What workout did you do today?

[arndog]

Hi Jessie,
Good job with shoveling.
I have a question for you. I looked at a picture of the DP AirGometer and it is a traditional bike seat, non recumbent. Do you have problems sitting on that? I would worry about skin breakdown and getting the neuropathic pain fired up. So I tend to prefer recumbent seating with some of my weight being taken by my back and not just my derrier.
Were you okay with that seat?
jon

[dunwawry]

Hey Jon,
Great job with the snow-blowing! I have a question for you about skiing, and please forgive me if you have already addressed this earlier. I actually have read the whole thread, but can't remember, or keep track of who is who quite yet. You mentioned going skiing. I am a walking quad, no gimpliments, who used to love to ski pre-SCI. I haven't tried since my SCI, I have stuck to going out and trying to teach my kids (on foot myself) or watching because a) because my balance is messed up, heck walking down a mountain is challenging b) I now have spasticity to deal with and c) I wonder if I fell if I'd ever be able to get back up again (I remember how challenging it was able-bodied when I was first learning, much less now). Do you ski the normal way, with two skis? If so, any pointers? I figure if you can do it, I probably could too, since with the exception of my worst days (which are getting less and less frequent, 13 years post and still improving), I do better in the ambulating department than you appear to do.
Laura

[arndog]

Hi Laura,
Question to you:
Are you talking about cross country skiing or downhill skiing?
I can blab a lot about this topic so here goes:
1. Downhill Skiing
The best way to figure out what will work for you is to go to a great Adaptive Ski School. I don't know if there are any in NC. But you could try to find out through recreation therapists somehow.
Let's say you find a school that has all the gimp toys there, they will get you skiing. There is always a way. Maybe all you need is outriggers. Or maybe you need both skis locked together with a hinge.
Or, like me, maybe you need to sit down ! Sitskiing would be open to you and might be very fun.... But the key is to go to a great enthusiastic Adaptive Ski School like TASS (Tahoe A.S.S.) and they will make it work with a 'can-do' attitude.
Or you could go it alone and rent some gear and invent your own technique. You will give your kids a big laugh when you try which is fun and they will love your effort and the fact that they might be better at it than you.
2. Nordic (cross country ) skiing. This is what I really love, it is aerobic, mellow, calming, beautiful, nature-filled. There is got to be nordic skiing in NC. Okay, there are no adaptive nordic schools, period.
So talk to surf_sister - she sounds like you physically and has the nordic skiing almost dialed. Maybe heavier, stable boots with wider skis with climbing moehair skins for stability. That is what she is doing. Or you can sit ! I did this for 6 years and loved it. You need a frame, check out my other posts on cross country to see what they are like. Then you just double pole in the tracks , and double pole, double pole.......till you are gasping for breathe.
I posted a video of cross country nordic sitskiing a while ago.
Now that I had a surgery that corrected my kyphosis and I am super fused in an upright position, I am going to try stand up nordic again and include snowshoeing which is stable , can't fall, can go off trail into the woods, maybe this is what we should all be doing....
I may be so vertical now that I can't sitski anymore - fused from the pelvis through T11 - that would be the trade off.
I am starting to ramble.... sorry. good luck......
Jon

[cavemuscle]

Gym today, Benched 225 for reps, first time since abdominal surgery and felt good, tho i need a new lifting belt, i've leaned out so much my old one is way too big. also did a new movement, reverse board presses, worked my tri's like nothing before OWWWWW!

Brock

[coolbreeze]

I did my bike 20mins. I'm a quad want to work upper body and triceps , biceps , abs, chest, shoulders i need a routine for this. I thinking about joining a gym and pt help. 2009 golds

[DeadEye]

Hey Jon,
Great job with the snow-blowing! I have a question for you about skiing, and please forgive me if you have already addressed this earlier. I actually have read the whole thread, but can't remember, or keep track of who is who quite yet. You mentioned going skiing. I am a walking quad, no gimpliments, who used to love to ski pre-SCI. I haven't tried since my SCI, I have stuck to going out and trying to teach my kids (on foot myself) or watching because a) because my balance is messed up, heck walking down a mountain is challenging b) I now have spasticity to deal with and c) I wonder if I fell if I'd ever be able to get back up again (I remember how challenging it was able-bodied when I was first learning, much less now). Do you ski the normal way, with two skis? If so, any pointers? I figure if you can do it, I probably could too, since with the exception of my worst days (which are getting less and less frequent, 13 years post and still improving), I do better in the ambulating department than you appear to do.
Laura

Laura, if you'd like to give skiing a try, I recommend a short trip up to Wintergeen in Virginia. They have one of the most respected adaptive programs on the east coast, with qualified instructors, and I promise you'll have a blast. Check them out here:

http://skiwas.org/

Tell Z that "Crash" sent ya

[live2ride]

Hi Jessie,
Good job with shoveling.
I have a question for you. I looked at a picture of the DP AirGometer and it is a traditional bike seat, non recumbent. Do you have problems sitting on that? I would worry about skin breakdown and getting the neuropathic pain fired up. So I tend to prefer recumbent seating with some of my weight being taken by my back and not just my derrier.
Were you okay with that seat?
jon

Hi Jon. I have no sensation on the seat at all, but don't have any problems riding a standard bike and bike seat (probably better off than my cycling buddies in that respect - no sore butt issues at all LOL). In fact, if you get the seat right, the weight is on the sit bones (as well as some is taken by the arms) - so it actually takes the weight off the sacrum and I find sitting on the bike more comfortable (20 mins is about my limit on a chair - but I can ride for 3 hours +). Probably depends on the spine itself though - if you are fused you might not be able to get into a good position that is comfortable.

Wearing good quality chamois bike shorts is essential for wicking away moisture and providing padding - but I also need to check for 'saddles sores' after ever ride because I don't feel them developing. Also check out the paracycling from Beijing (youtube has a few) - there a few incomplete para's/TM cyclists on normal bikes with AFO's and significant leg weakness. I would never have thought I could ride and race a conventional bike it I hadn't of met/seen some of these guys.

Today: 3 hill repeats this morning, 2.5km climb at 9% gradient + 12km there and back. If its not to hot (forecast 32C here) then some sprint work this evening.

[arndog]

live2ride - I bet you have both your gluteus muscles to protect your ischia (sit bones). I have 2 strikes against me, 1. lack of sensation, 2. lack of gluteus muscle on the left side so it is just skin and then bone. My right side has a 2 inch slab of gluteus to protect the ischium.
I am glad you are careful and check yourself....
I used to race ultradistance cycling races and did the Furnace Creek 508 - 508 mile 'time trial' in 35 hours. Only 45 minutes off the bike total. Kind of a sick sport... It was a RAAM qualifier. We were way into butt care for cycling, Chamois butter was big, suspension seats, double shorts and quiet pedaling. It was fun.
Good job down under, mate! But how 'bout converting those strange kms to miles? (joke) ;-)
jon

[arndog]

oops, I forgot to write today's w/o:
60 min elliptical
60 min stationary cycle
30 min handcycle indoors

[dunwawry]

Thanks Jon! Actually I was more interested in alpine skiing. I never did try cross-country skiing, always sounded like too much work for me, LOL. I had no idea there were "gimpliments" out there for skiing, too. Still learning something new everyday.

And thanks bunches to you, too, DeadEye. I spent some time going over their website and it looks really, really cool. I am positive that between the ski-bras (yep, not being able to keep my skis from flying every which direction was definitely a concern) and a couple of outriggers to aid in balance (new terms for me, that's for sure) I can nail this sport again. And fortunately, even if I do fall, and I am sure I will, snow is nice and cushy. I already filled out my application and sent it along, including a mention that "Crash" had turned me on to the place. They won't hold that against me now, will they?

[DeadEye]

And thanks bunches to you, too, DeadEye. I spent some time going over their website and it looks really, really cool. I am positive that between the ski-bras (yep, not being able to keep my skis from flying every which direction was definitely a concern) and a couple of outriggers to aid in balance (new terms for me, that's for sure) I can nail this sport again. And fortunately, even if I do fall, and I am sure I will, snow is nice and cushy. I already filled out my application and sent it along, including a mention that "Crash" had turned me on to the place. They won't hold that against me now, will they?

No Laura, Z will get a kick out of it. I served on their board of directors for 5 years and know them all well. They are a great group, and professionally trained. Z introduced an interesting concept of using his high school students as trainers and helpers, and they're a fantastic group of young people. I can assure you that you'll have a blast.

And just for fun, get Z to show you where I dragged my instructor Sam down thru the woods coming down Big Acorn thus earning my nickname "Crash".

Keep us posted on how it works out for you.

[dunwawry]

DeadEye,
Exactly who is "Z"? Is that Michael Zuckerman?

I hope ya know I was kidding about holding the referral from you against me. Hey, on the board for five years, I am impressed! If this works out for me, I'm thinking I would be interested in eventually becoming a mentor, if the three hour drive isn't too much of an issue. I believe in giving back that which one has received, and have done quite a bit of volunteering in all kinds of arenas.

I am really excited about this. Do you think they will be able to fit me in this winter? I mean, finally, I may have found a sport I can participate in that I will enjoy doing. I used to ride and train horses (which is how I suffered my SCI, young crazy horse, 10 days after Reeves' accident, and was initially in the same shape as he was, except I was never on a vent, but at C3/C4, I was told I should have needed one and it was a mystery why I didn't), have tried that but can't handle much more than a walk before I start losing my balance. Considering I was a pretty accomplished equestrian pre-SCI, being relegated to beginner skill levels on a horse is too discouraging, riding horses was my life-long passion (and kept me sane...... well, as sane as I ever am, LOL..... when the rest of my life was a mess), it brings up too many complicated emotions. I also was a good tennis player but it is hard to play tennis when you can't run and you lose your balance trying to hit the ball, unless the ball comes right to you and you have plenty of time to get yourself grounded. Logistically just isn't gonna happen. Skiing was the third sport I participated in that I enjoyed pre-SCI, and I am sure I can handle it if I don't ski as well as I used to, I won't be bringing the same emotional muck to the table (as with horses). I had always been active in at least a couple of different sports, and kept myself fit that way, never enjoying activities like working out at the gym where one is does them just for the sake of fitness. I swim now, and sometimes go to the weight room, because I have to do something, but I don't enjoy it. I have been feeling like all the fun forms of exercise had been yanked away from me. I can't tell how indebted I will feel towards you if I get one of them back. And as long as they are willing to take me on, I am very optimistic that this is going to happen!

I have a friend coming into town to stay with me for New Year's weekend from Florida. I asked him if he wanted to go up there and check the place out with me. He doesn't ski (able-bodied, but not the athletic type, and with my swimming of about 1/2 mile/day, I think I may be more fit than he is) but I figure we can both snow-tube if nothing else, right? I've never done that before either but I figure how much ability can it take to sit in an inner tube? It sounds like a blast, they say on their website you reach speeds of 25-40 mph. As long as there aren't any trees around, figure not too much can go wrong. Am I missing something here?

I am anxiously awaiting to hear back from them. Thank you so much!!!!

P.S. Just got a call from Caroline. I have all-day instruction set up with Stephen for next Saturday. I can't believe I am really going skiing!

[stephen212]

I've been pretty faithfully riding my StimMaster Galaxy every other day for 50 minutes (peak resistance: 6.0 Kp) but less successfully maintaining a schedule at my gym to lift weights.

Will be going skiing with my wife and son in Bromley, VT for the first time post-injury later this week. The outing is part of an SCI expedition organized by Mt. Sinai in NYC.

[rhyang]

Now that I had a surgery that corrected my kyphosis and I am super fused in an upright position, I am going to try stand up nordic again and include snowshoeing which is stable , can't fall, can go off trail into the woods, maybe this is what we should all be doing....

Feels strange to start a snowshoeing stoke with a skier, but here goes .. headed down to Sequoia National Park over the weekend and went snow-camping. Started from Wolverton (7200'), headed up to Panther Gap (8500'), broke trail most of the way (didn't want to mess up the skiers' tracks) -





In the meadow below the gap I was breaking trail entirely - nobody had been up to the gap since the Christmas Day storm I guess -



Sunny and warm at 8500' -



I headed up to 9000' on the ridge and snow-camped. In the morning I continued up to a little bump on the ridge (peak 10561') about a mile west of Alta Peak, which had some nice views -





The snow was either wet & soft or deep & powdery - very slow going, and I was breathing hard (hadn't been at altitude since September). The return was much faster.

Here's a shot from Jan 2004 from the top of Rose Peak - we snowshoed up from Tahoe Meadows (long day) - I know you will recognize the view Jon

[Rbrauer]

Got myself one of those pull up bars for the doorway. I'm apparently out of shape