Walking 2.2 miles in Marisa’s shoes.

Potential adoption at the Elovitz house. Still pregnant with the idea. Due date – April.

I’m a pretty determined little lady. After the race last Saturday (did I mention I ran a 5K?) I made it my focus to keep on – keeping on. And I love it. I know it’s not too fast, but hell, it’s better than losing an “s” (note – if not clever, please reread sentence).

But did you know it snowed yesterday and still is going today? It was 20 degrees when I woke up Friday AM and started working at 6:30am. Answering emails from a warm bed can only be beat by lying in bed and not answering emails. I am sure many of you would agree. I worked from home Friday and continued to do so today (I do really work when I am home) and threw exercising to a little later in the day. After my six conference call, it was time to get going at around 12:30pm.

Friday was a running day. I do an on again, elliptical day, on again schedule so that I extend my knees as long as I can. Being one to do my research – I asked the Google-G-d through a long tail search: “how to run in the snow.” Not much was offered to me. Clamp-ons are available (like chains for your feet.) And the website I visited also recommended “trail running shoes” which are supposedly mostly waterproof.

Well, given that I still summer from post traumatic stress disorder from the flood of 2013 at the house and the Philly hurricane I was caught in while walking 15 miles (training for the Portland Marathon), I am not a fan of soppy shoes. Nope.

There had to be another way. I am one determined broad.

Then I remembered Marisa’s mention to me about cold, focus and walking. There is a treadmill that doesn’t throw you off of it at her house. And its only .4 miles away. Downhill, one way… I asked, I was granted access and I shuffled over.

Now, for those of you who only pop in and out, Marisa’s treadmill – a NordicTrack Commercial 2150 is a beast. It has a face only a computer could love, 2 sets of handles for those who need grip at all angles and a cool magnet that attached to you and the machine which lets it subtly know, I am still sweating and I am still here. I was ready. I brought clothes. I brought stamina and I brought what I thought was my A game.

I was wrong. It was a C+ at best.

That thing is a beast. I am not sure what makes running on a treadmill so hard, whether it is:

• The fact you are actually not going anywhere
• The blasted numbers staring at you
• The fact that the moment you want to let your mind drift and slow down because you normally do while you are jogging outside, you can not
• The restricted tread area that does not let you naturally drift left, like your 1990 Volvo taught you to do (since you both have alignment issues)

Whatever the issue. I struggled to do 30 mins. I sped it up, thinking I was all that but had to reduce the speed as it increased incline (who told it to go to 10%, I didn’t… what a sadist). It was hard. I was sweating like a P-I-G and I felt a twinge of pain in the side of my foot. New pain. Not nice. I did it, but now I know, it’s not a foe to be under-estimated.

I intend on buying a treadmill – so that I do not have to worry about the inclement weather when I simply cannot get outside. I hope it won’t bee too often, but I think it makes sense to replace the free one we have now that offers nothing but free rides into the wall behind you and a great place to store the latest in spring fashions.

These babies are pricey, so I have been following my preferred, Clutching Coins method of shopping. It’s in the 6-month planning and research churn. We are currently entering the 4^th month. I expect one in-house as of April. Keep watching for a truck.