This morning we said goodbye to the treadmill that we’ve had for more than fifteen years. It had started randomly speeding up, just a bit, and then back to the desired speed. I didn’t notice it when I was running, but it was very noticeable when walking, which we decided was dangerous. The display panel was occasionally flakey as well and we don’t think the information on it was correct so we decided to replace our “Sears special” treadmill with something new.
My wife asked me if I was going to say goodbye to the departing treadmill. Now this might seem like an odd question, but I understood, and said that I would. That treadmill had been a part of our journey. We had both put a lot of miles on it over the years and I don’t think anything but a workout towel was ever draped over it. For the past few years it played a significant role in my fitness level and taking care of my mental health.
But, that’s not what came to mind when she asked me that question. The memory that stood out was when our daughter was a baby and my wife would slip on the baby carrier and walk on the treadmill with her. Remember, we live in Saskatoon, and our daughter was born in December. It was -40 degrees out so walking on the treadmill made sense.
I did one last run on the old treadmill this morning. My time and distance were far better than I could have done when we bought it almost two decades ago. I said goodbye and thanked it for its years of service. When I came home, there in our basement was our new treadmill that my daughter insisted on taking me to see (instead of allowing me to go look by myself). It’s certainly flashier and hopefully quieter than our old one, and I’m excited to try it out tomorrow morning.
I do have some mixed emotions though. It’s going to be great for running, but it’s also an odd emotional experience to say goodbye to something you walked your infant daughter on. She’s almost as tall as me now, can walk on the treadmill without any help, and I’m sure she’d roll her eyes at me if I told her how I was feeling (which I might just to annoy her).
Anyway, tomorrow starts a new fitness equipment chapter. I can’t wait to see what memories come with this one.
