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!
Showing posts with label USANA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label USANA. Show all posts
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
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!
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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