RECOVER: April 2012

Is the "E-GO" a Ticket to Recovery?

ElliptiGO Outdoor Elliptical Bicycle Review

A little less than a year ago, Wes Knowles walked into our facility looking for some additional guidance, coaching, and rehab to supplement his current training routine, as he worked his way back from painful knee surgery. A lifelong endurance athlete, Wes' message to us was clear, "After 6 marathons including Boston, NYC, and Chicago, a dozen or so half marathons, and a couple of triathlons, the time shortly following my knee surgery was when I hit rock bottom. I started to gain weight, couldn't get outdoors to exercise or get the time away like I was used to, and what was maybe even worse, I started to lose touch with my social network....all the friends I had normally met for weekend runs were doing their thing, and I couldn't keep up. At that point I knew I had to find a way back." And so we got started, as health & fitness professionals typically do, with an assessment.

Within short-time, as we were completing various tests, measurements, etc. Wes asked, "Have you ever heard of the Elliptigo?"....."Uh, can't say that I have." I stated...."Oh, you gotta try it. It's like a high-end road bike except you stand upright and propel it with an elliptical motion. There's no impact, and it's the closest thing I've found that gives me the same workout feeling as running outside, without beating on my knee." A few weeks later, he brought one over for us to try...Turns out that Wes, who had seen the product months prior at a race expo, was such a believer, he decided to become a distributor of the product.

Now, I must admit, anytime someone approaches me with a new product in the health and fitness industry, I'm extremely cautious to jump on the band wagon, maybe even more so if the person has a vested interest in it. It's not that I'm not a fan of innovation, it's just that, well I consider the Pro-Activity brand and my personal brand one in the same in many ways, and at the end of the day, the brand is worth more to me than just about anything in my professional world. So before I "buy in" I study the product, use myself as a guineau pig, and weigh the pros and cons before I'll even consider recommending it to a client or friend. The Elliptigo being no different in this case. But after a few quick "tours around the neighborhood", and a 10 mile trek as part of "the REDiculous Relay" (a little 200+ mile human powered event I've done with a group of friends the past two years from High Point to Cape May, NJ), I started to think..."Well, this could definitely be a fun alternative to pounding the pavement or great for someone seeking a new enjoyable way to exercise outside, but could it really be an effective training tool for recovery? Can I really get the cardiovascular intensity I need for performance improvement without as much stress on my legs?".

In the ensuing 10 months, the ElliptiGO gained a a great deal of media exposure (most recently featured on Good Morning America below), and has gained the respect of some serious top notch runners, including Ultramarathon legend Dean Karnazes, American 50k record-holderJosh Cox, and 2011 US Road 5k National Champion Julie Culley, among others. Oh yeah, did I mention Julie's also one of our coaches on staff here at Pro-Activity, and coached me to a 3:02 marathon PR four months ago!

"I'll use the ElliptiGO on my long run days or as a secondary run on workout days, I get on the ElliptiGo to add on additional miles without putting the extra miles on my legs," says Culley. "It saves my body, helps me enjoy getting the extra work in without taking extra out of my body, and I feel more recovered for the next day. Especially if I feel like my form is starting to break down or when I'm trying to build my mileage up, it's a gateway to getting the time in without the draining effects of those last few miles. Having dealt with my fair share of injuries and set-backs through my career, I'm a big believer in recovery, and understand how important it is to listen to your body and work hard, but be weary of teetering on the edge of pushing too hard. I believe the sooner you can recover and prepare your body for the next workout, the quicker you will progress, and the Elliptigo is a great way for me to do that."

Soon after Julie's endorsement, I got a note from Wes in my inbox "Elliptigo Metabolic Testing Study", stating the Elliptigo induced similar cardiovascular output and rates of perceived exertion as running (click to read full study). I thought, "Wow, these guys are for real with this thing.... maybe time for me to give it a second look!". So, lucky as I am, I took Wes up on a previous offer for a 12 mile demo ride...but this time I was coming a "prepared guinea pig" with my Garmin 405cx and accompanied heart rate strap. I'd see for myself if I could get enough of a cardio workout (average heart rate between 140-150 is a typical "recovery run" for me) and still have fresh legs (judged by my ability to run around "race pace" immediately following). Away we went, and the results follwed:

Important Personal Statistics & Results:

• Distance Traveled - 12.33 Miles
• Time - 50:12
• Pace - 4:04 min / mile or 14.75 MPH
• Average Heart Rate = 144
• Max Heart Rate = 169
• Energy Expended (Calories Burned) = Estimated 609
• Running Miles Completely Immediately thereafter - 3 miles
• Average Running Pace - 7:05 min / mile (5 seconds off "race pace")
• Estimated Environmental Impact - minimal, it's human powered! (had to throw that in there for Earth Day people!)

Done and done...I'm a believer! In my professional opinion, the Elliptigo does in fact hold up to it's billing! It is a fun way to workout for the "newbie" or someone looking for a different approach to outdoor exercise, especially if running is NOT your thing. And it can be a realistic training and recovery tool for those runners who have been in the game for a while (Wes), those chasing Olympic dreams (Julie), and the "slow to jump" professional out there who wouldn't mind a little performance boost (me). In fact, I've become such a believer that I'm co-championing an effort with Wes and "Run-on-1" to officially bring Elliptigo to Pro-Activity's BaseCamp 31 training facility, giving clients and passer-by's an opportunity to test it out for themselves. And if you're as "MOVED" as we were, consider joining us in celebration of environmentally clean "Human Powered" energy as we Ellipti-GO-GREEN on May 18th, 2012 as featured in the "CONNECT" article this month!

For more information on the EllpitiGO or to schedule a demo ride go to http://runon1.com/. Check out additional product specifications HERE

Happy and Healthy Training...and in this case, no worries, your new "E-GO" won't get in the way!

-Eric E.