Pushing It

OMG, what a day.  My husband drove me to Amanda and Rob’s house.  Before I could leave, Rob got up on the E-Go again.  Amanda was not up for it. 

From there I rode to my Weight Watched weigh-in.  It was 6 miles with some significant hills.  At two points I had to stop and walk it.  I was pushing hard enough to feel a little nauseated.  The tradeoff was going down the other side of these hills, which was awesome!  It was wicked fast.

During the ride I noted a clicking noise on the left track.  My husband met me again at WW, and said he saw something in one of the rollers.  I will need to get some replacement rollers.  I will also have to be more vigilant with wiping down the tracks. 

I decided to take a picture of myself every Saturday to chronicle any changes in my appearance during the next 12 months.

The First Ride...

Ok, on Wednesday night it was too late to ride the ElliptiGo by the time I got it home and unpacked. Thursday morning Dr. Frank injected my left knee with a steroid, and told me not to put any stress on the knee for at least 48 hours. Saturday morning my husband left to visit his mother (out of state) and to fill that empty void, I had my 4-year-old granddaughter with me until this morning. Today is Mother’s Day, so I have been with family. Now I have a moment to myself and am gearing myself up to take the ElliptiGo out for a first time.

Here is my problem; I feel very self-conscience. It is an awesome machine, but what if I mess up and ended up looking like an idiot. Funny how much confidence my husband brings me. He would be disappointed if I waited until he got back (several days) to take it out. I hope I don’t look too ridicules, or like a klutz. It is so pretty, I do not want to mess it up.

(1 Hour Later)

I took the ElliptiGo out on the maiden strole, just around the neighborhood. I rode past the ball fields where there were a lot of people. got some odd looks, but they were focused at the machine, not me. From there I rode down a few side streets until I came back to the house. It was Fun, and I did not realize how much effort I was excerting until I stopped. I almost threw up when I got off it. It was a lot of work and I could really feel the core action.

Today I have been doing a little research on my decision to invest in an ElliptiGo.  I discovered a Blog I think I will be following.  It is called Stand Up And Ride, and the blogger is Ken Hanes, the Founder and President of GearForTheGo.  He has obviously had a lot of experience with the various designs of “Stand Up Riders”.

Mr. Hanes has a post from last June that gives a very objective comparison between the StreetStider and the Elliptigo.  His advice is to look at the terrain you will be using and what kind of a workout desired.  The Streetstrider is an elliptical machine on wheels that you can ride it outside.  The ElliptiGO was designed to emulate running and just happens to look like a bike. Both machines work well in areas that are flat.  Streetstider is good it you are cruising around the streets and the parks for your workout.  However, it is not good for hills and the two front wheels affect the steering on crowned roads and in narrow spaces.  It is in these conditions that the ElliptiGo has the upper hand.  Also included in this post is comparisons of Workout Efficiency, Convenience, Personal Story, Foot pedals and Pedal Stroke in general.

Earlier today I took my husband to see the ElliptiGo that I rode on yesterday.  He was not up for a test ride, but he definitely gave it a serious technical inspection.  Scott (the store manager) was there again.  He assured me again that the one I was getting is Pink, and it was the last one in stock.  Pink is very important to me.  Breast Cancer has touched me through others.  I am not a lacey-pink person, my pink is edged in black leather.

Scott said it will be here on Wednesday...4 days away.  It is so hard to wait.

A few days ago, I saw the ElliptiGo featured on the ABC local news.

While it is not a 3 wheeler, it had the same steering as a bicycle, which I am use to.  I found a dealer in my area, Leisure Fitness in Mt. Laurel, NJ.  I went up there this morning and met the store manager, Scott.  After signing some necessary paperwork, I was allowed to test ride the ElliptiGo that was on display in the parking area behind the store.  I was amazed at how easily I was able to just get up on it and ride.  Not that it was not awkward, but I took it for a ¼ mile ride without incident.  When I got off it I was amazed to discover that my heart was pounding.  It did not feel like it was all the much effort in action.

So I went back in and asked if they still had the Pink model that they sold last fall, which donated to Brest Cancer Research. Scott said that there were 3 left in the warehouse. 

If the inventory is correct, one belongs to me.

Today I looked into the Street-Strider again.  They are not as expensive now, but still no local supplier.  As I scowered the street-Strider website, I found a lady that lives near me who had bought a Street-Strider last year.  She agreed to let me visit her and take a test drive.   I found it to be more of a challenge then I wanted.  I found the steering to be overly sensitive and confusing. Going straight was not a problem, but turning was almost scary. The woman who showed it to me was not actively using it for the same reason.   I decided at that time that the Street-Strider was not for me.  I have heard there are other options that are just as expensive as the Street-Strider.

When I was 39, and 265 pounds, I was suddenly able to focus on losing weight.  I was newly married to a wonderful man (2^nd husband) and I was happier than I had been in a long time.  I was able to focus on me.  When I got below 210 I started going to the gym, and discovered the indoor track and the elliptical.  I enjoyed the track for a minute, until I was able to run at lease a mile, then I took it to the road, and started doing 5ks.   I longed to take the elliptical on the road as well, but at that time there were no such machine.

Several years ago that changed.  The first one I saw was on The Biggest Loser, the Street-Strider.  I looked into them, but at the time there were no stores that carried it in the North-East.  The closest to me was Erie Pa.   I was a little surprised.   I live within 20 miles of Philadelphia, 100 away from both New York City and Washington DC.  Three major metropolitan areas and there were no suppliers.  There was no way to take it for a test drive, and that was a very large investment on a piece of equipment that I was not sure I could handle.  I decided to wait until I could find a location where I could test-ride one.

About 2 years ago I had some work related stress issues, and I stopped running and working out.  I recently started to run again (C25K program) and immediately had swelling in my left knee.  Not a lot of pain, but enough swelling to affect mobility.  I have to stop running until I see a specialist.   That happens in 5/10/12.  Based on my hereditary medical history (many knee issues) I may be looking at an eventual Knee-replacement.