It was ON SALE!
Noticing a pattern here? My Nordic Track e3800 (no link because I can't find a good picture online sorry), was the floor model at sears, being sold to make way for the new fangled treadmills. Here's the marketeer schpieel:
"...Its features include: 20 pre-programmed workouts; 0%-12% incline; CardioGrip pulse sensors that allow you to see your pulse by simply gripping the bar, two CoolAire workout fans and adjustable FlexStep cushioning, and a 20" x 55" tread belt. The powerful, 2.5 CHP commercial-grade motor provides ample power for quick speed changes"
It really is a very nice piece of workout gear, better than the ones at my local gyms, and certainly better than I deserve. I'm a big guy, and it keeps up with me handily. No belt slipping at all to date. The "FlexStep cushioning" is a nice touch too, the platform you run on has an adjustable amount of "give", absorbing much of the shock so your knees don't have to. It has just about every electronic bell and whistle you could possibly hope for (including a rj45 port), and a nice wide belt.
At various gyms I've frequented over the years, when I ran on a treadmill, I'd push buttons for a while looking for a preset workout that matched something close to what I wanted, then, not finding one, I'd put it in manual mode and push the 6mph button. "I need to get one of these things" I thought to myself. "So I can just program it with workouts that make sense". So now that I finally have one of my own, what I do is put it in manual mode and push the 6mph button. I bet you didn't see that coming. Not.
I still prefer to run outside, but the effect of a treadmill is that you never have an excuse to miss a run, proving to you once and for all that it really is your fault that you're as lazy as you are. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all.