Yesterday I officially started training for Bike MS. I my co-workers, who are training with me, and I got together afterwork and rode for about an hour. I was pleasantly surprised at how well I felt I did... when we were done I still felt like I could go on for longer.
I kept thinking through out our ride that I could totally do this... ride Bike MS.
I am so raring to go... I find that I have to keep reminding myself to take it easy and not over do things. Things seem easy now but that can change as the weather warms up. My goal for the next few weeks is to get my body conditioned to riding the terrain and hope that heat wont be too big of an issue.
Remember... Anyone who wants to contribute towards my ride can do so online at:
My Bike MS donation page
Only 59 days left to go...
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Happy BIrthday to Me!
Okay... Not really but it will be next week.
For my birthday and in honor of my upcoming Bike MS ride in June, we picked out a new... snazzier... bike for me. I had been wanting to upgrade my old, cheapo, bike ever since the family and I have been going on longer and longer weekend rides.
So... I've got this great new bike that I'm itching to take out for a spin and wouldn't you know... it's snowing out today! However, I'm so jazzed about my bike that I may go out anyway.
While I'm on the topic of riding... Training for Bike MS starts officially on Tuesday. I have an awesome friend at work who's offered to help me train and get ready for the ride. In addition to her help, many of my other work friends are training with me even though they aren't going to be riding the actual ride. It's going to make getting ready a lot of fun and we're all going to get fit together.
I'm actually really excited to do the ride. It's another affirmation... I do this because I can and nothing is going to hold me back. The distance... the terrain... even the heat of summer... None of those things intimidate me or make me feel worried that maybe I won't make it; I'm just eager to get started.
I'm still looking for donations towards my ride. The money raised in this event goes towards research to help find ways to make living with MS easier and maybe... one day... lead to the discovery of a cure. I'm fortunate that right now my MS has gotten to a point where I can lead a normal life, but there are hundreds of others who have not been as fortunate.
MS is unpredictable... One day your fine, on top of the world, but the next day you could wake up in the morning and barely move. It's horrible feeling as though your body is slowly betraying you. One of the worst things about MS is that it commonly strikes people in the prime of their lives; it's not fair to be 34 and have this... ax... hanging over my head ready to rob me of my cognitive and motor functioning.
When you're living with MS, you live for today because you never know what your life will be tomorrow.
I ride because today... I can.
Please help my cause by donating towards my ride:
My MS Fundraising Page
For my birthday and in honor of my upcoming Bike MS ride in June, we picked out a new... snazzier... bike for me. I had been wanting to upgrade my old, cheapo, bike ever since the family and I have been going on longer and longer weekend rides.
So... I've got this great new bike that I'm itching to take out for a spin and wouldn't you know... it's snowing out today! However, I'm so jazzed about my bike that I may go out anyway.
While I'm on the topic of riding... Training for Bike MS starts officially on Tuesday. I have an awesome friend at work who's offered to help me train and get ready for the ride. In addition to her help, many of my other work friends are training with me even though they aren't going to be riding the actual ride. It's going to make getting ready a lot of fun and we're all going to get fit together.
I'm actually really excited to do the ride. It's another affirmation... I do this because I can and nothing is going to hold me back. The distance... the terrain... even the heat of summer... None of those things intimidate me or make me feel worried that maybe I won't make it; I'm just eager to get started.
I'm still looking for donations towards my ride. The money raised in this event goes towards research to help find ways to make living with MS easier and maybe... one day... lead to the discovery of a cure. I'm fortunate that right now my MS has gotten to a point where I can lead a normal life, but there are hundreds of others who have not been as fortunate.
MS is unpredictable... One day your fine, on top of the world, but the next day you could wake up in the morning and barely move. It's horrible feeling as though your body is slowly betraying you. One of the worst things about MS is that it commonly strikes people in the prime of their lives; it's not fair to be 34 and have this... ax... hanging over my head ready to rob me of my cognitive and motor functioning.
When you're living with MS, you live for today because you never know what your life will be tomorrow.
I ride because today... I can.
Please help my cause by donating towards my ride:
My MS Fundraising Page
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Riding Towards a Cure
Since coming to terms with having MS, I've been... appreciating my mobility. For many people with MS, mobility is something that slowly deteriorates as the condition progresses; if your nerves aren't working right they can't send all the correct signals that make your body function as it should.
If you don't use it, you lose it... and as hard as it was to get going, I see how important it has been that I've gotten my activity levels up and how keeping those levels high can play a key role is staving off mobility loss in the future. The stronger hold I get over my body, the harder it will be to lose control of it... at least thats what I've been telling myself.
Which brings me to my latest... adventure.
The more active I've become that more active I want to get, and the more I want to challenge myself. Five years ago, WAY before I was diagnosed or even thought there was a possibility I would every have MS, I registered to do the 50 mile, two day, walk into D.C. I worked hard and trained to do the walk however I fell short of my fundraising requirements and was unable to participate.
The irony isn't lost on me...
Coming up in June there is a Bike MS challenge. The challenge is to ride either two-days/150 miles or one day/40 miles and I had been thinking for a while that if I could get myself into good physical condition that I should try and tackle one of those rides. Initially I was thinking of trying it out next year but I have since been compelled to push myself to make a run of it this year, opting for the one day/40 mile ride.
The goal of the challenge is to raise awareness and money for MS and that, in and of itself, is a worthy feat. However, for me, this ride is something way more important. One of the worst things about having MS is feeling helpless. You're at the mercy of your own body and whether or not it's going to cooperate, and there isn't anything you can really do to fight. Riding this challenge, for me, is my way of combating MS. It feels like I'm doing more than just living one day at a time, that I'm contributing... something.
So, I'm signed up to ride provided that I can meet my fundraising goal this time around. I have good reason to believe that I will and it isn't just the increased motivation of having MS...
When I posted on Facebook my idea to train and ride in Bike MS I was greeted by overwhelming support; everyone was cheering me on and encouraging me to sign up and go for it. What surprised me and touched me the most were my co-workers who... without prompting... asked if they could join me and form a team and help support me on the ride.
Outside of family, I don't think I have ever felt so supported. I am so blessed that I work with such an amazing team of people and I know that with their help and the help of my family I'm going to not only be able to meet this challenge... I will concur it and will have done my part, as small as it maybe, towards finding a cure.
Anyone who would like to contribute towards my ride can do so at:
My Bike MS page
If you don't use it, you lose it... and as hard as it was to get going, I see how important it has been that I've gotten my activity levels up and how keeping those levels high can play a key role is staving off mobility loss in the future. The stronger hold I get over my body, the harder it will be to lose control of it... at least thats what I've been telling myself.
Which brings me to my latest... adventure.
The more active I've become that more active I want to get, and the more I want to challenge myself. Five years ago, WAY before I was diagnosed or even thought there was a possibility I would every have MS, I registered to do the 50 mile, two day, walk into D.C. I worked hard and trained to do the walk however I fell short of my fundraising requirements and was unable to participate.
The irony isn't lost on me...
Coming up in June there is a Bike MS challenge. The challenge is to ride either two-days/150 miles or one day/40 miles and I had been thinking for a while that if I could get myself into good physical condition that I should try and tackle one of those rides. Initially I was thinking of trying it out next year but I have since been compelled to push myself to make a run of it this year, opting for the one day/40 mile ride.
The goal of the challenge is to raise awareness and money for MS and that, in and of itself, is a worthy feat. However, for me, this ride is something way more important. One of the worst things about having MS is feeling helpless. You're at the mercy of your own body and whether or not it's going to cooperate, and there isn't anything you can really do to fight. Riding this challenge, for me, is my way of combating MS. It feels like I'm doing more than just living one day at a time, that I'm contributing... something.
So, I'm signed up to ride provided that I can meet my fundraising goal this time around. I have good reason to believe that I will and it isn't just the increased motivation of having MS...
When I posted on Facebook my idea to train and ride in Bike MS I was greeted by overwhelming support; everyone was cheering me on and encouraging me to sign up and go for it. What surprised me and touched me the most were my co-workers who... without prompting... asked if they could join me and form a team and help support me on the ride.
Outside of family, I don't think I have ever felt so supported. I am so blessed that I work with such an amazing team of people and I know that with their help and the help of my family I'm going to not only be able to meet this challenge... I will concur it and will have done my part, as small as it maybe, towards finding a cure.
Anyone who would like to contribute towards my ride can do so at:
My Bike MS page
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