I remember my blog entry from July 2010. It was a reflection of the adjustments and
concessions I have faced in my fight with Multiple Sclerosis and of my struggle
to learn to ride a new bike. My
recumbent bike.
I have learned a lot in the past year and a half. I learned that I can push my body past the
limits MS once placed on me. I learned that
if I keep working on my strength, stamina, balance and coordination, those
areas will continue to improve. So I
focused on these skills, just as I continue to focus on my overall wellness. By the time July 2011 came around, I was 50
pounds lighter and in the best physical condition since my diagnosis in 1999. In July, I climbed Mount Rainier and ran a
challenging 10K obstacle course. Both
times my MS kept fighting me. There were
limits on how high or how fast I could push myself; regardless, I kept ‘raising
the bar’. At the end of the month, my MS
reminded me it was still fighting for control: its grip on my balance won over
on, of all places, a roller skating rink!
It will never stop…
It will never quit…
It was a long recovery from a broken leg and the resulting
surgery. That recovery gave me a lot of
time to consider the need to embrace the “new”.
I’ve gained a lot in the last few years.
My health, strength and stamina are strong but my balance and
coordination have indeed continued to degrade.
It takes something significant to drive that point home sometimes. I pushed my limits on Mt. Rainier, the obstacle
course and the roller rink much like I push my limits every time I ride my
recumbent bike: falling a lot but always getting back up and moving on.
It will never stop…nor will we
It will never quit…nor will we
So how do I keep pushing with my limitation now fully
exposed? Much like before, it’s with adjustments,
Concessions and Embracing the New.
- I can’t safely climb mountains anymore, but I can still push myself on trails and hills below the snow & ice.
- I can’t safely run the full obstacle course, but I can still run the route hard and just bypass certain tricky obstacles.
- I can’t safely roller skate. OK, we’ll just leave that one alone! 40 year old men, especially those with MS, have no business on roller skates anyway.
- What do I do when I can’t safely ride my bicycle anymore?
After a lot of research, test rides and
pondering, I am making the move to a recumbent trike.
A tricycle? Really?
The last time I owned a tricycle I was Eleanor’s age! Am I really regressing so far back that I
need to ride a tricycle?
Kind of….but not really.
There won’t be handlebar streamers on this one. The name will even be more ‘grown up’. Not a tricycle, but a recumbent trike!
With my trike, I can push myself physically without having
the burden of balance to weigh me down. I
figure if I can’t beat my MS, then I will just pass it by.
The next time that you see me on the road I will be riding
my new recumbent trike. I am already
training hard to develop my ‘bent leg muscles – the hamstring, abdominal, quad
and glut muscles that need to be strong to ride hard. My legs are strong but I am not fully back
from my broken leg. Plus, this is
different riding because of the new muscle groups required to ride a trike. Training will be hard but motivation will
carry me through. I will be the guy
passing other riders on that steep hill climb!
My MS can’t stop me
now.
Multiple Sclerosis has taken a lot away from me. It has caused me to adjust my lifestyle and
make certain concessions based on my limitations. What my MS has never taken away from me is my
motivation to embrace new challenges and opportunities. My new recumbent trike is my new opportunity
to live my mantra.
It will never stop…nor will we
It will never quit…nor will we
This is why we ride!
What’s the only way that a 40 year old man rides a
tricycle? By riding hard at the front of
the pack!
Kevin Byrne - Portland, OR
