Hi Ron,
Yes I plan on going to Boston, assuming life doesn't take any new strange turns between now and then!
Hi Carol,
I have had some real ups and downs with my running since I last qualified in December 2009. I went through a running slump which I realized later was due to the fact that I went on Prozac that year. (Long story, but I quit it cold turkey when I figured it out.)
I decided to get back into shape in early 2012 and it's funny now, but I remember noticing my ankles were swollen. I thought I was drinking too many diet sodas, so I stopped. I don't remember thinking about my ankles again until the next year when I had plantar fasciitis, which was the first in a string of many problems.
While trying to rehab from that, I was diagnosed with amyloidosis from a kidney biopsy in July 2013. I like to say I major in that, with a minor in multiple myeloma. I really have smoldering myeloma, but the doctors say it doesn't matter because the treatment has all been the same.
I continued to run through chemo but I had a couple of other injuries. The more stuff thrown in my way, the more I became driven (some might say obsessed) to run another marathon and qualify again.
When I had the SCT last summer (see this forum thread with my SCT journal), I figured I would have to set it aside for a long time. But I recovered very quickly and I am extremely happy I kept at it. Running was very hard at first. It took over a month to run a single 10-minute mile, but I averaged 9:06 for the whole marathon last week. It was a long, but very happy, road back.
I don't know how long I have had this, but I'm betting it was before 2012. I just had no clue. I've never been sick except for the side effects from treatment, which were not all that bad.
Every day when I get up, I know how incredibly lucky I am.
Forums
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KimT - Name: Kim Tank
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 53
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Congratulations Kim, for qualifying for the Boston Marathon, which is sort of a gold standard for marathon runners! To also have qualified in 2009 shows how much you are committed to running! Yesterday at the Calgary Marathon, my husband, older daughter and one son in law ran the half marathon, and our other son in law ran his third full marathon! I feel inspired to get back to walking about 10 km after seeing all of this sheer energy! The longest road races I ever did were half marathons, in 2001 and 2003, which were difficult to finish. Good luck on all of this!
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Nancy Shamanna - Name: Nancy Shamanna
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Self and others too
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2009
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Kim,
Congratulations on qualifying for Boston Marathon. I may be at next year’s race too. I will not be racing but my GF plans to race Boston while fund raising for myeloma research with a friend who has qualified. But as you said it is a ways away yet so I will have to see what happens between now and then.
Ron,
I saw the Willer you were on in the picture and Pinarello is my GF’s dream bike to ride. She did a Thompson Tour a few years ago in France and many of the riders had Pineaello’s. I am riding an 11-28 with a compact crank on a Cannondale Synapse but I like SRAM. My bike came with a standard crank and 11-25 originally and but there are just too many hills around me for that setup and my ability. It is kind of hard to go anywhere and not hit at least a 5% grade and if you really want to you can do thousands of feet of climbing. If I get another bike it will be an 11 speed with something even bigger than a 28 cog on the back.
Congratulations on qualifying for Boston Marathon. I may be at next year’s race too. I will not be racing but my GF plans to race Boston while fund raising for myeloma research with a friend who has qualified. But as you said it is a ways away yet so I will have to see what happens between now and then.
Ron,
I saw the Willer you were on in the picture and Pinarello is my GF’s dream bike to ride. She did a Thompson Tour a few years ago in France and many of the riders had Pineaello’s. I am riding an 11-28 with a compact crank on a Cannondale Synapse but I like SRAM. My bike came with a standard crank and 11-25 originally and but there are just too many hills around me for that setup and my ability. It is kind of hard to go anywhere and not hit at least a 5% grade and if you really want to you can do thousands of feet of climbing. If I get another bike it will be an 11 speed with something even bigger than a 28 cog on the back.
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Eric Hofacket - Name: Eric H
- When were you/they diagnosed?: 01 April 2011
- Age at diagnosis: 44
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
This is what I like to see--gear talk.
I am a Campy guy. Currently, my main bike is an Orbea Orca, with Campy Chorus 11-speed, 53-39 and 12-27. Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels.
Back-up bike is a custom made Spectrum steel frame, Campy Record/Chorus 10-speed, 53-39, 12-25, Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels.
And of course there is the Cannondale Trail SL4 with a mixture of Shimano and Cannondale stuff.
I am a Campy guy. Currently, my main bike is an Orbea Orca, with Campy Chorus 11-speed, 53-39 and 12-27. Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels.
Back-up bike is a custom made Spectrum steel frame, Campy Record/Chorus 10-speed, 53-39, 12-25, Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheels.
And of course there is the Cannondale Trail SL4 with a mixture of Shimano and Cannondale stuff.
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goldmine848 - Name: Andrew
- When were you/they diagnosed?: June 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 60
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Andrew those are nice bikes.
My main bike is Giant TCR Team Once (vintage carbon Tour bike from 2003) I have older Dura Ace 7800 components and am currently running a Dura Ace 7900 compact crank with an 11-23 cassette. I have Taiwan knock off 60mm carbon wheels for it. For hilly climbs I have Boyd 38mm carbon wheels and a 12-27 cassette.
If it is windy I will put the 38mm carbon wheel on the front but leave the 60mm on the rear.
My back up bike is an aluminum Redline which I converted to a town bike. It has panniers and fenders so I can run to the grocery with it even if it rains. I use the Redline on my trainer in the winter.
My main bike is Giant TCR Team Once (vintage carbon Tour bike from 2003) I have older Dura Ace 7800 components and am currently running a Dura Ace 7900 compact crank with an 11-23 cassette. I have Taiwan knock off 60mm carbon wheels for it. For hilly climbs I have Boyd 38mm carbon wheels and a 12-27 cassette.
If it is windy I will put the 38mm carbon wheel on the front but leave the 60mm on the rear.
My back up bike is an aluminum Redline which I converted to a town bike. It has panniers and fenders so I can run to the grocery with it even if it rains. I use the Redline on my trainer in the winter.
Last edited by Ron Harvot on Mon Jun 01, 2015 10:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ron Harvot - Name: Ron Harvot
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Kim,
What a great spirited approach to life you have! Amyloidosis is not a diagnosis anyone would want to have, but you don't seem phased by it at all.
I've had a few tests for amyloidosis, all negative, so I'm just SMM and am slowed down by anemia and infections. But I am one who drives myself to exhaustion, by persevering perhaps too far – biking is one small way. I'm an ambitious gardener, having planted over 100 fruit, nut, and olive trees since I was diagnosed with MGUS in 2009.Hoping to see them mature and be running around the property as an old lady, still climbing ladders and enjoying the use of all the marvelous physical gifts - hands, feet, arms, legs, eyes, pumping heart, perception and agility, knowledge and dexterity ... and reveling in the dramatic sweep of land, sky, and weather around me.
Biking is a similar satisfaction – moving thru the landscape by my own power, the terrain, wind in the face and the joy of being alive. Something I hope we will all enjoy for a full lifetime.
Wishing you much pleasure and success in running.
What a great spirited approach to life you have! Amyloidosis is not a diagnosis anyone would want to have, but you don't seem phased by it at all.
I've had a few tests for amyloidosis, all negative, so I'm just SMM and am slowed down by anemia and infections. But I am one who drives myself to exhaustion, by persevering perhaps too far – biking is one small way. I'm an ambitious gardener, having planted over 100 fruit, nut, and olive trees since I was diagnosed with MGUS in 2009.Hoping to see them mature and be running around the property as an old lady, still climbing ladders and enjoying the use of all the marvelous physical gifts - hands, feet, arms, legs, eyes, pumping heart, perception and agility, knowledge and dexterity ... and reveling in the dramatic sweep of land, sky, and weather around me.
Biking is a similar satisfaction – moving thru the landscape by my own power, the terrain, wind in the face and the joy of being alive. Something I hope we will all enjoy for a full lifetime.
Wishing you much pleasure and success in running.
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Carol of Eden - Name: Carol
- Who do you know with myeloma?: myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: MGUS 2009, SMM 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 50
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Thank you, Carol!
When I was first diagnosed, I went through a pretty rough time, but only for about a week. I then realized that you have a choice in how you react to life's challenges. I hated the cliche that "everything happens for a reason," but when someone very close to me talked to me about just that, I decided that I had a sense of purpose to my life. I was meant to do something with this. So, I just kept doing everything I have always been doing, and if for no other reason than to set a good example.
Funny thing is, I feel more fulfilled in my life than I did before.
Take care, my friend.
When I was first diagnosed, I went through a pretty rough time, but only for about a week. I then realized that you have a choice in how you react to life's challenges. I hated the cliche that "everything happens for a reason," but when someone very close to me talked to me about just that, I decided that I had a sense of purpose to my life. I was meant to do something with this. So, I just kept doing everything I have always been doing, and if for no other reason than to set a good example.
Funny thing is, I feel more fulfilled in my life than I did before.
Take care, my friend.
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KimT - Name: Kim Tank
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: July 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 53
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
This is an update. I have been training all summer and over the next 45 days will see how well I have prepared. I have 3 big events planned starting this weekend through the second week of October.
The first is the Hotter n Hell 100 in Wichita Falls, Texas. I have targeted breaking a total of 6 hours for the 101 mile rally. I will be doing it with 6 other members of our local bike club. We will carry 3 water bottles and some extra food and gels. We need to eat something every hour and drink a 24 oz bottle every 20 miles. We will do a pace line trying to hold a speed of between 18-19 mph. We will make two short stops, one at mile mark 50, and one at mile mark 80. The stops cannot be more than 5 min. We will have to average 17.4 mph to do it. The course is mostly flat but is devoid of trees, so the heat, chip seal, and wind come into play. The last 20 miles are generally heading south into a 15 mph wind. How we fair that last 20 miles will determine if we are successful or not. Other factors are avoiding flat tires and mechanical issues – luck.
The second event is the Texas Time Trials set for the final weekend in September. I am part of a 2-man team doing the 12-hour race. This is on a 26.5 mile hilly course in Glen Rose, Texas. We start at 6 am and ride to 6 pm alternating laps. I am hoping that as a team we can do 7 full laps and possibly a prorated 8th lap. A team total of between 185-200 miles is what we are targeting.
The last event is 2 day trip the second week of October with some members of my bike club, in the Davis Mountains in South West Texas. The plan is to stay in Alpine, Texas as a base and ride to Marfa, Texas and back one day and to the McDonald Observatory and back the other day. The McDonald Observatory is about 8,500 ft (2600 m) above sea level and we will have to traverse some switchbacks and a category 2 level climb. I have never ridden a hill that long nor have I ridden in elevation. So this will be a real test.
For this ride, I am changing out my rear cassette, using a 12-30 for lower gearing with a compact double crankset. (I normally use an 11-23 cassette on a compact double.) This ride is being done for fun so we will stop as frequently as needed to catch our breath. I am also an amateur astronomer, so I am taking my 8 inch telescope with me on this trip. The sky in the Davis Mountains are generally clear with low humidity and no big city lights to interfere with viewing.
I am having all of my treatments scheduled around these events. Since I am receiving dex and Velcade every other week, these events are are on my off weeks.
The first is the Hotter n Hell 100 in Wichita Falls, Texas. I have targeted breaking a total of 6 hours for the 101 mile rally. I will be doing it with 6 other members of our local bike club. We will carry 3 water bottles and some extra food and gels. We need to eat something every hour and drink a 24 oz bottle every 20 miles. We will do a pace line trying to hold a speed of between 18-19 mph. We will make two short stops, one at mile mark 50, and one at mile mark 80. The stops cannot be more than 5 min. We will have to average 17.4 mph to do it. The course is mostly flat but is devoid of trees, so the heat, chip seal, and wind come into play. The last 20 miles are generally heading south into a 15 mph wind. How we fair that last 20 miles will determine if we are successful or not. Other factors are avoiding flat tires and mechanical issues – luck.
The second event is the Texas Time Trials set for the final weekend in September. I am part of a 2-man team doing the 12-hour race. This is on a 26.5 mile hilly course in Glen Rose, Texas. We start at 6 am and ride to 6 pm alternating laps. I am hoping that as a team we can do 7 full laps and possibly a prorated 8th lap. A team total of between 185-200 miles is what we are targeting.
The last event is 2 day trip the second week of October with some members of my bike club, in the Davis Mountains in South West Texas. The plan is to stay in Alpine, Texas as a base and ride to Marfa, Texas and back one day and to the McDonald Observatory and back the other day. The McDonald Observatory is about 8,500 ft (2600 m) above sea level and we will have to traverse some switchbacks and a category 2 level climb. I have never ridden a hill that long nor have I ridden in elevation. So this will be a real test.
For this ride, I am changing out my rear cassette, using a 12-30 for lower gearing with a compact double crankset. (I normally use an 11-23 cassette on a compact double.) This ride is being done for fun so we will stop as frequently as needed to catch our breath. I am also an amateur astronomer, so I am taking my 8 inch telescope with me on this trip. The sky in the Davis Mountains are generally clear with low humidity and no big city lights to interfere with viewing.
I am having all of my treatments scheduled around these events. Since I am receiving dex and Velcade every other week, these events are are on my off weeks.
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Ron Harvot - Name: Ron Harvot
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Feb 2009
- Age at diagnosis: 56
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Best of luck Ron
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Little Monkey - Name: Little Monkey
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Father-stage 1 multiple myeloma
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March/April of 2015
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Very ambitious Ron. I wish you good luck and good health.
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goldmine848 - Name: Andrew
- When were you/they diagnosed?: June 2013
- Age at diagnosis: 60