Short elliptical session
This morning I did not feel like spending the whole hour on the elliptical trainer, so I slept in a little bit and did a half hour plus the five-minute cool-down.
I started out pretty much where I left off yesterday, but I kind of instinctively picked up the pace at the end. I was doing over 220 strides per minute for the last few minutes. Those are some seriously quick-moving legs.
After thinking about it later, I have concluded that that was how I managed to actually gain speed the last time I took a break from running and just used the elliptical machine. If I ran with that kind of turnover I would be moving really, really fast, and I could not get away with trying it several times a week. This exercise lets me practice moving my legs that quickly without putting any of the associated stresses on my body. I know I said it last time, but I have to say it again: Doing this regularly would help my running a lot.
After that I did some core exercises on the stability ball (crunches and cobras) followed by some stretching (focusing mainly on my calves), and that was it for today.
I’m going to do 90 minutes either tomorrow or Saturday. I haven’t decided which yet. I’ll see how motivated I feel in the morning.