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!
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