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Bike MS post: World MS Day, one day late
May. 31st, 2019 12:10 pmYesterday was World MS Day. I meant to post about it—this ride I'm training for is raising money for MS research and treatment, after all—but I found myself at something of a loss. I've never lived with MS (or any major chronic illness), never had to deal with the regular doctors' visits and scans and constant threat of a flareup around the corner.
What am familiar with, however, is wonky blood sugar. It’s a family trait, and one that basically guarantees that I have to eat a healthy diet of whole grains and proteins—if I don’t, I very quickly become nonfunctional, up to the point of passing out if I’m especially careless. Usually I manage fine by being careful to eat regularly and healthfully. But every once in a while something goes awry, and especially when I'm in the midst of training and running a calorie deficit, that margin for error is just not there.
Last week I got caught up in a project and missed lunch; after a half-hour of fighting the wind on my bike on the way to work, I reached my destination and discovered my keys were missing. Cue a minor freakout and some scrambling; luckily everything worked out, although the yoga class I taught that afternoon was unfortunately subpar (no surprise, as I had no focus). I got some food in gulps here and there, and by the time I was ready to head home, I finally felt more like myself.
Which was when I found that my keys had been in a different pocket of my bike bag all along.
Health is a tricky thing. We think of ourselves as unchanging, immutable beings, but the truth is, our capabilities are at the mercy of so many physical factors that may or may not be within our control. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m happy to be raising money for this cause—in supporting research for new treatments and cures, in helping affected people gain access to treatment, we’re helping a whole bunch of people reclaim their abilities and lives.
(Would you like to join us? If you have an afternoon latte you're willing to skip, you can donate $5 at my link here. Just don’t skip lunch. ;)
What am familiar with, however, is wonky blood sugar. It’s a family trait, and one that basically guarantees that I have to eat a healthy diet of whole grains and proteins—if I don’t, I very quickly become nonfunctional, up to the point of passing out if I’m especially careless. Usually I manage fine by being careful to eat regularly and healthfully. But every once in a while something goes awry, and especially when I'm in the midst of training and running a calorie deficit, that margin for error is just not there.
Last week I got caught up in a project and missed lunch; after a half-hour of fighting the wind on my bike on the way to work, I reached my destination and discovered my keys were missing. Cue a minor freakout and some scrambling; luckily everything worked out, although the yoga class I taught that afternoon was unfortunately subpar (no surprise, as I had no focus). I got some food in gulps here and there, and by the time I was ready to head home, I finally felt more like myself.
Which was when I found that my keys had been in a different pocket of my bike bag all along.
Health is a tricky thing. We think of ourselves as unchanging, immutable beings, but the truth is, our capabilities are at the mercy of so many physical factors that may or may not be within our control. I think that’s one of the reasons I’m happy to be raising money for this cause—in supporting research for new treatments and cures, in helping affected people gain access to treatment, we’re helping a whole bunch of people reclaim their abilities and lives.
(Would you like to join us? If you have an afternoon latte you're willing to skip, you can donate $5 at my link here. Just don’t skip lunch. ;)
