It’s been a busy couple of weeks. Earlier this summer I began researching stem cell therapy. One thing led to another, my best friend set up a go-fund-me, and before long she, Tavis and I will be going down to Mexico so I can have the treatment.
I shall update details and information here. Stay tuned, and thank you.
Here’s a link to my go fund me page. xox
I think it is fair to say my 30 Day Challenge has come to an end. It proved to be more challenging than I had anticipated, particularly once school started. The random pattern was evident with some days be great and others pretty awful. That made it tricky to decide whether to work out or not. Some schools of thought say do it anyway, but others suggest it is best to rest when you’re not feeling top notch. The thing is, there is no right answer, so I tended to follow my intuition and go with my gut, working out when it felt right, but not when it didn’t. Of course, it was important to notice if I just didn’t want to or feel like it…
I am planning on doing it again next summer, perhaps I’ll scale back to a 21-Day Challenge, or even a 15-Day one… and would LOVE you to join me. Drop me a note if you’re interested, maybe we can do it together 🙂
The exciting news for today is that Tavis’s Waves to Wine Bike Ride, The Jane Gang (3 of the 20 riders shown below) have already raised $28,000 and are still going!! GO TEAM!!
If you want to check out their fundraising page, visit: The Jane Gang
So I’ve decided that the 30 Day Challenge doesn’t necessarily have to mean 30 days in a row…. but 30 Days total… So here I am on Day 21, just 9 days to go 🙂 My numbers were a bit lower than they have been this past week or two. This definitely shows me the importance of doing them regularly. Lesson learned…
I’ve figured out a fantastic way to practice squats – I stand over the end corner of my mattress and squat down onto that. It is just the right height and gives me that little lift to get back up without falling or killing myself. Yes, it’s the simple things!!
(Imagine your bed where the butt comes down. It is a great help!)
My push-ups were challenging today because my left leg didn’t want to cooperate, and my sit-ups were good.
I’m definitely loving this challenge as it feels good to get my body moving. After today’s little challenge I did about 20 mins of gentle yoga: cat/cow, butterfly, reclining twist, wide-knee childs pose, supported shoulder stand – all of which felt yummy!
Here are my numbers:
(assisted) (half) (assisted)
Squats Push-Ups Sit-Ups
Day 20: 52 45 37
Day Wotsit: 64 51 40
Day Something: 62 49 40
Day 17: 59 48 43
Day 16: MICHAEL FRANTI CONCERT
Day 15: 62 48 37
Day 14: 54 29 43
Day 13: SPA DAY…
Day 12: 60 21 (pull ups) 32 (unassisted)
Day 11: 61 34 (ring dips) 34 (unassisted)
Day 10: 60 30 (ring dips) 33 (unassisted)
Day 9: DAY OFF….
Day 8: 60 40 35
Day 7: 62 33 41
Day 6: 60 31 41
Day 5: 58 27 35
Day 4: 60 25 33
Day 3: 51 21 28
Day 2: 40 18 22
Day 1: 42 23 23
So, um, what to say?… Over the last couple of weeks I have to admit I have fallen off the workout wagon and only got down and dirty twice. The biggest reason is that as a middle school teacher, I’ve been busy getting ready for the start of the school year and welcoming my 175 new seventh graders.
I’ve been leaving my house at 6:45am, and leaving school at 5pm. By the time I’m home, I really haven’t had any juice left to workout and I’m not the biggest morning person so that hasn’t been on my radar. As you know, fatigue is a big thing for someone with MS, so I’m not sure if I’m being lazy and not wanting to workout because I’m tired, or if I’m fatigued from the MS. We shall never know and it doesn’t really matter.
Tonight though, I got home at 5:30pm, had a 30 minute nap (the recommended amount of time for an MS power nap) and did my little workout when I woke-up. It felt really great because my numbers hadn’t gone horribly down!
What inspired me to workout today? An incredibly beautiful and sad article about a mother with MS. You see as well as the day-to-day stuff (fatigue, numbness, vision problems, loss of balance etc), there is the knowing that you are *probably* or at least there is a significant chance, that you will come to somewhat of a sticky end. Your chance of dying peacefully in your sleep at the end of a lovely long life, is probably not on the cards. Seeing this lovely lady in her care home, so proud and happy on her daughter’s wedding day, but unable to be at her wedding because of her MS, makes me really sad. So if I have to get off my ass despite not wanting to, I’ll do it. (Maybe!!)
Here are my numbers:
(assisted) (half) (assisted)
Squats Push-Ups Sit-Ups
Day Wotsit: 64 51 40
Day Something: 62 49 40
Day 17: 59 48 43
Day 16: MICHAEL FRANTI CONCERT
Day 15: 62 48 37
Day 14: 54 29 43
Day 13: SPA DAY…
Day 12: 60 21 (pull ups) 32 (unassisted)
Day 11: 61 34 (ring dips) 34 (unassisted)
Day 10: 60 30 (ring dips) 33 (unassisted)
Day 9: DAY OFF….
Day 8: 60 40 35
Day 7: 62 33 41
Day 6: 60 31 41
Day 5: 58 27 35
Day 4: 60 25 33
Day 3: 51 21 28
Day 2: 40 18 22
Day 1: 42 23 23
Things are trucking along! I’m back with my cane, but still getting stronger. I have also discovered that I’m not super disciplined about working out everyday! I think I’m doing pretty well though, so please forgive me!!!
On a vain note, two guys I work with asked me if I’d been working out during summer, looking at my ‘guns’ (biceps). That made me laugh and it does make me happy because I know that as someone with a disease, I sometimes don’t think of myself as looking strong.
Michael Franti was AMAZING and I danced my tail off all night with one hand on my cane and feet planted in one spot. Not sure I was looking quite as cool as I did a few years ago, but it was soooo fun!!!!
***On a side-note, I ran into one of those bummer situations at the concert with someone organizing the event. I asked if I could sit in the disabled section and he looked at me and asked why. He said it was for people who needed access and who were in wheelchairs. I explained my situation and he didn’t buy it. He actually hinted that I was trying it on. Urgh. What is wrong with people?!
Here are my numbers:
(assisted) (half) (assisted)
Squats Push-Ups Sit-Ups
Day 17: 59 48 43
Day 16: MICHAEL FRANTI CONCERT
Day 15: 62 48 37
Day 14: 54 29 43
Day 13: SPA DAY…
Day 12: 60 21 (pull ups) 32 (unassisted)
Day 11: 61 34 (ring dips) 34 (unassisted)
Day 10: 60 30 (ring dips) 33 (unassisted)
Day 9: DAY OFF….
Day 8: 60 40 35
Day 7: 62 33 41
Day 6: 60 31 41
Day 5: 58 27 35
Day 4: 60 25 33
Day 3: 51 21 28
Day 2: 40 18 22
Day 1: 42 23 23
Woot woot, two weeks in!!!!!! Love it. Cheated a bit yesterday though and had a spa day instead of a workout, but I feel like that works seeing as it is good for the body, mind and soul!! 😉
My stats today are kinda disappointing – squats and push-ups down to day 3 & 5. Hey ho, I guess that’s what happens sometimes and what a day at the spa does for you! I am having real trouble with my half push-ups because of the weakness and spasticity (which shows itself in drop foot) in my left leg.
I would love to find out ways to modify that. If you have any suggestions please fire away. (Currently I am doing half push-ups so knees are bent, but my left leg doesn’t want to bend nor have weight put on it…).
(assisted) (half) (assisted)
Squats Push-Ups Sit-Ups
Day 14: 54 29 43
Day 13: SPA DAY…
Day 12: 60 21 (pull ups) 32 (unassisted)
Day 11: 61 34 (ring dips) 34 (unassisted)
Day 10: 60 30 (ring dips) 33 (unassisted)
Day 9: DAY OFF….
Day 8: 60 40 35
Day 7: 62 33 41
Day 6: 60 31 41
Day 5: 58 27 35
Day 4: 60 25 33
Day 3: 51 21 28
Day 2: 40 18 22
Day 1: 42 23 23
Today’s post is short, but important. I came across a very raw and beautiful video portrait of a woman from Derbyshire, England called Nicola Smith. It is under 7 minutes long and for me, demonstrates almost exactly what it is like to live with MS.
Please watch and share. Thank you xo
Nicola Smith & her son, Finley
Today I began and ended my workout with gentle yoga.
Here are my stats:
(assisted) (half) (assisted)
Squats Push-Ups Sit-Ups
Day 11: 61 34 (ring dips) 34 (unassisted)
Day 10: 60 30 (ring dips) 33 (unassisted)
Day 9: DAY OFF….
Day 8: 60 40 35
Day 7: 62 33 41
Day 6: 60 31 41
Day 5: 58 27 35
Day 4: 60 25 33
Day 3: 51 21 28
Day 2: 40 18 22
Day 1: 42 23 23
Blimey. There must have been something going on energetically as this last few days has been a roller coaster. It would seem as though I’m back with a cane again and that my flirtation with life without one was just that, a brief six day affair. A fleeting moment in time of physical strength and balance.
I kept up with my workout even though a big part of me wanted to give up the whole thing. Ultimately though, I realized that self-compassion is the key, and as often happens, I stumbled upon this beautiful reminder on one of my favorite websites: Mystic Mamma.
Here’s a summary of the last few days:
Day 8: got through the workout, albeit grumpily.
Day 9: felt sorry for myself and fatigued so gave myself a day off.
Day 10: after a rocky morning where I admit I was thinking way too much about MS, life with MS, how crap it is, etc. etc., I got pulled out of my funk by a series of fabulous events: good conversation with my honey, followed by tea with an amazing long-time friend; the matinee of TRAINWRECK – how I loved that Amy featured a character with MS; and finished with a short yoga session where I practiced mainly floor poses but also focused on Tree pose (Vrksasana) to help my balance (I did it with one hand resting against the wall to aid my balance); workout and the cherry-on-the-cake, a 10 minute relaxation with legs up the wall and an Esther and Jerry Hicks meditation.
Here are my stats:
(assisted) (half) (assisted)
Squats Push-Ups Sit-Ups
Day 10: 60 30 (ring dips) 23 (unassisted)
Day 9: DAY OFF….
Day 8: 60 40 35
Day 7: 62 33 41
Day 6: 60 31 41
Day 5: 58 27 35
Day 4: 60 25 33
Day 3: 51 21 28
Day 2: 40 18 22
JANE – One week in! Woot woot!
Am feeling very excited that I’ve pushed myself to do this simple workout everyday for the last week. There have definitely been days where its been easier to get motivated than others, but today was happily an easy one! I slept well and when I woke up, my drop foot had got a fair bit better. I decided to do a sweet yoga session as my warm-up, ending with 5 minutes of Legs Up The Wall (Viparita Karani).
Viparita Karani is, according to my teacher, Master Multiple Sclerosis Yogi, Eric Small, the ultimate pose for people living with MS. This is because of the fact that it is an inversion (legs inverted above the heart) which means fresh blood washes the brain and spine, bringing healing and energy to the MS plaques or lesions. I did it for about 5 minutes today, and Eric recommends doing it anywhere from 2-3 minutes when you first start to 10-15 minutes daily when you’ve been practicing it for a long time.
After yoga, I was in a good head-space to do the workout. My results are below and are creeping up 🙂
(assisted) (half) (assisted)
Squats Push-Ups Sit-Ups
Day 7: 62 33 41
Day 6: 60 31 41
Day 5: 58 27 35
Day 4: 60 25 63
Day 3: 51 21 28
Day 2: 40 18 22
Day 1: 42 23 23
JANE – DAY 5 & 6
(assisted) (half) (assisted)
Squats Push-Ups Sit-Ups
Day 1: 42 23 23
Day 2: 40 18 22
Day 3: 51 21 28
Day 4: 60 25 36
Day 5: 58 27 35
Day 6: 60 31 41
Yesterday was a great day, I was feeling strong and good. But, alas, today I woke up and my left foot was dropping again and my leg was weak. It’s been an awesome few days of feeling stronger and more balanced physically, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it is good again tomorrow. I didn’t use a cane/walking stick today, but I probably needed to as I was walking very slowly and my balance was off.
Happily, my weakness didn’t affect my workout because there is no movement that requires me to walk or move my legs in that motion.
I have to admit though, I really didn’t want to workout today and if it hadn’t have been for a friend asking me how I was getting on, I would have tried my hardest to find an excuse and not do it!!
On a side-note, I am finding push-ups really challenging as I find it hard to put weight on my left knee. Not because it hurts, but because it doesn’t have much feeling.
But, once again back to my mantra, “MOTION IS LOTION, BABEE”, so I’m glad I did it 🙂
Supported air squats
The Philosophies behind Yoga and CrossFit
As much as I love the physicality of CrossFit and the strength and determination it has given me, I shall always love yoga, as without yoga, I would never have found CrossFit.
Avid CrossFitters follow a paleo diet, plan and think about their workouts, ensure they are getting the right sort of and right amount of liquid, rest, vitamins, supplements and, at some gyms and in the CrossFit world there is a strong sense of community and a bond that comes with wanting the newest pair of Reeboks, and of course, a camaraderie of having battled through a killer work out with other members of your box (gym). With it being steeped in the military, there is also the strong sense of serving, and an underlying knowledge that everyone in the community is not only there for themselves, but there to encourage and support others.
Yoga, however, by the nature of it having it’s roots in a practice over 5,000 years-old, offers something that the new exercise of CrossFit cannot (although with it’s increasing popularity in the west, comes ego, the fashion-ista yogi and everything that comes along with that). But, true yoga offers a connection to spirit and to thousands of other practitioners who have come before us. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra’s (verses about how to live) also offer practical philosophical guidance as to how to have a yogic life, such as Ahimsa (non stealing) and Satya (telling the truth). By the nature of practicing yoga, even the most beginner yogi is receiving this knowledge.
And so, although CrossFitters can argue CrossFit is a way of life, which indeed on many levels it is, I would argue that Yoga is more than that. Yoga is way of being. ‘Being Yoga’ is, in my mind, my ultimate goal. ‘Being Yoga’ means being kind, being gracious, strong, powerful, focused, humble, able to give and receive, being balanced, calm and creative. It also provides a connection to the Universe and is the doorway into understanding life beyond the physical. Yoga is non-denominational, so it is not asking you to pray to a god, instead it is asking you to be your best self.
Today I am grateful that Yoga has brought me to CrossFit, which is enabling me to gain more physical strength and a closeness to my partner.
The Light in Me, Honors the Light in You.
Namaste,
Jane
JANE – And just like magic, I woke up today and hardly ached at all. What’s up with that?! I’m also still walking without a cane which is super exciting. My balance is a little bit wobbly and I have a limp, but at least I’m walking!
Here are my numbers so far:
(assisted) (half) (assisted)
Squats. Push-Ups. Sit-Ups.
Pull-Ups.
Day 1: 42 23 23
Day 2: 40 18 22
Day 3: 51 21 28
Day 4: 60 25 36
HOW ARE YOU DOING???!!!
Today I am going to share one of the warm-up exercises I do. It’s a shoulder and arm stretch done using a length of PVC pipe. Stand straight with your legs wide and toes slightly pointed to the side. Then hold the pipe with arms straight and stretched out in front of you, wide enough so you can keep them long whilst moving them in front of you, then above your head and finally reaching them behind you. Keeping them straight, lift them up behind you, over your head and down in front of you.
JANE – Day 3, still trucking’. Woke up even more sore than yesterday, but raring to go, and more determined than ever to beat my last two days of numbers.
I did half push-ups today instead of pull-ups. Half push-ups are with knees on the ground.
Here’s how I did:
Air Squats: 51 (Day 2: 40, Day 1: 42)
Push-ups: 21 (Day 2: 18, Day 1: 23)
Sit-ups: 28 (Day 2: 22, Day 1: 23)
Before each workout, I do a few minutes of warming-up. This is usually a few stretches, and finishing with a couple of minutes on the mini-trampoline. Here is a video of me on the trampoline, showing the lack of movement and spasticity in my left leg. This is vastly better at the moment than it has been. I have chosen to show it on here so people without the disease can get a better understanding of what it’s about.
JANE – Oh my gosh, after yesterday’s sweet little work-out, I woke up this morning and was aching everywhere! My quads, my arms, all over, but it was that nice, healthy ache rather than a painful one. The place I felt it most was when I tried bending down at my knees. Anyway, I went into this morning’s challenge happy and excited – for myself and also for everyone who has committed to do it with me!! Let’s do this friends.
I wanted to make sure to write that the movements I am doing at the moment are modified. Although I can walk without a cane, I am still limping and a little unbalanced. I am hopeful that will improve. Here is what my current workout looks like with modifications:
1. Air squats: I squat over a large wooden box which has an ab-mat on it. My goal is to touch the ab-mat as that means my thighs are at 90 degrees.
2. Pull-ups: I stand on the large wooden box and jump and pull-up from there.
3. Sit-ups: Tavis holds my feet and today he helped me with the last few inches by holding onto my hands.
2 min max effort and 1 min break between each exercise
Air squats (40)
Pull-ups (18)
Sit-ups (22)
I actually did a few less reps than yesterday (42, 23, 23) but felt good, so shall watch and see if it improves 🙂
If you would care to share how you are getting on, that would be AMAZING!!!!!!!!!
Jane stretching out before her workout. She’s using a pvc pole to help her balance.
DAY 1
TAVIS: MS has to be one of the strangest diseases ever. One minute the symptoms can be strong and debilatating and the next they can be hardly noticeable to the untrained eye. Last night Jane said to me “Look babe, I don’t need a cane to walk around right now” I could hardly believe especially since she hasn’t had much time to exercise or anything. It just kind of came back to her where she is having more mobility in her left hip. Of course it’s not completely back to normal and she still fatigues after a bit, but it is a huge improvement from even a week ago.
Just having a little more ability to walk without a cane inspired her to start working out again, and so this morning we started back with basics: some stretching, a short walk to the corner followed by a mini workout. When we started our CrossFit journey I found it worked best if we got a gauge of what she could do in a few minutes and then use those numbers as a bench mark to try and beat. So that’s what we did again today.
With her first day back she had a hard time getting back into the mindset but it is only a matter of time before she is back into it full swing.
Airsquats 2min max effort (42)
Jumping Pullups 2 min max effort (23)
Situps 2 min max effort (23)
JANE: The last few months have been difficult health wise. My balance has been off and my left hip has been weak. Also my left knee doesn’t bend very much, so I’ve been walking very slowly with a cane/walking stick. I’ve got used to the looks and questions, and have recently learned to be grateful for the help my cane provides. Then, yesterday, out of no-where, I realized I didn’t need it anymore. This wasn’t a complete surprise as during my last neurology appointment, my neurologist said she fully expected me to be walking again unaided soon. That was a couple of months ago, so I had brushed it off as something she had thought but wasn’t going to happen and then, it happened. Yesterday. Boom. Just like that. No warning, no reason, no nothing.
So, this morning, Tavis and I decided it was time to get working and get busy again. Hence our short workout. It was a little bit lame, but believe me, for someone who hasn’t been doing anything except some gentle swimming and low key yoga stretching, it was quite remarkable.
I invite you to join me over the next 30 days and see how I improve, and maybe even do the challenge yourself. (It would be great to hear how you get on!). It’s not hard: 2 mins air squats – 1 min rest – 2 mins pull-ups/push-ups – 1 min rest – 2 mins sit-ups. Done.
A wise man, (Jesse Modica), once said: “MOTION IS LOTION”, let’s see if this is true. xo
JANE
Happy New Year!! It’s been a few months since Tavis and I posted to this blog, but despite that, our blog is still getting multiple views every day. That is extremely exciting because it shows that more and more people are looking for alternative and holistic ways to live with and manage Multiple Sclerosis.
Sadly for me, I haven’t been able to do CrossFit since the end of September. This isn’t because of CrossFit being too stimulating or from getting injured, but was because of stressful factors in my life that wore me down. If you live with MS or know anyone with MS, you’ll know that stress isn’t good for us. Basically we need the most stress free existence as possible. A pretty tall order these days.
To get me back on track, I’m doing Physical Therapy 1-2 x wk, acupuncture 2-3 x wk, doing the occasional yoga class, walking with a cane every day and working hard at getting myself back into the ‘box’. I also tried a relatively new drug for MS, called Tysabri, a monthly infusion.
Starting today, Tavis and I aim to post more frequently, but for the time, instead of tracing MS and CrossFit, you’ll be reading about my journey to get back into the CrossFit gym…
Thank you for supporting us during our endeavor. Your comments, thumbs ups, shares and encouragement has been amazing. Please enjoy our blog’s first ever annual report. The traffic it has generated it far beyond what we ever imagined and hopefully it is helping others in their own personal battles what ever they may be.
Click the link below to see our full report:)
Wishing you a healthy, peaceful and joyous 2015!
Jane
TAVIS
Jane and I wanted to send out a Happy New Year to everyone who supported us with the MS and CrossFit blog. I wish we could say that this was the best year ever, but being honest with you all it definitely had it’s share of low points and difficult times. Of course Jane’s journey with CrossFit and getting back in shape was amazing. I mean it was more than we ever hoped for, for us both. I can easily think back to when we first started the journey, my gut told me that Jane could do this, she could get stronger if we put some hard work in. I just didn’t know exactly how hard the work would be. Those first few weeks were tough, I was trying to figure out what style would work for Jane and she was battling her physical and mental limitations. There were quite a few times when I thought is this really going to work. And it did! Tracking her progress, timing her workouts, counting each rep, it gave her something to shoot for, something to try and beat and she did, she did it. Doing some of those workouts that she struggled with the first time and seeing her progress the second time was so incredible and so fun to be a part of. This past summer she was in the best shape she has been in in years.
When she she started teaching in East Oakland there were many factors that we had not anticipated in regards to how it would effect her health. The heat being one of the biggest ones. I remember she sent me a text on her first day at a staff meeting and said there is no AC. I almost went in to panic mode. I quickly responded and asked her how she was doing. I thought there is no way she is going to be able to work there and she responded that she was okay and would get through it. I was relieved and of course still worried. Jane had wins and she also had losses teaching in that environment. She was in the most stressful situation even those without MS could possibly have to deal with. The students were the most unruly, undisciplined you could ever imagine and Jane was brought to tears on many occasions. The environment was toxic and it didn’t take long for us both to search out her exit strategy.
Because she had sent out applications all summer, finally by late September her application and resume got circulated around to a Middle School in Napa Valley. It was a much better commute and the environment was like a dream come true. The 5 or 6 weeks in East Oakland took it’s toll on Jane, it was as if she had gone to war and was suffering PTSD for the following months. She was once again struggling to walk, her energy levels were much lower and she was fighting just to get through the day. I do believe had we not started her CrossFit journey last March she would not have had the mental and physical toughness to get through these difficult times.
2014 will go down as one of the best years but not because it all went great, because it certainly did not, but because we were thrown some of the toughest challenges to over come and we made it another year. Thank you all for supporting us through this, really cannot tell you enough how much it means to us and our family.
click the link below to see our annual report:)
Cheers,
Tavis
Here’s an excerpt:
A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,300 times in 2014. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.
I’ve been pretty quiet on the CrossFit front this past couple of months. First because I started an intense new job, working as a teacher at one of America’s toughest and poorest high schools in one of the country’s toughest and poorest cities and didn’t have the time or energy to get to the gym.
However, this last month or so, I haven’t felt well enough to workout and so haven’t wanted to go to the gym. Happily I landed a new job at a lovely middle school in wine country, a world apart from East Oakland, but unfortunately my health has gone downhill fast.
Yesterday I saw my doctor, an incredible traditional Tibetan physician who works closely with HH the Dalai Lama, Lobsang Dhondup, who confirmed that I am experiencing a flare-up or exacerbation and told me I need to rest for at least a month until I see him again and see how I’m doing. He gave me a month of strong Tibetan herbs to take twice a day, also recommended acupuncture, gentle massage and lots of sleep as well as drinking lots of water and eating a healthy Tibetan diet (I am not going to write the diet here, as Tibetan diets are tailored for the individual). Lastly, he suggested I contact my western doctor and request a three-day treatment of IV Steroid Treatment, so that is what I will do on Monday.
As well as fatigue, which I am combating by getting to bed by 9pm and eating piles of dark chocolate, my current symptoms are affecting my middle and hip area, particularly the left side. I have next to no ability to lift my left leg straight up in front of me or behind me. I can lift it maybe 2-3 inches front and back. When I walk I drag my left foot which causes me to trip over my left toes and walk with a limp. This is called foot drop in the M.S. world and makes walking very slow and very hard. You literally have to think about every single step. I also loose balance often and bump into things or stumble and wobble. I think I might look like I’ve had one too many glasses of wine and have seen a few surprised looks, which I have to admit, makes me smile.
On the positive front, my eye sight is fine (20/20), and my arms and hands are strong. I’m also not experiencing any pain in my leg or hip which I am incredibly grateful for. Another thing that I am really happy about is that a few months ago after six hours of cognitive testing at UCSF MS Clinic, I was told I am sharper than a tack and don’t need to have repeat testing done for five years.
So, I am taking a break from CrossFit for the time being as I rest my central nervous system, get through this episode and get my body back on track so I can walk well again. My definition of healthy, hasn’t been a ‘normal’ healthy since I was diagnosed, but it can definitely get stronger than it is now and that is my primary goal.
The reason I am sharing this post today is two-fold. Firstly so that you understand more about Relapse Remitting MS and secondly, that you remember, that even if someone looks great, you never know what they are dealing with, either physically or emotionally, so let’s all take a pause and be kind, and not jump to uneducated assumptions about anyone.
Thank you for following my progress and I hope to be back at it sometime in the future. xoxox
Waves to Wine 2014.
TAVIS: After Jane started teaching a few weeks ago and seeing the level of stress she was dealing with I told her that we need to commit to her getting in a few workouts a week and she agreed. In fact as soon as she worked out after work one evening she said “okay, we have to do this as much as possible!” So the past 2 weeks we have gotten in workouts, but blogging about them has proved to be more challenging because Jane is prepping for her next day’s classes as well as grading papers. Needless to say there is not much free time left over for blogging. Regardless we are going to keep things going and in a month or two we will have a routine going.
Tonight we did a repeat workout that Jane did on Day 55 and she did an amazing job. It is so incredible to think back to the first week and how mad she was at me for asking her try to do a burpee. She was so angry, that I wasn’t sure if CrossFit was going to work for her. She kept saying how stupid she thought it was and that she would never do a movement like this. Let’s just say it was a very hard sell to get her to try to understand it was a functional movement that could help her in other ways, if nothing else just simply getting herself off the ground if she fell.
Watching her tonight was a complete change in her ability level and mentality on what she can and can’t do. She was powering so hard through this workout that when she was doing her burpees she lost her balance, fell to her left side, with all her weight on her left arm/wrist and for a moment I thought she broke her left wrist. I think she thought she did as well. We put things on hold for a moment to make sure she was okay and I reminded her that we need to be safety first, have good hand placement and be deliberate with her movements. She completely understood and jumped back into the work out with strong form in her movements.
She made a big improvement on this WOD by improving by one full round plus 3, she did an incredible job. On the previous workout she used the 10 Kettle-bell for the step ups and this time she used the 15lb Kettle-bell for the whole thing. Great job babe!
WOD “Snow Cone Repeated”
10 min AMRAP (original 3 +15 rounds, today 4 +18 reps)
15 KB Swings
10 Step ups with Kettlebell
10 Burpees
JANE – As Tavis said, I have been a bit busy with my new teaching job. It’s a tough environment and is much like new teacher bootcamp. I love it though and an amazing experience. After a week or two of not working out, I felt my body begin to get weak and a few symptoms arose (without going into too much detail, think incontinence). So when Tavis suggested that I do some workouts in the garage, I knew it was the right thing to do. Doing the workouts have been really helpful in getting me to release stress and have reminded me how if I can get through them, I can get through anything.
Having been immersed in the yoga world for many years and someone who likes to think, I love finding deeper meanings to everything in life, and am finding the benefits of CrossFit invaluable.
LAST WEEK WORKOUT
TAVIS- I had Jane trying one of the most classic CrossFit workouts of all time, it’s called Fran. The workout is 21 Thrusters, 21 pullups, 15 Thrusters, 15 Pullups, 9 Thrusters, and 9 Pullups. It really doesn’t look that hard but the combination of thrusters and pull ups completely kicks your ass, it’s a very tough workout. So when I asked Jane if she wanted to give it a try and she said yes I was excited to she how she would do.
We did a very scaled version by just using a 15 lbs bar and pullups were banded (giant elastic band). This was the first workout where Jane has done Thrusters using a bar vs. other workouts I had her using 10 lb kettle-bells.so she didn’t know what to expect.
She had to break up the Thrusters but was able to do the banded pullups unbroken. When she finished the workout she couldn’t believe how out of breath she was. She had only done less than 6 minutes of work and couldn’t catch her breathe. I explained to her that Fran is notorious for giving CrossFitters burning lunges or a cough after they finish the workout. Again, she did a great job on this workout and powered through it. Once again another solid performance by Janey G! Looks like Thrusters are on the menu again.
Strength- Deadlift (80lbs PR)
3-3-2-2-1-1
“Fran” 5:37 min
(15lbs bar, banded pullups)
21 Thrusters
21 Pullups
15 Thrusters
15 Pullups
9 Thrusters
9 Thrusters
One of the Pro’s, Taylana Fortunato doing “Fran” in 2:42!
NATIONAL MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS SOCIETY: WAVES TO WINE, Bike MS
JANE & TAVIS- September 20 & 21, 2014 is the largest annual fundraiser for the Northern Californian Chapter of the National MS Society. The ride is approximately 150 miles over two days and starts in San Francisco, goes over the Golden Gate Bridge and meanders along Highway One up through Wine Country. It finishes at Sonoma State University on the Sunday with a gathering for all the riders.
Tavis has been leading a team of riders for PEAK Adventure Travel for the last two years, with this year being the third and I have run a support station for the last three years. It is a wonderful event and raises thousands of dollars for the society. The NMSS spends a lot of money on research as well as on programs for people with MS.
Check out Tavis’s Waves to Wine Page for more information and to donate. On behalf of everyone with this disease, thank you, thank you, thank you.
WORKOUT OF THE WEEK
TAVIS- Jane started her new teaching job last week so these past few weeks have been focused on her getting everything in order. We put things on hold with her working out until she is a little more comfortable but the goal is for her to get in 3 workouts in a week. We’ll try to have her get at least 1 or 2 in during the week and 1 or 2 on the weekend depending on what we have going on.
Last weeks workout was one she has done before and unfortunately it is the first time we have revisited a workout that she was unable to improve on. When Jane realized she wasn’t going to beat her previous time I could tell she was getting defeated. I had to give her a bit of a pep talk to get her to focus on finishing and not just giving up. After the workout we talked a lot about how much progress she has made and that we have been fortunate to have her do so well on every other workout. The other thing is that sometimes workouts take longer when you improve your form and you don’t have to scale as much. I know that today her pushups are better than the last time she did the work out because she is stronger. When you don’t have to scale workouts and move towards stricter movements it takes longer to get through the workout and I had to remind Jane that there is nothing wrong with that. She did a great job today and though she didn’t beat her time I know she gave it her all and did a great job. Nice work sugar!
The Workout she did was ‘Jacob’s Ladder’, which is a progression of 10 box jumps and 2 push ups, down by 1 box jump each time and adding 2 push ups every time. She did it on May 2, 2014, Day 48 in 11mins 52secs, and today did it 12mins 14secs.
JANE- The workout was really frustrating and I was really disappointed with my time. I worked my tail off on the box jumps and did a handful of real push-ups (before several handful’s of crappy ones). Tavis gave me a talk and explained how sometimes doing more correct form movements actually takes longer at first. I do understand, but it was a bad feeling.
I’ve also been having a hard time walking recently. I am started work at a new school and had been in intensive trainings for the two previous weeks. The school is really hot and doesn’t have any air conditioning. On top of that, the location of my classroom really gets the sun, so after a few hours of being in there I’ve been having a hard time walking. Urgh. We are working on getting a portable A/C unit to try and bring the temperature down. As Tavis mentioned above, these past few weeks I have been a bit overwhelmed with school and my new teaching position but hopefully as I get more comfortable I will be able to get back into my routine. Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend!
“Angie” (New 29:51 min, previous time 40:24 min)
100 pullups
100 situps
100 pushups
100 Airsquats
TAVIS: Tonight when the temperature had cooled down, Jane told me she wanted to get a workout in before the weekend finished. So I looked through our previous blogs and “Angie” popped up once again. For those who have been following the blog, you might remember we started out doing small versions of of this workout and eventually worked up to the full work out. Doing this workout every few months has been a great way to check Jane’s progress, so today seemed like the right day to try it again. The last time she did the workout she did it in late May and it took her just over 40 mins. Tonight I gave her a little pep talk about not letting this workout beat her or give up, because it does have a way of grinding you down. It’s 100 repetitions of each exercise and that will put you into a mental battle very quickly.
Jane grinded her way through the workout, she did the most of the pullups using the band and the last 30 reps she did jumping pullups. When she moved onto the situps she did around 60 situps completely unassisted which is great progress for her, and the last 40 reps, every few reps she used my hand for assistance. The pushups were really tough for her, she fought her way through the pushups doing them using her knee’s. She can’t do a full range pushups, but she did get through it which was great. I will start programming some lower rep pushup workouts where we really work on her form and full range of motion pushups. Her progress with airsquats has come along way and she did great. She took over 10 mins off of this work out, I’m really proud of her!
JANE: I wanted to make sure I got a work out in this weekend, so asked Tavis to program one for me on Sunday evening. I did the 100 reps of ‘Angie’ with my modifications, and really only wanted to give up twice, and both times that was during the banded pull ups. My modifications were as follows: banded pull ups instead of regular pull ups, sit-ups with Tavis holding my feet and letting me grab onto his hands to sit up, my air squats were fine, but my push ups were pretty pathetic…My arms were already beat from doing the pull ups…I wondered if they were weak due to MS or just because they’re not very strong? Despite working so hard, I didn’t feel super wobbly which was great and managed the squats well. And, the good news for Tavis was I only yelled at him once, which was during the sit ups and he didn’t catch me! I’m really noticing my legs feeling more stable and strong. Despite feeling like I wanted to puke by the end of the workout, I managed to shave off 10 minutes from when I did it in May which felt great!
During the week I went to 38 Degrees North and did a WOD called “Fractured”
Strength:
Power Clean+ split jerk+ Split Jerk x 6 Instead of the split jerk I did a push press. Split jerks aren’t available to me yet. They require a mini jump and a squat with one leg forward and the other behind. This isn’t available to me at the moment, so instead Coach Billy suggested I work on my Push Press (below), which is easier for me as I can keep my feet and legs in one place and don’t risk falling and injuring myself.
“Fractured”
6 Min AMRAP
5 thrusters 155/108 I did 15lb bar
35 Double Unders I did single jumps
2 Min rest
2 Min Max Effort Kettle Swings 53/35 I did 18lb kettle bell
I enjoyed my modified workout. I am still astonished at how strong other people in the box are. I kept up in amount of reps, just about, however, my weights were a lot, a lot, lower. I worked hard though and it was fun. I’m especially pleased with my jump roping. Jumping has been something really impossible for me since I was diagnosed with MS, due to balance problems and spasticity in my hips, so being able to string 20-30 jumps together feels fantastic!
Multiple Sclerosis: Jane's Journey 
