Well, maybe I should call it a "Walk/Run." It was definitely more of a walk! But that's the way it's supposed to be. I set out on a 20 minute walk- approximately one mile, and was able to incorporate 3 bursts of running at a minute each. That third burst was pretty tough for me. I had to imagine Jillian from The Biggest Loser pushing me through- "Come on, just 30 more seconds! You can do it! Don't stop! 10 more seconds. All right! You did it!" So I raised my arms in celebration and did a cool-down walk the rest of the way home.
It feels so good to be walking. Sometimes it's hard for me to believe how much of my life I spent in a wheelchair. And I had always believed that pushing myself at all physically would only end up making me worse. If only I had known that over-resting was making me worse! Over-exertion in the short-run certainly makes me weaker. So I have to be careful not to push too much. I don't want to take a week or two to recover! I'd much rather be able to recover in a day or two. It's hard to take it slow though when I am having a "strong" day. I will have to make myself conserve so I can maybe turn one strong day into two.
I'm off to a good start. Just gotta stay consistent!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
On the way to a 5k
I've been researching the last few days on how to train for a 5k. It looks like the general consensus is that it's best to train slowly and not push too hard. Good advice for everyone, but especially for those of us with myasthenia because we tend to get over-extended more quickly than everyone else. Plus it seems our recovery time is much longer.
I wonder if it's possible to minimize recovery time. There are lots of supplements on the market for body-builders, but I don't know if any of these products actually work. One that I am very curious about is Glutamine. Supposedly this is a product that helps your muscles recover. I guess I can give it a shot. Need to talk to the doc and see what he thinks about it.
Today I officially started my training. I got some ankle weights and did a few sets of various leg lifts. It felt really good! I've been walking a lot, but now that I have a goal I will have to be more focused. I found a "Couch to 5k Running Plan" that could be perfect for me. It's a 3-day a week plan, starting with 20 minutes. It's a nine-week plan. So I should be doing a 5k around Oct 17. That's pretty exciting to think about! I will definitely need some encouragement along the way.
I wonder if it's possible to minimize recovery time. There are lots of supplements on the market for body-builders, but I don't know if any of these products actually work. One that I am very curious about is Glutamine. Supposedly this is a product that helps your muscles recover. I guess I can give it a shot. Need to talk to the doc and see what he thinks about it.
Today I officially started my training. I got some ankle weights and did a few sets of various leg lifts. It felt really good! I've been walking a lot, but now that I have a goal I will have to be more focused. I found a "Couch to 5k Running Plan" that could be perfect for me. It's a 3-day a week plan, starting with 20 minutes. It's a nine-week plan. So I should be doing a 5k around Oct 17. That's pretty exciting to think about! I will definitely need some encouragement along the way.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Road Block
I've been taking Fluoxetine for about 5 months now, and I seem to have hit a wall. Everything was going so great a month ago. I ran! I ran a half a mile! It was unbelievable. In fact, I did it twice! But I haven't been able to do it since then.
I have been feeling pretty weak. My mouth especially has been bothering me- trouble talking. I've lost my smile again. It is so frustrating. I had been so excited to see my smile- even if it was just for a little part of every day. Even my eyes were starting to open up. Now it's as though I'm not taking anything. I just don't understand it. How can it just stop working? Do I need to take more? Less? My doctors are just guessing.
I just want so much to be better. To be WELL. I love to travel, and it would be so great to be able to walk around the old cities without getting tired. Or to be able to hike, and see all the amazing places I can't get to in a wheelchair. I am still amazed that I was able to hike a bit in Switzerland. I think that really awakened something in me. I have seen so much beauty- even from the seat of a wheelchair. I went to Alaska and to Rocky Mountain National Park in a wheelchair. But it's a very limited way to view the world. And you have to find places that are accessible. Sometimes I just want the freedom that comes with being able to walk.
I have thought about attempting a 5k. Especially on the two days that I was able to run. There have been days when I have been able to walk as far as two miles. A 5k is slightly over 3 miles. So maybe it is possible. I just wonder how in the world I could train for that. It seems like it takes so long for my muscles to recover. If I could just figure out how to work out enough to get a benefit, without overdoing it, maybe I could really get stronger. Maybe I could really increase my endurance.
I keep wishing there was some easy solution- like some apparatus I could put on over my legs that would enable me to walk without getting tired. I've seen the exoskeletons they are developing, but they aren't available for sale yet, and they are too expensive for me any way. But I do wonder if they work on mountains! Maybe they will come down in price in the next few years so that the average handicapped person can actually be able to "walk" instead of having to use a wheelchair. How amazing that would be!
There is a woman with MS, Wendy Booker, who is so inspiring to me. I first read about her in Prevention magazine several years ago. She was able to compete in marathons even with MS. When she was diagnosed, she was determined not to let it keep her down, and worked out with a trainer to develop and maintain her muscles as much as possible. She said there were days when she was so weak she could only lift a 1 lb weight, but she did it any way. Now she is working on climbing the Seven Summits. I know that MS is a different disease than congenital myasthenic syndrome. But both are neuromuscular diseases, and neither has a cure. Both have varying degrees of weakness, and affect each person differently. My case of CMS is relatively mild. Perhaps it is possible to train my body to work more effectively and efficiently. Maybe it is possible for me to be able to climb mountains. I just have to figure out how!
I have been feeling pretty weak. My mouth especially has been bothering me- trouble talking. I've lost my smile again. It is so frustrating. I had been so excited to see my smile- even if it was just for a little part of every day. Even my eyes were starting to open up. Now it's as though I'm not taking anything. I just don't understand it. How can it just stop working? Do I need to take more? Less? My doctors are just guessing.
I just want so much to be better. To be WELL. I love to travel, and it would be so great to be able to walk around the old cities without getting tired. Or to be able to hike, and see all the amazing places I can't get to in a wheelchair. I am still amazed that I was able to hike a bit in Switzerland. I think that really awakened something in me. I have seen so much beauty- even from the seat of a wheelchair. I went to Alaska and to Rocky Mountain National Park in a wheelchair. But it's a very limited way to view the world. And you have to find places that are accessible. Sometimes I just want the freedom that comes with being able to walk.
I have thought about attempting a 5k. Especially on the two days that I was able to run. There have been days when I have been able to walk as far as two miles. A 5k is slightly over 3 miles. So maybe it is possible. I just wonder how in the world I could train for that. It seems like it takes so long for my muscles to recover. If I could just figure out how to work out enough to get a benefit, without overdoing it, maybe I could really get stronger. Maybe I could really increase my endurance.
I keep wishing there was some easy solution- like some apparatus I could put on over my legs that would enable me to walk without getting tired. I've seen the exoskeletons they are developing, but they aren't available for sale yet, and they are too expensive for me any way. But I do wonder if they work on mountains! Maybe they will come down in price in the next few years so that the average handicapped person can actually be able to "walk" instead of having to use a wheelchair. How amazing that would be!
There is a woman with MS, Wendy Booker, who is so inspiring to me. I first read about her in Prevention magazine several years ago. She was able to compete in marathons even with MS. When she was diagnosed, she was determined not to let it keep her down, and worked out with a trainer to develop and maintain her muscles as much as possible. She said there were days when she was so weak she could only lift a 1 lb weight, but she did it any way. Now she is working on climbing the Seven Summits. I know that MS is a different disease than congenital myasthenic syndrome. But both are neuromuscular diseases, and neither has a cure. Both have varying degrees of weakness, and affect each person differently. My case of CMS is relatively mild. Perhaps it is possible to train my body to work more effectively and efficiently. Maybe it is possible for me to be able to climb mountains. I just have to figure out how!
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