MSers in Training 2015

[milesandtrials]

Canadienne, I saw your post and wanted to say hi. I don't post here as often as I would like, but love to see what all the Active MSers are up to when I can.

I was diagnosed in March 2012 and am a runner (and now do triathlons as well, thanks to the MS Bike rides getting me out on a bike). I had done 4 marathons prior to my diagnosis and have done 8 since my diagnosis the past 3 years.

Wishing you all the best in your training and in the Chicago Marathon. I hope to do that race some day, it's on my bucket list!

[Steph]

Marina Congratulations!!! 150 miles is amazing! You did message me correctly, I just didn't see it! I would love to meet up!!

[AMFADVENTURES]

Hey Steph, good luck on the 150 this weekend, may the wind be at your back. You're right, we are where we are with our training this year but , who knows, if you get a good enough tail wind that century might still be in sight.

Beth, good luck in Couer d'Alene, stay safe up there.

[Steph]

Thanks Larry! I think it will have to be some impressively strong tail wind! I can decide at mile 40 which way to go. If I do the 62 tomorrow then I will go for the 50 on Sunday. If I do the entire 100 Saturday I will probably only do the 30 on Sunday. Weather reports are calling for a good chance of thunderstorms tomorrow afternoon, so that may factor in as well.
I'm still very excited and can't wait!!

[milesandtrials]

Thank you, Larry. I'll need all the good luck I can take. It's looking like a record heat day up there for the race next weekend. And we all know how MS symptoms love to come out and play in the heat! I'll be using all my tricks to try to stay as cool as possible, we'll see how it goes.

[Veronica]

Ok, so first I am looking forward to the reports from Steph and MilesandTrials on their events this weekend.. Larry? I think your BikeMS 150 is next weekend??
I have been TOO quiet on this forum lately! Just waited to have a good story to tell. (I love a good story, if you haven't figured that out yet)... SO! Catrike 700 has me HOOKED! Oh, Marina, what wonderful machines we have, huh?
The store owner ( whose name is James Taylor...really....) worked so hard on the trike to make it fit me over the past three weeks. Since I am all of 5 foot nothing, he had to cut a lot of the boom....so much that we were fearful that the chain guide in the front would touch the sleeve where the boom goes into. We squeaked on by with just enough room...whew..... He took off an arm's length of chain, removed the hand rests as he had to move the hand levers back as far as they could go to accommodate my short reach. On my first ride, a mile into it, my right (weaker) knee started hyper extending, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I rode all of about 3 miles sounding like I had a flat tire….roll, thump…roll, thump…. My knee just kept giving way. When I got back to the shop I was a bit dejected as I really thought maybe this wouldn’t work for me. James just sat with me and we problem solved…he realized that I needed to be just a little more upright to get a better hip to leg angle. He found a back cushion that one would use on a car seat and had me ride around his parking lot with it positioned just at my shoulder blades. It was too wide, but when I used it, the knee slamming stopped. Just to make sure, I removed it, rode a little and the knee started slamming back again. Bingo! We had the solution, just not the right cushion. He said he would work on it, and the following weekend when I came up my trike had this lovely black back cushion on it! He told me one of the other trike riders had come into the shop, and James saw this on his trike, asked him about it, and the guy said he bought it at Wal-Mart for $3! So my new best friend James , ( his close friends call him “Sweet Baby” ) went to Wal-mart after he closed his store that night at 7pm and bought me one! And it is perfect. My first ride using it was a very satisfying 16 miles on such a beautiful trail…..joins with what is called the Walkway Over the Hudson, which is a 1.25 mile bridge for biking/jogging/ walking/ baby stroller use on what used to be a road bridge across the beautiful Hudson River. It is a magnificent spot…..way high up. With stellar views…. I just had such a fine day…. And it was only after that ride, that I officially made it mine. James did not want me to buy it if it really wasn’t going to help me, and strongly encouraged me to do what I did, just come up and ride it to make sure. So I bought it last week, and still needed to leave it there as I needed the car rack to transport it.
I was finally able to bring my beautiful machine home today, as James got the rack in this week. During the time that I was trying this out I was doing an hour’s drive in each direction to the store on the weekends so I could ride it and work out all these kinks. I am so happy to report that my speed is up to a range that makes me happy. And I know that now if I want to go faster, it’s up to me with my training.... One thing I learned is that while shorter cranks can “save knees” by having the cyclist spin more rather than “mashing” it, in my case, my MS leg does best with more resistance…hence more mashing….. I stayed with the longer crank rather than the short ones I had on the Greenspeed and it really gives me so much more power on the weaker leg. I am not spinning like crazy, and can just lean back and “mash” a bit to power up. Without resistance on that leg, I am very floppy. I rode today with another recumbent trikester up there and since I don't have my computer hooked up yet, he said he would pace me .....he set the pace at 12 mph, and while I lagged behind at first, I was then able to power up and stay with him. Made me so happy.... I rode with him to the parking lot where his car was, we chatted for awhile, then it started to drizzle so I left him to get back to the shop, which is located right on the trail (Brilliant marketing ploy indeed..) I rode in the rain, and LOVED every moment of it....was actually singing "Singing in the rain". And I thought the same thought that I had early on with my adaptive skiing.."I'm back.." And just for the laugh affect, when I hobbled into the shop after this ride….dripping wet, I spread out my arms, looked James in the face and announced “Sweet Baby, I’m happy!”

[Marinadca]

I am SOOOOOO happy to hear this Veronica Thank you for sharing!

[AMFADVENTURES]

That's really great Veronica, you deserve a good ride. You also seem to have found a good bike mechanic, don't let go of him! So now I'm looking forward to hearing some trike stories!

Steph, how did your ride go. I'm a little worried since I haven't heard anything.

I thought I had lost my legs but I took a couple of days off then went for a short ride today and was very happy to see that the legs are back. Staying with short rides this week, mostly spinning. Unlike Beth, the weather here is looking pretty good for the weekend, upper 80's with a chance of rain on Saturday. There are multiple short routes this year so in the event of heat or nasty head winds, there will be options. What will be will be I guess. Poor Beth on the other hand is facing heat in excess of 100 degrees. I'll be thinking of you Beth.

Larry

[Suebee]

Veronica, thanks so much for sharing your ride story. I connected to it. It reminded me of the sweet times I cried happy tears when I outside and feeling air go through my lungs and muscles moving on a bike or trail. So awesome! Suebee

[AMFADVENTURES]

As ready as it gets

The Colorado MS 150 is tomorrow. The hot blond yoga chick took me in for my annual pedicure this week. It was a ton of fun. I sat there chatting with the other women about 'stuff' while my feet were being tended to. A ton of fun, not unlike sitting around the barber shop with the boys.

Then had a bike cleaning party with the bullet this morning. We knocked out all three bikes in just a couple of hours. The bikes are sparkling clean, lubed, tuned and ready to roll - with class!

The three of us hit the team carb load party yesterday evening. The Raw Hinies have 167 members this year and have raised $267,000 for NMSS surpassing their goal of $250K and now on their way to a new goal of $400K. The women who run this team never fail to amaze with their organizational skill, and fund raising and sponsorship prowess, they are superstars.

At this point I think, regardless of what happens on the ride itself, it is already a raging success.

Hinie Ho!!!

[teena marie]

Go, Larry, go! I'll beam you vibes.

Life is hectic. I read all posts and congratulate you all.

Swim training has picked up after a slow down following a bizarre knee twist.

Cape Breton and ocean training July 5.

Take care all,

Teena Marie

[Veronica]

Larry, this is not something I say often.....or ever.....Hinie Ho to you and your "angels". I am confident that you will ride strong and if there are rough moments, well, that's just part of the package. Just be happy and proud you are out there .LOVE your pre-ride ritual......I thought that the Rapha post comment about bonding over nail art wouldn't apply to you....but maybe I am wrong! planning on sharing your toes with the rest of the Raw Hinies Saturday night??? Enjoy the ride and what it means....

Teens Marie: I've been wondering about you. Happy to have seen you post... Ahh, Cape Breton....enjoy, and I look forward to hearing about training

[Marinadca]

Best of luck during the ride Larry, and that is some fantastic fundraising. I know you will do great.

I do not want to ruin Steph's ride recount but I will say that I saw her during and after the ride and she looked great

[Ellie]

I haven't been here in a while!

Good Evening all,
The last time I was here was the beginning of March. I was training for a marathon. I had Also signed up for Bike MS 100 mile challenge. I finished the marathon. My first finish. Second attempt. Then I embarked on training for the century.our first century. My husband and I both completed it on June 13th. I am now switching tracks again as I train for my my first triathlon (it is a Sprint) and training for another marathon. I hope that the heat does not play to much of a roll in my summer training for my fall marathon.

[teena marie]

Elie,

That is simply fantastic. Congratulations and I hope you're giving yourself a big pat on the back.

Keep up the amazing work, keep us updated and ice vests are a savior for heat stress.

Teena Marie