Spring, has sprung... time to ride bike

Finally Spring.  Monday was a really beautiful day. Plus a special day.  26 yrs ago my daughter was born.  My favorite, of course she is my only, but she's still my favorite. This weekend was a nice weekend, although a little on the cool side. 

We went riding a week ago Sunday, (M & I) and put in about 19 miles. I did really well, kicked butt. M was worried about whether I would make it for the bike ride we have scheduled for this coming weekend (the 16th), but she had a lot more trouble than I did. I had been riding inside, with my bike up on a indoor stand, I like riding my own bike much better than riding on our excercise bike, I don't find it comfortable.  I admit though that I am bad about procrastinating riding indoors.  Call me lazy. that's really most of it.  I like riding outside, that's different.

For my daughters b'day we helped her get a new bike. A nice one. She's been working really hard at losing some weight and getting in shape.  She has started doing irish folk dancing - which is pretty cool, and a real workout, plus watching what she eats, and has lost around 25 lbs. Good for her! We spent Saturday picking up the bike, and went for a short ride, then on Sunday we met the kids (her and her boyfriend) and went for a ride near their house. We did 20 miles on one of the rail trails.  Great ride, but a little chilly.  After the ride we took them out for their birthdays (J's is 4/11, his is the 13th).  I think we all had fun. 

I'm riding pretty well, even with my knees. My knees are bad. But I can ride better than I walk.  My main problem is stopping - have to make sure my knee won't give out, that's how I broke my ankle last year. Hills are a problem. Or difficult climbing. I have to remember to shift down, and even if I do in time, if it is a tough hill, I might not make it.  I have to judge it right so if I'm not going to make it I can stop and get off and walk it.  If I push too far, I take the chance of not making it and not being able to stop, and get off without crashing and burning.  How hard can stopping be?

The rest of the week (until today) was rainy, damp, cold and miserable. Or may that was just me that was miserable. My arthritis flares up in the cold damp.  My MS feet flare up in cold damp.  Maybe you know what I mean? My feet are cold, fuzzy, and it feels like I"m walking on a balled up sock under the ball of my foot. It isn't they are numb.  I have sensation in my feet.  They just are fuzzy/tingly, whatever.  When they are bad, then you can test easily for the babinski sign.  My big toe will fly up.  When it is warmer, then my reflexes calm down at least some. I know it is the heat that effects most MS people.  But it is the cold that effects me.  Heat can actuallly help me sometimes.  Like soaking in the hot tub.  I'm glad too. As much money and effort we put in to installing it, and creating our little getaway with the two decks and fences behind the house.  I read something on Lisa's (brass and ivory) blog regarding Uhthoff's Phenomenom, and its opposite - Inverse Uhthoff's syndrome.  I think that is me.  I didn't really find any other text or information on it, but here is the link to Lisa's blog - http://www.brassandivory.org/2011/04/heat-sensitivity-and-uhthoffs.html

Today, however is a beautiful spring day.  Went outside at lunchtime without a jacket - short sleeves.  Think the temps were mid 60's. Sun shining.  I hope it will be as nice tomorrow & Saturday for our bike ride.

Spring? or Snow... Brrrr

Ok, for about two weeks now I wanted to write a post about spring. The weather was getting warmer, I was ready to get my bike out and thinking about riding.  Signed up again for the MS Ride - this year it is the Mason Dixon Challenge and takes place in Gettysburg July 21.  I have been riding my bike indoors, (I have a special stand for it) but that isn't the same at all. We need to get busy and ride, M & I are signed up to do a Ocean to Bay ride that takes place down in DE (Bethany/Fenwick Island) on April 16th. I'm not sure I'm up for doing 30 miles.  Actually I'm as much concerned about stopping & starting as I am riding. My left knee seems to have issues, and visions of how I broke my ankle last January keep coming back.  But I can't let that stop me.

So, we had the warm weather, even got up to close to 70 once or twice.  Really nice! But mother nature wasn't through with us.  So yesterday it dropped back down in the mid 20's to mid 30's and they predicted snow flurries over night.  We didn't seem to get them, but I did see it spitting snow this morning.  Not enough to run my windshield wipers but enough you could see it.  So we are back to damn bitter cold and I don't like it. My knee doesn't like it much either.  So I guess I'm back to riding my bike inside the house.  Or else wrapping up really well and trying to brave the wind.  Even without a wind, you still pick up quite a breeze riding.

I'm more than ready for winter to go away and spring to stay.

winter blahs!

I am so sick of the snow and cold weather.  Spring will not come too soon.  We have not gotten one big snow storm like we have in years past, instead this year it has been a day of 1-2 inches, followed by a cold spell (temps in the low 20's) then another 2-3 inches, then warms up to the upper 30's but not enough to melt the snow off the grass.  Then another day of snow.  It has been several days without snow, so it is time.  Weather reports that it is supposed to start overnight and continue into tomorrow.  Total accumulation of about 4-5 inches.  Fun fun.  Better rush to the grocery (market) and fight the crowds so you can load your cart with at least 5-10 loaves of bread and a dozen or more gallons of milk.  Nevermind that we can rarely finish 1 loaf or a 1/2 gallon of milk before either go bad.  It is a local LAW to buy mass quantities whenever they predict a big snow.  Just watch the supermarkets and grocery stores - check out the people with carts full of both bread and milk.  What do they do with all that? Ok, you can freeze bread, but I think it doesn't taste as good after thawed. But milk? what? make ice cream? what?