The Running Thread --2025

[FFigawi]

QOTD: Do you belong to a local running club?? If so, what made you decide to join and what do you like about it?

I am really struggling with motivation lately. For the first time in 10 years, I have no races on my schedule. The few friends I used to run with are no longer running anymore for various reasons and I'm sure that has a lot to do with my lack of motivation. One of the big running clubs in GR is having a meetup near me tomorrow for potential new members and I'm thinking about going. Maybe joining will help me get excited about running and races again.

Did you go to the meetup? Are you going to join? Having friends and others to train with always helps with motivation and performance. Even if you don't join a formal club, I hope you're able to find people to run with.

 

[nancipants]

Well, after 9 years, I think my treadmill has finally bit the dust. I used it this morning for an incline walk and now the incline is stuck at 10. It was a cheap model I got from Dick's meant mainly for walking, but it has served me well since I started running, and I don't want to get another one! They are all so complicated and expensive. Plus, you're telling me if I spend $2500 for a Peloton, I still have to pay a monthly membership fee???

So I guess QOTD: What treadmill do you have, and do you recommend it?

(Please don't tell me you hate treadmills. I like them and they allow me to run when it's a million degrees or storming outside.)

 

[Herding_Cats]

ATTQOTD:

A known brand, with a higher-end model, used off of marketplace (assuming you have or can borrow/rent a vehicle to move it.) I got a Sole F80 for $200 from a retired couple who used it for walking in the winter when they sold their house and were moving to Florida.

 

[Naomeri]

ATTQOTD: some no-name brand off Amazon. I do not recommend it, it can't even keep time correctly, and so none of its numbers can be trusted. The only plus is that it can be folded up and rolled into a corner when the workout room needs to become a guest room. I'd rather have a real treadmill.

 

[pluto377]

ATTQOTD: I just did a bunch of research on treadmills and settled on the Sole F80. It's getting delivered on Friday so no review yet, but it was the most affordable one that had all the things important to me. FYI- NordicTrack and ProForm also require subscription services to access all the features.

 

[The Expert]

ATTQOTD: I have a Proform 9000 with iFit and LOVE it. I got it at an outlet about five years ago and it was the previous model, but it has been great. You do'nt have to subscribe to iFit if you want to use it manually, but I do love the iFit workouts (and they control your machine for you and can adapt to speed adjustments).

 

[prncssjas]

QOTD: Do you belong to a local running club?? If so, what made you decide to join and what do you like about it?

I am really struggling with motivation lately. For the first time in 10 years, I have no races on my schedule. The few friends I used to run with are no longer running anymore for various reasons and I'm sure that has a lot to do with my lack of motivation. One of the big running clubs in GR is having a meetup near me tomorrow for potential new members and I'm thinking about going. Maybe joining will help me get excited about running and races again.

ATTQOTD: Hi @michigandergirl yes! So I live in MI and on Saturday mornings (every single Saturday morning, unless there is ice/lightening or I'm traveling) DH and I run with Run Ann Arbor. While there are many run clubs near us, Run Ann Arbor is the BEST one around (IMHO). Everyone is very kind, non-judgmental, and truly ALL paces welcome. There are some *very* fast runners amongst us (think OTQ fast) but you would never know it. We meet at 7am sharp and you pick what distance you want to run that day (between 2 to 12+ miles). We have water/aid stations set up every 2 miles. Yes, there is an annual fee but worth every penny. I love this group and I am a super duper introvert who loves to run alone (ironically enough). So during the week, I run by myself. But on Saturdays I run with Ann Arbor. On Sundays, DH and I host our own small running group at a local park.

I can appreciate your question but I would encourage you to try it a few times. I was so scared and shy about it at first but it ended being one of the best things I could do for my running, truly. Good luck (and I sure do wish you were close to me!).

 

[nancipants]

ATTQOTD: I have a Proform 9000 with iFit and LOVE it. I got it at an outlet about five years ago and it was the previous model, but it has been great. You do'nt have to subscribe to iFit if you want to use it manually, but I do love the iFit workouts (and they control your machine for you and can adapt to speed adjustments).

I found a budget NordicTrack model that I'm leaning toward and it's the same way - can use it manually but also with iFit. I can't justify that extra cost for a subscription since I don't use the treadmill that often, so I appreciate being able to use it either way!

 

[michigandergirl]

Good luck (and I sure do wish you were close to me!)

Thank you! Maybe we will find ourselves at a Michigan race together at some point.

Did you go to the meetup? Are you going to join? Having friends and others to train with always helps with motivation and performance. Even if you don't join a formal club, I hope you're able to find people to run with.

Thanks John!

Yes, I went to the meetup. I knew at least one woman (an acquaintance from high school) and she made it less awkward for me. We did an easy 3 mile run and I had no problems finding people who run my pace (11 min/mile). They are very pace inclusive, I saw a wide range of pace cards from 7 min to 13 min miles. I met at least 3 women around my age and one that lives just 2 miles from me. They have scheduled runs at least 3 days a week, 2 workout runs, like sprints, hill repeats, etc and one long run on Saturdays.

It was positive experience overall and I'm going to join for a year and see how it goes. There is an annual fee, but I think it's well worth it for the perks of have access to respected coaches, physical therapists, training plans, and local race discounts.

 

[The Expert]

I found a budget NordicTrack model that I'm leaning toward and it's the same way - can use it manually but also with iFit. I can't justify that extra cost for a subscription since I don't use the treadmill that often, so I appreciate being able to use it either way!

And you can always stalk deals and add iFit later if you want. Or try it for a month -- afaik there's no term commitment beyond a month at a time.

 

[Dopey 2020]

Attqotd - I have a proform that I got from Costco online many years ago for about half what they were going for ($900 delivered) and would definitely recommend. I didn’t sign up for ifit with it but could. It has served me well and seems that it should for a while but I try to do the majority of my running outside so it sees a lot more use in winter.

 

[DisneyParrothead]

ATTQOTD: I have a Sole F80 and love it. I left my F85 in my last home when I moved, and went to the F80. The 85 had a stability bar that I kept hitting with my knees. The 80 is stable across the consol.

 

[SarahDisney]

QOTD: Do you belong to a local running club?? If so, what made you decide to join and what do you like about it?

I used to be part of a big facebook running group that had some NYC members. I rarely ran with the others (and honestly we rarely did group runs because we were all on different schedules) but we used to meet up at races.

A former instructor from a gym I used to go to co-founded a gym and they recently started a run group. I thought about joining, especially because it seems super beginner-friendly, but chickened out. I'm really bad in social situations so meeting up with a bunch of new people to run felt terrifying. And add on to that the fact that I'm dealing with a non-running injury that has me off my routine and in a pretty big funk ... I just didn't want to put myself out there.

I do kinda want to find a run club for occasional runs (for the days when I need an extra push), but it seems hard to find something that fits my schedule and where my pace is not "slowest person in the group by a long shot".

Plus, you're telling me if I spend $2500 for a Peloton, I still have to pay a monthly membership fee???

Technically you can use the treadmill without the membership you just don't get access to the classes.
It is kind of a rip off (and I say this as someone who really enjoys Peloton tread classes) - I don't understand why they don't give you a discount on membership for having the treadmill (other than the obvious money grab).

So I guess QOTD: What treadmill do you have, and do you recommend it?

My building has Matrix treadmills in the gym (I don't know what model) and I love them, but I don't know if they're available to consumers or if it's a gym-only model. I can try to track down the model next time I'm in the gym because I definitely recommend the treadmill - it's very comfortable for my problematic knees and I like that I can look at scenery while I'm running.
... although they're probably very expensive.

 

[DianaMB333]

Happy running day

 

[The Expert]

I don't understand why they don't give you a discount on membership for having the treadmill (other than the obvious money grab).

They run deals pretty often. And if you message them on Facebook through their official account and ask, they'll almost always offer a deal. (But it will probably be for at least a year term.) My only issue with them is that iFit changed their membership structure last year and instead of single and family, it is now "train" and "pro" and the prices went way up. I am grandfathered in to "train" which means there are some new functions I can't use, but my machine doesn't support those anyway. They did offer me a really sweet deal to upgrade my machine and get like four years of steeply discounted membership, but I just couldn't turn in a perfectly good machine that is still capable of all the things I use it for.