All nine qualified for the finals of their respective events and Julie Culley and Alysia Montano won the 5,000m and 800m, respectively.
ElliptiGO Inc. , creators of the first outdoor cross-training device specifically engineered for runners, today announced that nine athletes who used the ElliptiGO elliptical bicycle for cross-training competed in the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials. Notably, all nine of the athletes made the finals of their respective events and three of the nine made the Olympic team, including Julie Culley who won the Women’s 5,000-meter event and Alysia Montaño who won the Women’s 800-meter event. The other ElliptiGO users who competed in this year’s Olympic Trials were 2008 Olympian Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Women’s 3,000-meter Steeplechaser Jamie Cheever, Women’s 5,000-meter runner Lauren Fleshman, Men’s 5,000-meter runner Elliott Heath, 2012 Olympian Molly Huddle, Women’s 5,000-meter runner Kathy Kroeger and Women’s 10,000-meter runner Stephanie Rothstein.
Staying healthy and getting faster were the primary reasons these athletes chose to integrate the ElliptiGO elliptical bicycle into their training. Reflecting back on her path to the 2012 Olympics, Culley believes that these factors were critical for her success. “I’ve had my best year ever leading up to the Olympic Trials,” remarked Culley. “I’ve managed to avoid injury, which has allowed me to train at a higher level for longer. Listening to my body and using cross-training to fill in the gaps, has been key.”
At the opposite end of the health and training spectrum this year was former 5,000-meter National Champion Lauren Fleshman. After her debut marathon last fall, Fleshman had been battling recurring IT band and other injuries that left her nearly unable to run. Her highest volume training week in 2012 was 11 miles and her first attempt at running the 5,000 meters this year was at the Trials. Cross-training had become her primary form of preparation for the event.
“I really don’t believe everyone needs to run themselves into the ground to be good,” remarked Fleshman. “Even when I’m healthy, I run enough to get the job done and then use cross-training to add extra volume and endurance without pounding my body.” Although she knew her limited run training would make qualifying for the Olympics nearly impossible, she ran a courageous preliminary race that qualified her for the finals of the 5,000 meters.
>ElliptiGO Co-Founder, Bryan Pate, traveled to Eugene, Oregon to watch the Trials in person and support these athletes. “The atmosphere in Eugene was incredible and it was very exciting to see these athletes do so well against the best in the country,” said Pate. “We’ve had the pleasure of getting to know many of these athletes as they have incorporated the ElliptiGO elliptical bicycle into their training. So we’re thrilled with their success at the Trials and ecstatic that three of them will be representing the US this year in London.”
Opening ceremonies for the 2012 Olympics are on July 27th.
