Introducing my new baby...

Name:  Pro-Form 1450 Treadmill, but taking your suggestions on a sassier name...
Delivered:  December 20, 2011 at 1:25pm
Weight: 256 pounds!
Proud Mommy:  Jess!
First Words:  "No Excuses!"

My sweet baby has arrived!  This one is gonna give me a run for the money, I just know it.  While I was playing with 16 kindergarteners yesterday afternoon, my hubby welcomed our new treadmill in the door.  We had to break down the box upstairs and carry it piece by piece into the basement.  Once I accounted for all the pieces, I let her sleep for a couple hours because I knew the task of assembly was going to be long and frustrating.

When my hubby and kids settled in for The Polar Express movie, I snuck downstairs and got to work.  For the most part, it went together without problem.  The worst part was that my hands were sore from tightening all the screws.  The instruction manual was adequate, but it helped greatly that could quietly concentrate 100% on the task at hand.  Roughly two hours later, I was at the end of assembly.  Hubby came down to assist with the final part and she was good to go.

This morning I woke up ready to coo over my new baby.  I read the whole manual, played with the console, setup my iFit.com account, downloaded routes and charted some maps.  During all this, my girls kept asking, "So when you going to RUN on it?"  Finally, I strapped on my Asics and took her for a spin.

Going so fast it's blurry!  Ha!  Just the best photo my 3 year old could get...

My girls set up their seats right next to the treadmill for the inaugural run... So darn cute!

I tried out the iFit program for my first run since this was the feature on the Pro-Form 1450 I was most excited about.  I choose the 3.15 mile Central Park loop in New York City.

The iFit program controls your treadmill, taking you through the streets of New York.  It automatically rotates displays of map, street and satellite pictures, or you can lock it on the one of your choice.  The incline adjust up and down based on the actual geography.  Central Park has some hills, that I now know.

I can knock out 5 miles around my neighborhood with ease, but for some reason, the treadmill always seems like hard work to me.  Today was no exception.  The console reported a 10:30 pace and yet I felt like I was really hustling... and I'm usually pretty good about "feeling" my pace.  My first run was a hard 3 miles with some decent hill work (up to a 4.5 incline in spots).  I guess the hills felt harder because I never decreased the speed.  Regardless, I was sweating something fierce!

No doubt about it, I enjoy outside running much better.  But this will make me appreciate the days I actually get outdoors, especially in the winter.  And the toughness of treadmill runs will make me stronger for spring races.  I can't wait to try out some of Jillian Michaels' interval workouts.  The thought of letting Jillian take over my mill controls sounds kinda scary.

The corporate introduction of my new baby...

Can you help me think up a

 fun sassy name for my new treadmill?