YES - I HAVE MS AND LOVE RUNNING AND BIKING!!!!: May 2014

Friday, May 23, 2014

May 23, 2014

Well, I LIVED through the 10 mile race in Stoughton, WI!!! Yes, tendons are still in tack!!! YEA!!!!! This was my THIRD year of completed that race. I also received my very coveted race shirt. YOU ONLY RECEIVE THIS IF YOU FINISH!!!! So they are really special and worn with GREAT PRIDE AND HONOR~!!! I also saw my best little grandson when I was done. That really made me very happy to have my family there in support!!!!!

This race was specially difficult due to the tendon tears. I ran it 100% but, really took a very easy pace. I did not want to push to hard and have those tendons snap. I was already PUSHING THE ENVELOPE TO THE EXTREME!!! With the more relaxed pace, my time was longer. But oh well... I finished and did not snap any tendons. So I am good with that!!!! Now, this weekend I have the Pecatonica Crooked River 5K. That will be my LAST TIME RUNNING FOR THE NEXT 6-8 WEEKS!!! OH -- I am going to die without running!!! But I am going to focus ALL MY OUTDOOR running time to biking. I do have my new "big girl bike" and that is what I am going to do!!! Maybe all this will make me a better distance runner. Who knows... I am trying to think very positive. I was thinking during the last couple of miles of the Syttende Mai race - how this was my VERY LAST LONG RUN for 2 months!!! So I decided to celebrate the run. I was celebrating the whole way of that race. Every person I passed - I would tell them what a great job they were doing and to keep going. I know that the race is very difficult. I don't know what race these people were doing but, it did not matter. There were 3 races going on simultaneously (the 10-mile, 20-mile, and 17-mile walk/run). The weather was PERFECT... It was cooler, a light breeze, and sunny. You could not have asked for anything better. After I got through the race, showered, and off for my prize -- coffee and lefse!!!! The rest of the weekend, I was enjoying every activity that I could!!! It is ALWAYS SO MUCH FUN!!!! This whole week I have really been resting that tendon... NO AEROBIC activity... only Pilates and biking. So hopefully, I can cruise through the 5K race. I will do the same thing... just run... I am NOT GOING TO PUSH IT... just take it easy. Then after the race, breakfast with our running club. That sounds like a pretty wonderful way to start a holiday weekend to me!!!! Remember ALWAYS AND FOREVER - FORWARD!!!!

Friday, May 16, 2014

May 16, 2014

YES, TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY!!!!!! TOMORROW, SATURDAY, is my 10-mile race in Stoughton, WI. This will be my THIRD - YES T-H-I-R-D time of doing this race. NUMBER ONE --- never in a billion years would I ever have DREAMED back in the early days of my diagnosis of MS would I thought this was even REMOTELY possible. But here I am. Of course, as we know the MS has TOTALLY tried every which way to play on my body to keep me from doing this race. BUT F-U-C-K the MS!!!!! I have been working hard for years - lost over 130lbs and gone from using a cane/walker to running. I will NOT ALLOW THE MS TO TAKE THIS FROM ME! Well, back to my saga that has been going on since before the first of 2014. The wobbly ankle issue.... Yes, the sports med Dr had me go to PT. PT said the wobble was due to the MS weakening my abductor/adductor muscles in my left hip. So he gave me exercises. I (the type A person that I am) - and HATING THE MS WITH MORE INTENSITY THAN EVER - did the damn exercises. I did them SO MUCH that the PT told me to do THEM LESS OFTEN. I promised to ONLY do them 3x per week. Yes - I have been doing that and STILL DOING THEM!!! I have noticed alot of strengthening in my hip and I do not have the wobble in my ankle. So far - sounds WONDERFUL right??!!!! Yes and NO --- well because this issue has been going on for such a long time - damage has occured to my ankle - BIG TIME! I was refered by my family doc to see a podiatrist. I finally got into him after all my MRI tests last week... So he FINALLY gave me the answer. What is the issue??? I have MULTIPLE (key word MULTIPLE) TEARS IN MY TENDON. This is why it hurts so damn bad. I told him I had done my practice running of the route (10 mile) and the week previous of over 13 miles. His response was that he was SHOCKED that I could go that far because the tendon is so bad. He REALLY does not want me to do this race. He told me if it tears then he would have to go in and repair. He also gave me the whole horror story associated with it. I told him - well I am risking it... I AM DOING THE 10 MILE RACE. I guess because if I feel that if I do not - I have let MS have a WIN.... I just CANNOT LIVE WITH THAT!!!! I would rather risk it than have MS have the WIN.... It is hard to explain but, that is the best I can do... I will continue to wear my little brace and take the race very easy and slow. That is how I did the practice race. I really do not care about the time. There is so many other extremely experienced runners that I cannot even touch them. But that is OK... This week I have been resting it. My last run was on Sunday and it was only a few miles... Very easy. We did discuss other exercise I could do that would not cause further damage. I basically cannot do any jumping/jarring type of activity. We discussed swimming (that is great but the weather has to warm up) and also biking. That I did like and will be biking after the Pecatonica 5K race. He wants me to NOT RUN for a MINIMUM OF 6 WEEKS.... DAMN... But- I figure... OK, I will have Syttendi done and the next race I would want is the 1/2 marathon in September. So if I bike all summer then in August I should be released and can start training for the 1/2. So that is my thought process at the moment.

Since biking is going to be my main outdoor aerobic sport this summer. I had been looking at purchasing a new "big girl bike". I only had my son's old 10+ speed bike and my single speed recumbent. The problem with the boy's bike is that it is made for a guy. I do not have the length in my torso so, I am constantly seating on the edge of the seat that ends up being very painful after awhile. The recumbent is great but, not for long distance or any type of speed. So I had been eyeing a bike that I liked. I figured this was my sign to go for it. So I did... I LOVE IT.... It is actually made by Jeep... It is so comfortable (after I changed the seat to one we already had). I can really G-O!!!! This whole week has been rainy just about every day. Tomorrow, it is forcasted to be sunny and cool. OK - that is better than a COLD RAIN. I have done that race --- YEARS ago in cold rain/sleet. That I will NEVER do again. I had NEVER gotten so cold or felt that miserable in my life. Tomorrow I plan to win over the DAMN MS MONSTER.... I will go forward - maybe running quite a bit slower, but still running.... That does not matter. So as ALWAYS AND FOREVER FORWARD!!!! Yes - even had a pedicure to commemorate Syttende Mai. That is the Norwegian flag on my big toe!!! You may wonder what is Syttende Mai -- it means 17th of May. That is Norway's Independence Day. The Constitution of Norway was signed on 17th May 1814 at Eidsvoll and as per the constitution Norway was declared to be an independent nation.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

May 7, 2014

Exactly 10 days to the 10-mile Syttende Mai race in Stoughton, WI. I did get to Oregon (where race starts) last Saturday. I ran the full route, never stopping. I just kept a steady slower pace. My main goal is, as always to run it 100% and to stay upright. It took me 2:29 which was much slower than previous years. But then I was not dealing with tendonitis. I STILL have not seen the podiatrist since our first appointment because I have been rescheduled. I did have the MRI done and have read the report from the radiologist. I am supposed to have an appointment this Friday, we will see what he said. I just keep running and eating a lot of ibuprofen. Which is not really a good thing. At least, I know it is not a bone spur. That could be devastating!!!! So far this week, I have run 4 days in a row. I have not done that in a long time. The weather the last few days has been decent. But I continue with my regular active lifestyle. I don't believe in slowing down. I refuse to allow the MS to get the upper hand. This will be my THIRD year of doing this race. That alone is AMAZING!!! I NEVER would have thought -- me with Secondary Progressive MS and NEVER running before could be at this stage. It has been a LONG, LONG climb. Starting at the very pit -- weighing 270 lbs and using a cane/walker only FOUR years ago! I REFUSE to go backwards. I enjoy being active and plan to do my damnest to stay that way!!!! I was hoping to maybe do the 20 mile race this year but, it was not meant to be. Maybe next year, who knows. The one truly AWESOME thing is at the finish line my new grandson should be there. He can see his Nana running hard. Next year, I will have another grandbaby greeting me at the finish line. That is SO VERY EXCITING!!!! Right now, I am hoping for decent weather. I plan to run it easy and steady. So now and always --- forever forward!!!

YES - I HAVE MS AND LOVE RUNNING AND BIKING!!!!