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An Ultramarathoner’s Secret WeaponThe Life Fitness treadmills were so incredible. I kept thinking about the stress we were putting them under and how well they responded – flawlessly throughout the entire event,” said Chris Bergland after logging 153.76 miles on a Life Fitness treadmill at Kiehl’s, an old-world apothecary in New York’s East Village. On April 30, 2004, Bergland, a three-time triple Ironman winner and extreme athlete, entered the Guinness Book of World Records when he completed the longest distance run on a treadmill in a 24-hour period. A New York native, Bergland says he only runs on Life Fitness treadmills. Over the past ten years, he has logged more than 25,000 miles on them. The following is a letter we received recently from Bergland. What turned out to be an unprecedented, record-setting event for an ultramarathoner was just another day for a Life Fitness treadmill. Whether you’re trying to break a world record or just want to break a sweat, Life Fitness treadmills are always ready for the challenge.
Dear Life Fitness:
I started running on your treadmills in 1988, when I was 22 years old. I have kept them as a core part of my training for 5Ks, 10Ks, marathons, Ironmans, Triple Ironmans and Ultramarathons. From the beginning, I realized that training on Life Fitness treadmills made me a better runner for three main reasons.
- Your treadmills have kept me injury free in the short term and the long run, because the FlexDeck System absorbs so much of the impact on my joints. I have done 80% of my running on your treadmills over the past 16 years. I have no knee pain and the cartilage in my knees and in my back show no sign of wear and tear, which is amazing considering the amount of volume I put in over the years (I usually run about 70 miles a week—50 indoor, 20 outdoor).
- The biomechanics are tremendous. I was able to work on my form and really carve the grooves of muscle memory that made me an efficient runner. Your treadmills helped me work on perfecting a technically correct gait, which keeps me injury free.
- The treadmills are my secret weapon for speed work and tempo runs. I can set the speed high and just stay on, versus having to push myself outside to maintain really high thresholds, which is hard when you’re by yourself or without a coach.
Over the past ten years, I have run over 25,000 miles (once around the world) on Life Fitness treadmills. In all those years, I have never had a machine jam or stop mid-workout. Even at speeds of 11-12mph, the treadmills have always held up to the stress I put on them. I have total faith in these machines.
Whether I’m doing a long, slow 30-mile training run, hill work, or even speed work, I know Life Fitness treadmills will handle the load. The belt has no slip and the FlexDeck System gives the perfect blend of “pop” and absorption. Once you experience running on the FlexDeck, you won’t want to use anything else.
Thanks, Life Fitness. I am so grateful to be running on the best treadmills in the world.
-Chris Bergland
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