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!
Showing posts with label MS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MS. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
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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