well, hubby came home and observed the "race horse activity" then played around with the wires and plugs and she still runs wildly regardless.....this morning he tried her again and she started running but then stopped and is/was controlled by the foot peddle as she should be, so....he says there must be a problem within the rheostat (that is what he called the little receptacle the wires from the machine plug into) ...the wires aren't the best, nothing frayed but getting crunchy and stiff, so he will have to rewire her at some point. She is still sitting in the kitchen where I can "pet" her when I am going past LOL