All this talk of treadmills makes me want to tell a story about mine. I too have a Proform from Sears. I love it. I bought it about 2 years ago and paid $599 I think. Anyway, having said that, those of you who have a treadmill know about the little key that goes in to make the treadmill work. Attached to that key is a string with a clip on the end, the purpose of which is to attach to your clothing so that if you fall off the treadmill, it will pull the key out and the treadmill will stop.
Smart me (NOT!) decided from the very beginning that I didn't need that string attached to myself. I was NOT going to fall off, therefore why bother which such an inconvenience? I simply draped the string over the back of the console and forgot about it.
Well, you guessed it, last evening, while at a dead run (about 6 mph I think), I fell off the darn thing. It passed through my mind as I was falling...... "Oh please let me land safely and not break something or ruin a knee." Thank goodness I am okay. I have a very skinned up shin and knee, but no injuries. The skinned part came from hitting the moving platform when I fell. I am very lucky. Moral to this story and to all treadmill users, use the clip on the end of your string and attach it to your clothes. It's worth the slight aggravation of having that thing hanging in front of you!
Jeanne