ElliptiGO!

So a quick update on my training of the past two weeks, as the last time I posted, I was going through much frustration with my achilles injury that did not seem to be going away quickly.  I am happy to say that things are much improved!!  I started seeing a Physical Therapist who gave me exercises to work on both in his clinic, as well as at home, in order to strengthen my lower leg in the right way, while also speeding up the recovery of my Achilles.  I even went to see an Acupuncturist!  That has been quite an experience in itself. Getting poked with needles in various areas of the body in order to help my Achilles.  But hey…it seems to have helped!

The past few days I have been allowed, by Coach Gags, to run 30-35 minutes a day on top of the cross training that I was already doing. There is no pain and no tightness in my lower, which is a huge weight off of my shoulders, as I thought I would never be healed.  It will still be a few weeks until Coach will allow me to do any workouts, but at this point, running pain free is all I could ask for. Injuries are no fun!!

Over the past few weeks I have also had the opportunity to try a new form of cross-training in the form of the ElliptiGO.  I don’t know how many of you have heard of the rapid expanding movement that is taking over endurance training world, but these pieces of equipment are great! The easiest way to describe them is by saying they are like an elliptical mixed with a bike.  You stand on them (no sitting!) and are able to simulate running, just like a stationary elliptical that you see at the gym.  The difference is that the pedals are connected to a chain, like a bike, which allow the machine to move. They definitely turn some heads when you’re out cruising the mean streets of Princeton.

I was fortunate enough to try an ElliptiGO for the past week.  At first I wasn’t quite sure what to think of it. But from the first ride I was hooked. Using my heart rate monitor, I was able to track how much of a cardio workout I was getting.  Using multiple gears on the ElliptiGO, I was able to cater my workout to the type of terrain I was riding on.  It was a great way to get a great cardio workout in, while not having to stay stationary in a gym and lose your mind.  Also, you don’t have the impact of running on the ElliptiGO.  Muscles, joints, and ligaments all get a little bit of a rest from the impact of the ground.  It allows for your body to rebound quickly from day to day and for me, my Achilles to heal!

All in all in it has been a great couple of weeks training, thanks to my support team and the ElliptiGO.  I can’t wait to continue to progress and get back training with the NJ/NY Track Club soon!!

For questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to post below or email me directly at mikeruttrunning@gmail.com!