MSers in Training 2018

[Veronica]

Sounds like a great trip, Dave. And I agree with your comment about fatigue. Often if I feel like a slug, I realize it is during a period when I have slacked off from my usual routine, feel sluggish, don’t want to do anything…blah, blah, blah. But when I just get myself to start something, I get the energy going again rather quickly. This actually was the same scenario preMS…of course the fatigue was of a much less intensity, but when I would feel like a lump and make myself go for a bike ride, walk, or a run, I just got myself out of it. Physically and mentally…


My big news is that BikeMS NYC is Mission Accomplished… I am so happy that I got the electric assist. It was this past Sunday and the ride was just fun. And having trained on all these serious hills around here served me well. The terrain around Manhattan is nothing like Columbia County, and I happily found that I could use a much lower level of assist, and only occasionally did I pulse the throttle, where around here I have to do that all the time, with the heaviest level of assist set.


There was NO drama on this Ride! NO drama of asking constantly of my riding buddies “ Is the bus back there?” And NO drama of “ How am I gonna beat the bus”.. “ DID I beat the bus?”… “ How am I handling it that the bus got me??” One of my friends commented, kiddingly that he missed the drama... Not me!


Well, there actually was drama…the weather.. When I got up at 4am and knew that it had rained on and off during the night, and at that moment it was only 47 degrees, I greeted the day with a mumble of “Whose stupid idea was this???” And when I got to the start line at 6am it was 45 degrees , still dropping and the winds continually whipped up to 20-22mph during the entire ride.


We’ve had wind on many rides, but this was non stop…and a very icy wind. I had on my wool ski socks, a ski baselayer, and two other layers underneath a wind breaker. Gloves, and I wish I had a nose warmer… And an hour after finishing when we were inside we were all commenting on how cold we still were.


But I loved the ride….just felt so good to get something back. Where in the past we made a big deal of my finishing, with big whooping it up, my getting teary…videos of us being stupid, etc. etc., this time I just rode in with a very calm content Cheshire Cat smile on my face! And no photos of the finish since my friend was just getting off his bike to get his camera out, and I was on his tail, so I rode in behind his back without him even seeing me. I liked it this way...just part of the pack.

And since I didn’t over stress my legs, my knee did not cave in, I was able to dismount totally independently, and could actually walk around the finish line event area rather comfortably with just my normal gait issues.


Larry, so happy to hear you are gonna be back on the slopes! In a few weeks, huh? Well, I will be very interested in what equipment you settle into…..

Marina…you’re getting there, but boy, it has been a long haul for you, hasn’t it!! Hang in there, it’ll be a memory soon enough…

Teena Marie…. Always happy to hear of your progress. I totally empathize with you about now having to go inside….. grrrr….. this transition is rough, isn’t it??

Cl3me, love that you decided to improve your swimming! Nice adding something new to the routine.


Happy Fall, all!

[AMFADVENTURES]

Biker Chick

Veronica, congratulations on your latest MS ride!

I can recall one of your first posts on these forums concerning you and a friend riding Truchas in New Mexico. You referred to yourselves then and now as "biker chicks". Well, in my mind, you've elevated your position to something like "Biker Chick Extrordinair." Anyone who can get up at 4 am on a rainy night to start a bike ride in 45 degree Temps and 20 mph winds is ONE HELL OF AN EXTRORDINAIRY BIKE RIDER! Nicely done Ronnie!

With great admiration,
Larry

[Veronica]

Well Larry, you made me blush with your accolades! But I thank you for that...coming from the BikeMeister it means a lot....

Had my last ride of the season yesterday. I drove me and my trike over to my bike shop an hour away, did a fun hour ride on the trail right next to the shop, then had them switch my rear wheel out to the wheel without the motor. This way I can bring the trike into the house and get it on my trainer for the winter. SO much lighter without it!

One exercise area that I know I continue to wax and wane in, is working in my walking. Larry, your post on the walking coach you found got me realizing how I have gotten out of working on mine terribly. So, with the end of my riding season, I am trying to get myself back on track with this. I’ve got the added time now, since riding, and for the most part, gardening is over. Now I just have to do it! Which is why in part that I am posting this here...gotta make myself accountable..... Marina, I so agree with you about the legs feeling more tired walking a short distance than after a long bike ride......

Always so happy to have my forum buddies!

[AMFADVENTURES]

Veronica, well, I was impressed because of the girls I ride with, the Bullet won't leave the house unless it's at least 50 deg. out and Legs won't go if the wind's up so you're tougher than either of them.

I rode 45 miles yesterday, first time I've been out in a couple of weeks. Boy was I sore that evening. Other than that, I've been hitting the weight room at least every 5 days, walking two or three times a week and doing yoga - and gaining a lot of weight lately. I hope the weight gain is related to the weight lifting.

The walking is going just ok. I definitely prefer walking on hard pack dirt or gravel because when I drag a toe it's less likely to trip me. Also I can try to vary my walking speed a little more. It's remarkable how much muscle memory we loose from even a little pain or weakness, but on occasion I've noticed just the reminder of that walking muscle memory, it's kind of like "oh yeah, that's what it felt like to walk normally." That feeling doesn't last more than a couple of steps but I'm hoping it's a start! It takes a hell of a lot of concentration and that alone is fatiguing.

Carry on all,
Larry.

[penkalet]

Veronica, this is amazing! Just the logistic for that ride will have me, cancel it.
Larry as always very impressive! And yes, telling mentality step by step that bad leg what to do, as give me the best result.
For me, “great week” considering that I had a hip replacement last Monday! (the one leg NOT affected by ms and that got damaged long time ago by a stupid accident. )
I am back home recovering after 2 nights at the hospital. Except for vomiting a full day and not be able to empty my bladder, the surgery was a success and I am already “walking” 3 times a day 15 minutes with a walker.
I was worry to have some flares up from the stress on the body but so far so good, except for tingling, fatigue and laziness in the legs.
I hope I can resume my exercises routine in 4 to 6 weeks.
Let’s stay fit this winter as much we can and try to survive those coming holly days.
Best wishes.

[AMFADVENTURES]

Merde! Alain, a bionic hip! Let us hope it serves you well. Will you be cycling longer on bigger hills? Wishing you all the best getting that thing working for you (I hear they are reasonably advanced these days.)

Also, a late reply to an earlier question, yes, I use Rituxan and I do believe that, overall, it is working for me for which I am very grateful.

Larry

[Veronica]

Alain!
I am also so glad to hear the surgery went well.... sounds like you are in great spirits! Congratulations!

[penkalet]

Thank you for your great encouragements.
But I need to brag a little more.!
I guess, thanks to all my exercises routine to slow down ms (fitness is so important.) the PT tell me this morning that I am recovering at a “remarkable “ speed! Well, that make my day.
After 10 days post surgery he let me go from walker to crutches and let me go seat on my trike and pedal a little! Monday after they remove the staples I can ride gently with the trike on the trainer.
Larry, yes I am very excited to see how much faster and farther I will be able to go. Already I am thinking/dreaming to do a ms ride this summer. I miss the two last year because I just didn’t have it. For anyone that need a new hip, the anterior opening is the way to go!
Happy thanksgiving.

[AMFADVENTURES]

That's pretty remarkable Alain, my Ortho discouraged me from getting a new hip because he thought the recovery would be so difficult. I'm going to look to look for a new Ortho I think!

Ski bike lesson tomorrow, I'm SO excited!!!

[Grady]

Total hip replacement

I’m 5 weeks post-op today. Every day things are getting better. My surgeon also did the anterior approach. He likes that I have a trike because he thinks it is the ultimate rehab tool. Problem is that I live in northern Minnesota and we have freezing rain and snow so I will likely need to ride the recumbent at the gym. I purchased an e-assist trike in July. I absolutely love it because now I can once again ride with my buddies. I had a Catrike Expedition prior to my recent purchase. That was a great trike but I couldn’t generate much speed and therefore did mostly solo rides. My PT was kind of surprised that I knew how to do the exercises she recommended. I told her they are basically the same exercises I have been doing since I was diagnosed with M.S. 40 years ago. However, both my wife and my PT told me I needed to back off some because I was a little too gung ho with my rehabilitation. I did as was suggested and things are much better. Keep up the good work everyone!!

[AMFADVENTURES]

Ski Bike

Well, the ski bike was a blast! Of course, I fell every time I tried to do something new. I fell the first time I got off the lift, fell the first time I tried to make a right turn and again when I tried to make a left turn and once more when I tried to stop. But I only fell the first time, no more!

It was a lot of fun and we're going to go back up next week and see if we can get approved to take the bikes out on our own. If that works then we'll probably get a season pass and ski bike our butts off this season.

The only thing I'm a little concerned about is getting myself AND the bike up without help after a crash. Having to do that more than a couple of times could get pretty tough.

At any rate, it really was great to get back out on the slopes. If you're a skier but your legs don't cooperate any more, the ski bike sure might be a possibility.

Larry

[penkalet]

Grady, happy you are doing great, we are really on the same adventure here, I will have my post-op after tomorrow.
Larry, you will have to explain what is to sky bike?
Is that with those bikes with fat tire. Sound fun.
Alain

[AMFADVENTURES]

Great idea Alain! In looking for a YouTube video I also found out you can make one of these at home if you happen to have an old mountain bike frame laying around, which I do! After all its just a mountain bike on skies. Sounds like a project.

Anyway here's the video that shows the bike and explains a little about riding it. The one I used came with very short skis which I wore and which acted like outriggers providing a little more stability. There are even ski trikes out there! Actually turns out the variety of ski bikes is remarkable! Great fun

https://youtu.be/6xUAiGiTAkU

Larry

[ActiveMSers]

Epic, Larry. Maybe one day I'll try the ski bike. It's been cold here in ABQ and I was on a short vacation in PHX, so it's been 1.5 weeks since I have been on my trike and I'm getting seriously itchy! Still getting in solid home workouts, tho, and managed to hit the hotel gym too. Tried pickleball for the first time as well. Fun!

[penkalet]

Thank you for explaining the sky bike, it is really a bike with sky!! Duh..and it look very fun if you can learn to use it. For sure to get up on the bike must be hardest for us. May be on the toddler run for me. Let us know how you are doing. Have fun!