The Backstory

After nine years I found myself a new mom again. I had spent the last of 2020 working bedside nursing, being pregnant, and just trying to survive without getting sick. Fortunately, I went through my pregnancy and labor without any major complications. I also stayed healthy and avoided getting sick with COVID. In 2021 I was still living the COVID-quarantine nightmare, I was taking care of a new baby. I had a new job as a nurse practitioner. I was working night shifts 7 on and 7 off. Prior to grad school I was an avid runner. I went to the gym daily. I lifted heavy weights. I ran 5ks for fun (Actually, ran one on my birthday as a present to myself.) I allowed my hectic life to become an excuse to let my healthy lifestyle slip away. I needed a change, but starting is the hardest part. I had no desire to start back at square one. Peloton got really big during the pandemic, but it didn’t hit my radar until five months postpartum. Not only was I at my heaviest weight, but I was at my laziest. I just didn’t move like I used to. I let the complications of life and graduate school immobilize me and now I didn’t really care for who was looking back at me in the mirror. Enter Peloton.

He actually bought me a Peloton!

It started as a joke with my husband. I would tease him about buying me a Peloton knowing good and well it was too expensive. Plus where would we even put the darn thing? I wanted to loose weight and get my strength back. I started doing at home work outs with Youtube videos. Going on walks in the park with the baby. Slowly started moving in whatever way my body allowed. I continued to scroll, seeing reels (I was not on the TikTok bandwagon yet.) of Peloton bike in action. I was drawn to the energy of the instructors, the music, and the insane of amount of different classes available. I kept telling my husband I didn’t really want one all the while doing research. I listened to testimonies of users who swore it changed their life. Lots of people compared its members to a cult they were so dedicated to the brand. Any available downtime at work I had was spent drinking the Peloton kool-aid. I was hooked and I hadn’t even taken a class yet.

When my husband surprised me on Mother’s Day 2021 with Peloton shoes I was speechless. I actually believe we were having a slight argument about whatever married couples bicker about. I remember wanting to stay mad out of spite. I wanted to be petty and simmer in my anger. I wasn’t even sure I was in the right. It didn’t matter because it all melted me when he handed me that box with the Peloton logo on it. I can literally see every woman’s eyes roll at this part. Hunny! It’s an exercise bike- it’s not that SERIOUS. It was more than that though. At least to me it was. It meant that he knew me. Clint gifted me something I didn’t actually ask for. He saw through all my “I don’t need it.” and “It’s too expensive.” He wanted me to have this because I wanted it.

The Peloton Hype is Real

Okay, so my incredibly sweet husband got me the Peloton. Did that make me more susceptible to really love the bike? Maybe. Probably not though. If I told him I hated it he would have sold it in a heartbeat and got the money back. I had to wait a few weeks for delivery. The anticipation was horrible. It finally came in July of that year. When I finished that first beginner ride I signed away my soul to the cult known as Peloton. Not really, but I did really love it. To feel that exhaustion you only get from pushing yourself – it had been such a long time. I forgot how much I truly loved movement. I forgot what my body was capable of. It sounds silly and such a self help move, but after the ride I set out to reclaim that version of me.

I had stopped running in 2016 for several reasons, number one being I had no time. I was in graduate school, I was newly divorced, and I was working full time. I had also gained a lot of weight in the last several years. Running was difficult for my knees with the added weight. I attempted to stick with it and one afternoon I fell, twisting my ankle and lacerating my knee. I needed stitches and crutches. Maybe it was the easy way out, or maybe it was what I needed at this time. I allowed this injury to be my excuse to exit the running scene. When Clint and I met, I talked about how happy running once made me and how unfortunate it was that it wasn’t feasible anymore. Maybe he knew then what I didn’t even know, that one day I would return to running.

First Peloton ride. (Very emotional.)

As my Peloton journey continued I started to gain my strength back. My post baby/post grad school pounds slowly melted away. The great thing about Peloton is that they offer classes in anything you can think of. Running, walking, hiking, pilates, barre, even sleep meditation. The variety in classes and the endurance that I had acquired through consistent bike rides had me moving more in the few months of owning the bike than I had in the last few years. I still remember I was pushing my youngest in the stroller at the park, enjoying a walking class through the Peloton app, when I suddenly got the urge to run. I hadn’t ran in five years. Who did I think I was? I am going uphill with a stroller with a pretty healthy-sized chunk of a baby and this is the time I am going to be like “Huh? Let me just pick up the pace a little bit.” That is exactly what I did. I did not go fast. I did not go far. I did run though.

Once I knew I could start running again. It was like relearning the sport all over again. I had to start with run walk intervals, but Peloton had a class for that. I kept at it. I kept cross training with the bike. Weeks passed, and I had worked myself up to running a mile. How humbling that was. I remember a time I could run 8 miles without stopping. Once I could run a mile I thought maybe I should sign up for a race. Nothing raises the stakes like signing up for something with a deadline. In May of 2022, a year after my surprise of “I got you a Peloton”, I completed my first 10k.

The Full Circle Moment

Running is pure joy to me. I am a runner. It’s an essential part of who I am. I almost lost that part of myself without realizing how important it really is to me. If it weren’t for Peloton I am not sure if I would have found it again. Peloton changed my life. Gosh, I sound insane. That’s the truth though. In the short time of being a member I have returned to running and have come so much farther than I even could have imaged. Have I mentioned I ran a freaking full marathon? The classes, the instructors, the achievements, the music options, the programs. All of it. It keeps me turning on that bike and opening up that app. It makes me show up everyday. It’s a community that I am so thankful for. If you are reading this I hope you’re inspired to either join Peloton, and if so add me to your leaderboard, or, if not, I hope I have inspired you to at least find your version of what Peloton is for me.

Waking up at 5 am and getting PR.

The Peloton Tread

I recently grew my Peloton collection with the Peloton Tread. I love love my bike for cross training days, but as a long distance runner – running is sort of important. I was running all my runs outside. I would wake up early in the morning usually around 4 am and be out the door by 5 am. I ran in all types of weather. Rain, sleet, snow. I lived in town so with some additional safety lights that I would wear plus the street lights this was pretty doable. Recently I have moved to a more rural location. I am living in the sticks. It’s dirt roads and moonlight at 5 am. I attempted several times to run in the dark – after all it’s just dark. I would never get past our drive way though. It was just a different type of dark out here. Which lead to the purchase of the Tread. Mornings are the only time I have to run. With a preschooler we are attempting to homeschool and very mobile infant, if I don’t run in the morning, I don’t run. I am not an afternoon runner. I get sluggish and lazy and end up just vegging out on the couch if I wait. I am not a professional treadmill user. So this is just my basic overview of what I love about the Peloton Tread and my not so favorite things. Anyway, don’t want to spoil the ending but keeping up with the theme of the day, I love my Tread.

Perks of the Tread

1. The number one perk of the tread is the convenience and the control. I don’t have to worry about weather; hot, cold, rain, shine. I am able to run in a comfortable temperature. The ease of having it right in our basement is awesome. I just have to get up and get ready and walk downstairs. No out and backs. No driving to a track. I have less excuses why I can’t get my butt up and go run.
2. I love the screen. It’s the perfect size. I am not squinting. The touch screen is very responsive. I don’t usually watch shows when I run, but with this screen I may have to binge some Netflix on a long run.
3. The width of the belt. I have been on some narrow treadmills in my life. It’s ridiculous. I am not a petite girl. I am about 5’7″ and most of me is legs. Narrow treadmills make me feel cramped and confined. At any moment I might misstep and fall right off.
4. The dials on the railings. On each side of the handrails is a dial. The left is for incline and the right is for speed. How many people hate having to push the button repeatedly when increasing or decreasing speed? Especially, on an interval training day! With the dial you just push it forward to your desired speed or incline. The tread doesn’t miss a beat. The is no delay and no pause in your pace waiting for the treadmill to catch up.
5. It’s built very well. It’s not light or flimsy. It’s probably never leaving my basement because there is no way we are going to be able to carry it out. You don’t bounce around at high speeds. As someone who isn’t so light-this was a must. I don’t want to feel like I am going to break it by just running.
6. It requires a passcode to start. I have four kids, and, while I don’t see them jumping on the treadmill and going for a run, I do see them trying to play around with it. It brings me comfort that it can’t just turn on. It requires a person to put in a passcode and to have the safety key in place.
7. The aesthetic of the machine. It’s just sleek and pretty. 🙂

Cons of the Tread

1. I think you know what I am going to say first. PRICE! The Tread is not cheap. The most basic option package is 2,995 dollars. For the Tread+ you are looking at spending 5,995 dollars. It is quite an investment. Is it worth it? For me, yes. Though it did make me take pause before deciding I wanted to buy it.
2. It’s really, really HEAVY. This isn’t exactly a con, because it is sturdy and makes me feel safe while running. It just makes it difficult to move and where it can be located in your home. We choose our basement. We wanted an area with a solid floor and away from the kids. It took my husband, father in law, and son to move it downstairs. It is staying put for sure.
3. I don’t have a third. 🙂

In Conclusion

I love all things Peloton. I don’t have a rower as it has never interested me, but at this point who knows. Let’s not rule it out. Being a Peloton member I get everything I need. A sense of community, motivation, options, the list goes on and on. Do I miss going to an actual gym? No. I have a whole gym at the tips of my fingers. I look forward to being a lifelong member of the Peloton community. I hope this gives you some insight into what Peloton is all about. Maybe even connives you to drink the Peloton kool-aid. 🙂