Today was the first time that I "borrowed" Brad's bike trainer. I think that the steady downpour, flood warnings, and howling wind are enough for me to decide to ride inside. I did ride inside on Friday, Julie and I used Thorbecke's virtual bikes and that was fun. You could tell when you were heading up a hill and I could "gear down" and pedal away! Of course, we discovered real quick that there is no coasting when you ride indoors, it's pedal uphill and down hill!
Today I figured a few things out as I rode. The first thing is that I need a fan! Brad moved the trainer inside (he's been riding it out on the porch) and I really missed the feel of the wind, it also helps to cool a person off as they ride along. I had time to think, there isn't much in the way of dogs and cars to watch for on the trainer and I started thinking about my knee surgery last March.
My Orthopedic did a large amount of work that he hadn't expected to do when he went in for the surgery. We knew that I had torn my meniscus, but I had actually torn it in three different places. I had also managed to chew my cartilage up in that knee. I also have/had arthritis and I was close to bone on bone at that knee joint. The Orthopedic ended up cutting a large amount of my cartilage out as it was frayed and a mess. When I came back in for my after surgery check up, he told me that I was a good candidate for this stuff that they inject into the joint. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I remember that it was natural and blue. It cushions the joint and relieves the pain from having your bones grinding together. He also told me that the surgery and this injection would put off the knee replacement surgery that I was headed towards by about six years.
I had forgotten this entire conversation until today as I pedaled away in my dining room. I never went back for any blue stuff to be injected into my knee. I very rarely remember that I've had surgery on it unless the weather is doing a drastic change and then it just has a twinge on the inside where most of the damage was. I don't take any pain relievers anymore. I don't need them and they are hard on my system, so why take them?
I remember deciding after the surgery that I was not going to have a knee replacement, it really wasn't in my reality and it still isn't. I have thought about running again, Brad is against that idea as he was there when the Orthopedic told me that my running days were over. I am not so sure about that! For now though, I will continue to ride and strengthen my knee. I do take a supplement for my joints, Procosa, and I take Calcium as well. These supplements are both from USANA. I am a firm believer in nutritional supplements as I can tell the difference in both the way I feel and in my performance as I work out as well.
I noticed that my heart rate is doing so well! When I ran before, I would walk to try to get it to come back down, but it never did. My average heart rate would be up over 187 and I don't think that is very healthy! I know that a large part of it was my Copaxone as a side effect was a rapid heart rate. I was pleased today that my training rate was up around 146 and that when I decide to bring it down, I can watch it drop as I move to an easier gear to pedal in. When it got down to around 130, I could push it back up. It almost fascinated me to watch it and realize that is what it's supposed to be doing!
I will be ready for all of the rides that Brad is talking about us doing this summer. I will be ready for my fund raising, information spreading, and hope inspiring ride of a 1000 miles next August. Be watching for me to ride past!
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Aw Hell ... I Took Hale Hill
I just got back in from my ride and I sat down to get my ride information off of my GPS and decided to write once more. As I said earlier, I wasn't going to take Hale Hill, not today. When I turned around at Pleasant Valley Road I saw Hale Hill very clearly in my mind and realized that my subconscious had already committed to that route and it was just letting my conscious mind know about it!
It wasn't bad, I still walked three times, but I walked less and rode more. I also realized another life epiphany in the process. There is great reward in pushing through and accomplishing something that is hard for you to do and takes you out of your comfort zone. When I got to the top and took a drink, the view was breathtaking! Then for the real reward, the free flowing of the downhill on the backside. I feel so ALIVE and I love it.
Give it a try sometime. Push yourself out of your comfort zone ... find out for yourself how good the rewards feel!
It wasn't bad, I still walked three times, but I walked less and rode more. I also realized another life epiphany in the process. There is great reward in pushing through and accomplishing something that is hard for you to do and takes you out of your comfort zone. When I got to the top and took a drink, the view was breathtaking! Then for the real reward, the free flowing of the downhill on the backside. I feel so ALIVE and I love it.
Give it a try sometime. Push yourself out of your comfort zone ... find out for yourself how good the rewards feel!
Just a bit sore ...
I can tell that I've been riding hills, my glut muscles are a bit sore! I think that's a good thing though, right? My thighs are just a bit sore as well. Nothing is sore enough that I need to take any Ibuprofen, it's been a very long time since I've taken any Ibuprofen and that is short of a miracle!
I have changed my eating routine and started on a nutritional supplement regime. I can tell the difference and I feel so much better! I know that my body needs to get all of the nutrition it needs if I want to continue to push it to be the best it can be. It's important that I keep it nourished and hydrated.
I've been using USANA nutritional supplements since the beginning of August and I can feel the difference. I'm not starving and searching for something to eat as my body isn't craving things anymore. I did the reset program to cleanse my system and "reset" my body to a low glycemic index diet. I don't crave sweets, they even make my mouth water as they are too sweet!
I have to take Vitamin D and their Vitamin D is the purest on the market, checked out by a third party lab. I cannot say enough about the quality of their products!
When I ride, I add a Rev3 Surge Pack to my water bottle. It makes a difference and helps to replace what I expend during my ride.
I plan on riding the Tennessee Road Hills again this morning. I debated about going back up and over Hale Hill after I ride to Pleasant Valley Road, but I think that I shall add more on to the other end and save Hale Hill for this weekend. I plan on riding a nice long ride tomorrow morning with Julie on the Tenino Trails! I really look forward to those rides. I think though, I might need to get some warmer riding gear ... Fall has arrived!
I have changed my eating routine and started on a nutritional supplement regime. I can tell the difference and I feel so much better! I know that my body needs to get all of the nutrition it needs if I want to continue to push it to be the best it can be. It's important that I keep it nourished and hydrated.
I've been using USANA nutritional supplements since the beginning of August and I can feel the difference. I'm not starving and searching for something to eat as my body isn't craving things anymore. I did the reset program to cleanse my system and "reset" my body to a low glycemic index diet. I don't crave sweets, they even make my mouth water as they are too sweet!
I have to take Vitamin D and their Vitamin D is the purest on the market, checked out by a third party lab. I cannot say enough about the quality of their products!
When I ride, I add a Rev3 Surge Pack to my water bottle. It makes a difference and helps to replace what I expend during my ride.
I plan on riding the Tennessee Road Hills again this morning. I debated about going back up and over Hale Hill after I ride to Pleasant Valley Road, but I think that I shall add more on to the other end and save Hale Hill for this weekend. I plan on riding a nice long ride tomorrow morning with Julie on the Tenino Trails! I really look forward to those rides. I think though, I might need to get some warmer riding gear ... Fall has arrived!
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Learning About Hills
Today I thought that I had planned a challenging training ride. I rode from my house (well the top of my driveway) up Marttala Road, to Tennessee Road, and turned around at Pleasant Valley Road. Tennessee Road has some big "roller coaster" hills in it and I thought riding them twice, once each way, would take some time. I was wrong.
It's fun when you realize that you've gotten better! I only had to gear down to my lowest gear on two of the hills, that's a big improvement. I should have realized that when I got to what I thought was the "flat" part of Tennessee Road and was cruising at 23 mph, that it wasn't really flat at all. It took me 16 minutes to get to Pleasant Valley Road, it took me 24 minutes to get back to the top of my driveway. That flat part was uphill when I turned around!
I really didn't think that I would need to be looking for more mileage to ride. I was trying to wait a few days before I went over Hale Hill again and thought that this would be a good alternative. I surprised myself!
I am learning about hills as I ride. If you look at a hill you begin to see that hills have a flow to them. They don't go straight up at the steepest pitch of the hill. They seem to climb steep for a bit, then they let off (still going up hill, but not as steep) and then they climb again. I am beginning to be able to pick out the spots that seem to not be as steep and I tell myself that I can make it to that spot and my pedaling won't be as hard. It's a bit of a rest (though I don't stop) before the pitch becomes steeper again. My timing still needs work as I gear down to low to soon at times. That's why I had to use my lowest gear the second time, I went to far down. I underestimated my ability to ride up the hill!
I will be ready come August for the big ride. I am excited ... Bike MS and the 1000 mile ride here I come!
It's fun when you realize that you've gotten better! I only had to gear down to my lowest gear on two of the hills, that's a big improvement. I should have realized that when I got to what I thought was the "flat" part of Tennessee Road and was cruising at 23 mph, that it wasn't really flat at all. It took me 16 minutes to get to Pleasant Valley Road, it took me 24 minutes to get back to the top of my driveway. That flat part was uphill when I turned around!
I really didn't think that I would need to be looking for more mileage to ride. I was trying to wait a few days before I went over Hale Hill again and thought that this would be a good alternative. I surprised myself!
I am learning about hills as I ride. If you look at a hill you begin to see that hills have a flow to them. They don't go straight up at the steepest pitch of the hill. They seem to climb steep for a bit, then they let off (still going up hill, but not as steep) and then they climb again. I am beginning to be able to pick out the spots that seem to not be as steep and I tell myself that I can make it to that spot and my pedaling won't be as hard. It's a bit of a rest (though I don't stop) before the pitch becomes steeper again. My timing still needs work as I gear down to low to soon at times. That's why I had to use my lowest gear the second time, I went to far down. I underestimated my ability to ride up the hill!
I will be ready come August for the big ride. I am excited ... Bike MS and the 1000 mile ride here I come!
Saturday, September 21, 2013
1000 Miles for MS
Yesterday I rode with Julie and it was a nice ride! We took a route that we haven't ridden before, it followed along the Newaukum River, it was a beautiful ride. It had some nice rolling hills, nothing major, but it was a good start for Julie as we've been riding the Tenino Trails. Poor Julie, she is riding a crossover bike, and she gets a workout compared to me riding the road bike! Brad tells me that it's not fair and I should ride my mountain bike when we ride together. I think he just wants me to have a better work out.
Julie is in! She told me that she is planning on riding the full 1000 miles with me for Bike MS! I was so excited to hear this as I really enjoy riding with her! Brad told me last night that he, too, is thinking of working it out so that he can ride the full 1000 miles with us as well. Julie said that we should name the ride "1000 Freakin' miles" but I don't think that name will go very well with our purpose, but it did make me laugh!
I need to work on my fear of dogs while riding. I think that I am attracting them to me as they do scare me! We rode past a house, I have Julie lead as she is on the harder to pedal bike so I let her set the pace, and two dogs came out. One was a young dog and I was keeping my eye on him. Julie rode through fine, but I think that I made my first mistake when I slowed down. I made my second mistake by watching the younger dog as the older dog come up on my opposite side and bit my ankle! I let out a very surprised "ow"! I think that the dog was just surprised as I was that he had actually bit me.
It didn't break skin, just startled me and then the dogs both ran back to their yard. I know that animals can sense things and I need to get this fear of the dogs out of my system. I also need to learn to NOT slow down and give them a chance to catch me LOL!
Tomorrow I ride with Brad and he knows the dogs on the route. I will begin sending out thoughts that there will be NO dogs running out at us long before I ever get to where they might be ... if I believe it strong enough maybe I'll change the vibes that I'm sending out. You never know! I'll keep you posted!
Julie is in! She told me that she is planning on riding the full 1000 miles with me for Bike MS! I was so excited to hear this as I really enjoy riding with her! Brad told me last night that he, too, is thinking of working it out so that he can ride the full 1000 miles with us as well. Julie said that we should name the ride "1000 Freakin' miles" but I don't think that name will go very well with our purpose, but it did make me laugh!
I need to work on my fear of dogs while riding. I think that I am attracting them to me as they do scare me! We rode past a house, I have Julie lead as she is on the harder to pedal bike so I let her set the pace, and two dogs came out. One was a young dog and I was keeping my eye on him. Julie rode through fine, but I think that I made my first mistake when I slowed down. I made my second mistake by watching the younger dog as the older dog come up on my opposite side and bit my ankle! I let out a very surprised "ow"! I think that the dog was just surprised as I was that he had actually bit me.
It didn't break skin, just startled me and then the dogs both ran back to their yard. I know that animals can sense things and I need to get this fear of the dogs out of my system. I also need to learn to NOT slow down and give them a chance to catch me LOL!
Tomorrow I ride with Brad and he knows the dogs on the route. I will begin sending out thoughts that there will be NO dogs running out at us long before I ever get to where they might be ... if I believe it strong enough maybe I'll change the vibes that I'm sending out. You never know! I'll keep you posted!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Life Philosophies
Well, I did it, I added another hill to my ride today. It added on exactly 1.04 miles to my ride, half of that was down hill and the other half was all uphill. I turned at the bottom of the hill. It took me 12 additional minutes to add that one more hill. I think that I see improvement!
It is interesting at times, the thoughts that float through my head as I ride along. Today it was a philosophical ride. I was thinking of the goal that I set yesterday and the reactions that I have received. The biggest one was to the mileage, the total mileage, involved. Brad told me a long time ago that you should never really think about the total miles, it gets into your head and you are done before you even get started. That's why I broke it down by mileage per day, that's a much easier number to concentrate on. I look at it like life (I told you that I got philosophical today), if you only looked at how far it was to get to the end you would never enjoy the moment that you are in right now. If you looked ahead and thought of it as a struggle, you might not even try to continue on. Breaking it all down into small chunks make it much easier to imagine.
I also came up with another analogy while going up a hill. Brad (he is one smart bike rider by the way) has always told me to shift down on the hills before the pedaling gets too hard. Once I've gone beyond a certain point, I can't shift down smoothly, if at all, because I have too much pressure on the pedals. That too, is like life. Don't wait until things are getting too hard before you do something about it! Shift gears while the pedaling is still easy! The uphill isn't so hard after all and you get to the top just that much faster.
Of course, my thoughts didn't stop there. I realized as I was going down hill that my speed has increased by a large amount! I have gained confidence in my abilities. My downhills are smoother, faster, and I'm more aware of the beauty of the moment than I used to be. Hanging on for dear life seems to take some of the enjoyment out of the moment :-) I let myself enjoy the ride down, I am no longer afraid to let go and allow my momentum to carry me through. Isn't that like life at times? We get too scared of our easy flowing downhills and we start to reign things in and then we hold on too tight and the forward momentum comes to an end. The things that my bike riding is teaching me seem to be limitless!
Going back to my goal for next August, Brad is on board. His first words were, "I don't know that I can take 20 days off of work to ride with you." My answer, "I don't expect you too." He thought about it and I reminded him that I will be touring Western Washington, down the coast, up the mountains, and it will be crossing back and forth. Maybe I will cross the mountains and come back, my route hasn't been figured out yet, but I will not be a 1000 miles away, at the most a few hundred. He is now giving me suggestions on who to contact next to get this thing rolling. His advice, start now, it's a big project.
That's about all for today, it was a great ride ... I hope that you enjoy yours today as well!
It is interesting at times, the thoughts that float through my head as I ride along. Today it was a philosophical ride. I was thinking of the goal that I set yesterday and the reactions that I have received. The biggest one was to the mileage, the total mileage, involved. Brad told me a long time ago that you should never really think about the total miles, it gets into your head and you are done before you even get started. That's why I broke it down by mileage per day, that's a much easier number to concentrate on. I look at it like life (I told you that I got philosophical today), if you only looked at how far it was to get to the end you would never enjoy the moment that you are in right now. If you looked ahead and thought of it as a struggle, you might not even try to continue on. Breaking it all down into small chunks make it much easier to imagine.
I also came up with another analogy while going up a hill. Brad (he is one smart bike rider by the way) has always told me to shift down on the hills before the pedaling gets too hard. Once I've gone beyond a certain point, I can't shift down smoothly, if at all, because I have too much pressure on the pedals. That too, is like life. Don't wait until things are getting too hard before you do something about it! Shift gears while the pedaling is still easy! The uphill isn't so hard after all and you get to the top just that much faster.
Of course, my thoughts didn't stop there. I realized as I was going down hill that my speed has increased by a large amount! I have gained confidence in my abilities. My downhills are smoother, faster, and I'm more aware of the beauty of the moment than I used to be. Hanging on for dear life seems to take some of the enjoyment out of the moment :-) I let myself enjoy the ride down, I am no longer afraid to let go and allow my momentum to carry me through. Isn't that like life at times? We get too scared of our easy flowing downhills and we start to reign things in and then we hold on too tight and the forward momentum comes to an end. The things that my bike riding is teaching me seem to be limitless!
Going back to my goal for next August, Brad is on board. His first words were, "I don't know that I can take 20 days off of work to ride with you." My answer, "I don't expect you too." He thought about it and I reminded him that I will be touring Western Washington, down the coast, up the mountains, and it will be crossing back and forth. Maybe I will cross the mountains and come back, my route hasn't been figured out yet, but I will not be a 1000 miles away, at the most a few hundred. He is now giving me suggestions on who to contact next to get this thing rolling. His advice, start now, it's a big project.
That's about all for today, it was a great ride ... I hope that you enjoy yours today as well!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Universe ... I have a goal
I've heard that if you throw something out to the Universe that you really believe in things will begin to happen to make your goal a reality. So, Universe, I have a goal. It's a very doable goal and I'm excited about it. I talked with Brad a little bit about it yesterday and I'm not sure, but he might think that I'm crazy! It wouldn't be the first time.
I don't have all of the details worked out yet, I only have a vague plan and it goes something like this: 20 days before the next Bike MS fundraising ride in Mt. Vernon begins next year (2014) I am going to begin a 1000 mile ride for MS. I can do this, of that I have no doubt. I did the math and it works out to be an average of 50 miles a day. I would like to end up in Mt. Vernon on the Friday before the Bike MS.
Washington State ranks 6th per capita for people diagnosed with MS. That's a very high amount of people that live with this disease everyday. When you take into account all of the people that are also affected by this (I believe that it is a disease of the family, not just the one person) there are a lot of people that have their lives changed as they learn to adjust to the new way of living. I'm lucky, I have managed to go through hell and come out the other side, wiser and healthier.
My goal is to raise $50 a mile for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Northwest Chapter. I don't have all of the details figured out yet, but they will come to me. I know that there will be others that will ride with me, some for the entire ride, some for the bits and pieces that they can slip away. I will be looking for sponsors and I have no fear of finding them. There will be a support team as well. The end goal is $50,000 for MS. Does this sound daunting? Not really! If only 50 people that I pass along the way each day donate $50 each, I've raised the funds. It's doable.
I will keep you posted, but Universe, you have been given notice. I have a goal and I will obtain it. Tomorrow I add more distance to my ride and another long hill ... I'll be ready. Now all you have to do is hold up your end of the bargain.
I don't have all of the details worked out yet, I only have a vague plan and it goes something like this: 20 days before the next Bike MS fundraising ride in Mt. Vernon begins next year (2014) I am going to begin a 1000 mile ride for MS. I can do this, of that I have no doubt. I did the math and it works out to be an average of 50 miles a day. I would like to end up in Mt. Vernon on the Friday before the Bike MS.
Washington State ranks 6th per capita for people diagnosed with MS. That's a very high amount of people that live with this disease everyday. When you take into account all of the people that are also affected by this (I believe that it is a disease of the family, not just the one person) there are a lot of people that have their lives changed as they learn to adjust to the new way of living. I'm lucky, I have managed to go through hell and come out the other side, wiser and healthier.
My goal is to raise $50 a mile for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Greater Northwest Chapter. I don't have all of the details figured out yet, but they will come to me. I know that there will be others that will ride with me, some for the entire ride, some for the bits and pieces that they can slip away. I will be looking for sponsors and I have no fear of finding them. There will be a support team as well. The end goal is $50,000 for MS. Does this sound daunting? Not really! If only 50 people that I pass along the way each day donate $50 each, I've raised the funds. It's doable.
I will keep you posted, but Universe, you have been given notice. I have a goal and I will obtain it. Tomorrow I add more distance to my ride and another long hill ... I'll be ready. Now all you have to do is hold up your end of the bargain.
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
and butterflies
I did not want to ride this morning! I am sure that there are several out there that feel like that prior to actually getting on the bike and heading out. I'm really glad that I did though! It feels good now that it is behind me.
I discovered that I need to add more distance to my ride, I did it in 40 minutes today! I'm getting faster. It might be that I'm also getting more comfortable with the bike and gaining more confidence. I know that I am going downhill faster and I'm going up MOST of the hills faster as well. I still have that one long hill up Sears Road that gets to this one little pitch and I end up walking. I don't stop at all, I just get off and walk up that pitch and then I get back on when it gets a little less steep. I can start on a hill now and it feels good to be pedaling when I reach the very top of the hill and start down the other side.
I have decided though, it might be a matter of dealing with my mind more than my legs and lungs to ride the full length of that hill. It isn't in the first part of my ride, so I know that plays a small part in it. I know that I can push myself and I think that I will begin pushing just a bit harder. Of course that being said, I'm going to go clear to King Road on my next ride (rather than stop at the bottom of Buckhorn Road) so I'm adding another long hill to the ride. All that will do though is make me stronger in the long run!
I finally got a new battery in my heart monitor today and wore it for the first time. I discovered something very interesting. When I was running with my heart monitor I could not run and stay anywhere near my heart rate training zone. My heart rate always skyrocketed, it didn't matter how good of shape I got in, my heart didn't improve. Today I hit the high end of my heart range, but I didn't explode out of it and my heart rate came back down quickly, something that it has not done in the past. This got me to thinking and wondering what was going on. I think that I have the answer. This is the first time that I've worn a heart monitor since I stopped taking my MS medication. One of the side effects of the medication was an increased heart rate. I think that for the first time ever, I am getting a true reading of how my body is really doing. I have to admit, it feels pretty good!
I am very thankful that I didn't get rained on this morning! I am also thankful for the butterfly that accompanied me up the last hill and the second one that welcomed me back to the car. It was a good ride!
I discovered that I need to add more distance to my ride, I did it in 40 minutes today! I'm getting faster. It might be that I'm also getting more comfortable with the bike and gaining more confidence. I know that I am going downhill faster and I'm going up MOST of the hills faster as well. I still have that one long hill up Sears Road that gets to this one little pitch and I end up walking. I don't stop at all, I just get off and walk up that pitch and then I get back on when it gets a little less steep. I can start on a hill now and it feels good to be pedaling when I reach the very top of the hill and start down the other side.
I have decided though, it might be a matter of dealing with my mind more than my legs and lungs to ride the full length of that hill. It isn't in the first part of my ride, so I know that plays a small part in it. I know that I can push myself and I think that I will begin pushing just a bit harder. Of course that being said, I'm going to go clear to King Road on my next ride (rather than stop at the bottom of Buckhorn Road) so I'm adding another long hill to the ride. All that will do though is make me stronger in the long run!
I finally got a new battery in my heart monitor today and wore it for the first time. I discovered something very interesting. When I was running with my heart monitor I could not run and stay anywhere near my heart rate training zone. My heart rate always skyrocketed, it didn't matter how good of shape I got in, my heart didn't improve. Today I hit the high end of my heart range, but I didn't explode out of it and my heart rate came back down quickly, something that it has not done in the past. This got me to thinking and wondering what was going on. I think that I have the answer. This is the first time that I've worn a heart monitor since I stopped taking my MS medication. One of the side effects of the medication was an increased heart rate. I think that for the first time ever, I am getting a true reading of how my body is really doing. I have to admit, it feels pretty good!
I am very thankful that I didn't get rained on this morning! I am also thankful for the butterfly that accompanied me up the last hill and the second one that welcomed me back to the car. It was a good ride!
Monday, September 16, 2013
I Ride With MS ... My Journey
I decided to create this blog to share my bike riding with the world. I think that it helps to know that someone with MS is out there living life rather than allowing life to happen to them.
This year I rode in the Bike MS Fund Raiser. I rode the 22 mile course. I've done the 59 mile course before (twice) but I was not that stable of a rider then and it made my poor husband, Brad, very nervous as he rode behind me. That's all changing.
I took a hiatus from riding for about two years, but I'm back on the bike now and it feels good. This time I'm on a full road bike. When I was riding before, I rode a bike with straight handle bars. I was actually afraid of the road bike handle bars. I didn't trust myself to be in that position and still be in control of the bike. I now find that it feels more comfortable and I actually ride better with the different handle bars.
One of the biggest problems that I had when I rode before was stability. If a car came by and I became nervous, I'd wobble. Weebles wobble and they most certainly fall down ... or maybe it's because I'm not a weeble that I fell over. I've made both my husband and my son very nervous on more than one occasion with my instability. I still feel bad for scaring my son when it was just the two of us riding and I took a really nasty spill. I felt like crying from the crash, but one look at his face and I knew that I had to keep it together! I'm surprised that he will still ride with me.
I think that it is important for those with riding challenges to realize that we all have challenges of some sort. The biggest thing is to recognize them for what they are and then start to work on them. During this years Bike MS I realized that I no longer wobble when cars pass by. I DO, however, slow down. Brad told me to maintain the same speed so that the car knows what I'm doing and the line of bikes behind me don't plow into me. I will be working on that!
To train for the Bike MS I rode mainly on the Tenino Trail system, it was good riding with no car traffic. It is also relatively flat. I became much better at riding my new bike (new to me, it's Brad's hand-me-down) and started learning how to shift the gears. I'm still not the best at shifting, but I also was at a point that I never shifted on the trail as I could do the entire thing (we were riding 25 miles) in the same gear.
Just prior to the Bike MS ride I started riding hills. Brad picked out the route and he told me later that he wouldn't have picked out that route two years ago, even though I was riding a lot more. We live in an area that is surrounded by hills and just leaving our valley to ride is a hill climb. That first ride I walked more than once up those hills. They are long hills and I pushed until my thighs were quivering. I have realized that I can push though, that's something that I found out is deep inside of me. I have also learned that what I think can make or break me in a tough situation.
I plan on writing about my progress as I go along with my rides. The good and the bad. I will tell of the times that I'm hoping my fingers continue to hold the brakes as yes, they still go numb at times. I want people with MS to see hope and victory through me. I want them to see that no matter what stage of the diagnosis they are in, they can work to get better.
I believe that it is a team effort to getting better and the main participant in that team is the one that has the diagnosis of MS. Take full advantage of the medical advancements that are available to you. Eat properly and take nutritional supplements (I use USANA as they have the top ratings for purity by a third party rating system) and MOVE. Push yourself today to do more than you did yesterday. If you get tired, then rest and try again later. Even if it's just one step without holding onto anything, that would be one step more than you did yesterday. If it's lifting a weight (even in wrist splints as I've worn out two sets of them) just inches today, tomorrow you might lift them an inch higher. Each small step deserves a pat on the back and a "good for me"! All the medical treatments in the world can't help you get better beyond a certain point if you give up. It is a mental exercise and if you are having mental confusion (and yes, I've had more than my share of that) it's OK to acknowledge that and know that tomorrow will always be better. Start where you are ... always. So what if yesterday was a bad day, that was yesterday. Looking backwards will never help you to move forwards. Worrying about what the future might hold for you never allows you to really enjoy today. Live where you are right now and make the most of each moment. The Universe is behind you on this, so work with it!
This will be an interesting move forward. I also think that writing about it will keep me moving and motivated and riding. I might even begin running again, though my orthopedic said that it wouldn't be possible after my knee surgery. I've proven them wrong before, I can do it again. Nothing is impossible when you set your mind to it. Everyday people do amazing things all the time, things that no one thought was possible. Add your own name to that list of amazing everyday people ... it feels really good!
This year I rode in the Bike MS Fund Raiser. I rode the 22 mile course. I've done the 59 mile course before (twice) but I was not that stable of a rider then and it made my poor husband, Brad, very nervous as he rode behind me. That's all changing.
I took a hiatus from riding for about two years, but I'm back on the bike now and it feels good. This time I'm on a full road bike. When I was riding before, I rode a bike with straight handle bars. I was actually afraid of the road bike handle bars. I didn't trust myself to be in that position and still be in control of the bike. I now find that it feels more comfortable and I actually ride better with the different handle bars.
One of the biggest problems that I had when I rode before was stability. If a car came by and I became nervous, I'd wobble. Weebles wobble and they most certainly fall down ... or maybe it's because I'm not a weeble that I fell over. I've made both my husband and my son very nervous on more than one occasion with my instability. I still feel bad for scaring my son when it was just the two of us riding and I took a really nasty spill. I felt like crying from the crash, but one look at his face and I knew that I had to keep it together! I'm surprised that he will still ride with me.
I think that it is important for those with riding challenges to realize that we all have challenges of some sort. The biggest thing is to recognize them for what they are and then start to work on them. During this years Bike MS I realized that I no longer wobble when cars pass by. I DO, however, slow down. Brad told me to maintain the same speed so that the car knows what I'm doing and the line of bikes behind me don't plow into me. I will be working on that!
To train for the Bike MS I rode mainly on the Tenino Trail system, it was good riding with no car traffic. It is also relatively flat. I became much better at riding my new bike (new to me, it's Brad's hand-me-down) and started learning how to shift the gears. I'm still not the best at shifting, but I also was at a point that I never shifted on the trail as I could do the entire thing (we were riding 25 miles) in the same gear.
Just prior to the Bike MS ride I started riding hills. Brad picked out the route and he told me later that he wouldn't have picked out that route two years ago, even though I was riding a lot more. We live in an area that is surrounded by hills and just leaving our valley to ride is a hill climb. That first ride I walked more than once up those hills. They are long hills and I pushed until my thighs were quivering. I have realized that I can push though, that's something that I found out is deep inside of me. I have also learned that what I think can make or break me in a tough situation.
I plan on writing about my progress as I go along with my rides. The good and the bad. I will tell of the times that I'm hoping my fingers continue to hold the brakes as yes, they still go numb at times. I want people with MS to see hope and victory through me. I want them to see that no matter what stage of the diagnosis they are in, they can work to get better.
I believe that it is a team effort to getting better and the main participant in that team is the one that has the diagnosis of MS. Take full advantage of the medical advancements that are available to you. Eat properly and take nutritional supplements (I use USANA as they have the top ratings for purity by a third party rating system) and MOVE. Push yourself today to do more than you did yesterday. If you get tired, then rest and try again later. Even if it's just one step without holding onto anything, that would be one step more than you did yesterday. If it's lifting a weight (even in wrist splints as I've worn out two sets of them) just inches today, tomorrow you might lift them an inch higher. Each small step deserves a pat on the back and a "good for me"! All the medical treatments in the world can't help you get better beyond a certain point if you give up. It is a mental exercise and if you are having mental confusion (and yes, I've had more than my share of that) it's OK to acknowledge that and know that tomorrow will always be better. Start where you are ... always. So what if yesterday was a bad day, that was yesterday. Looking backwards will never help you to move forwards. Worrying about what the future might hold for you never allows you to really enjoy today. Live where you are right now and make the most of each moment. The Universe is behind you on this, so work with it!
This will be an interesting move forward. I also think that writing about it will keep me moving and motivated and riding. I might even begin running again, though my orthopedic said that it wouldn't be possible after my knee surgery. I've proven them wrong before, I can do it again. Nothing is impossible when you set your mind to it. Everyday people do amazing things all the time, things that no one thought was possible. Add your own name to that list of amazing everyday people ... it feels really good!
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