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MSers in Training 2016

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  • #46
    Quick update from ABQ. My bike is still in the shop, as new parts are needed. I mucked it up nice and good. The elbow is still healing. The road rash took a few weeks, but I have a pocket of fluid in the elbow from the impact that is still a bit stubborn. Hope to be back on three wheels this coming weekend. For now, training is in the gym. Great to see all the other updates!
    Dave Bexfield
    ActiveMSers

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    • #47
      Mother nature had started cooperating with my wants to ride outside! Also, I finally got to ride outside *with* my husband as weekends have not been great for awhile!

      Am I at the distance I would like to be at for my first century on May 7th? Not at all. But what can you do? I am hoping the fact that the route will be so flat versus the routes that I ride (while still flat have like 600% more climbing) So we will see soon enough how that goes

      Veronica - Have you found a solution to your up and down issue? I met someone on the trail who has these installed on his 700 - http://www.utahtrikes.com/PROD-11618467.html (though I think he found themselsewhere for less). I am also glad to hear that some one else is doing the Suffer Fest work outs on their Trikes. Steve is forever telling me its just me and now I know for sure it's not!

      Teeny - those exercises you describe for strength in the pool sound very interesting. I tried very hard to learn proper stroke but did not succeed. But I love the pool anyhow, I should give those a try!

      Larry - Wow that ascent!! I want to lay down for a nap just thinking of it. I really need to come to terms with climbing. I feel like I simply can't "calm down" enough to enjoy it. I want to go fast and a hill slows me down, rather then slowing down and calmly and slowly climbing it with a mild increase in heart rate I try to push my speed, causing a spike in HR and me to therefore dislike climbing. I am working on just getting to a gear where I can keep my cadence high. But when I see that low mph # I freak out and the cycle begins anew. So I am very awed by you and your climbing!

      Dave - hope you get your trike back ASAP so you can get out this weekend.

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      • #48
        Hi guys: I'm still climbing the walls of my back bedroom on my trike, beginning to salivate for getting outside again. I just got the okay not to wear the sling anymore, so as soon as: my arm gains some strength,I have someone put the trike rack back on the car, and have my PT show me how to properly load and unload the trike without damaging the shoulder, I am hitting the trails!!

        Marina, those assistive aids are exactly what I ordered… From Utah trikes....Didn't think to check to see if I could get them anyplace else cheaper, as I was so eager to get this problem solved. Now I just have to connect with a friend to have him come over and attach them. About your angst over climbing: I don't know if this will help you or not, but in my glory days of riding a two wheeler, I loved climbing even though I was never able to keep a steady pace when I started the Ascent. My cadence always got much slower, as did my speed (tremendously), and I would drop to the back of the pack always. And when this would happen, I would often get into a little bit of the Zen of climbing, and often thought of myself switching to Mountain Goat Mode. I even had my little mantra of "Gin and Tonic, Gin and Tonic"..(My summer drink at that period of my life). I made sure that I never got off my bike to walk up, and while at times I was going so slow I thought I was going to fall over, I really was proud of the fact that I was riding up whatever monster at the time I was climbing. For me switching my focus and not comparing it to the flats or the down hills-- seeing it as an entirely different skill set, which it is, helped my mindset. I guess I was doing but they now referred to as Mindfulness, but let me tell you, it made climbing an incredibly fun challenge, and I never felt that I lost once I got to the top. Might've been the last one to get to the top, but that was my personal conquest.

        Larry, you truly are the King of the Mountains. So impressed with these training runs of yours, and if this doesn't increase your red blood count, I don't know what would!

        Teena Marie, you know, swimming probably ultimately would be a good activity for me concerning my shoulders. While I am really not much of a swimmer, I might need to rethink this at this point. And if I get myself in the water for the shoulders I know it will also help MS issues of mine. I am partially retiring at the end of June, and this would be a good time for me to look into maybe finding someone to give me some therapeutic swim lessons.

        Dave, Don't go popping any wheelies when you get back out on the trike, okay? And do a run for me because I think you're going to be three wheeling it in the Great Outdoors before I am..
        Be thankful. Dream Big. Never Give Up.

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        • #49
          Climbing

          Well all, the snow a week ago slowed me down quite a bit. Although it melted quickly, it was a lot of snow. It also left a big mess, fallen tree branches, even whole fallen trees and mud and running water everywhere. In the end, I only got 2 rides in for about 1600 ft of ascent total. I'll try to catch back up this week. I also got a weight workout, one session on the elliptical and two yoga sessions in, so not a total loss.

          Veronica, you're obviously a fellow climber, every word of your description resonated with me. I understand this can be a difficult concept to comprehend, how to find reward in such an excruciating challenge, but in many ways, climbing is representative of life itself.

          Climbing is a great teacher. It teaches patience, the patience to go slower than you'd like, because it's the only way you know you'll make it to the top and because nobody rides fast up a mountain. It teaches humility, the humility to be satisfied with making it to the top, even if you are DFL. Besides, being DFL doesn't lessen the accomplishment of cresting the summit. It also teaches perseverance, the ability to persevere beyond what you might have thought possible. You may find strength within yourself that you didn't know existed.

          I have come to look at the climb as a carefull choreography involving heart rate, cadence and pedal stroke, an exercise in balancing those three things. If heart rate gets too high for too long, you risk running out of energy before you reach the end of your ride. Your cadence, the gear you're pedaling in, helps to control that. For me, as a PWMS, concentrating on pedal stroke is crucial. My left leg is considerably stronger than my right and I have to concentrate constantly on making my right leg pull it's weight, to whatever extent it can.

          If I can balance those things I might find my zone, a sort of zen state of moving along at high rate of exertion in only moderate discomfort. Of course, the opposite can happen too. You're zen might be destroyed by a grade so steep your cadence falls through the floor and there's no lower gears to grab. Your heart rate climbs impossibly high and you know it can't be sustained for long before you'll have to stop. And pedal stroke is reduced to trying to make your legs move and your bike go forward fast enough to keep from falling over. But if you make it, if you can find the strength, ... ha, ha ... WOW! The feeling, the elation, is indescribable, and that's what will make you come back for more.

          Larry
          Last edited by AMFADVENTURES; 04-25-2016, 04:39 PM.

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          • #50
            A quick checkin. Haven't been making the monthly goals lately due to weather. I've only been out on the bike twice a week for the last three weeks, too many long lasting storms. Finally bit the bullet and decided to get out even if there was only a couple of hours of clear weather in the short term forecast. Got snowed on both times last week. Oh well, so it goes, surprisingly, it wasn't really that bad. On the bad weather days I still hit the gym for weights or ellipticals, in fact did a killer interval session on the elliptical the other day.

            Marina, how are things going for you? Your century is this weekend right?

            Looks like we might get 3 or 4 days of nice weather before the next storm is due so I'm on my way out now.

            Take care all,
            Larry

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            • #51
              Do you have a trike with 1 front wheel or 2? Trikes with 1 front wheel will tip over when you go around a corner too fast. The longer the wheelbase the more stable it will be. A trike with 2 front wheels extremely stable, there are only 2 ways to flip them. One is hit a curb or rut with a front wheel which trips it, the other would be spinning the trike 180 degrees. While it is moving backwards it easy to flip.

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              • #52
                Technically I have both. My tadpole leg powered trike was awesome, but my legs haven't been cooperating recently so I switched to a delta hand trike (tadpoles don't exist for arm bikes sadly). Even so, the trike is much lower to the ground than many. Here's a pic:

                http://activemsers.blogspot.com/2015...sions.html?m=1
                Dave Bexfield
                ActiveMSers

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                • #53
                  Checking in quickly - My first century was this past Saturday.

                  To start it rained for 11 days beforehand. When we woke up the day of, it was pouring but did eventually stop so we were able to start just 1 hour later then planned. Additionally the route marking at mile 30 were very confusing so we (and several others) made our own 80 mile route. But it was cold, windy and flooded in some parts and wet everywhere so 80 miles is fine with me.

                  Afterward I had some knee pain so I am thinking I need to move the boom out further.

                  Here is the ride for anyone interested: https://www.strava.com/activities/568823218

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                  • #54
                    Just a quick reply to you, Marina, you superwoman, you! I stumbled on your husband's post on the recumbent trike group on Facebook, and it didn't take much to realize he was talking about you....LOVED the video he posted, and wish it could get posted here. You looked damn good..strong....loved watching you pass the uprights....


                    On the knee issue....I was first told that I would save my knees with a short crank, and had that on the Greenspeed. It didn't work for me, since I just was spinning too much without resistance, and my leg most affected with the MS didn't do well with this. But maybe it would help??

                    If this is the start of your season, I would think you're in for a good one.. Be Proud!
                    Be thankful. Dream Big. Never Give Up.

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                    • #55
                      Nice Marina, ultra impressive you did it with mainly shorter interval workouts on the trainer. Good speed too! It sounds like a real adventure, I wondered if they'd even get it off considering the weather you guys have been having, glad you got to ride. On the knee pain, you've got the right idea, start trying things.

                      Hey Dave, are you and your trike getting out yet?

                      Since our weather turned, my cycling has been going great! I'm getting out as much as I can stand. I'm trying to climb my gut off. Seriously, I'd like to leave 7 or 8 lbs of my midsection on a hill somewhere. Still pretty slow though, got passed by a runner towing a lap dog that looked like a mop on one of the hills the other day. She wasn't much younger than me either. What made it worse was that her and her dog were waiting for me at the top of the hill and it was a 4.5 mile long hill! It's OK though, I'm just happy to be doing this at all. I'm up to 4,000 ft. of ascent in about 15 miles. It's almost time to find a steeper hill. I might make my first attempt on Pikes Peak around the end of June, then give it a a couple more shots about a month apart after that. Starting to get excited about it, really pleased with the way my training is going.

                      Keep the rubber side down out there,
                      Larry

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                      • #56
                        Thank you Veronica (And we should be FB Friends!).

                        Ask and you shall receive videos:

                        6 Pillars - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...zHpWxRFKfArsGd

                        BikeMS 2015 (which was more interesting IMO) - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...N638TGPycTOJrq

                        Larry - I am glad to hear the weather is turning for you! 15th wet day in a row here, going stir crazy!

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                        • #57
                          Larry, I've been out a few times, and then got laid up with something that felt like the edge of the stomach flu that never fully materialized. Hope to get back on the trike this weekend and build back up. This week has been a bust for exercising, but my couch has seen lots of action. Finally getting an appetite back.
                          Dave Bexfield
                          ActiveMSers

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                          • #58
                            Marina, watched your videos - so cool! You are superwoman! Thanks for posting. Dave, glad your starting to feel better. I look forward to hearing about your trike escapades.

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                            • #59
                              Marina, I really enjoyed the videos.. Love to see you move that beautiful Cattrike significantly faster than I do! It is motivation for me...NOT that my goal is to get to your speed....but I definitely want to crank mine up a little this season.

                              And that brings me to my happy news that I took my baby outside today! Finally......did my usual ride an hour north of here, starting at the bike shop where I bought the Cattrike. Good to see the guys again... I am able to load/unload the trike without really using my right arm, so I am not at risk of messing up my surgeon's work in getting back out to ride. When I need to use the arm, it is more as a "helper" so as to not put undue weight on it....need to baby it, and strengthen it for the next 5+ months...

                              It felt so good to be outside riding again.....
                              Be thankful. Dream Big. Never Give Up.

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                              • #60
                                Terra Trike NewBee

                                Hello All,

                                I am looking for some assistance.

                                I am wondering if someone can provide me with some advice? I have ridden a road bike for the last number of years. (former runner but changed due to my MS). I was starting to have some difficulty with my road bike and someone suggested a trike.

                                I picked up a used Terra Trike and it is very cool but I find the I have difficulty with getting my left leg fully around the "crank" after I have been out for a while.

                                I have a short boom and my seat is all the way forward. Does anyone have any other suggestions for a complete NewBee? Any assistance would be appreciated

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