MSers in Training 2016

[Veronica]

Thanks Suebee. I think the clams win! I'll add this to my routine for sure.

[Marinadca]

Way to go Veronica! Thanks for the pictures - Excellent Ride indeed! As others have posted, the clam excersie is great for helping hips and core strength. If you are quite weak, try doing against a wall to help isolate muscles and prevent rolling. Here a 5 sec video showing technique my PT showed me. https://goo.gl/images/ZPCtR1
Keep up the great work everyone!

My PT has my doing this with the lightest resistance band.

Other hip exercises he has me doing:

- On a treadmill I put the machine on a low speed (like 1 mph) and turn to face sideways and hold on to the side. I then step with the front leg repeatedly for 2 minutes, then I do it backwards, then to the other side.

- With a resistance band circle I step/together with first one leg and then the other. Kinda like this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1uLreAEMEs though he has me using a much smaller circle.

I started seeing a PT recently to deal with my gait issues. The issue stems from my hip I knew. But it seems to be the side to side motion that is weak and not the front/back.

Veronica - for the time being while you are working on this I wonder if you could be made more comfortable. Is there one area where you tend to rub most? If so I wonder whether you you get some extra patting for that area. I am thinking of wrapping the area of your leg with the meshy type of bandage or maybe a net bandage - like this https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...51725937035362 - with some cushioning, like a thin piece of foam or soft fabric. Maybe it's a crazy idea, but I might try to cushion the area where I hit so that when I do it wont hurt as badly?

[Veronica]

Marina, thanks for the detailed hip exercises...concerning the treadmill one, I do a similar exercise but not on the treadmill as for me, that would be a bit too dangerous! My PT has me walking around my coffee table. Standing with the table on my left, I walk forward, then sidestep to the left, then back, then sidestep to the right. Can't add a resistance band as you do as that also would adversely affect my balance. ( aka, I would just fall over!!) Then I just walk around the table normally, first in one direction, then the other. Resistance band on the clams, however is very do-able for me.
And thanks for the concern and research over how I can pad my calf! What I didn't use for the ride, was some moleskin that I had....This probably would also work...

Ok, so now I am REALLY loaded for bear when I ride! Love it, and thanks......

[AMFADVENTURES]

Quick update,
still doing the same routine here, yoga twice a week, weights twice a week, and aerobics two to three times per week. My aerobic workouts come in the form of walking, cycling or lateral elipticals.

I also got hooked back up with the physical therapist come personal trainer whom I've used in the past. She is helping me train for the upcoming ski season and a rather agresive trip to Africa over Christmas and New Years. She mentioned concentrating on activating my core when lifting weights (and essentially everything else I do). I have been doing this and it seems to help in maintaining a more erect posture when standing or walking and slightly better knee lift when walking. It also helps the weight lifting with better bilateral control and perhaps even an extra rep or two. Overall, concentrating on core activation while lifting weights is a positive.

Larry

[ActiveMSers]

Back from Peru and getting back into my regular exercise routine. Didn't work out on vacation (12 days or so), but I did make sure to stretch every day. Rode my bike a few hours after landing for 1.5 hours, which was a bit more tiring than usual due the fact that I slept zero minutes on the red eye home. Needless to say, after 40 hours of go, I slept hard that night. Fortunately the fall colors are still going here in ABQ; I was worried I'd miss them.

Larry, where are you going in Africa? Great to see the progress of everyone!

[AMFADVENTURES]

Hey Dave, I'm sure just being on vacation in Peru was plenty of exercise! I assume we will hear all about it in a coming news letter or blog, I'm looking forward to it.

I'm going to Africa to spend a couple of weeks with my daughter over Christmas and New Years. We'll meet in Tanzania and head over to the Zanzibar archipelago for a week of scuba diving. Migration patterns have it the whale sharks will be in the area at that time of year. A close encounter with a whale shark is on my bucket list! From there we'll go to Arusha, do a short safari in the Ngorongoro wildlife preserve and possibly bicycle around the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It has 'trip of a lifetime' written all over it!

I did a scuba recertification course last night. Although I've done a lot of diving over my lifetime, it's been sporadic over the last 10 years. The last time I did go, I was noticeably uncomfortable with the gear in the water. After 2 hours of blowing bubbles and performing several requisite drills in a swiming pool with a dive master, my comfort level began to return. Of course, I was the oldest guy by half in the class, but bless those young people, they insisted on doing all of the heavy lifting. Now I'm thinking I need to modify my weekly routine to include some pool work.

I am a little worried about all of this. For a man my age I am in incredibly good shape, better than most, except for this effing MS problem which manifests in a number of different ways. It's not going to stop me of course. Might be interesting to see what I have to say about it all after I get back though.

[teena marie]

Good morning to all,

Long overdue. It is my busiest time for work so little free time to post although I read everyone's amazing work. First off, Veronica, what a bike achievement. Such determination is inspiring. I regularly use your expression and try to never give up.
Dave, what a trip. I can hardly imagine doing it with sticks. Sometimes, just going or an errand I find daunting. Same for you, Larry. Your upcoming voyage promises to be extraordinary. I used to work in a travel clinic and both trips were popular destinations.

I managed to keep up my outdoor swimming until Oct 19, a record. I used a neoprene long sleeved top and cap to help with the cold water. Used the wetsuit once, but so beastly to get on and off, even with help. Truly video worthy! So now it is back to my indoor routine which is good. Because of acclimatizing to the cold outdoor temps (low 50's), I keep the pool temp at 66. I have determined that it is the combination of cold water and swimming that gives me the best mobility results. After a hiatus, I am back to my bed routine of isometic exercises and crawling on the mattress.

Keep on with the great work everyone!

Take good care all,

Teena Marie

[Marinadca]

Indoor training is on as the weather is too cold for me to want to ride outside, and when I get off of work it is too cold for me to walk outside.

One bit of positive news... I got back into PT for my gait and balance. I saw the PT 5 times to learn exercises that might help strengthen my hip. My goal is to stop kicking myself when I walk and also maybe to jog a bit again. I have learned a few balance exercises. I am going to start doing the single leg balance in my bike shoes and also practice kicking one leg high enough to clear a bike. I am pretty sure a 2 wheeled bike is forever for me....but a tandem may be something I could see in my future.

[ActiveMSers]

Larry, that trip sounds incredible. We are already debating where to go on our next adventure.

Exercising diligently over here and just got my bike tuned. Wow, what a difference! Incidentally, on my most recent ride, a guy pulled over and opened his car door into the bike lane. At first I was puzzled at the rudeness until I realized he wanted to talk to me. Turns out he also rides a hand cycle. In fact, he personally was responsible for getting adaptive cycling into marathons (Boston, NW, etc.) years ago. Had to go to court, the works. Wow!

[Veronica]

Hey all….it has been awhile since I checked in and felt I needed to give a quick update. First off, Dave, your trip to Peru made me envious! Journey of a lifetime, huh? That photo of you doing the Bump down the stairs is equally humorous and motivational! Just go do it, huh?

Teena Marie..congrats on the October 19 record for outdoor swimming! I greatly admire your fortitude with your swimming..Gotta make you feel good..

Marina, I've wondered what a tandem would feel like to ride with my issues. And since in some ways our issues are similar, I'd be interested to hear what you think if you try it. I wonder if both need to land on the same side at the same time..and what happens if the stoker ( which I would be) doesn't get her foot off at all!

I’ve been up to my eyeballs in adventures….coloring everything I am doing is that I am in the final days of packing up my home of 30 years and heading 90 miles north to the Berkshires. Six weeks ago I bought my very first home at the ripe old age of 65 and it is located 15 minutes from the mountain where I ski.…..Very exciting. I am definitely getting my exercise in on a very pervasive way when I spend days like today packing up. More on this on the thread that Dave started when he moved…. Move is Dec 13….when I come up for air, I’ll post more on this..

Just came back Sunday night from such a week at Ski Spec in Breckenridge, Colorado. My third year going, and I think I will just go every year until the legs and arms scream for mercy! This place is so good for my body and soul. I set a personal goal this year ( mid-week) to ski all five days. Now, I am not saying I skied all DAY, but I managed to meet my goal and I am delighted with it. First time for 5 consecutive days. This involved some strategic planning to work around the motor fatigue, but I have such an excellent instructor ( same as last year…) and he and I worked it out. On Day Four right at the start of my first run I knew that Mr. MS was getting pretty annoyed with me that I was thumbing my nose at him, so he threw little chinks in my run here and there, and I knew I was gonna be a One Run wonder that morning. Denis suggested I bag the rest of the morning, and try to see if I could recover enough for an afternoon run. Mentally I was really up for this, but by noon, after stretching, and drinking tons of water ( altitude of around 9600 ft) I knew that MS won that round and I called it for the afternoon. As I told them, I needed to respect the MS as much as I hated it. It DOES always have the last word unfortunately. And I really wanted to get five days under my belt, so I gimped back to my room and had a very restful afternoon and evening. Well, restful from skiing and apre skiing, but intense as I did extra stretching…legs, shoulders, core and back, arms and hands, worked out some muscle knots in my calves, lathered up with IcyHot and just mentally prepared myself for doing Day Five.

The next morning I felt much better as far as the MS went, but half way thru the run I felt just leg fatigue from all the days of skiing. I stopped on a gorgeous part of the trail and told them that I wasn't ready to leave the mountain, but didn’t think I had another run in me. Denis made a brilliant suggestion…then we ski back down to the lift, take it back up to the top, and go into the restaurant there for a hot beverage, really take our time, and THEN ski down. Normally, I would go back in at the resort, and we both agreed that if I did that, I wouldn’t come out again. This way, it really worked, as it kept me in the Ski Zone in my head, and if I wanted to come down without calling Ski Patrol, I would have to do so under my own power. And that is what I did, and it felt great to have gotten two runs in that final day.

I was quite concerned that this trip would be a disappointment for me as my rotator cuff surgery shoulder is still rehabbing, and while I have full range of motion, I don’t yet have much strength there. This affects my negotiating the outriggers when I get off the lift. Without going into all the details, I need to get them to my side from laying across my legs during the ride up, and raise them up a bit. This is something I can just barely do with the left ( also rotator cuff issues that are chronic) but cannot do it at all with the right. My instructor and I problem solved this, and all we did was for an instructor to take the lead on this, and pick up my arm and riggers to move them over to my side, and gently support and raise my arm when unloading. Once my skis were on snow, I was good to take over as usual and to be totally independent. Very reassuring that I won’t miss out on this sport that I love so much.

And my skiing was good, I felt in good control….my instructor commented that I seemed stronger than last year. Really made me feel good…some of this I credit to all the travails of the first part of the year….the relapse and shoulder surgery really had me focused the entire year on increasing strength, range of motion, and at least maintaining balance. I only fell once for the entire week! Last year I fell so much I felt like I was wrecking my instructor’s back ( the MS really has me rendered totally dependent on others to get me up. Cannot even move to roll over when on my back, with outriggers attached to my forearms).

And the week continued to delight me. I had the tremendous pleasure of meeting paralympian Danelle Umstead, who is visually impaired, AND was diagnosed with MS about 5 years ago. I had been following her trainings and racing since I watched the TV coverage of her run ( with her husband as her guide) that won her the Bronze at the Paralympic games in Sochi in early 2014. That December at Ski Spec I shared an elevator with her and her husband but didn’t realize who they were until someone told me who they were once they left the elevator… Erked the heck out of me to have been right with her and not have had the opportunity to act like a goofy fan. So I reached out to her via good ol’ Facebook, and we planned to meet this time ….when I saw her she was just walking by, but it was a good connection, and those five minutes, if even that long, were the five minutes that I wanted to have with her. We spoke of how the hell to manage the fear, as she has always been very forthcoming with how much fear she deals with each time she skis. That helps me..knowing that someone of that caliper can find a way to acknowledge the fear, yet keep it from breaking her. Then she had to go as she was speaking at a meeting, and as we parted she said “ Look, I have your cell phone number, so maybe I’ll text you tomorrow and we can ski a run together”……. Talk about FEAR! I almost peed my pants! I said “Oh, that would be wonderful”, but was thinking “ No,no,no,no…” Figured I’d crash and burn at the start! Well, she didn’t have the chance to text me, and really, that was FINE! Still makes my laugh!

But all jokes aside, I thought a lot about her after talking with her…. I still struggle at times with “Am I being independent when I ask for help….” And this has so greatly resolved itself when I think of her racing down mountains at 60 mph, totally dependent on her husband /guide telling her when to turn. Made me realize that sometimes being dependent on another is the only way to really be independent.

And last but certainly far from least delight of the week was spending apre ski time with Mr. AMFAdventures and his wife. It was nice seeing you Larry, and sharing chuckles!! NEXT year we’ll ski together!! But you’re on your own with the Bumps!

Ok, nice break…back to packing….

[Suebee]

Veronica! Awesome post! I'm drooling with envy! I am so proud of you. Thank you for sharing your personal struggles and how you've worked on strength after your surgery and how it translated into you skiing. It is inspiring to me. I'm really excited about your move too. I am familiar with the area and it is beautiful. Best wishes and keep posting. Suebee

[AMFADVENTURES]

A quick note,
TM, kudos for even trying to don a wet suit! Getting a dry one on is tough, getting a wet one off is a two person operation!
Marina, with a little luck I'll be on the indoor trainer next month too. More on that later.
Dave, ain't it great, a clean well tuned bike is like having your own personal tail wind following you around.
Veronica, the pleasure was all ours. If you like Veronica's stories here, you should spend some up close time with her. For three days I skied vicariously through Veronica and it was great! Can't wait to hear about the move.

It always bothers me when someone else dissappears off the forums without an explanation, too easy to think the worst. So I wanted to let you know I might not be around as much.

I've had a major setback, a gut infection that resulted in emergency surgery and the removal of part of my colon. I was virtually assured going in that I would wake up with a colostomy bag, when I didn't and I first saw one of the surgical team, I congratulated them on the job they did. The response was, 'not so fast.' For the next seven days I existed on a slow saline drip and ice chips, no nutrition at all. I was encouraged to walk as much as possible but but by the end of that week, I could hardly walk at all. The chicken broth I had on the eighth day was the best thing I've ever tasted! Progression to solid food was pretty rapid, like over the next three days. I could eat anything I wanted but in actuality I couldn't eat much anyway. On the twelfth day they let me out with instructions to take it easy for at least the next six weeks.

So, I lost 20 pounds over that period and nearly all of the strength and endurance I'd built up over the last few years. I don't really know how quickly I'll get things back but I'm anticipating a prolonged recovery, at least most of next year. The MS, although to the best of my knowledge has not exacerbated, is still a huge complication in the recovery process. No doubt it was a good thing I was in as good a shape as I was going in. That was probably also the reason I didn't end up with a colostomy bag.

Anyway, I'll never forget the first ten mile ride I ever did on my bike. It should be interesting to compare that with the next - first ten mile ride I do, I hope by March. I'll at least post again then.

And until next time, keep on going, you all are a tremendous inspiration to me and I'm sure many others,

Larry

[teena marie]

Larry, what on earth happened? What was the infection that started everything? As a nurse in infectious disease I am curious and concerned. Sounds pretty intense. Being in such extraordinary shape I know got you through that ordeal as well as you did. What about your trip? Sending you healing vibes and big,big hugs.

Veronica, what a great sounding ski adventure! Sounds like you gave it your usual positive spirit. And now a big move. How did you decide where to move?

Swim training continues and feels good. When I don't get out, which is pretty often given a heavy workload at present, I walk up and down my hall 10-12 times.

Take care all,

Teena Marie

[Suebee]

Gosh Larry, I'm so sorry to hear about your illness. But I'm thankful that you are now ready to heal. I'll send healing vibes your way too. I know it caught me off guard how surgery can take away the endurance of a person with MS. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

[ActiveMSers]

Shit, Larry. I am confident you are going to recover quickly in large part to your fitness when you went under. Know that everyone here at ActiveMSers is behind you, even the lurkers who read but never post. And "training" can mean training for a century or training to walk across the living room, so if you have the time, any update is appreciated. You inspire all of us more than you realize. If you want to chat, you have my number and I am always available for you. Well, except for when I'm cycling since I don't usually answer the phone. Hope you understand.