Just_Nigel

I travel for work just about 100% and left with the hotel gym (recumbent bike and elliptical machines). My cardio is ok but I need to work on my legs so I am trying this...
30 Minute Elliptical at high resistance - 2 minutes going forward followed by 2 minutes backward. Tried it today for the first time and it really worked my legs... especially going backwards!

The only issue was that on the elliptical, I tend to bounce where on a bike I wouldn't come off the saddle. I might try the same workout on the recumbent tomorrow..

Anyone try something like this? If so, good results? I'm hoping that when I'm back home in 2 weeks, I'll be better on the hills...

vesteroid

I travel for 4-8 day stretches about two times a month.

I tried the elliptical route. While I came off the machine after an hour, and felt like I had worked my but off, I could never get it to translate to my running or riding.

What worked for me was simply running while on the road. So far I have found it pretty darn easy and mostly fun to pick a 3-5 mile route near my hotel. I usually ask the front desk and. Ore often than not they direct me to a trail or a park. I have even found an office park and run laps around that till I hit my 5 miles.

I haven't found a better exercise to compliment my cycling yet. Even if I am at home I still run two days a week.

chefisaac

you travel by car or plane most of the time?

Just_Nigel

Plane.. Out Sunday back on Thursday. This project is in Cary, North Carolina until Aug 2013. Seriously thinking of shipping a bike out this way... Really getting tired of the hotel gym.

Just_Nigel

I would like to start running again. It's the only activity that I've ever had an endorphin high. I stopped running in 2002 when I twisted my ankle and just never got back into it. I would need to lose a few more pounds before starting again...I agree though, it would be way better than the gym!

vesteroid

Do what you think is best, but don't kid yourself that you need to be a certain weight to run. I have seen all types and I mean all types take up running and if you start very slow, and take rest days in between, and buy proper shoes, you can start now.

If you are interested, google couch to 5k. And follow that plan

Just_Nigel

Good point, I have seen guys carrying more weight than me running... I'll take a look, thanks for the reference

Just_Nigel

So I just took a look at the Couch to 5k... Very similar to how I started running in the past. My version was less exact though... I'd run until I couldn't breath anymore and then walk until I could I'm going to give it a try... Actually, I believe I was heavier than I am now when I took up running before, looks like I lost my last excuse!
Thanks Again!

chefisaac

I would ship the bike and save the knees! Just my opinion though.

Just_Nigel

Yeah, this was short lived… I stretched out, walked fast for about 5 minutes and as soon as I started to run, it wasn’t my knees that died; it was my achilles tendon…

I’ve stuck with the elliptical doing 1 hour daily. For the first 45 minutes just going at a nice pace and keeping my HR at around 125. For the last 15 minutes I increase the resistance and alternate every minute between going forward and backward.

I’m on the road for 2 weeks this time so I haven’t been home to test this out on a ride but when I take the stairs to the 6[SUP]th[/SUP] floor at my hotel, I can feel a change. We’ll see this weekend…

Going to ship a bike also as I've found a lot of nice paths here.

vesteroid

I am not sure where you usually keep your HR riding, but that sounds like a very low average for that period of time.

Try increasing the resistance or elevation and get your HR up to your normal biking average?

Just_Nigel

I just recently increased my time on the elliptical from 30 to 60 minutes. On this new workout, I was keeping it low so I'd have enough left for the last 15 mins..

Another workout that I do is 30 minutes of intervals. 1 min at low RPM and 1 and 100+... with this workout, my HR will easily get to 140 and sometimes max at 160. Once I get a little more used to this, I'd like to up the intervals.

When riding, it's been averaging in the high 130 to low 140's. The trend is going down which I'm assuming is my heart getting conditioned.

I'm not sure this is sound logic (or logic at all) but I am seeing good results. Always open to suggestions!

I've been looking at my food log and now wondering when I should up my calories... I'm currently doing 1800/day, working out (riding, walking, gym) 5-6 days for 30 mins to 4 hours.

Most days, I have a surplus about of calories at the end of the day. Sometimes as low as 300 other times 800. I'm not sure if the exercise should be added to the surplus..

For example I rode 45 miles and used approx 2100 calories. The application that I use for food logging would say that I consumed 1315 cals, exercise = -2179 cals, total cals = -864, and I had 2664 remaining calories for the day..

Obviously I wouldn't go and use the remaining calories but I've just assumed that out of my 1800, I ate 1315 and left it at that...

Sorry, that turned out to be more that a "quick" reply but thanks for any thoughts or advise.