C1250, the Pro Elite 900, or the TrailRunner 4..

Photo: Huffing For Stuffing 2010 

Since the weather in Bozeman is only decent for 4 months out of the year, running outside becomes either miserable or impossible. After running Huffing for Stuffing in zero degree weather, I decided that I needed to save up for a treadmill to stay in shape during the winter months.

But, having never purchased a treadmill and only using one a couple times a year at the gym, I had NO idea how difficult it would be to pick one out. First of all, it's not like you can try them out unless the local gym happens to have that model. Second, all of the features are so similar its hard to know what the differences are. Third, they are expensive! If I'm going to spend that much money I want to be getting the best product I can afford.

So, after researching (and by this I mean googling treadmill reviews, running magazines, and corporate websites) for 2 months, I finally decided on one. I think the Internet has provides a huge advantage when purchasing products like this. Before, consumers probably would have looked in store catalogues without being able to compare different models from different stores. Customer reviews would've also been harder to find.

My new treadmill is on its way to Bozeman as we speak - hopefully I chose the right one!