‘Cause I Love the Adrenaline in My Veins

The treadmill arrived on Wednesday, the 19th. It’s an impressive machine. It took a while to set it up. It also took a while to get the beast inside the house. It’s massive. The weight on the delivery notice was 462 pounds. Assuming the pallet is part of that weight, let’s say the machine itself is 400 pounds. It’s 76.5 inches long and 40 inches wide. For reference, an average coffin is 84 inches long and 28 inches wide. The empty weight of a coffin can vary greatly, but let’s say you have one that happens to also be 400 pounds. Now, imagine trying to move this 400 pound box with just two people, one of which (it’s me) cannot lift anything. My upper body strength rivals only that of a toddler. To say it was difficult is obnoxiously understating the effort needed to move this exercise coffin.

The machine comes in five pieces. Two pieces are arms, another is a stabilizing bar, the fourth piece is the massive screen, and the fifth piece is the base, which is where most of the weight is located, though the screen and its reinforced steel field goal supports are not feathery. If you’re interested in buying this treadmill, you need friends, or you need to hire temporary friends. You cannot move it alone. I’m not doubting your PWR!, and I’m sure you’re mighty, but you’re not doing this without some cheat codes on that PWR!.

There is a man on YouTube who shows his X22i treadmill, the one just under the X32i, and he’s stated that if they relocate, they’re going to leave the treadmill like you would a refrigerator, because it’s so difficult to move. I absolutely understand that choice and our refrigerator was only 218 pounds.

Moving on from that bit…

I work out Monday through Friday, taking a break on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday I usually rack up over 10,000 steps just living life, and then Sunday is the day when everything that has to get done for the animals gets done, such as cleaning the goat shed, which means thousands of steps and many active hours.

Because it took so long to get the treadmill inside and set up on Wednesday, I had only enough time to do a jaunt through South Africa on Google Maps. I had to do it though. Exercising has become such a routine part of my weekdays that not doing it is stressful. I am allotted approximately 2,000 calories per day, but because of my expected activity, I usually have about 2,300. Without exercising, that would be a surplus, which would lead to weight gain. Working out is also something I’ve come to enjoy because it makes me feel like I’m proactively contributing to the betterment of my health. So, because of my almost-miss on Wednesday, I did a little extra on Thursday, and then, because it was so much fun, I did extra on Friday as well.

The iFit trainer and guide workouts are enjoyable. I haven’t gone into any of the running/jogging ones yet, sticking mostly to the walking tours and climbs, but the information they provide while meandering through some beautiful places can easily distract you from the fact that you’re being active, and it doesn’t feel like forty minutes has gone by, but then suddenly it has and you’re not even ready to stop.

I haven’t gone into the running and jogging programs yet because I’ve enjoyed doing one as-is* iFit program per day and then a Google Maps route as well, during which I usually exert a lot more effort with increasing speed adjustments . It allows me to view random places and listen to music, and also get in a preset program with the guides/trainers.

So far, I have thoroughly enjoyed everything about the treadmill. It’s so much better than staring at blinds or being eaten by wolves. Even if you don’t have to worry about wildlife chasing you, unless you drive yourself somewhere new to walk/jog/climb/run, you’re going to see the same stuff a lot. With the Google Maps routes, routes you can map out for yourself, that never has to be the case if you don’t want it to be.

* The programs have default incline/decline and speed. I opt not to alter those, though you can, because I enjoy walking with the guides and trainers, not running while they’re strolling, like that’s a natural thing that can happen while staying side-by-side.

Title From:
Whatever It Takes
by Imagine Dragons