day one of commute challenge

Thanks to my wonderful sister in law for letting me borrow her bike, because I started my bike commute today! I thought it would be a good thing to try, and it was! I underestimated how tired I would get, but it was a good commute and I enjoyed it. I also felt good because it meant I didn't have to drive my car, and that means fewer emissions! So it helped me get exercise, and it helps the earth :).

My wonderful husband snapped this photo before I left this morning!

I also made a mistake. I had to stop by church on the way home to take care of a few things, one of them being to pick up the church laptop. I thought it'd be easy to ride home with it on my handle bars. WRONG! It kept bumping my knees and got really heavy at the top of the hill on the way back.

Nevertheless, it was a good experience, and as long as the rain holds off, I'll keep riding back and forth!

I've been challenged!

As a break from walking, I'm going to embark on a new challenge - the bike commute challenge. My co-worker Jake invited me to participate in it. It's a month-long challenge for September and its sponsored by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA). After thinking about it, I decided and I am going to take him up on it -- provided I find a bike, that is.

I used to have a bike, but then when our family moved after high school it got put outside and was never brought in...meaning it's now rusted over and I am pretty sure my parents donated it to some "Bigger and Better" game some local kids were playing. So sadly, that leaves me without a bike. I could go buy one, but I'd rather save up for a nice one than go out and buy a mediocre one right now. Besides, I am sure there are lots of second hand bikes laying around waiting to be ridden!

So, if anyone out there has a bike they'd love to let me borrow for the month of September, I would be eternally grateful.


You know where to find me should you have a bike I can use! And thanks in advance :)

Pumped Up!

Despite the likely chance of rain, I am SO excited to start my challenge today. I have new shoes, walking buddies and I can't wait to see how my first day goes! I plan on walking later this evening, possibly after an early dinner. If you'd like to walk with me, just comment on this story or e-mail me. Otherwise, expect an update later tonight.

What IS Congenital Myasthenic Syndrome, Anyway?

I thought this might be a good time to explain what CMS is, so you have an idea of why this is a big challenge for me.

CMS is a form of muscular dystrophy, and while I don't have a severe form, it can be life-threatening for some people. It is also genetic, so there is some form of it passed down through generations. My parents don't have the symptoms, but they do both have the defective gene, causing it to manifest itself in me and my brother, Corey.

The symptoms of CMS manifest themselves in the form of muscle weakness. This includes all muscles, including legs, arms, hands, feet, eyes, mouth, throat, etc., but the most disruptive (at least for me) is the leg weakness and the mouth weakness. That might sound weird, the mouth part, but have you ever had to smile so much your face hurt? Well, that's what happens to me, only my face gets to the point where it's almost paralyzed, and that does NOT make for pretty pictures. Believe me.

CMS is caused by a genetic flaw at the neuromuscular junction, where the nerves and muscle cells communicate. So, basically, my muscles just don't get the message that they need to continue working. My symptoms are helped by periods of rest, and to tell you the truth, I actually don't know why the resting helps. CMS is a very rare disorder, affecting only 1 in one million people. Not a lot is known about it, as you will find if you ever decide to Google it, and by the fact that even though I've lived with it my whole life, I know very little about it.

Now that you know what it is, I feel I must say something about what it's like living with CMS. As an adult, it really isn't a big inconvenience for me. I have gotten used to it, and so have my friends and family, so I have been able to arrange my life around it. But when I was younger, it was really difficult. I walk really strangely when I get tired, so my legs looked funny, and the kids didn't understand what was wrong with me when I couldn't keep up. So, I got teased a lot for not being able to run. Plus, gym teachers never really understood it, so I just ended up looking lazy because I'd have to sit out a lot. That actually continued through college, so I found myself feeling sorry for myself at times.

That changed completely when I was an intern for the Muscular Dystrophy Association the summer after I graduated from Linfield. I got the chance to stay the night at the MDA Summer Camp, and WOW. Spending a day with kids who have such severe forms of MD was eye-opening and I really realized how fortunate I was. Many of the kids were wheelchair bound, and will never lead independent lives. Many of them will die before they are 20 years old. So, from that day on, I have never felt sorry for myself. It really put my struggles into perspective and made me realize that I am blessed to be able to walk, talk, speak and live on my own. I am an independent adult, and I am grateful for it all.

So, that's a little about me. I really think we all have some physical challenge we have to deal with, whether it's asthma, a bad knee, tendonitis, or something like what I have. CMS is just the challenge I have, and I have accepted it. But that doesn't mean I can't try to overcome it!

My One Mile Challenge

Welcome to my One Mile Challenge blog! This is the introduction of my 2010 goal to strengthen my legs so I can walk one mile without resting or assistance. One mile might not seem like a lot, but because I have Congenital Mysthenic Syndrome (CMS), a form of muscular dystrophy, it's actually a pretty big challenge.

The reason behind my interest in this is that Josh and I will be going on our honeymoon on January 8, 2011. We will be cruising through the Eastern Caribbean, stopping at several different ports. While a cruise probably seems very relaxing, I really anticipate there being a lot of walking, due to the large ship we will be on, and the excursions we will go on when we dock. So, I want to strengthen my legs so I can do all the walking I want!

I am hoping this challenge isn't completely out of reach. When I studied abroad in Oaxaca my junior year of college, I had to walk everywhere, and as a result, I increased my stamina. When I left, I could walk at least twice as far as I could when I arrived.

So, I hope you will follow my quest to walk one mile! I will be officially starting my challenge next Thursday, April 8. That will mark exactly 9 months from the date we leave for our cruise.

I anticipate I will need to be cheered on, so any words of encouragement you can provide me will be greatly appreciated!