MSers Training in 2014

[AMFADVENTURES]

Happy New Year everyone. And that means it’s time to get going with training. I don’t have any fan fare to start this year off with, I don’t know what I did to piss off the idea fairy but she hasn’t come to visit for a while so we’ll just have to get right down to business.

Normally I don’t make New Years resolutions, unless it’s a resolution not to make resolutions, but this year I am going to make a resolution and that single resolution is - to enjoy the ride. If I figure out how to do that, while hammering out those intervals or straining up that hill, I’ll let you know. Wish me luck.

So, what have I been doing and what’s on the agenda for this year? Although it hasn’t been snowing volumes, it has been snowing often. Half of the exercise I’ve gotten in the last two weeks has been shoveling an inch or two of snow. When it doesn’t snow, I’ve been walking. The longest continuous walk I’d done in the last decade was about a half-mile. Then a couple of weeks ago, having been inspired by a fellow Active MSer, I managed to walk continuously for about 2 miles. I’ve done it 3 or 4 more times since then. I use a walking stick and I am a total stumbling spaz at the end of the two miles, but it’s a start. There’s a move afoot to gather a group of MSers and climb Pikes Peak in 2015. Obviously, for me, it’s not too early to start training. http://activemsers.wssnoc.net/showthread.php?t=1400

I also managed to get out on the bike a couple of times but there is still a little too much ice and snow around for my taste. On the clear patches though, when we didn’t have to ride in traffic to avoid the ice or walk when we couldn’t, it was nice to be back in the saddle. With a little luck and a little more snow, I should also be able to get out on the XC skis, I hope it's sooner rather than later.

This years agenda will include at least the Colorado and New Mexico Bike MS rides and probably the Copper Triangle. I've been eying the "Waves to Wine" ride in California for a while, maybe this will be the year. I'm always looking for new and exciting rides to try, new rides in new places are part of the fun.

Take a minute if you can, and let us know what you’ve been doing lately and what form your plans are taking for the New Year. Then join us as we train toward our goals, and try to have a little fun along the way to staying Active with MS.

AMF Adventures

[kristen.gallegos]

I'm not much of a resolutions girl either. I think they're great in theory, but I'm very goal oriented and resolutions seems much easier to break. I have several goals for 2014:
-Run 1000 miles
-Run a half marathon with my dad
-Incorporate strength training and yoga into my schedule at least once a week
-Lower my sugar intake (yeah right, mark that as a failure already )
-Respond to messages in a timely manner
-Pray and listen for the Lord to reveal who He created me to be (most important of all)

Good luck with your activities! Your Waves to Wine ride sounds awesome, but then again, you can't go wrong with wine!

[pawpaw]

2014 non-resolutions

Larry and Kristen,
It sounds like you have your work cut out for you. I don't really have specific training plan, but I am trying to be active every day- goal is to move 60 minutes/day. Tonight I am going to ride the trainer for the 1st half of the UK basketball game.
A friend has challenged a group of us to sit on the floor and then stand without the use of our hands or knees. I can sit and get up from my BOSU and I am practicing on it for now. It's not clear I can get up off the floor, but I am working on it.
We did ride 17 miles on New Year's Day into a serious head wind. No riding since then but I have done a spinning class and some walking.
In 2 weeks my sister and I are going to Pearl Laguna Spa- read boot camp- to hike, yoga and lose weight.
The first week in March my nephew and I are off to Tucson for a weeklong cycling camp.
So, I am going to get in shape or go broke trying!
Pell

[AMFADVENTURES]

Kristen, glad you joined us, I like your 1000 mile running goal. Mine for last year was 5000 on the bike, I got to within 250 miles of it, would have made it easily except for an accident early in the year. I'll keep it the same this year.

Pell, I'm doing about the same thing you are, just trying to keep moving. If I can ride I do that, otherwise I walk. If it's too icy to even walk I might spin or do weights or stairs and core. If we ever get enough snow I'll get on the cross country skis. No real set schedule except for yoga twice a week, kind of letting the weather guide me right now. My near term goal is to be back in shape by end of February. Also joined the Rocky Mountain Cycling Club. They don't cater to beginners, only A and B groups. Hope I can keep up.

Larry

[AMFADVENTURES]

I've been trying to do something active every day. I've sort of settled into a 5 day pattern of cycling one day, walking one day doing weights and core one day and yoga one day which, depending how tired I am by then, I may or may not combine with one of the other activities. On the fifth day, I may rest or, again depending on how tired I am, one of the other activities.

All in all things are going pretty well. I managed 77 miles in 6:15 on the bike last week at a slow pace, kept my heart rate down, just trying to re-tune the muscles and get everything working again. Weather permitting I'll shoot for 100 miles this week.

I've also been walking, 2 miles at a time, but I'm going to decrease the distance because it seems my knees aren't quite ready for that much yet, especially if I do it two or more times in a week.

Weights, core and stairs are once or twice a week. I'm up to two sets of 20 reps taking the stairs two at a time with hand rail support. I've also been doing supported lunges and shallow squats, balance ball sit ups, planks, pushups and a few specialized hip flexor exercises. The weights are all upper body.

I do yoga twice a week religiously and try to combine it with one of the other activities. Otherwise I just do the yoga and consider it a rest day.

Can't tell you all how spectacular the weather has been around here, a little on the cold side but oh so beautiful.

Everybody getting some time in?

It has begun!

Larry

[milesandtrials]

Happy New Year, everyone. Awesome 2014 goals.
AMF, already riding 77 miles last week? Impressive start to 2014!

Kristin, I love your goals, seeing as I'm a runner myself! I also love your blog, great work.

Pell, a cycling camp in Tucson sounds wonderful, I was there over the holidays, but only got 2 short rides in. It left me wanting more!

[LivWell]

I'm doing yoga three times a week and walking at least 2 miles 5 days a week, with one long walk on the weekend.

I also do Tai Chi which helps improve my balance.

My knees have been a little wonky lately, so I'm working on strengthening them.

Stretching ..... everyday, twice a day is best for me.

[AMFADVENTURES]

M&T, glad you dropped by. I'm afraid I have to tattle on you a little. M&T just ran a Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon. She didn't just run it though, she rocked it with a 34th out of 1,141 in class. Not too shabby M&T, score one for active MSers. She has also signed up for her first Iron Man, to take place later this year. I know she can run and bike and I'll be watching with great interest to see how the swimming goes, literally I hope. You can follow her progress on her blog and through her tweets, it's quite inspirational.

LivWell, glad you joined us. Walking 2 miles 5 days a week AND a long walk, I’m impressed! That whole knee thing really is a pain. I hope, in my case, it’s just a matter of getting them used to the pounding.

Pell, do I see another assault on Mt. Lemmon in your future? I got to say, I really love the variety of exercise I’m doing now, walking, riding, and the weights, core and stairs. And the yoga. It removes a lot of the monotony of exercising. The stairs are having a fairly big effect, although I'm not sure quite how to describe it yet.

I rode four times for 115 miles this week, walked twice, did the stairs core and weights twice and yoga twice. Went out for a short ride today but things were a little dicey, high winds and big gusts, had to watch out for falling trees. This one fell just a couple of minutes before I got there.

Nice job everyone,
Larry

[teena marie]

Hello all,

It's been a while. Life has thrown me a few curveballs. Montreal weather has been extremely intense that has made getting around difficult. Plus my dear 93 old mother died. Plus my pool project was fraught with multiple delays. The good news is that it's finished and I am now swimming in my living room.

So now I'm back to training in the water and looking forward to some summer competitions. I have 7 stairs to climb to access the pool so already that's a workout. Then it's in and I'm just getting my routine going. I have a harness I strap around my waist and tie to the back of the pool and then I swim on the spot. I count 30 strokes as one length, I'm now up to 10 lengths. I also hang on to the ladder and kick as hard as possible-100 kicks at a time. I do this routine 3 times a week and the other days maybe half of that. So far so good and I'm feeling some positive effects in my body. I will incorporate some other exercises as I adapt.

What an inspiring group of activemser's. I love all of the goals and learn something from everyone.

Take good care, all and it's good to be back.

Teena Marie

[AMFADVENTURES]

TM, Glad you're back. Condolences on your mother's passing, I hope things are settling down there for you.

I had been wondering how the pool installation was going. The swimming pool in the living room must be quite a conversation piece.

Looking forward to the year TM,

Larry

!!!!!GO BRONCOS!!!!!

[pawpaw]

Back from the ?Spa-

My sister and I are back from the most intense week of my life. The Pearl Spa was a cleanse/bootcamp/ yoga/ hiking and attitude adjustment week. The schedule:
Up at 6:30 -drink hot water with lemon juice
7am Power Yoga usually taught by Geo- author of Yoga for Idiots
8am breakfast- very light- ie- poached pear with some grated almond and a tablespoon of sheep milk yogurt and chia seeds with hot herbal tea after
9am- Hiking- we hiked for 3 hours usually covering 8 miles- some VERY steep climbs- we had a snack to eat- a few slices of apple and sometimes a tangerine
12:40- weight lifting or pool exercise for 30 minutes
1:15 Lunch- again light- salad with dressing followed by hot herbal tea
2-5- downtime with a one hour massage- excellent
5:30 Healing broth and fireside chat-
6pm- Yoga- more stretch and meditation than very active poses
Sometimes we also had Tai Chi as well
7 or 8pm- dinner very light (seeing a trend here?) vege stir fry with a tablespoon or two of black rice followed by a hot herbal tea
9pm bed

I weighed in at 150 at The Pearl in my jeans after flying across the country. I weighed out at 145 in the morning in my yoga clothes. I lost 14".
I thought that I would only see a few pound loss when I got home to my own scale but I this morning I am 143. The morning before I left I was 149. So, I think I actually lost 6#- incredible.
More importantly, I am stronger and have much better balance- in just a week of pushing myself. I pushed way beyond what I thought I could do and feel great. I am definitely going to add some yoga to my routine. I feel strangely empowered to change some stuff that I didn't think was changeable.
Very interesting week!
In 4 weeks I head to cycling camp. The first day we head to Mt Lemmon.

Pell

[AMFADVENTURES]

Other than the low calorie diet, the spa sounds great, and congrats on losing the lbs. while gaining strength and balance, looks like a great time and an all around win, win. Of course, you know I can't wait to hear how Mt. Lemmon goes.

I guess, in a way, I've been almost that successful. Last week I got on the bike trainer once, did the stairs and weights once, yoga once and took my best 2 mile walk in over a decade, which was very encouraging. If that sounds a little light, throw in three snow shoveling workouts and you've got the whole picture. I also managed to put on a lb. or two, though more from not eating right than from overeating.

Here's a bike ride I've signed up for. If anybody's interested let me know, I'd love to have someone to ride this one with.
http://www.bvbf.org/

Double digit below zero temperatures are making life a little difficult around here, hope everyone else is finding a way to cope.

Larry

[AMFADVENTURES]

Just a quick note. I've been fairly regular with my exercise routines, stairs, weights, walking, yoga and cycling (in the basement on the trainer because it's been below zero out there).

It's all going well except the walking. I really thought I'd have made more progress by now but I'm finding 2 miles is about my limit. I will say that I've started to recover from the walks quicker and the exertion seems to be integrating better with all my other activities but one day, I'd sure like to make it about 5 miles.

Going outside on the bike for the first time in a couple of weeks today. Winds are 30 mph gusting to 70. Might be a good day to just practice "staying in the moment", and keeping the rubber side down.

Anybody getting some exercise in?

Larry

[teena marie]

Hi all,

Sounds like amazing work, as usual, Larry. Walking is such a part of life,b when it isn't up to par, we really feel it. It's great you're persisting. 2 miles sounds fabulous although I totally understand the desire to go further. There's a great Jimmy Cliff tune-You Can get it if You Really Want-it's my theme song.
It's now 4 weeks with the pool and this week I started to see some significant changes. The stairs are a little easier, my left leg and ankle support my weight better, my core is stronger, I am straighter. I am increasing my distance and have integrated some land exercises to the pool such as calf raises, squats at the ladder and will continue to add different exercises as time goes on. On land I walk with 2 forearm crutches, in the pool, I walk without assistance and if I fall, it doesn't matter because I'm in water. I feel like it's helping with rewiring things.

It was a huge undertaking getting it done. But now I can say it's worth it and I'm starting to reap the benefits. I've attached a picture of the pool and one of me swimming on the spot with my harness tethering me to the back.

Take care all,

Teena Marie

pool.jpg
swim 3 - Copy.jpg

[LivWell]

I'm having pretty good success with the walking regimen. I am using my trusty old Omron pedometer as motivation. I made it within 600 steps of a 10,000 step day last week. I took a long walk mid week to do it. I do seem to need a couple of days recovery after doing anything "major" in the exertion department.

Yoga is a big focus for me and I've been able to maintain a good practice. I incorporate poses that challenge and stretch the tendons supporting my knees and they seem to be improving. Spasticity in my IBand really does a number on my knees so I work on this a lot.

Even with the increased activity my weight was heading in a direction I didn't like. So I've been taking inventory of what I'm eating. It's amazing how automatic the hand to mouth reflex can be.