treadmill lessons

We went out and bought the Proform 6.0 treadmill. We got it at the Sports Authority store in Piscataway (they were great; more on them later), and didn't want to spend the $85 in shipping, so we stuffed it into the back of the Prius, tied down the hatch as best we could, and drove it home.

Despite it being the smallest in the store, it's bigger than the un-powered unit it replaced. The excellent wife didn't think these units would be as big as they are, despite the fact that every one we've seen, in every hotel and gym we've visited, are of similar size, or larger. She also doesn't visualize sizes well from numerical dimensions. It was clear that the existing setup of equipment and space would not be able to continue. We had a bit of a spat about that, in which I'm afraid I did not behave nobly. Sorry, Regina.

When we got home, the excellent wife and I manhandled the box into the garage and opened it, hoping to be able to get the individual pieces up the stairs to the final destination... but the base/belt/motor is a single unit, and between the bulk and the weight, we couldn't get it anywhere. So to bed, where I spent the sleepless parts of the night feeling idiotic.

The excellent wife, however, must have been making plans. Before bed, she had called the store to see what to do, and, while I was out on a ride on the next day (a Sunday), she went back to the store... where she got a couple of staffers to agree to come out and move the base unit upstairs. That same day. For free. So when I got back from the ride, I got a call from her to expect these fellows, and shortly thereafter, in they came (two very polite and helpful young gents; I no longer despair for the younger generation... although they treated me with way too much respect) and moved the unit into place is less time than I've been taking composing and writing this post. I parted with a double-sawbuck for their efforts. I am definitely going to find a way to throw more cash at that business, and I recommend you do, too.

Then to work on the assembly. It's moderate-fussy, and took a few hours; the parts mostly fit right. There's a cable that needs to be fished through a support beam, and they've helpfully included a length of twist-em already fished through so you can pull the wire back. A required Allen wrench was included (as was an Allen wrench that didn't fit... huh?); the Phillips screwdriver (also required) was not, but I think that's reasonable.

It's working now; the excellent wife used it this morning. Since it is bigger than the unit it replaced, we may need to rearrange the stuff in that room so I have space for my pushups and weight stuff, but it looks like we'll be able to do that. (I joke that my condo has a theater, gym, office, and conservatory... and they're all the same room.) And it's much quieter than the non-powered one, which was a surprise to me. (The excellent wife has wanted one of these for years; I'm glad it's in the house. Well, I'm glad NOW; there were times over the last day or so when I could cheerfully have pitched it. If I could have lifted it, that is.)

What on earth are we going to do if we ever have to get rid of it?