Treadmill Dilemma

I broke a new distance record on Saturday. I achieved my goal of 13.1. I am preparing to run my first ½ Marathon (Madison, WI) in May, but for some reason felt compelled to run this distance prior to see if I could make it. I think I need to start demanding a little more from myself and maybe I am getting a little complaisant in my running routine. I find myself running on the treadmill at the same pace and just varying my time. When I am outside I feel I can shake things up a bit by running different routes and elevations, however with the weather as cold and snowy as it is, I am on stuck on the treadmill for now. I took Sunday off and ran 4 miles on Monday morning.

Back to Work on Tuesday (fun!). I got home from work Tuesday night, motivated to run after perusing the new issue of Runner’s World on the train ride home, only to have my wife tell me that the treadmill is acting funny. It turns out the belt is slipping, causing it unsafe to run on. I tried to make adjustments to the roller moving it back farther to tighten, but no luck. I bought this treadmill (Pro-Form 775 EKG) about seven or eight years ago so I think I have gotten my money out of it.

In a panic mode, I rushed out looking for a replacement. I headed out to a store called Second Wind and found the treadmills to be a little expensive for my taste. The one I liked was going to cost $1,700, but I did not want to spend that much on the treadmill, I also didn’t want to buy something of cheap quality either. I then headed to Costco, where I found a decent looking machine for $800. This actually had a larger motor and deck than the more expensive treadmill. I am now in a conundrum of what to do. Can the current treadmill be repaired? Do I suck it up and get a new one? Is the more expensive one worth double the cost? How do I run in the meantime?

I have some research to do today. Hopefully I find a positive solution to my dilemma, without breaking the bank.