Alter'd states

Last year I bought a Groupon for something I had been wanting to do for a long time: run on an anti-gravity treadmill.

I am not really sure why the folks at the Washington Foot and Ankle Clinic were offering the deal, but 10 30-minute sessions on an Alter-G treadmill was impossible to pass up.

Of course, me being me, I didn't use it until it nearly ended. But I made an appointment for the orientation session and turned up tonight.

I filled out a bunch of forms and was brought to a small room in the back of the office... where I met the Alter-G.

A very sweet (and Very Young) lad handed me a ridiculous pair of shorts. Tight neoprene shorts with a funny rubber / vinyl flap all the way around, and edged with a zipper. I pulled them on over my capris, and then stepped into the machine.

I pulled the handles up, set the height. (13, actually), and zipped into the cover. Then I stood there while the machine calibrated my weight and started to pressurize to 80% of my weight.

Let me tell you, that is a very very weird feeling. It felt as if I was being lifted off my feet.

Then I was left to my own devices, as I walked for a bit to get used to the feeling, and then I started running. I was able to speed up to 7-minute miles -- pretty crazy. I also got really hot - neoprene shorts and a pressurized cover made for some very hot legs.

I ran for three and a quarter miles before I needed to cool down. As I did, I also increased my weight gradually to 90%. Figured that would help keep me from feeling too "heavy" afterward.

I have nine more sessions - though I am thinking I might want to wait until after the marathon. No sense doing something stupid on a treadmill!!!