Entry #2) Stuck Indoors

The weather still hasn’t been cooperating with outdoor riding, but that is ok, we really need the moisture. As you can see from the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map there are quite a few areas that are in dire need of precipitation.

 In the meantime, I have been going to the Fitness Center three to five times a week to work on both my strength and endurance. At first, I was a bit overzealous,  reverting back to my pre-MS mindset: no pain no gain /if you're not sweating you're doing it wrong/ push yourself through that proverbial wall, but that just doesn’t work for me anymore. Doing 30 minutes of strength exercises followed by 30 minutes of cardio training was too much and my shoulders felt like I was suffering from rotator cuff injuries

Now, I alternate my area of focus from workout to workout. Strength one day and cardio the next. Lighter weight more repetitions

3 Sets 12 to 15 Reps

Dips Pullups Bench Press Shoulder Press Lat Pulldowns Chest Flys

Seated Row Front Raise Lateral Raise Front Raise Rear Deltoids

Chest Pullover External/Internal Rotator Cuff  Tricep/Bicep Curls

Then either abdominals or legs

For cardio, I am slowly trying to increase the length of my "rides". My early sessions lasted 20 minutes but yesterday I rode 7.1 miles in 40 minutes and burned 251 calories. The machine has a number of ride options to select from, whether it be a constant resistance, a selection of hill profiles or a heart-rate testing program.

I usually do the “Twin Peaks” program.  Pretty self explanatory… the resistance slowly increases until the target level is reached and then the resistance slowly decreases to the baseline and then after a short period of time, the process repeats it self. To break up the monotony I sometime pedal backwards or use only one arm at a time and then switch to the other.

Then either abdominals or legs.                                    

SciFit Web Site 

Once the salt, sand and snow gets cleared from the roadways I will move outside. Because my rig is so low to the ground I don’t think that riding solo on the street is a good idea.  Until I get my technique down I will stick to the 1.5 mile course I have plotted out around the fitness center parking lot. These lots are usually empty on weekdays so the only obstacles to deal with will be some speed bumps laid across the roadway. 

Illinois Prairie Path Link

My ultimate goal is to venture out on the Prairie Path. The eastern trail-head of this 61 mile long web of crushed limestone trails is situated in western part of Cook County and winds its way through residential and rural areas of DuPage County before passing into Kane County where the 3 main branches of the IPP meet the Fox River Trail which follows the Fox River north and south for 31 miles.

It is along these paths that I hope to find stories and pictures for future journal entries