I hate cross training on the elliptical. It's so boring and my elliptical squeaks every time I make a full rotation. However, right now I am dealing with a slight IT band issue and I need to cross train for a few days, and since my body loves to completely fall out of shape within 2 days of not running, just taking off days is not an option. I have noticed in the past that I can run a mile on the elliptical in about 4 minutes, which is completely ridiculous as I can barely run a mile in 6 minutes on the track.
So, I don't trust the distance on the machine at all. That being said, is there a general rule of thumb as to how many miles I should be running on the elliptical to simulate a real run? For example, the rule for biking is every 3 miles on a bike is equivalent to one mile running.
Is there a rule like that for the elliptical, or should I just focus on getting the duration? For example, if I were to cross train on the elliptical in replace of a 6 mile run at an 8 min mile pace, should I focus on getting 48 minutes of activity on the elliptical in? (6 miles)x8 mins=48 mins.
I hate the elliptical but it's my only option, and I hear it's wonderful for your joints and keeps you in relatively good shape. Thanks in advance