So on Fridays, I have decided to start showing some of the more interesting and bizarre things that I find on the interwebs and elsewhere. Whenever I can, I will make a wee bit of an effort to make them running related (or cross-training) wherever possible (since it is a running blog after all…)
The TREADMILL BIKE!!! (Picture from Red Ferret)
I was looking online for a picture that would go with a title of “TREADMILL OF DOOM!!!!” (Not because of any horrendous experience on a treadmill yesterday, but to try to make a boring treadmill run a little more interesting for you, my reader.) While looking for this, I found one of the craziest things I have seen – The TREADMILL BIKE!!!
It seems you can run uphill even while going down hill now! In a serious note, I can’t imagine this thing is all that easy to keep balanced. When I saw a little picture, I expected it to be a three wheel bike – similar to a tricylce – so that you could concentrate on “running” and not balancing. Yet, it seems it must be possible to do both – or at least it was twice (once per picture on the RedFerret.net webpage.) Their tagline is that you can now take the gym out doors. We all know the worst part of being on a treadmill is the constant boredom and unchanging scenery. By taking your treadmill outside, this issue can be solved. The only part puzzling me is this – if you want to run outside, why don’t you just run outside?
Dean Karnazes and his ElliptiGO
For those concerned with knee impact of running, there is another option – the “ElliptiGO” – as used (and endorsed) by Dean Karnazes – the UltraMarathon man. Now it may have been advertizing that he is paid for – but after his run across the country one of hte first things he mentioned was his excitmentat being able to get back on his ElliptiGO.
I can see where balancing would still have a learning curve, yet it looks like it would be much easier to keep from falling over on this, than the Treadmill Bike. Dean states (in an interview on the ElliptiGO website): ” I think the ElliptiGO is the best cross-training tool I’ve ever discovered.”
Personally, I haven’t used one – but thought it was interesting enough to post about! I know people who greatly prefer the elliptical trainers to running – this enables that preference, to go out into the sunshine and breeze (and bug bites.. and smog.. and rain..)
Now, away from interesting discoveries on the interwebs – I have re-discovered something personally. OMG!!! The day after a great weight-lifting work out only hurts a little.. But TWO DAYS?? ARGH!!!!! My chest/shoulders/triceps are killing me! It’s painful to lift my arms up and scratch my head! Driving even hurts!!! WOW! The things you forget, and get to rediscover in life. As they say though, no pain – no gain.
Oh, and I did three miles on a treadmill at 7mph yesterday. It was boring.
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I run, because I am a runner. Having realized that I have always "been a runner" - even when I went years with out running, I am learning how it has integrated itself in all aspects of my life. When I started running in highschool, my perspective on life changed. Funny that I didn't realize how much it had affected it until just recently.
Once and Future Runner 
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