The Running Thread - 2020

[garneska]

My folks bought a sole and I have run on it. It is solid and does not bounce around but I always felt like I was struggling. Pace was slow and I was working hard.

 

[GreatLakes]

We have the Sole F80, it’s built super solid, but I don’t remember pricing. It’s a slightly longer/wider belt, and a good motor, but not many bells & whistles.
I tried out a couple of the Sole’s at the fitness store and I felt they were all very solid; I’ve been very happy with our choice.

Thanks!!

I don't really care about the bells and whistles like app integration or a built in video screen. As long as the belt is good, the surface sturdy, and the motor powerful enough to not be at 100% for a slow jog I'm happy.

 

[garneska]

Did some cleaning today so decided to multitask. Took Mallory for a walk and dropped old shoes in for recycling.



she helped by carrying the shoes to the box.

 

[DopeyBadger]

Does anyone have any experience with Sole or have another recommendation in that price range? I want something stable so it doesn't feel like it is bounding around with each step. I have a feeling @DopeyBadger has some input if you don't mind me tagging you.

Sorry, I'm not a ton of help. I've very rarely run on a treadmill, but I feel like my #1 priority would probably be the belt width/length. Others are going to be way better on this topic than me.

 

[Baloo in MI]

ATTQOTD:

I own a Sole. It was good for 3 years and then the motor began to really have problems. Of course the warranty ran out just as the real issues surfaced. The costs to get a tech to my home and fix the issue almost rivalled the costs of the darn thing.

I really loved the option of running on my own treadmill in the basement when the weather was really bad. But keep in mind you will need to stay on top of maintenance of the unit. It is great while still under warranty but once off it becomes your issue. No problem if you are mechanically inclined, but if you are like me and not very inclined it can be pretty frustrating.

Hopefully you have a better expereince than I did. If I could go back I would put that money into a gym membership and run on their treadmill. When it breaks they can fix it and I will just get on a different one!

 

[FFigawi]

Garmin 945 on sale 20% off today only, if you need or want one

https://www.trisports.com/product/g...ail&utm_term=0_c4d73feb38-92df3e2a50-73117765

 

[GreatLakes]

Garmin 945 on sale 20% off today only, if you need or want one

https://www.trisports.com/product/g...ail&utm_term=0_c4d73feb38-92df3e2a50-73117765

I can't speak highly enough about the 945. It is a great watch and only leaves my wrist to shower. There are a few deals gong on right now in addition to the 945. The Fenix 6 is $150 off. DCRainmaker has a page with current deals if anyone is interested.

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/sports-deals-edition

 

[Ronski]

I’ve used a Sole F80 for a couple years now- no issues. I use it to run on during the worst of the summer when I cannot run outside super early in the day, and my wife walks on it daily.

 

[avondale]

Completely selfish QOTD though hopefully it will also help some other people if they are looking.

We are going to buy a treadmill. As much as I would love to drop the cash on a Woodway I just can't justify that cost right now. I've been poking around for something around $1,000 and the Sole F63 keeps coming up as the best option.

Does anyone have any experience with Sole or have another recommendation in that price range? I want something stable so it doesn't feel like it is bounding around with each step. I have a feeling @DopeyBadger has some input if you don't mind me tagging you.

I got a Spirit XT485 in early 2014. This was to replace a NordicTrack treadmill that I had had for 10 years and replaced the belt twice until it finally died.

I think when I got the Spirit, I was also thinking about Sole because it was well-reviewed. However, I think I couldn't find a Sole in a local store to try out.

At any rate, I haven't had any problems with the Spirit. It doesn't seem bouncy to me. It has a standard length/width belt. No screen - I specifically didn't want a screen because I have a TV set-up already. It also has buttons to change speed and incline - no blasted touch screens that never seem to work right (when I am on vacation at a gym).

I don't use the treadmill too much for running any more because I realized that I prefer running outside in almost any conditions for mental reasons. I usually walk on it now if I'm looking for some active recovery and the weather is bad.

I think the Spirit XT485 was in the price range you're looking at, at least in 2014, because I probably would've been looking in a similar range. I would very much suggest that you find somewhere that you can run on it before purchase, which I knew is uncomfortable right now. However, you may find that the feel of the belt is good/bad and the placement of the arms and console may be good/bad. For instance, I am short, so if the console top was much higher, I wouldn't be able to see over it at my TV.

Good luck!

 

[GreatLakes]

Thank you everyone. I really don't like the treadmill and with very few exceptions, really just cold rain, I will run outside but with all the time we spend at home and all our gyms closed I think it is finally time to bite the bullet and add one as an option.

 

[dis_or_dat]

Amazon is having a deal of the day on Garmin 645 for $230 (49% off), which has music and Garmin Pay.

https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Forerunner-Contactless-Payments-Wrist-Based/dp/B078H244WN
And what do you guys think of the strava changes?

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/05...-reduces-3rd-party-apps-for-all-and-more.html

 

[GreatLakes]

And what do you guys think of the strava changes?

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/05...-reduces-3rd-party-apps-for-all-and-more.html

It's unfortunate but I can't say I'm surprised. I sync my Garmin Connect account with Strava because it is nice to see additional information from more sources and I like to do the challenges that offer prizes or discounts. The segments are nice but losing them isn't enough to switch me to a paying user.

 

[FFigawi]

And what do you guys think of the strava changes?

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/05...-reduces-3rd-party-apps-for-all-and-more.html

I’d gladly pay for Strava if they implement some of the features Ray suggests - club route pages, club live tracking, etc. Those would be very useful. Segments don’t matter to me. Not being able to see them is not a big loss.

 

[Smilelea]

ATTQOTD:

I own a Sole. It was good for 3 years and then the motor began to really have problems. Of course the warranty ran out just as the real issues surfaced. The costs to get a tech to my home and fix the issue almost rivalled the costs of the darn thing.

I really loved the option of running on my own treadmill in the basement when the weather was really bad. But keep in mind you will need to stay on top of maintenance of the unit. It is great while still under warranty but once off it becomes your issue. No problem if you are mechanically inclined, but if you are like me and not very inclined it can be pretty frustrating.

Hopefully you have a better expereince than I did. If I could go back I would put that money into a gym membership and run on their treadmill. When it breaks they can fix it and I will just get on a different one!

What kind of maintenance is needed on a treadmill? We are looking into the possibility of getting one but know nothing about them. My husband is also weighing the cost of one against a gym membership.
I personally prefer to run outside but the heat of the summer here in the south is and it’s frustrating when bad weather derails my plan.

 

[The Expert]

Check out this Zion at Night trail Half that Vacation Races just announced... https://vacationraces.com/small-group-half-marathons/zion-at-night

I think there are a lot of elements here we could start seeing in future races. It's a staggered start with 50 runners each hour, and you sign up for the time you want to start. Start times every hour from 7pm to 7am (yes, overnight) over two different nights. Drive-through bib pick-up and limited aid stations. It's a trail race, not a road race, and in a rural area, so it's probably a good test for implementing some of these practices elsewhere. Really curious everyone's thoughts!

 

[GreatLakes]

What kind of maintenance is needed on a treadmill? We are looking into the possibility of getting one but know nothing about them. My husband is also weighing the cost of one against a gym membership.
I personally prefer to run outside but the heat of the summer here in the south is and it’s frustrating when bad weather derails my plan.

I'll check the manual when mine comes but I have this site bookmarked as a good example of the type of maintenance to do:

https://www.verywellfit.com/easy-home-treadmill-maintenance-tips-3436634

Check out this Zion at Night trail Half that Vacation Races just announced... https://vacationraces.com/small-group-half-marathons/zion-at-night

I think there are a lot of elements here we could start seeing in future races. It's a staggered start with 50 runners each hour, and you sign up for the time you want to start. Start times every hour from 7pm to 7am (yes, overnight) over two different nights. Drive-through bib pick-up and limited aid stations. It's a trail race, not a road race, and in a rural area, so it's probably a good test for implementing some of these practices elsewhere. Really curious everyone's thoughts!

I got that as well. I think these are good options for trail races but some of them won't be easy to accommodate for road races unless it is a very rural area. I do think we will see staggered starts but over a shorter amount of time. Now that I say that I do wonder if instead of having 5Ks over 3 miles of closed roads if maybe we see some 1 mile loops that can stay closed longer.

 

[flav]

Because sometimes happiness comes in small packages... In huge quantities!

 

[TheHamm]

And what do you guys think of the strava changes?

https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/05...-reduces-3rd-party-apps-for-all-and-more.html

I do not use Strava as it is intended, or as others do. I understand their need to make money, but their product is not useful enough for me to pay for it. I initially started using Strava because I dislike the Garmin graphical output of data, and found Strava's to be more useful. Can anyone tell me if GAP or 'matched runs' comparison are available elsewhere?

I am not terribly social and have zero real life running friends (that would be you all), so the loss of clubs or leader boards is not an issue for me. Today I still see I can compare my pace on the same route, so I am hopeful this stays as this is useful to me and I do not see an easy way to get this data via Garmin Connect. I find GAP particularly reassuring as I have a terrible time keeping a consistent pace and this is at least a backward check that I am not as terrible as I feel. Again, I think this is a feature that should be easily available from Garmin, but I have not seen it.

 

[GreatLakes]

I do not use Strava as it is intended, or as others do. I understand their need to make money, but their product is not useful enough for me to pay for it. I initially started using Strava because I dislike the Garmin graphical output of data, and found Strava's to be more useful. Can anyone tell me if GAP or 'matched runs' comparison are available elsewhere?

I am not terribly social and have zero real life running friends (that would be you all), so the loss of clubs or leader boards is not an issue for me. Today I still see I can compare my pace on the same route, so I am hopeful this stays as this is useful to me and I do not see an easy way to get this data via Garmin Connect. I find GAP particularly reassuring as I have a terrible time keeping a consistent pace and this is at least a backward check that I am not as terrible as I feel. Again, I think this is a feature that should be easily available from Garmin, but I have not seen it.

You can compare runs with SportTracks but they are also a subscription. I currently pay for SportTracks but I'm not sure if I'm going to renew with them or move to Strava. Garmin is my primary place for data but I like having second. I much prefer having it offline but when they killed the SportTracks app I went online. I am going to poke around with GoldenCheetah when I get some spare time.

 

[Baloo in MI]

What kind of maintenance is needed on a treadmill? We are looking into the possibility of getting one but know nothing about them. My husband is also weighing the cost of one against a gym membership.
I personally prefer to run outside but the heat of the summer here in the south is and it’s frustrating when bad weather derails my plan.

I am no expert, which is evidenced by my broken treadmill currently residing in my basement. And for those DIY folks this all may be real simple. So please take all this with a grain of salt. As I am anything but a DIY person, even though I aspire to be one!

My issues and what I learned:
1) Stay on a regular maintenance plan for keeping your belt and deck lubricated.

2) Watch the alignment and consistency of the belt. Is it tracking correctly? Does it catch at all?

3) Keep it clean, including taking off motor cover to clean dust and dirt from the motor.
Keep all the nuts and bolts tight.

4) Most important if it has a warranty or service plan get it, that will be money well spent.

My mistake was in over tightening the belt after lubricating it. When It did not run right I thought it needed more lubrication. Then it slipped some and started running off alignment. I kept monkeying with it and eventually messed up the motor. It was my fault, warranty was up and the service tech was no longer covered. Cost to fix was just too much.

So am outdoors now and the treadmill is currently used to hang work out clothes and stack some boxes on.