Me and Meb

So, today was supposed to be run speedwork day.  Just me and and the treadmill.  But since we broke up this week, theres a new daddy in town.   No, no, not Tobias Funke.  I am cheating on the treadmill with a different piece of gym equipment: the elliptical. 

Now, I have mixed thoughts on the elliptical.  In no way do I think its equal to the treadmill, but I do think it provides a decent workout that can simulate your running muscles in a relatively similar way.  That is, if you use it the right way.

Just like that.  Exactly.  Well, so, I used the elliptical for my "tempo run" on Tuesday and managed pretty well-kept my heart rate at the right pace for a tempo run and did just a bit over what my tempo time has been for 5 miles (about 41 minutes).  Today was...speedwork.  According to the "written" plan, I was supposed to do 12 x400 at a 7:15 pace.  How does one do this on the elliptical??  You got me.  So we did our best.  Hopped on, did 5 minutes EZ, then alternated 2 minutes all out with one minute "recovery" 12 times, with a cool down of 5 minutes = 45 minutes total.  I felt like I got a pretty decent interval workout this way ( I also alternated levels during the workout) and it wasn't jarring on my knee, which is awesome.  As I finished my cooldown, I took a look at the screen.  

Total time:  45:07.  Check

Total distance:  10.01 miles

Calories burned:  1007

Wait, WHAT???  See, this is why the elliptical and I have a love/hate relationship.  Based on what it's telling me, I obviously need to quit my job, go train with Meb Keflezighi and re adjust my goal for the National Marathon to a sub 2 hours, which, by the way, is a firm world record.  Now that I'm so good, I can also confidently post on Slowtwitch, cause everyone there is a rockstar and until today, I just couldn't compete...

So you heard it here first, folks, watch out, I'm gonna be famous!!  I think I'll just do my 20 miler on the elliptical....

Ok, reality check.  Clearly I went nowhere near that far or burned that many calories.  Based on RPE (rate of perceived exertion) I probably burned about 400 calories and went about 5 miles.  I know that, but it makes me sad to know that plenty of people will take the stats they see on the machine as the god's honest truth and go eat an extra thousand calories with dinner feeling completely justified.  Therein lies a big rule for all of you out there starting out or working out at the gym:  DO NOT believe what the machine tells you in terms of "calories burned" or "distance" especially on the elliptical.  If you enter in your weight (which I did) it is usually more accurate, but not always. 

One of the better calculators of energy (calories) burned that I've found is here.  Its helpful that they ask for your weight and list quite a few activities to choose from-but keep in mind it's more about intensity.  as in, if I just used the elliptical lackadaisically, I burn far less than using it for interval training.  According to this website, I burned 500 kcal, which is MUCH closer than the 1007.

...Or the 10 miles.  I would really take that, though.  Now I just need to learn how to cook Teff like all the super fast Ethiopian runners, and then Mel and I can hang out and go running in Central Park, ripping off sub 1 hour half marathons and sub 2 hour marathons.

I hope his wife doesn't mind.

I miss the treadmill.  Did I say that???  I hear that ibuprofin, ice and rest are all appropriate "I'm sorry" gifts and pretty soon we'll get back together again. 

I hope.