MSers in Training 2015

[Suebee]

Don't worry about bogging down the race event ! I've been with my husband who races, and in my experience there are many supportive people urging on the ones in behind. Such a positive atmosphere.

With re to my 5k interval training, I may have to focus on strength exercises and maybe stationary bike for awhile. Today was wk 2 day 3 of my schedule. I have not been able to sprint since after the first day. In fact my jog turned more and more into a shuffle. Today I had significant pain in my knees and fought through the pain hoping it would loosen up. But it didn't. I was confused as why my form has deteriorated do much this wk. So I googled it of course. Turns our weak hip flexors can cause this. Here is what I found :----
]t turns out that, while it appears that the kneecap “tracks” towards the outside of your leg during squatting and running motions, it’s actually the femur rotating underneath the kneecap This surprising fact perhaps explains why many runners (particularly women) with patellofemoral pain syndrome have weak hip abdu[/B]ctors and external rotators. This seems to contribute to altered biomechanics when they run. Because of their muscular weaknesses, their knee “collapses” towards the center of their body when they run. Some work has focused on directly altering the biomechanics of runners with patellofemoral pain syndrome by using a treadmill and camera system to provide gait analysis in real-time.

Unfortunately, this is not an option that’s widely available to most runners. Fortunately, some preliminary research has shown very good results from hip strengthening protocols. Specifically, the literature demonstrates that a successful program should definitely incorporate hip abductor, external rotator, and quadriceps strength.

Many programs that have produced good results also include hip flexor/extensor strength, closed-chain “functional” exercises like squats, and balance training.---

So I think I better try to get my hip flexors strong. I felt so good on first day running I want it again. Maybe I'll be able to use stationary bike in lieu of running. Any ideas on my hip flexors, let me know.

[Suebee]

I forgot to add link to article I referenced. Here it is http://runnersconnect.net/running-in...pain-syndrome/

[AMFADVENTURES]

Suebee, you hit a big one, hip flexors, right up there with drop foot, fatigue and optical neuritis but not as talked about. That and core are primarily what my PT has been working on. She managed to find my weakest core and hip flexor muscles and develop exercises to work on them. The good news is that they do seem to respond, albeit slowly. Squats, lunges, single leg back bridges, leg rotation from the hip, butt walking, all kinds of leg lifts, knee lifts, step ups, stairs, stairs sideways and about a million more. In fact, taking on a full top to bottom fitness program seems to help everything and I suspect it's even more important for PWMS. Make sure you take measures to recover from your exercise too, recovery is the key to getting stronger. Some call it adaptation because it's when the body adapts to the stress being placed on it by making itself stronger. Adaptation only takes place during rest and it won't happen any faster than naturally possible nor can it be forced.

I'm going to get two 40 mile rides in this weekend and then I'm off on a bike and barge trip through the Netherlands, tulips, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Heineken, etc. The longest ride will be 50 Km and the most elevation change is 600 ft. but there will undoubtedly be plenty of walking to compensate for any shortage of cycling. I'm taking my hiking poles, an ankle orthotic, an Ace bandage wrap and plenty of athletic tape. Hopefully I'll be able to shore up at least some of those malfunctioning joints if the walking gets to me.

Have fun all, you may not hear from me for a couple of weeks,

Larry

[Veronica]

Hi all, and Happy Spring weekend.
Larry, I hope you have a great time in the Netherlands.. enjoy all your journeys over there...and toast us all with the Heinekens! ( I am gathering you are having more than one....)
Marina, Happy to hear you are back rollin' outside...bet it feels good.
Suebee, the hip flexor dilemma IS a major stumbling block ( no pun intended!) It also factors into cycling, as when I am on the two wheeler or the trike, my right leg at the knee ends up turning in and will hit the chain ( Marina has written about this, too...) I am also on a pretty decent exercise regime to work on this ( but nowhere near as extensive as Larry...) and have seen some improvement, but it is very slow going. And some days for reasons that are part of the mystery of MS, I think, it is hardly a factor, while other days it just fires up very early. With the trike, my PT and I have spoken of getting a custom fitting for an adaption to the bench type seat, to give my hip the support that the seat does not give me.

I am moving forward with checking out training wheels for the Bike Friday. Have ordered a set ( EZ- Trainer.com ) and plan on taking these and the bike to the bike shop on Friday to see what he can do. The manufacturer has this fitting bikes with wheels at a min 24" and mine is 20". My bike guy wants to try changing the training wheels from 16" to 12" ones and see if that works. If not, I may very well be buying another new bike! ( Bike Friday purchased in 2012, trike in 2014.) I am getting abit obsessed with being able to ride socially again, and safely. Feel I am so close...

Rotator cuff injury is slowly healing, so I continue not doing any planks for now....Still doing the pilates version, which I also like,and feel that is strengthening my core just as well.

Happy trails everyone!

[bknyfinest1]

Training this week

I'm starting my all out training plan this week. Actually today was day one. I was doing my 2x a week PT, two weeks ago I added my weekly Pilates class and last week I got the go ahead from my therapist to add the elliptical.

The biggest problem is my left calf spasticity, which continues to act up during an knee bend/leg extension exercise that I do. If the instructor calls for 8 reps I can get through 4-5 before my leg stops responding. Annoying to say the least but I'm not giving up yet.

I also had no idea how bad my hip flexors are. The effect the tightness has on my activities is really significant. I've been doing stretches to target my flexors but it's apparent that I have my work cut out for me over the next few weeks (months?).

I had Pilates this morning, and now I'm home sitting down (finally, heehee). I'm glad Monday is my day off, I sure need it.

I hope everyone has a great day!

[Suebee]

Veronica and Larry thanks for your advice on my hip flexors. Larry have a great trip!. My knees have given me a lot of trouble. My hips and legs are very tight and stiff I'm limping. so im taking a break from exercise. I'm framing it in my mind as having highlighted the extent of my physical weaknesses that I need to work on.
If my knees and hips don't get better soon l will visit GP and see if I qualify for some pt. I guess I was so determined to exercise that I didn't realize all the aches and pains were telling me to stop. MS is so deceptive. ! But now I know I need serious focus on hips and core.
Bkny , glad to hear you have exercise plan and are working on hips. I don't think any medical staff ever told me I needed to work on this. Be sure to rest and listen to your body. I should have taken my own advice and I wldnt have sore knees rt now! Good luck and keep us posted on your regimine. Suebee

[Steph]

So I'm about 2 weeks away from the 10k I'm going to run in, and training is going pretty well. I'm using the Hal Higdon novice plan. My problem is that it is getting warmer out, so my legs and feet are acting up from the heat. It was great when the temps were 40's and 50's, but I'm starting to see problems when it gets into the 60s. Does anyone here have any ideas for how I can stay cool? I think a cooling vest would be too bulky for me to enjoy running while wearing it, and I don't want to invest in one and not wear it.

I've found my cycling has taken a backseat to the running for now, and I've had trouble finding enough time to ride! I may have to do the 65 mile route instead of the 100 due to lack of training. I will try to get in a lot of cycling after the 10k is over in early May and see how I do.

Larry, your mile count is amazing! It sounds like you will be more than ready!

Marina, your pace doesn't sound all that slow! My husband and I only averaged between 11-12 mph on our hybrids last summer! I think you're doing great!

[Suebee]

Steph. That's wonderful news about your 10k training. It gives me encouragement for my own goal. For cooling, I got creative with soft ice pacts for kids boo boos. They are light and fit inside clothing and a spare or 2 can be put in runner fanny pack. I also really like the sports towels you soak in cold water and drape around neck. I volunteered at an event and wrapped a thin disposable ice pack for injuries around my waist. There are lots of ice packs on market. Good luck ! And keep us posted. It's exciting to hear about your accomplishments. Suebee

[teena marie]

Hello all,

Steph, your training sounds really good. Congratulations. Ice vests are a lifesaver. Maybe you could get a prescription so it could be a medical expense for insurance or taxes. Larry posted a list of excellent cooling strategies in another thread Uthoff's and optic issues. Keep up the great work.

There was an earlier discussion about trikes. I totally agree about being upright on a regular bike versus recumbent. Not that I'm on any kind of a bike at present, but I have found I use my whole body when upright. I loved the looks of some of the bikes. Here is another amazing looking bike http://www.4wieler.nl/en/about-us

Swim training is going well. Physio is good. I'm quite overextended with work(our hospital is moving) and a huge renovation project. I'm on the verge of being too frazzeled so my goals to counteract this is get enough sleep and meditate on a regular basis. I fell at work yesterday (not hurt) and it was a clear sign that I was too flustered.

Larry, your trip sounds amazing. I look forward to some details.

Take care all,

Teena Marie

[AMFADVENTURES]

Back from the Netherlands last night. Great trip! Too much to tell right now but basically it included a great group of people, bikes and boats with plenty of walking and riding and lots of eating and drinking all tied together by strong winds. Remarkably, there were no significant incidents or accidents!

Steph, good luck on the run!

Looking forward to getting back in the routine,
Larry

[teena marie]

Hi all,

Welcome back, Larry. You must have seen some great bikes. I think your event is coming up soon, Steph. Good luck.

I've been increasing strength training and it feels good. Trying to balance out quads and hamstrings. Lots of glut work with kicking at the pool ladder. This also helps the hip flexor's. Also lots of hand strengthening and some fine motor exercises. Physio is great. He really thinks outside the box
and believes potential is everywhere.

Hard to believe summer will ever come. Cool and rainy and I want my outdoor pool!

Take care all,

Teena Marie

[Marinadca]

Teeny - thanks for posting that link those are some interesting looking bikes!

One of my biggest frustrations in speed on my bike (I average 12-14 mph) and I wonder how heavy those are! I need to learn to relax and enjoy the ride when I am going slower then I want to be (17-19 in my happy ]place generally).

Larry - I am glad you enjoyed your trip, cannot wait to hear about it (and maybe see some pics)

[Veronica]

Larry, I join the throngs in saying "Happy you had a good trip, and happy you're back!" Yeah, photos would be cool!
Marina, I know what you are feeling about the speed. Our cycling is so personal...our machines, our gear, our rituals before, during and after a ride, and our comfort speed. So I can appreciate that you are craving for that 17 mph. Can the trike get up to 17mph?? I know yours is a lot fast than mine and has the larger than 16 " wheel on the rear.... I'm very curious about the differences between our trikes.

I'm on my way to being back on the upright. Got the adult training wheels and they and my Bike Friday are at the shop. We needed to order 12" wheels for the training wheels, as the 16" ones don't work with the 20" wheels of the BF. The bike guy had never seen these training wheels, but worked with me in ordering them, and when he actually mounted them on the bike he thought it was pretty cool looking. Different look, at the very least! I have my fingers crossed that the wheels come in tomorrow and I can pick up the bike on Saturday. I am so itching to get out there! The trike is currently on my trainer.....and I am enjoying spinning that way. Hard to get the heart rate up, but I have to say that I do not regret buying the trike. I will use it for some rides this season...probably alone, as my two wheeler friends can't go that slow.....

My rotator cuff issue is finally beginning to really heal...thanks to LOTS of PT, and a cortisone shot.... Now at least I can work harder on strength training without the pain.... and back to the planks, in time.....

Teena Marie: you so sound as if you are rocking with your exercises! Sounds like your PT really is in this journey with you, and wants progress for you almost as much as you do! A winning combination, as far as I see it!

[AMFADVENTURES]

All is well that ends well

Hey TM, I did see some interesting bikes in Holland. About every fifth bike over there had an electric assist too and although I didn't see that many trikes, all of the ones I did see had an electric assist. Glad to see you're getting into strength training. Just from a confidence boosting perspective, I find it's great. Hope summer finds you guys up there someday.

Marina, I am absolutely amazed you can pedal that trike 12 to 14 mph! The para-Olympic guys I occasionally run across around here only push their tens of thousand dollar trikes at 18 to 20 or so. I think you're grossly underestimating your ability there girl, you're doing great! Keep it up, look for a trike club if you have to, get an electric assist, whatever it takes keep going.

Veronica, good news on the rotator cuff, glad to see it's starting to work itself out. Also, I'd love to see a picture of your bike friday after you get the training wheels on it.

Suebee, I hope the knees are improving. Don't be surprised if it takes some time to get them used to the punishment, it'll be worth it in the end.

I took a spin on the bike yesterday, first time since getting back. Getting back on that bike was like putting on a nice fitting glove. Sitting on the saddle with my hands on the grips was so comfortable it was sort of like getting a hug from an old friend. We flew down the trail and I swear that bike floated over the bumps and crevasses. I can only imagine that it must have been overjoyed to have me back and be rolling again. We'll see if tomorrow goes so well.

I think the Iceland/Netherlands trip might come in installments because it's taking me a while to get through the ten thousand or so helmet cam pictures I've got. Here's the first installment,

The Bike.

In case you're not familiar with the typical Dutch city bike, here's a picture of the one I had. This behemoth weighed in at at least 45 lbs., probably more like 50. It is totally upright. There is no place to hide in a wind on this bike. It is impossible to make yourself small and oh yeah, there wouldn't be a Holland if it wasn't for wind and windmills so there was wind and plenty of it, usually on the nose (windmill pic.)

I guess I didn't get a picture of the pedals so let me just say, they were as basic as pedals can get. We just don't have pedals that basic over here. I may not have expected quite so much wind but I did expect to have pedal problems and I prepared by bringing along a pair of toe clips and screws to attach them with. Of course, the pedals were so basic, there wasn't any way to screw the tow clips on but after a little fooling around I managed to tape them on with athletic tape and secure them pretty firmly with a couple of zip ties, at least well enough to get me by.

It was fortuitous that I planned for that because between the biking and all of the walking at the attractions we biked to, I could not keep my foot on those pedals. I tried to tough it out the first day without the toe clips but was having major problems keeping my foot on the pedal after walking around the Tulip garden we visited (pic.) Fortunately, at some point on the way back to the barge, about 7 of the group decided they didn't want to pedal anymore, and so with as much reluctance as I could muster, I decided I'd accompany them in a taxi.

We had to wait on the taxi for about an hour because obviously not just any taxi can accommodate 8 bikes and 8 people, so of course we pulled into a bar for beer and wine while we waited. The taxi, when it arrived was almost the size of a small bus but still it could only manage either the 8 bikes or the 8 people so at the taxi drivers suggestion, we sent it to the barge with the bikes while we waited for its return at the bar and had a couple more drinks. When it did eventually return, the driver waited patiently for us to finish our drinks and then poured us into his bus. The Dutch people are so laid back and have such a great sense of humor that the whole ordeal turned into one of many pleasant moments on our adventure.

All is well that ends well.

[AMFADVENTURES]

The Bike

For some reason the picture of the bike didn't seem to make it on the previous post so here it is again, I hope.