Be a Winner

There are so many things I need to tell you Blogosphere world!

Such as how I am able to wear a size 8 short and take them off without unbuttoning them.  (Super Rad)

The cute guy from the apartment complex finally noticed me and introduced himself at the pool this last weekend. (Rad)

And that this journey is definitely not without some setbacks. (not even a little Rad)

I’m not going to spend much time on those things today. I want to talk about my brand new exercise machine!

Have I told you about the ElliptiGo?

Oh.my.goodness!

What in the world is an ElliptiGo?!

The ElliptiGo is newish exercise equipment on the market. There are three levels depending on how many gears you are looking for; a 3-gear, an 8-gear, and an 11-gear. I won the 3-gear ElliptiGo.

     **Here it is sitting in my driveway!

I will tell you this honestly, the ElliptiGo is probably the hardest thing I have ever done!

I spent five minutes on it the first day and was seriously out of breath. Last night I gutted up and went around the apartment complex for 30 minutes and my heart rate got up in the 140-155 range, same as being on a spin bike or running on the treadmill.

The selling point to the ElliptiGo is the fact it simulates outdoor running without the high impact on joints. My friend at a local University uses a couple for rehabilitation on track athletes who are unable run. The athletes are able to get outside, but not sustain further repetitive impact injuries.

There are some limitations to the build. I won’t be able to use it when I am working contract athletic training gigs, it can only be used on paved surfaces, no gravel or grass. You have to have good balance to work this thing. Turning is really hard with a shallow wheel base and standing on a rickety surface. I think that will come as I get more comfortable though. I’m not comfortable taking my hands off the steering bars just yet either. I tried…I fell.

Before I go on any long rides I will have to get a helmet to protect my coconut. Even though I am only 5’6” it is still a long way to fall and hit my head.

I am excited to bring it to school next week and show off. I am finally comfortable enough not to look like an idiot.  

So how did I end up with one of these crazy things?!?

I WON IT!!!

On either the iPhone or Droid there is an application called “Be Fit Stay Fit Challenge”. It’s a free application that allows you to track the number of days in a week you exercise.

Key word…challenge…

Here is how it works: Say you go for a 30-minute run on the treadmill on Thursday. That is now your start day of the week.  Log that activity in the application and you have had a “successful day”. My favorite part, one of the icons at the bottom of the screen turns from green to yellow! I cannot stand to have any green left at the bottom of my screen.

     **There is no extra credit by doing more than one activity during the day, but it’s interesting to track how many hours you are actually doing activity, so I log everything.**

Now, if by the next Thursday you have five successful days you have earned a successful week.

A successful week enables you to be entered in a drawing for various prizes. Prizes include a TRX strap, a scale that measures weight and body fat, a home exercise kit with some exercise tubing and an exercise ball, or the now explained ElliptiGo.

I have no idea what week I actually finished and earned my name being in the drawing. I opened my Yahoo email account in early April and there was an email claiming I was a BFSF winner and the prize was an ElliptiGo 3C. All I had to do was send my shipping information. No credit card, not payment information. The company was sending me a free machine! All I have to do is take a picture of me on it and tell people how I earned it.

Here I am telling you about it Blog-o-world, now I just need a picture of me ON it. I have a picture of me. I have a picture of it, not me ON it. That will come.

All this came from trying to find a way to track my exercise and keep motivated. I NEVER thought I would actually be a winner. Now I can boast I am not only a winner, but a winner of the top valued prizes (it runs a cool $1,800).

I have logged more than 102 hours of activity since I started this in February or March. It’s a great way to track the different activities I complete. Also, I hate leaving a week with any green icons at the bottom of my screen, so my motivation stays high. If there is a week I haven’t been able to make it to the gym and its Thursday and there are not athletic events that night I make sure I get my hind end out and do something.

The beauty is the “something” can now be in my own apartment complex and not inside on a treadmill!

I highly recommend you checking out the BFSF Challenge on your smart phone or tablet. You never know if you will be the next winner. I didn’t think I would be!

Whatever your dream…be a winner…

Inspiration Song…Be a Winner by Hunter Hayes