FOR A GOOD CAUSE:Jaw-dropping run to help fitness guru

With his birthday around the corner, Erik Flowers would normally be preparing for a quiet afternoon at his Costa Mesa home with his wife and 6-year-old daughter.

But this year, he will commemorate his 48th year by working up a sweat on an elliptical machine.

Flowers, who co-owns Body Builders Gym in Los Angeles, has committed to a 24-hour elliptical marathon in conjunction with the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, which begins Sunday, Flowers’ birthday.

The idea came when Flowers purchased some new elliptical trainers for his gym from Octane Fitness in January.

While chatting with the sales person, he learned the company chairman, Augie Nieto, had been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, two years prior.

“Augie Nieto is a fitness guru and everybody knows him because of what he’s done for the fitness industry,” Flowers said. “I decided I wanted to do a jaw-dropping exercise event not only as a tribute to Augie, but also to help his cause, Augie’s Quest.”

Nieto and his wife Lynne, who live in Corona del Mar, also serve as co-chairs of the Muscular Dystrophy Assn.’s ALS Division and will appear on the telethon, now in its 42nd year, for the second time.

Footage from the Miller Nissan auto dealership in Van Nuys, where Flowers will complete the marathon outdoors, will also broadcast during the TV event.

Flowers emphasized he will complete the event solo, without the aid of an entourage, medical team or performance-enhancing supplements.

Friends and gym members have pledged about $200 per hour to Flowers, funding that will support ALS research through Augie’s Quest.

“I can’t say I have a family member or a friend with the disease to dedicate this to, but I just thought it would be a great tribute to someone who has done great stuff for the fitness industry,” he said.

Though he’s never attempted an event of this nature before, Flowers has been training for the past six months and anticipates hitting his 500th hour on the machine later this week.

He expects to burn about 15,000 calories at the marathon alone, with temperatures predicted to reach 100.

“I don’t think it’s the physical part that’s going to be really tedious,” he said. “It’s going to be the boredom of staying on something like that for so long without going anywhere.”

He plans to break the day up into 4-hour sets, taking 10-minute breaks in between to relax and stretch his muscles.

“At 48, I want to show that if I can do this, anybody can get on a machine and get their body moving,” Flowers said. “I want to be a good fitness and exercise model and show people that they can set a goal and do it themselves.”

The Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon can be viewed on KCAL 9, beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday. For more information, go to www.mdausa.org/telethon.