MS'ers Training in 2013

[AMFADVENTURES]

And speaking of cooling off, the 50 degree days we've been experiencing around here have extended my cycling endurance quite a bit making the longer distances noticeably easier to do. Also, in addition to a few exercises, I've been paying particular attention to activating my hip flexors, when I bike, when I walk, climb stairs, even when I'm sitting at the desk. It seems to be paying off in my walking although I haven't tried any distance yet.

Got 144 miles last week, longest ride was 55 miles, also getting at least one set of intervals in per week, almost back to pre-break fitness levels and feeling pretty good!

Never stop,

[pawpaw]

Winter training

It is clear that I need to move into winter training mode. With the clavicle fracture I haven't been to the gym in 5 weeks. Soon I should be able to put some weight on that shoulder so the vacation is coming to an end.
We did get out today for a 40 mile ride and it was great to be out riding in the sun, even if it was just 42 degrees.
What is everyone planning for the winter training season? My Pilates instructor has dropped off the face of the earth, so I am a bit lost. My gym also sold to LA Fitness and they eliminated all of the classes that I like.
Some options I am playing with:
2-3 times a week spinning at the downtown YMCA at 6am. This class is run by a cyclist and it isn't loud and obnoxious - unclear if I will talk myself into getting up

2-3 times a week spinning class at 5:45am at my gym- free but early and obnoxious.

Join another gym- there is a 3 month groupon- and try their classes. I have belonged to this gym before and it is much less of a social scene and more about fitness.

Join a rowing center- for some reason this appeals to me. Not sure the clavicle will agree.

Suck it up and manage at the gym I have paid for. This is likely the option I will choose.

This year I don't seem to be motivated to make a winter plan and stick to it.

Can anyone kick my rear into action?

Pell

[penkalet]

Hello every one
I know I have not posted for a while! sorry, Just got lazy with the computer and got busy with life and honey-do. But I have regularly read your post.
Pell, I am sorry that you have hurt your foot .
Also talk about you the other day to some one in my town that did the trip in tandem in France this summer. Small world.
I am still riding every week some 80 to hundred miles. I decided that it is my medicine and that I need to take it 3 time a week, hoping that I will got some placebo effect as a bonus!
Then with copaxone, yoga, meditation and diet I hope I am not over dosing with placebo!!
Larry, you are truly an inspiration to keep us riding.
I did a event last week end the "the tour de Gruene " in Austin hill country with couple killer short climbs! You are pushing so hard that you just feel trap because no way to stop, the time to enclip and you are down! Great challenge.
Have a great week

Alain

[AMFADVENTURES]

Absent but Active

Been MIA myself for a while, lots of stuff going on including a LOT of riding. I did two back to back weeks of 190 miles each, a “recovery” ride at the beginning of the following week, then came home, collapsed on the couch and read a book for the next 5 days. I don’t think that’s exactly the right way to train but so it goes. Just getting back on track now.

Tour de Tucson is less than two weeks away. Both my daughter and my sister are doing the 85 mile version. I might opt for that one too even though I told myself at the beginning of the year that I’d do the 110 mile route. There’s no doubt in my mind that I could do it either. It’ll just be more fun with a little company I think. And it will give me one less arroyo to walk across too, plus a gorgeous young daughter’s shoulder to lean on while crossing the other arroyo. Right, I think I just convinced myself, I’m doing the 85 mile loop.

Pell, I haven’t laid out my winter plans yet either. I know I will get on the elliptical machine to keep the cardio up and I should get back to the weight room. I need to get it figured out by Thanks Giving. If we get any snow around here, I WILL also get on my cross country skis.

Alain, nice to see you’re back. You nailed that steep hill experience. If you stop you’ll probably fall over. Congrats on doing the ride. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Austin area. Hey, have you ever looked at the Santa Fe Century? I’m thinking of doing that one again next year. I think it's May 18th. Still thinking of coming out this way?

TM, everything okay up north?

Later,

[teena marie]

Hi all,

Adjusting to winter training is a challenge. I had my last swim October 19 and went through a period of intense grieving. Coupled with it being my busiest period at work with the onset of the winter respiratory viruses, training is not tops. I am trying to look at it as medecine, as you do,Alain, and make it my priority. I continue to work with my trainer weekly and have recently incorporated some good core strengthening. I also have some home yoga training which after a few sessions, we have found a good rhythm. I have a colleague who has a fitness background. We are both researchers and plan to do a case study using stairs. I would like to improve my stair climbing so she'll evaluate me, give me some targeted exercises and re-evaluate after 10 weeks. I am getting closer to my indoor pool installation which will be life changing. I can be training watching the snow flakes outside!

Take good care, all.

Teena Marie

[AMFADVENTURES]

Cancelled the Tour de Tucson plans. It’s bitter cold, icy and snowing for the 600 miles from here to the NM/AZ border and not forecast to stop anytime soon. DW and I have made a number of trips like that before but it has never ended up on my top ten list of fun things to do. Even if we did get to Tucson in time for the ride, I’m not sure I’d be in any kind of shape to pedal a bike even a mere 85 miles the day after one of those journeys. Here’s the really sad part though, I’ve got 4,648 miles on my bike odometer for the year to date. Only 352 more miles and I could break 5,000, a nice round number for a recreational cyclist with MS.

So TM, I find myself seriously conflicted between grieving the end of the season as you say, but at the same time, secretly overjoyed at the prospect of some time off the bike! Of course, if the weather turns back to beautiful again, anything could happen? I’ll be interested in the results of your stair study too. I’ve developed some of my own ideas concerning getting the MS affected muscles working again, maybe we can discuss that later.

Pell, Alain, here is my winter training plan, but except for yoga, I’m keeping it intentionally non specific. I’m going to shoot for some kind of High Intensity Interval session twice a week, the studies say that's important. It could be elliptical, spin bike or possibly cross country skis. I need to get some weight training in too, also twice per week, light weights at least to start with, snow shoveling also counts. I will keep my yoga up twice per week and, like TM, I plan to put a little more emphasis on core work.

My Colorado Bike MS team raised over $270,000 for NMSS, an incredible tribute to the magnificent ladies who run that team.

Have a happy holiday guys, it’s been another great year.

Larry

[pawpaw]

Winter riding

Larry, Sorry your plans for the Tour didn't work out. It sounds like you made the reasonable decision.
Today we had a couple over the ride that are interested in tandeming. While Mike was out with Jamie on the tandem, I hopped on my single bike for the first time since September. I didn't ride fast or long but I rode as hard as I could for 18 miles. I am dead but I loved it. Everything is better if I get to ride the bike!
I still don't have a winter plan in place. I actually wrote one out and proceeded to do nothing but eat this past week. Maybe I will do better this week....
Pell

[penkalet]

Larry sorry about not being to do your last event of the season after all that good training...
For next year Santafe event I probably wont be able to do it. This spring is going to be very busy and I even don't know if I can go in France this summer. But I WILL make it one day!
Also, about muscling your legs for walking I am missing something because the PT gave me all the exercises for it and when the neuro tested me, he was very impressed how well I was doing.
BUT my walking is not better...Let me know if you improve.
Pell, you are so right about felling better when you ride. Just this Thank Giving I miss 10 days of ridding and also indulging with food while my kids and friends were with us and here I was! Fatigue and feeling old. This week I rode twice and back to “normal”.
Well lets try to survive the next holidays and winter.
Happy Xmas and Bonne Annee.
Alain

[AMFADVENTURES]

Slugging it out!

Yep, I've been slugging it out here! As in your average garden variety SLUG. Moving slow, eating a lot, doing a little baking, a little reading, a little socializing. The most exercise I've gotten has been shoveling a couple of inches of light snow off the driveway, and actually DW did more than half of that.

I joined a new health club. It's closer to home and filled with attractive young hard bodies. I figured it would limit my excuses and provide motivation. It hasn't worked yet.

Last time I was on my bike was exactly one week ago today. I rode 40 miles. Spent the first 20 miles warming up and doing intervals. Rode the last 20 miles easy, just enjoying the sights and sounds and all of the activity around me on what everyone knew would be the last day of warm fall weather for some time to come. I concur guys, everything is better on the bike. That ride may have to hold me over for a while though.

I know what I have to do. At a minimum I've got to get on the elliptical machine. The elliptical has been the single biggest aid to my walking ability for years now. And, although there isn't enough snow yet, I've got to get the cross country skis out. I did go down to the basement to check on them after the recent light snow but, they seemed to be resting so peacefully I decided not to disturb them.

Oh well, hope you all are doing better,

Larry


“Do not judge me by my successes, judge me by how many times I fell down and got back up again” Nelson Mandela

[teena marie]

Hi all,

It's a tough time of year. I also think it's allright to be a slug every now and then.Last week, I took a day working from home,stayed in my PJ's and didn't move too much. Winter has arrived providing some very nasty stick walking conditions. My indoor pool has had numerous delays and my regular trainer has been busy with exams.

I started with a new trainer who works across the hall from me. Goal is to improve stair climbing. We've had 2 sessions working in the stairwell. It's nice to work with someone new.

I'm pacing myself for the silly season.

Take care all,

Teena Marie

[Fit Paul]

Fighting my way back from two weeks of hardly being able to get my butt out of bed much less exercise. Yesterday I walked 6.3 miles today 5.25 miles. I thank God for every step that I can take. My diagnosis was upgraded (downgraded?) To secondary progressive last month. Time to up my game and fight this bastard (M.S.) even harder. Procincitu has become my new favorite word, it's Latin for "prepared for battle" it seems to fit my bellicose nature.

[AMFADVENTURES]

DW brought this new Weight Watchers scale home a few of weeks ago. It not only weights you, it gives you the weight of your body fat, % body fat, % water, % bone mass, and BMI. I love gadgets like that, but, it's been a little dismaying to watch my weight and % body fat climb week after week ever since I've been off the bike. It's gotten to the point that I dread every new package that arrives, fearing candy, and every tin and plate full of cookies that comes through the door. In fact, although most of our friends and acquaintances will never read this, let me offer my sincerest apologies for sending those cookies and candies for Christmas.

At any rate, it's all spurred me back into action. I've made it a point to do some kind of activity every day. Stair climbing, hip flexor exercises, yoga, core work, something, although I still haven't been on the elliptical. I did head for an elliptical session earlier this week but I had just read Paul's entry on walking 5 and 6 miles. So, on a whim, I detoured to a little park along the way, grabbed my hiking pole out of the back of the car and walked for nearly an hour, probably a little less than 2 miles, but, also the furthest I've walked at one time in over a decade. So thanks for that Paul, it seems my walking ability has improved over the last year or two and I'm very happy to discover that.

Happy Holidays,

AMF

[Fit Paul]

Fantastic job AMF. That's what I love about this forum. We all encourage each other. Keep up the great work.