans walking 10,000 steps a day is probably a bit out of reach for most people.

Component One: The height adjustable desk

The desk I used for my set up is the now-discontinued IKEA Jerker Desk shown here:



I found it on none other than Craiglist. It has a cult following by those who love to hack things as shown here at IKEA Hacker

I chose to have a freestanding desk rather than one integrated into the treadmill to provide for more stability and better ergonomics. With this desk I was able to get the desk to a height that allowed my arms to remain at a neutral 90 degrees while typing.

In order to utilize this desk I had to remove the arms and console of the treadmill. The arms were unnecessary since I'll be walking at no more than 2 miles an hour. The console for operating the machine is mounted to the side for ease of use. Then I regrounded the console to a metal part on my desk.

Move a Little, Lose a Lot

From the Minnesota Public Radio Splendid Table website:
"Lynne recently visited Dr. James Levine at his office at The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Levine is an authority on preventing and treating the global obesity epidemic, and the Director of the N.E.A.T. Center as Mayo, which translates as "Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis." This, in turn, translates as the small day-to-day movements we've stopped doing over the past century."

Thanks Dr. Levine for being a disruptive innovator by inventing the first treadmill desk! Please listen to the podcast I have linked below!

Day Two

By the end of Friday I walked another 1.51 miles. I also finally figured out how to embed a Google Map to have some fun with tracking how far I've walked. I think I should have had a ten year old help me with that; it probably would have taken a third the time.

With two days on the treadmill and a weekend break I think I'm ready to step it up a notch.

I also plan to be adding the logistics of my set up very soon.

Day One

Well, the first day of walking while working I have walked 2.02 miles. I started out at .5 miles an hour and found it was actually hard to walk that slow and have inched up the speed to 1.2 miles an hour by mid-day. I'm excited that this has started out so well. I will get more into my set up and how things are put together in my next few posts.