Treader Tracker

On a trek to reach 150 pounds

Weight chart


The Journey Begins

Back in 2005, I ran across an article about James Levine, M.D. and his treadmill desk concept. I was intrigued enough to Google for treadmill desk suppliers, but found none. I decided I was on my own until the concept caught on and desk/treadmill manufacturers got together, so I picked up a used treadmill on ebay for $90 with intentions of fashioning my own treadmill-desk.

That used treadmill remained motionless in storage at my office for more than two years, which provides some hint as to why I really need a treadmill-desk.

Perhaps through some renewed PR effort by Mayo Clinic or by Steelcase (which now manufactures what I was looking for a few years ago), I saw a TV news story about treadmill desks . . . undoubtedly timed to coincide with 2009 New Year's resolutions.

Well, it worked (thanks PR guys).

In the last week of 2008, I dusted off the treadmill and pulled it into the garage.

It was time to pimp my tread'.

The treadmill god (depicted by ancients as a hamster on a wheel) must have blessed me when I went to Goodwill in Junkyard Wars-esque pursuit of parts for my machine. Buried under a mound of musty furniture, I found an ergonomic computer desk with a top perfectly formed to my needs - and it was only $5.

Here's how I put it together:


1. I started with a very basic treadmill that was designed to be easily stored away.
2. I removed the handrails and control panel.
3. I squared off the tops of the control panel supports so that the desktop could be fastened flat (rather than angled as the control panel was positioned).
4. I trimmed and repurposed the handrails as supports for the desktop.
5. Using the legs from the ergonomic desk, I mounted the control panel to the right of the desktop.
6. I mounted a sliding keyboard platform to increase the available workspace.




The finished product (final cost: ~$125)




Desktop view




Capitalizing on the original easy-storage design, I made sure that the desktop and keyboard tray did not block folding functionality

So begins the journey with one step on the treadmill desk. This blog started in the waning hours of 2008. I will use it to log my success (or - hamster-god forbid - failure) with my newly fashioned treadmill-desk.

January 9, 2009

Week one - Coordination

On Monday, Jan. 5, I hopped on the DayTreader and started to work.

Coordination was not immediate. It took me 5 to 10 minutes until I was able to work without consciously thinking "step, step, step, step."

One of the biggest work impediments the first day was curious (and very understanding) co-workers. Most probably thought I was crazy, but few shared the sentiment.

My optimal speed seems to be around 1.4 mph.

My treadmill control does not have any distance memory. The distance clears shortly after the treadmill is stopped, so I don't have a good way to track total miles walked. I would estimate that I spent about 4 hours out of an 8-hour day on the treadmill in the first week, which calculates into roughly 5-6 miles per day.

I lost 13 pounds in the first nine days of January! I don't expect to maintain this pace.
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