Talking to MyselfExercising on the Elliptor

It is a sign of a dull nature to occupy oneself deeply in matters that concern the body; for instance, to be over much occupied about exercise, about eating and drinking, about easing oneself, about sexual intercourse.
Epictetus (c. 55–c. 135), Greek Stoic philosopher

I wish there was some sort of competition on elliptical machines. I’d like to know how I compare to others. It gets rather difficult to continually race one’s self. However, in order to do try and better my last numbers I sometimes assemble music that will get me moving quicker.

My most recent numbers were for 30 minutes, ramp level 6, which also works the quadriceps, gluteals, hamstrings and calves. I set the level for resistance for either 12 or 13 depending on how much energy I have. I burn 512 calories (which doesn’t really mean too much because that varies with age and weight, and it is just an estimate on these machines anyway, but what else do I have for comparison?), travel a distance of 3.26 miles, heart rate reaches a max of 171.

I attribute any gains to the music I select. I arranged the iPod exercise play list Saturday morning for battle. I rocked out pulling the levers and pushing pedals looking like a crazy maniac as listened to:

Vertigo – U2
Eat the Rich – Aerosmith
Big Ten-Inch Record – Aerosmith
Sweet Hitch-Hiker – John Fogerty
Falling in Love (is hard on the knees) – Aerosmith
Travelin’ Band – John Fogerty
Hey Tonight – John Fogerty
Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out – Bruce Springsteen
Baby, Please Don’t Go – Aerosmith
Centerfield – John Fogerty
Pink – Aerosmith
I Bet you Look good on the Dance Floor – Arctic Monkeys