MSers Training in 2014

[teena marie]

Hi all,

Training has been a bit hit or miss. Interesting because I'm really going with how I feel. The swimming has been good. The water has cooled down which has been enormously helpful. One day recently, I had an exceptionally long swim. I got home and decided to walk up to a spot on my property where I have a small structure for ocean viewing. It's quite a long walk over rough terrain. It went really well. It made me realize the benefit of training after a cold swim.

I was hoping for a beach to beach swim across the channel but the weather may not cooperate. However, there's still time before I leave so it may happen yet.

Sounds like good riding Larry, Pell and Veronica.

Take good care all,

Teena Marie

[AMFADVENTURES]

I love hearing about everybody's latest training endeavors. I know progress can seem excruciatingly slow at times but we're not just fighting to regain physical prowess, we're also trying to keep our brain mass stable and the rest of our neural function working.

Pell, I might have mis-judged the Puye climb a bit. On further examination I see there is a 2 mile long segment of hill there that has an 800 foot elevation gain. That's more than I've ever climbed in just 2 miles. In an attempt to get a feel for it, I went to the steepest 2 mile climb within an hour of me and did it twice today. It was a little over 600 ft. and is about as tough a climb as I can do without stopping or walking, took me 22.5 minutes each time. New Mexico MS never ceases to challenge!

Hey Veronica, I belong to the "been passed by runners" club, more than once actually and always on a hill. Pedaling a bike, or a trike, uphill is tough business. I'm sure your speed and distance WILL increase with time and training, personally, I think your doing great.

TM, I've been trying something similar to your walking after a cold swim by taking fairly long breaks after very hard exertion. My thinking is to increase muscle strength before the neurons heat up too much then give them a fairly long break with some cooling therapy before doing it again. I think there is a good chance it will help the muscle tone and strength but only time will tell if there will be an accompanying improvement in neural control. It's what I've come up with since I seem to have hit a wall in strength over the last year or so, my new version of interval training.

FYI, there were some interesting studies in the American College of Sports Medicine journal this month. Check out the study on Right ventricular fatigue, something that might affect a lot of endurance athletes about half way through a season I suspect. http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/pages/currenttoc.aspx

DAVE GOT A TRIKE!!!!!!! I can't wait to hear about the adventures. Will you bring it to Pedal los Pueblos?

Larry

[Marinadca]

How did I miss your post, Marina???? Anyway, I also very much enjoyed this story.... a trike to save the day, perfect!! I am also so impressed with your average speed.... I am still really struggling.....now I have to factor in that I don't have it in on a trainer..... I am at the incredibly slow speed of about 8 mph AVERAGE!! Mordifying!! And some rides it is even lower! I had a good chat with a two wheeler recumbent just today when riding, and he also said that it will take months to get the speed up....gave me some training hints, and agrees with me about what I have been thinking about my gearing. I have 24 speeds, three rings in the front....but find I am usually in the bigger ring in front for much of my ride, and when I want to crank it into a higher speed there are no gears left, and I just spin without enough resistance to get moving. So since he concurred with my thoughts on it, I am bringing it in and have them put higher gears on it.... a bigger front ring....and see if they can leave the granny gear as it is.. At least that way I can up my average speed by going full out on the flats and downhills. Feels like I am cheaping on a test, but I'm gonna go for it....

Larry, always happy to hear of your riding,
and as for your technical info.....thank you...I always factor it into my rides....cadence, smoothness of the strokes.....I realize that when I was in my glory days of riding, I "just rode"....Now I really need to pay attention to the technical side of training....it's gotta help...

Don't take my average as the average, I do have a road trike, so it is meant to be quick.

I do wish the climbing was easier, I feel very limited in riding because of it, I need more low and more high end as I max the gears out both ways somehow.

I hope by this time next year I will get these trike legs I keep hearing about and stop dying at the slightest hint of an incline.

I am trying to just lay back and enjoy the ride for now, but this is easier said then done.


On the good news front - I had my longest ride last week 31 miles. Wooohooo

And now to catch up with the thread as I am hopelessly behind.

[Marinadca]

It's great to read about all of the trike adventures. You are both doing an amazing job and will work out the minor kinks in time.
This summer has been so cool that I have been able to continue to ride pretty strong. I am well over 2000 club miles so far this year and have one more century- will finish the season with 5- all on my single bike. I have gained so much confidence and have significantly improved my bike handling skills this year. I definitely enjoy riding the single bike more than I did prior to the Tucson training week.
We have been riding the tandem a bit more lately. It is still my go to solution for really hot weather when I don't trust my strength. Mike has recovered to the point that he can now keep up with me- love it!
The weekend we are organizing a donut ride- 45 miles round trip up to a great little donut shop in Paris, Kentucky.
In terms of hydration and food- I have found that I have to push both water and food if I want to stay strong. I drink a bottle of water just prior to getting on the bike and eat at least a few Shot Bloks every 20 miles.
Larry, I briefly entertained the possibility of joining you in NM, but it isn't in the cards this year.
Pell

I love to hear that you are doing so well! We have been incredibly lucky with the weather this summer. Not a single day over 100! I think its penance for the endless winter of doom we were treated with this year.

[teena marie]

Hi all,

We have had a steady north wind for close to a week. The sea has been too dangerous for swimming. Consequently, I did not swim for close to a week. Yesterday I had a short float and kick in stormy water but today was really my first swim. It felt fantastic. Which brings me to one of our recurring themes. Maybe it's beneficial to take a break. During this vortex of bad weather, I concentrated on increasing my daily activities and did errands, visiting a hospitalized friend, out to lunch, emptying a storage room, etc all accomplished with more ease than usual. I have 2 more days of good swims and then a 2 day drive back to Montreal. I feel in pretty good shape. Then it will be training in my pool and hopefully getting treadmill.

Good luck to all. I believe there are a few big events coming up.


Take care all,

Teena Marie

[AMFADVENTURES]

Only 4 days for a total of 100 miles on the bike last week - BUT, three of those days were climbing rides- AND two of those rides were to watch the USA Pro Challenge on the hills!

On Wednesday I went to Salida and rode about 2/3's of the way up Monarch Pass. Got to see everybody coming down the mountain and, after about an hour, go back up. Pell, Marina and Veronica, you would have been surprised at just how slow those guys rode back up that mountain. Honestly, the peloton looked like the Sunday morning social ride. Sure made me feel better about going slow.

On Saturday I rode to the top of Lookout mountain to watch the last "King of the Mountain" competition. This time the Pro's definitely were not going slow. Lookout is a climb I do at about 5.5 mph. Jens Voigt and four others blew past where I was standing at 20, and I had intentionally positioned myself on a steep part of the hill just below the KOM. What an impressive display of cycling power! Somehow it made me feel even better about my measly 5.5 mph though. I mean, I may be old and I may be slow, but even with MS I can still get to the top of the same hills those guys do.

If any of you cyclists out there ever get a chance to watch the Pro's race, I highly recommend it. On the Pro Challenge series, as long as you were on a bike or on foot, you could go anywhere you wanted at any time just as long as you were off the road when the competitors passed. And those guys make even the best riders I know look weak.

TM, sorry to see things are winding down there but I suppose all good things must end. You know I believe in extended breaks. Even some professional athletes talk about it. They generally recommend one to three weeks of doing something other than the main sport. They do emphasize staying active and not exceeding 3 weeks but it is something I try to build into my training and event schedules. For me, it's become an essential part of exercising and dealing with the MS and it tends to happen several times per year.

Have fun and be safe out there,

[Veronica]

Marina: Congrats on the 31 miles!! And yeah, I am eager to feel what trike legs feel like, indeed! I had a similar issue with the high gears, and it really was helped by changing the crank to give me bigger ones there. It has stopped my legs just spinning without resistance when going flat or downhill... I don't use the granny gear much as I can't spin as fast I would like to.....just don't have the muscle control on the right leg to keep it in line.... Wanted to ask how the knee knock is for you these days? I haven't been able to get someone to work on our "invention"...will do so in the future, but at my PT's suggestion today I tried just a small lift under the opposite butt, and got thru 14 miles without the knee ever caving in, or even starting to...interesting, is all I will say so far. I am going out again tomorrow and let's see if this is still the case....

Teena Marie: It must be very wistful for you to leave Cape Breton at the end of each summer stay.....your home there sounds like such a solace and great training grounds for you...

Larry: I have always wanted to go see the pros race. Sounds like it was a wonderful time up there.... and your comment of doing the same routes regardless of the speed is something I need to remember. I am riding, having a blast, and feeling like I am really working out, so what else is there? And I laughed to read you are a member of the Been Passed by a Runner club... I really thought I was the only member!

In general, I have been focusing more on my nutrition, and now use NUUN All Day in my camelbak, and have been using either Gu or the shot bloks ( Pell, thanks for mentioning them, as I didn't know about them and now I do!) This all has at least really helped me with the "heavy leg " syndrome I was having after a ride, or during one....and I see where it is helping me recover more and adding a little stamina....
I got a little "New Age" today on my training.....felt as if I was really pumping away but still going much slower than I wanted, so I started visualizing that the scenario matched how I felt.....for whatever it is worth, it at least gave me a giggle and had me channeling Greg LeMond (who will forever be my hero..and who, if I remember correctly,was known for taking breaks in training that were longer than the norm at that time..)

Be well all
Veronica

[Marinadca]

Veronica - The knee knock is getting better actually. I switch from my spin shoes with the spd pedals and shoes to the road shoes with look pedals and shoes and the smaller amount of "play" in the pedal seems to be helping a lot. The knee caving in (and then me over compensating for it the other way still happens, but a lot less.

Larry - I know I should just relax and enjoy the ride but the slowness on the hill kills me. I met the "worse" one I have tried to pedal up, and at only 7% grade I slowed down to 5.5 mph. Hate going so slowly! I wish they would invent a road with only downhills and flats!

[AMFADVENTURES]

Good point on the clip-less pedals Marina! I also adjust mine to accommodate some lower leg problems.

Marina, if you're doing 5.5 up a 7% grade you're faster on three wheels than I am on two (that may not be saying much since I'm the slowest climber I know, but still...).

One of my bike buddies recently hired a trainer to get him through a hill climb competition here. Over a period of about 9 weeks, the trainer had him doing 3 to 5 hill intervals starting with 2 minutes with equivalent recovery time between intervals and increasing to 20 minutes over the 9 week time frame, also with equivalent recovery. The recovery time between intervals is critical and we're talking active recovery, you don't stop pedaling you just pedal a LOT easier, like throw out the speedometer and pedal as easy as you can easier. And, the intervals were only at 85 to 90% of maximum effort, not totally all out. He did the hill intervals two well spaced days apart per week taking every 3rd or 4th week at about 1/2 that intensity and duration. He also did short recovery rides and long but slow endurance rides in between. In the end my buddy increased his power on the bike by about 30% but his uphill speed only increased from around 8 mph to 9.7, however it was enough to get him a 5th out of a field of 40 in class. When is your MS ride and how bad are the hills?

Looks like Marina and Pell are the speedsters around here, don't know what LiveWell is up to but like you said Veronica, as long as you, me and Teena Marie are working out and having a blast, we're doing alright, better than most people without MS!

Pedal Los Pueblos is next weekend, I'm entering taper mode. I think I'll be alright on the hill climb but the Century's a question mark since I'm more than a little short in endurance training right now.

Larry

[ActiveMSers]

With my calendar finally clearing and a new trike in the garage, I'll be training on the trails in the coming months. I can already tell hills are going to be a bit challenging, so I'll try to stick mostly to the flats. The problem? My driveway is probably at a 15% grade! I can get down no problem, but getting up is a serious challenge. Hmm. Looking forward to seeing Larry, Beth, etc. at Pueblo! I might even ride some. (Um, in the parking lot.)

[Marinadca]

With my calendar finally clearing and a new trike in the garage, I'll be training on the trails in the coming months. I can already tell hills are going to be a bit challenging, so I'll try to stick mostly to the flats. The problem? My driveway is probably at a 15% grade! I can get down no problem, but getting up is a serious challenge. Hmm. Looking forward to seeing Larry, Beth, etc. at Pueblo! I might even ride some. (Um, in the parking lot.)

I can't wait until you get out there and get to play a bit. I hope that it will give you the same feeling of freedom that it has given me

[AMFADVENTURES]

Pedal Los Pueblos, The NM MS 150

Well, the bike's all cleaned, lubed and tuned. I suppose it could use a little polish but once again, at least it's ready to roll. How is it that it always feels so much lighter after a good cleaning?

Can't wait to get down there and see you, Laura, Beth and everybody else, AND the new trike of course! No worries about riding in the parking lot, I might not get too far out of it myself this year. And you are soooooo right. Bike, trike, foot, whatever, the challenge is the hills ... may we never see the last one!

Larry

[Veronica]

Larry, have a grand time this weekend! From reading about your abilities and all your training, it seems to me that the ride will be a triumph for you....and as far as the challenge part of it, like you inferred, we THRIVE on challenges, don't we? Ride on!!


And Dave, I second Marina's comment.....such a freeing feeling.....and just think you have the luxury of training for the Truchas climb right in your own driveway!

[milesandtrials]

Dave, looking forward to seeing you this weekend at Pedal los Pueblos, and I hope to see this new trike of yours (even if it's just in the parking lot)!

Larry, sounds like you've been hitting the hills hard. It'll be great to see you out there again!

[teena marie]

Wow, sounds like a stellar weekend coming up. Great race, new trike-all amazing. Have lots of fun to you all.

I'm back to Montreal, back to work. Back to training in my outdoor pool. And it all feels good. I started back to my pool routine and it's easier after a summer of ocean swimming. Although, I notice the lack of buoyancy with no salt water. This has me concentrating on my core and using different muscles to keep horizontal. I do calf raises, kicking at the ladder and squats while climbing up the ladder.

Next week, I plan to work with a trainer and my spin bike.

Take care all and I look forward to hearing about the upcoming weekend.

Teena Marie