I did 2000 meters in the pool and 7.5 miles on the racing wheelchair. About 2 hrs and 20 minutes worth of hard training.
It feels good to put in that kind of work. It is not easy, but I love it. My training helps me to be more disciplined and goes a long way toward improving my health. It also forces me to consider other behaviors of mine and how they effect my training and living. The major goal is to improve my life and standard of living.
My legs do not work well, and my core muscles are not as strong as they once were, but my heart is getting stronger. My weight is coming down. My mind is more determined, and the sense of defeat is disappearing. Overall my entire being is stronger and more able as a result of my workouts.
Overcoming weakness is difficult for anyone. Doing it when your body has major physical shortcomings is very hard. As a walking quad, my life became very sedentary. It is so hard to motivate yourself when every step is a struggle. Poor choices are made at the grocery store. Everything is working against you. The fitness of everyday living is difficult. Being athletic seems impossible.
I came out of surgery to my spine with the idea that I would heal and be back to normal. My goal was to do another Ironman.......Well that never happened. The spinal cord is complex, and damage to it is devastating.
Coming back and becoming strong enough to do Ironman requires major adaptations. My swim lacks kick. My run and bike do not exist. In order to do a triathlon, I require unique gear. everything about triathlon is now in my hands, as my 140.6 mile race will be powered with my arms. My bike is a handcyle. It is an amazing machine, but they make so few of them, that the price is not realistic for folks with limited employment opportunities. My run also requires a special wheelchair adapted for racing. It is custom built just for me.
As a musician I could never afford these things in my life. Many folks with disabilities are just like I am. The cost of adaptation is high and the resources are low, but the value of sport and fitness is priceless. The issue so many have is finding a way to have these things available. Life was simple when an old cheap bike and a pair of running shoes served as the best gym in the world. Today it is not as simple.
Fortunately I have found a way to introduce adaptive athletic equipment into my life. A charitable foundation provided the racing chair and handcycle. To do triathlon again, all I have to do is add water..... We have rec passes at the Cleveland State University where I am able to swim.
My grants were provided by the Challenged Athlete Foundation. As I write this post, I imagine there are others just like me writing requests to CAF with dreams of playing basketball, triathlon, tennis, rugby, track, sailing, and so many other activities that are available to disabled people today.
While I am not currently seeking more equipment, I want to be sure that those who are have the same opportunity as I did. To further that goal, I have set my spring marathon in Cleveland as a fundraising race. I am reaching out to every one I know in hopes that they will sponsor my race with a gift to CAF. I have already paid for my race entry. The only thing I will personally receive from the fundraiser is a t shirt and water bottle. I also donated the first $25 to the campaign.
I hope you will join me and help make adaptive sports available to others through a donation to CAF. You can do so here:
http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1127062&supId=427423840&extSiteType=1
Thank You!!!!!
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