Hate Running? Try an Elliptical Machine
When I met my wife, she liked to run 5K races whereas I liked to work out daily on an elliptical machine. And this gave me an idea for a training experiment:
- I would train weekdays on my gym’s elliptical machine.
- I would race every few weekends in a 5K race.
- And I would track my race completion times (chip-times) over the series of races.
Guess what happened?
Even though I never ran on a track or a road except during a 5K race, my chip-time kept getting shorter!
In other words, training exclusively on an elliptical machine seemed to improve my 5K running speed. Of course, participating in the races themselves could have helped me to cut my 5K time, too. But it seemed to me that there was a powerful training effect that I got from the elliptical machine as a 5K racer.
An advantage to this kind of 5K-race training is that I put no noticeable impact wear on my joints.
I also noticed that I seemed to have more kick during these 5K races than I had had several years earlier when I trained for 5K races by running on the road.
And it felt as if training with an elliptical machine gave a more fluid style to my running — probably because an elliptical machine forces the user to repeat a very predictable set of movements.
If you hate running in general but enjoy running in 5K or other road races, then you should consider training with an elliptical machine — perhaps initially in a gym, so that you are not purchasing something that you may not like.
But, once you have confirmed that you enjoy training on an elliptical machine, here are some things to consider when shopping for one:
- Do not buy the cheapest one. The cheapest machines might be fine for very occasional users. But the expression “You get what you pay for.” is crucial to keep in mind when you are about to buy something that will get as much wear and tear as an elliptical machine being used by someone — such as you! — dedicated to improving fitness and cutting road-race time.
- Do not buy the most expensive one. The highest-priced models tend to be loaded with gadgets that you do not necessarily need. Plus, you will appreciate having more money to spend on running apparel and nutritional supplements by buying a machine that is not at the very top of the price range.
- Try before you buy. Although it can make sense to shop online to replace a machine with the same make and model, it does not make sense to shop online when buying one for the first time or when considering switching brands or models.
And remember: Training on an elliptical machine versus training on the road does not have to be an either-or proposition, so you should feel free to mix these two approaches to training as each one suits your mood, fitness, and goals.
Do you use an elliptical trainer? Please leave a comment here. Thanks!
