Progression!

Today I rode an organized ride sort of nearby that is, well, very hilly.

Last year, my first year cycling, it was my first long organized ride. I did 50 miles of hills and had to walk my bike up many of them. I felt like death at the end of the ride, and this was after riding for a few months 2-3 times a week with some hills thrown into the mix.

This year, I haven't been able to ride as much. I've been doing a 14-mile (each way) commute which is for the most part flat, about 1-2 times a week, with another day of riding, recently hills (~23 miles) once a week. I haven't done anything longer than 30 miles of flat at a very slow pace earlier in the year.

The ride today went extremely well. The temps started off cool, verging on a light rain around 9 a.m. and then warming up in the afternoon. Last year it was H O T. That could have been some of the problems I had last year, but I choose to believe otherwise.

This year I rode by myself (well, started with some others) but met up with a girl about mile 20 that was about my pace, who is going to IM Couer D'Alene (cool!) and she talked me into going on the 63-mile ride instead of the 50. I had been planning on doing 63 until the morning, when I got cold feet, along with the fact that I lost temporary peripheral vision in one of my eyes which really freaked me out and almost caused me to cancel out of the ride period (it came back, and I felt fine the rest of the day, weird).

So last year, I did the 50-miles, took a heck of a long time (no idea my average, perhaps 10 mph with the hills?) and had to walk up a bunch of hills.

This year, I did 63, took a moderate amount of time (averaged 15ish) and walked up NONE.

This is huge.

I can't believe the progression in one year. I am so psyched!

K.

Way to go, Kimmy! I'm impressed!

Hey, how can you not be freaked out about losing your peripheral vision? What causes that?

Karen

well, I really was freaking out. But then it went away. It wasn't like I had NO peripheral vision, it was like my peripheral vision was filled with sun spots. But not the kind like you get with a migraine. Just a general blotchiness that made it really difficult to see out of my right eye. I think it started at the right eye but moved towards the periphery. About ten minutes before it went away I had the odd sensation that I was looking at a fan (flickering lights) out of the side and bottom of my right eye. I kept walking around and telling my friends that they only had one arm, because I couldn't see the left one. But then it went away, and the whole time I had no other weird things going on so I think maybe it was just a lack of food or nerves or maybe I looked at the sun too long or something.

K.

has this ever happened before?

with Oxygen deprivation (like in really high altitudes) this happens sometimes, but ... it sure seems strange to me!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kimmyt

So last year, I did the 50-miles, took a heck of a long time (no idea my average, perhaps 10 mph with the hills?) and had to walk up a bunch of hills.

This year, I did 63, took a moderate amount of time (averaged 15ish) and walked up NONE.

This is huge.

I can't believe the progression in one year. I am so psyched!

K.

---

Kimmyt - thank you SO MUCH for posting this! Your story makes me feel a lot better about my progression, which seems soooo slow to me...but it gives me hope when I hear other people's stories.

Congrats on ride...that's just awesome! You should be psyched! Isn't is just amazing what your body can do?!?!

sara, i understand totally where you're coming from! honestly, most of the time i get super frustrated at myself. on a day-to-day basis I tend to lose site of the progress I have made since I've started riding. It's so easy to get sucked into 'well yesterday i could do this, and now today i can't' or 'i feel like i've been rididng the same speed for months' but it's really eye opening to go back and do something you did when you first started riding (like this ride, for me, because it was my first organized longer distance ride) and really see the changes that you lose sight of normally.

And Mimi, I haven't ever had the eye thing before, but if it happens again I will surely be getting it checked out! (and we weren't at high alt, haha, I live in PA!)

K.

I saw your post in mid-atlantic and wished I could do that ride with you. It's one of my favorites! It is a he**ava hilly ride! Good Job!

But then, I've seen you do some hills...some of those we did last year in Lansdale are on the Univest Pro Tour, and you had no problem! So, I'm wondering how to put this in perspective :p

We'll have to do some more riding in Ches. Co....I've got a great cue sheet...:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Kimmyt

well, I really was freaking out. But then it went away. It wasn't like I had NO peripheral vision, it was like my peripheral vision was filled with sun spots. But not the kind like you get with a migraine. Just a general blotchiness that made it really difficult to see out of my right eye. I think it started at the right eye but moved towards the periphery. About ten minutes before it went away I had the odd sensation that I was looking at a fan (flickering lights) out of the side and bottom of my right eye. I kept walking around and telling my friends that they only had one arm, because I couldn't see the left one. But then it went away, and the whole time I had no other weird things going on so I think maybe it was just a lack of food or nerves or maybe I looked at the sun too long or something.

K.

---

I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, but...

It sounds like a scintillating scotoma. There's a good description here: http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/11/15/02.html (scan down about halfway down the page.) It's a type of migraine. Many people get it along with the headache. I get only the visual symptoms, no headache - thank goodness!

I've been getting these since I was a teenager, which my eyedoctor recently confirmed is about the time when they kick in for most people. It's weird, but it usually doesn't last longer than 10 or 20 minutes.

Nonetheless, it would be a good idea to ask your Dr. about it if you have concerns.

Hope that helps. :)

Susan

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Susan Otcenas

I'm not a doctor and I don't play one on TV, but...

It sounds like a scintillating scotoma. There's a good description here: http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/11/15/02.html (scan down about halfway down the page.) It's a type of migraine. Many people get it along with the headache. I get only the visual symptoms, no headache - thank goodness!

I've been getting these since I was a teenager, which my eyedoctor recently confirmed is about the time when they kick in for most people. It's weird, but it usually doesn't last longer than 10 or 20 minutes.

Nonetheless, it would be a good idea to ask your Dr. about it if you have concerns.

Hope that helps. :)

Susan

---

That sounds like a logical possibility. You had no other symptoms, correct? Not to scare you, but symptoms like this can be from more serious things as well, like a TIA (transient ischemic attack--temporary lack of blood flow to part of the brain, but not enough to cause a full-blown stroke--a TIA goes away and has no permanent effects but is an indication of high risk for a stroke). Or possibly even some type of seizure (simple partial type). I would call your PCP and let them know this happened, and get their advice as to whether you need to get it checked out further.

Thanks for the concerns ladies. I will be sure to pay attention to if it happens again, and if I have any other odd symptoms. As it is, I am in perfect health so far this season, not even the usual seasonal allergies for me!

(And Beth, I'd love to do more Chester County rides, it's gorgeous out there in Horse Country... by the way checked the data on the ride off of my friend's Garmin... just shy of 1 mile of vertical climbing! :eek: )