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Dedicated runners and walkers comprise a large percentage of the population who exercise regularly but do not belong to fitness clubs. I know these people well because, for many years, I was one of them. This group generally prefers following a route through the countryside or a cityscape to running on a treadmill or doing repeated loops on a boring indoor track.
The makers of modern treadmills have done a marvelous job of attracting this elusive group of nonmembers by turning what could be a gerbil-like routine into a more enjoyable experience by adding features that allow users to track their mileage, caloric burn and heart rate all while watching their favorite TV programs or surfing the Web. But even with these high-tech bells and whistles on treadmills, some runners and walkers can only be lured inside by a well-designed indoor track. Here are my thoughts about what makes a superior indoor experience for these people:
Proper width. Walkers often pair up and walk side by side, chatting as they go. A 7 1/2-foot-wide track will allow a runner to comfortably pass them. Anything narrower is a compromise; anything wider is...