Okay... it's 8 a.m. I have the next few days off before summer session starts and here I am up dressed, and ready to hit the road on my bike. Training for Bike MS has been so great, it's like I'm a whole new person lately.
One of the reasons I wanted to do this was as a way to motivate me to exercise more and help me loose more weight. I can work out easily, no problem, but without a specific goal I don't tend to push myself too hard. Training for and riding in Bike MS is beneficial on many levels. It's going to be kind of sad when it's done and I don't have that goal to work towards, I may have to find another thing to work towards.
So...
I have been toying with the idea of doing a triathlon except that I cannot run, never have been able to... I can ride (obviously) and I can swim (like a fish), but I can't run to save my life. Seriously, if zombies were chasing us, they'd get me first. It wouldn't even worth it for me to try running away, most likely I'd just take one for the team and let other people get away while the zombies eat me up.
However, I have in inkling that if I asked really REALLY nicely, my friend Beth might try to change my outlook on running. She seemed to find it amusing, when I told her that I hated riding uphill, and told me that she was going to change that.
Well... I don't hate hills anymore. I can take them now without feeling like I'm going to die, and while my new bike plays a big role in that, it's all the work I've put in that I think has had the biggest impact.
Okay so the kids are up, breakfast is eaten... it's time to grab my gear and hit the road...
Friday, May 27, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
T-Minus 32 Days and Counting until Bike MS
Now if only the weather would be somewhat consistent so I can do my training rides...
I have to say I love my job, I enjoy going to work in the morning and I love my rides however, I do not love riding to work. I dunno why but it just feels like a chore when I try riding into work. It's not a hard route or strenuous but whenever I do it I feel like my rear end is dragging three feet behind me all day. However, I can put in a full days work and come home and hop on my bike with no issues what so ever.
Just about a month until Bike MS and I'm a little worried about training. It's been really rainy here for the past couple of weeks which have interrupted our scheduled rides and then last week I was hit with a serious bout of fatigue that was reminiscent of when the MS was active and making itself known and felt. I'm hoping that it was just exhaustion and burn out as the school year comes to a close and not... well you know...
Today was a great day, the sun came out, I wasn't fatigued... After work I rode for about an hour with no problems which was when I came to the conclusion that I won't try riding to work anymore but save my rides for the afternoon since that just seems to be better for me. (I still don't get that) Hopefully the weather will allow me to continue riding in the afternoons so I can get the training hours and mileage I need before the ride.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
48 Days to Bike MS
Today I got my first taste of what it's like riding with heat involved. During the week I go for at least two short training rides with my trainer Beth and other co-workers and on the weekend I'm supposed to go out on longer rides. So today I dragged my sister in law out and we went for a long ride along the Greenway... 20+ miles all told. When we started it was warm but comfortable out however as the day progressed the temperature rose to 80 degrees or so.
I knew that of all the obstacles along the way to Bike MS, heat was going to be a big one. The longer I rode in the heat and the more tired I became, and I had to keep reminding myself that I needed to push through because I need to get used to riding when it's hot. Heat is the only thing about Bike MS that I'm genuinely worried about... MS makes me heat sensitive and if I'm not careful I could make myself seriously sick.
Riding today was good experience...
I think that what I did well was;
* I drank LOTS of water. I have a backpack with a large water pouch and a hose so I had ready access to water when I needed.
* I came prepared with snacks. Riding long distances with the kids, I just get used to bringing food along.
* I rested when I needed, especially towards the end of the ride.
Somethings I'm going to need as it gets warmer;
* A biking jersey with pockets in the back to put ice packs into to help cool my body.
* I need to remember to add LOTS of ice to my water.
* Some kind of visor or something for my helmet to help keep the sun from beating on my face.
Overall I had a great ride. Once I was able to cool my body temperature down I felt great, not worn out or exhausted. One thing that I am especially proud of was being able to tackle and successfully beat a monster hill that had, in times past, gotten the better of me. I feel stronger. Once I get some good strategies in place to manage the heat and my body temperature I'll be well on my way towards successfully completing Bike MS.
As always... donations are appreciated... Contribute towards my ride.
I knew that of all the obstacles along the way to Bike MS, heat was going to be a big one. The longer I rode in the heat and the more tired I became, and I had to keep reminding myself that I needed to push through because I need to get used to riding when it's hot. Heat is the only thing about Bike MS that I'm genuinely worried about... MS makes me heat sensitive and if I'm not careful I could make myself seriously sick.
Riding today was good experience...
I think that what I did well was;
* I drank LOTS of water. I have a backpack with a large water pouch and a hose so I had ready access to water when I needed.
* I came prepared with snacks. Riding long distances with the kids, I just get used to bringing food along.
* I rested when I needed, especially towards the end of the ride.
Somethings I'm going to need as it gets warmer;
* A biking jersey with pockets in the back to put ice packs into to help cool my body.
* I need to remember to add LOTS of ice to my water.
* Some kind of visor or something for my helmet to help keep the sun from beating on my face.
Overall I had a great ride. Once I was able to cool my body temperature down I felt great, not worn out or exhausted. One thing that I am especially proud of was being able to tackle and successfully beat a monster hill that had, in times past, gotten the better of me. I feel stronger. Once I get some good strategies in place to manage the heat and my body temperature I'll be well on my way towards successfully completing Bike MS.
As always... donations are appreciated... Contribute towards my ride.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Sitting on the Spectrum
Back when I was starting to get fit and drop weight I came to the realization that my MS is on the Autism Spectrum. Anytime I made a major change with my body, the MS starts to freak out. At the beginning of the year I started incorporating more exercise and activity into my routine and right after I started, my left hand went numb and stayed that way for about a month.
This is a pattern that has repeated itself over and over since I've been diagnosed. The moment I made a significant change my body would go all wonky. The difference in this round was the fact that I;
A.) I didn't freak out
B.) I pushed through and didn't back down
Despite the annoyance of having a numb hand I kept going and eventually my body adjusted and everything went back to normal.
Lately, since I've started my training, I've noticed more weakness on my left side. Once again, I make a change and my body freaks out. It's frustrating, annoying, and it means that I have to work harder to push through. It also means that it's important that I take my training slow and not push myself too hard too fast because the last thing I want is to shock my body so much that I wont be able to train because things don't work right.
This is MS... One day your fine and the next day something changes and you have no way of predicting what and when or how badly.
53 days until Bike MS and I'm at hurdle #1. Push through and get my body used to the new routine.
I want to thank everyone who has donated and contributed to my ride. I've met my $400 minimum fundraising goal which means that I will be able to ride. However, that's still not quite enough... all the money raised through fundraising goes towards research and hopefully a cure. So please, if you haven't had a chance to donate yet, please take a look at my Bike MS page. Any little bit helps to bring those of us with MS a step closer to a cure, and helps improve the quality of life for those who have been hit hard by this condition.
This is a pattern that has repeated itself over and over since I've been diagnosed. The moment I made a significant change my body would go all wonky. The difference in this round was the fact that I;
A.) I didn't freak out
B.) I pushed through and didn't back down
Despite the annoyance of having a numb hand I kept going and eventually my body adjusted and everything went back to normal.
Lately, since I've started my training, I've noticed more weakness on my left side. Once again, I make a change and my body freaks out. It's frustrating, annoying, and it means that I have to work harder to push through. It also means that it's important that I take my training slow and not push myself too hard too fast because the last thing I want is to shock my body so much that I wont be able to train because things don't work right.
This is MS... One day your fine and the next day something changes and you have no way of predicting what and when or how badly.
53 days until Bike MS and I'm at hurdle #1. Push through and get my body used to the new routine.
I want to thank everyone who has donated and contributed to my ride. I've met my $400 minimum fundraising goal which means that I will be able to ride. However, that's still not quite enough... all the money raised through fundraising goes towards research and hopefully a cure. So please, if you haven't had a chance to donate yet, please take a look at my Bike MS page. Any little bit helps to bring those of us with MS a step closer to a cure, and helps improve the quality of life for those who have been hit hard by this condition.
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