Running to defeat MS (symptoms)

Past the halfway point in the year and it is turning into crunch time. I've done a lot of races this year, and my year is definitely backloaded with races. That means there are a ton more races left this year. I need to make sure everything is planned so I'm going to try to list them out. But first I want to look back at my races since the Blizzard Blast, training, and anything else that comes to mind. The toughest race of the year was the BoneFrog Challenge.  on May 17. 10 miles with 44 obstacles. And you can see, they were not easy obstacles. I was extremely proud to make it through the first few sets of monkey bar style obstacles, and I felt pretty good on the trails for the first half. In the second half though, I started to get a flare up. EDIT: Closing this thread on 12/15 to start over again. Too many races, too much training and I lost track of posting.

Mike's MuckFest MS Fundraising Page MuckFest MS Course and Obstacles Multiple Sclerosis National MS Society About me, and my reasons for running: As an active person my diagnosis with MS was extremely difficult. Some of my friends may remember how much I struggled to find answers for why I suddenly could not run and kick a soccer ball at the same time. I would literally fall over in the middle of the field. I remember one of the refs who we would often see, look over at me on the bench and ask, 'Are you injured?'. I think I was too tired to do other than just nod. Middle of the game, my eyes would go all blurry and it was a struggle to sit up straight. After a few months of testing and questioning I was diagnosed conclusively with MS by way of MRI and a couple of spinal taps. The good news was that a week of steroids had pushed back the inflammation in my brain so that I was nearly back to normal - about 95%! It is still a continual struggle agains

Two months later, a few changes, new challengers, new accomplishments. After the Beast I have been less focused on running and more on building strength. I certainly have a weakness to address. Not just upper body, but legs as well. I think I have strong legs, but with spasticity, I feel like I have to work them harder nonetheless. Weight carrying uses different muscles than running or soccer... Also completed two additional obstacle races and a ruck march. I inspired a few people at work and we put in a ten person team to the Rugged Maniac and it was a blast. So happy I could bring people into my world! Here is a link to the video: It was fun to enjoy the race, my teammates smiles, and not have to push it too hard, glad I have coworkers that are up to the challenge. My best buddy at work also joined me in another race a few weeks later, we did this to push it harder and see what we were made of. It also went well, better even because my wife and son were there and we got a l

spartan beast, killington, vt - 2013 getting here I started training for this after the MS Muck Ruckus event in April 2013. That was my first obstacle course, 5 miles, 12 obstacles if I remember correctly. I was bitten by the bug, I love running, but this took it to a whole new level for me. It required athletic ability, balance, strength, endurance - everything I want to improve within myself. I'm fortunate to have a deep, real motivation  to push myself and challenge myself. motivation When I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) 7 years ago I had two conflicting emotions within myself. On one hand, cold fear for the potential course the disease could take by destroying my ability to move. But also a glowing ember of motivation to build myself up higher and higher so no matter what the disease took from me - I would always have more than it eroded. Over the past two years the ember turned to a flame. My motivation has been on a high, building up through 5k's

I'm starting to get a little nervous, haven't felt this in any of my other races because I knew that I was prepared. I am hoping that I'm perfectly prepared, but I wish I was stronger, could run uphill better and all that! I'm nervous I'll fail some obstacles and just get wiped out doing 30 burpees each time. Especially if they enforce the hardest form of burpee... My training is going pretty well, I am definitely stronger and if I can lose 5 more pounds before race day I will be in really good shape. Two vacations in the last month have slowed down my progress a little bit. And today I have a corporate league softball semi-final game so I won't be able to get in my planned double session. Both of the session look extremely challenging. 60 minute trail run with 10/15/25/30/35 reps of curls/shoulder press/squat with a rock from the woods. Followed by what looks like an intense lower bod workout with dumbbells/squats and box jumps. It's going to be hard,

The theme for the past few weeks has been adding strength training days and even strength training intervals to my runs. The goal remains the same - Killington Spartan Beast. Every bit of preparation will help in that gauntlet. I've moved to 90% or more of trail running and what a change it has been! Trail running frees my soul from cars as well! Wow, who would have thought it would be so amazing to get off the roads, but it has been. I've also noted that trail running is a bit harder, and some trails are actually MUCH harder. My nearest loop is the local cross country course here, it is about 2.5 miles, can be run as a 3 mile loop or out and back for 5 miles. Here is an example: That one is fairly flat and mainly fire roads, some gravel and old roads too. A couple hills in one section, but nothing major. That leads me to a run I consider perhaps my hardest ever - in a different way than the half-marathon was. This was just brutal, add in bugs and the threat of getting