Aheckman,
Sounds like you have a real biking family. I wish Randy the best. I am sure that his biking has given him the physical fitness of someone 10 years younger. Keep us posted on your adventure in June!
Forums
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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
Hello Ron and Aheckman,
I just wanted to add a little about the Great Divide Mountain Bike Race. I think it starts on June 14, and from looking at the route it goes from Banff to Canmore and then south. My husband and I rode the Banff to Canmore mountain bike route many years ago. It was way more rugged than the paved Legacy trail that links those two towns now, and in Canmore the start / end is at the Nordic Centre. I couldn't get a detailed map from the GDMBR website, but I think from the Spray River valley you may be riding / driving over Hiway 40, over the Highwood Pass and down to the Turner Valley area. The highway is closed to vehicle traffic until about June 15 every year. (We have driven that route many times and it is very scenic.) My husband and one of our daughters cycled up to the Highwood Pass a few years ago. They saw many mountain sheep and a bear.
It has been so cold here recently (the temperatures did not rise above -20C for at least two weeks) that I would be prepared for cold temps even in the spring. Please carry bear spray and watch out for ticks, which carry viruses. To avoid bears, it is best to be in a group of 8 or more, or at least that is true for hiking. Other than that, it sounds like a wonderful adventure.
I just wanted to add a little about the Great Divide Mountain Bike Race. I think it starts on June 14, and from looking at the route it goes from Banff to Canmore and then south. My husband and I rode the Banff to Canmore mountain bike route many years ago. It was way more rugged than the paved Legacy trail that links those two towns now, and in Canmore the start / end is at the Nordic Centre. I couldn't get a detailed map from the GDMBR website, but I think from the Spray River valley you may be riding / driving over Hiway 40, over the Highwood Pass and down to the Turner Valley area. The highway is closed to vehicle traffic until about June 15 every year. (We have driven that route many times and it is very scenic.) My husband and one of our daughters cycled up to the Highwood Pass a few years ago. They saw many mountain sheep and a bear.
It has been so cold here recently (the temperatures did not rise above -20C for at least two weeks) that I would be prepared for cold temps even in the spring. Please carry bear spray and watch out for ticks, which carry viruses. To avoid bears, it is best to be in a group of 8 or more, or at least that is true for hiking. Other than that, it sounds like a wonderful adventure.
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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
Thanks for the replies, Ron and Nancy. We are really looking forward to this trip and are hoping that Randy is in remission and can ride by then.
Since you are familiar with the area Nancy, here is our itinerary. We plan on riding the Adventure Cycling route and the first day to head down the Spray River Trail and the Goat Creek Trail down to Spray Lake. The second day we’ll go down the west side of the lake and pick up the Smith Dorien Spray Road and stay at Boulton Creek. Then it is down the Elk River Road to Elkford. Next day we’ll do the Fording River Road to Starwood and pick up Highway 3 down to Fernie. After overnighting in Fernie, we’ll head to Baynes Lake, overnighting there, and then down to the border at Roosville and on to Eureka, Montana. Our son who is racing and carrying all of his camp gear expects to reach the border in two days and do a much more difficult route, but I think six days will be challenging enough for the old folks!
All of this depends on how Randy is doing, but even if he has to just be our driver I think it will be a worthwhile adventure. He has a “good prognosis” on his reports and is handling the RVD regimen quite well. The three compression fractures in the back seem to be the biggest impediment, but we are hopeful that Xgeva and perhaps a vertebroplasty will help that.
Since you are familiar with the area Nancy, here is our itinerary. We plan on riding the Adventure Cycling route and the first day to head down the Spray River Trail and the Goat Creek Trail down to Spray Lake. The second day we’ll go down the west side of the lake and pick up the Smith Dorien Spray Road and stay at Boulton Creek. Then it is down the Elk River Road to Elkford. Next day we’ll do the Fording River Road to Starwood and pick up Highway 3 down to Fernie. After overnighting in Fernie, we’ll head to Baynes Lake, overnighting there, and then down to the border at Roosville and on to Eureka, Montana. Our son who is racing and carrying all of his camp gear expects to reach the border in two days and do a much more difficult route, but I think six days will be challenging enough for the old folks!
All of this depends on how Randy is doing, but even if he has to just be our driver I think it will be a worthwhile adventure. He has a “good prognosis” on his reports and is handling the RVD regimen quite well. The three compression fractures in the back seem to be the biggest impediment, but we are hopeful that Xgeva and perhaps a vertebroplasty will help that.
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Aheckman - Who do you know with myeloma?: husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Febtuary, 2019
- Age at diagnosis: 75
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Helo Aheckman,
Thanks for your reply as to the route you are taking. On the Smith Dorrien road, which is unpaved and can be dusty, there is a high mountain pass, the Smith Dorrien (6250 feet). If you normally live at a much lower altitude, that might make you feel sort of breathless.
We have enjoyed two hikes starting from that road: 'Grassi Lakes,' and 'Chester Lake'. It's lovely to get up into the high country!
I think it is up to your myeloma doctor to advise you as to whether or not this is a good trip for you to take at this time. As a long-time myeloma patient who started out with compression fractures, I would hope that things would get better for you as time goes along. I did not have kyphoplasty, and Xgeva was not available either. I took pamidronate (Aredia) for my bone strength and also, once the myeloma was put into a remission, was much stronger again!
Thanks for your reply as to the route you are taking. On the Smith Dorrien road, which is unpaved and can be dusty, there is a high mountain pass, the Smith Dorrien (6250 feet). If you normally live at a much lower altitude, that might make you feel sort of breathless.
We have enjoyed two hikes starting from that road: 'Grassi Lakes,' and 'Chester Lake'. It's lovely to get up into the high country!
I think it is up to your myeloma doctor to advise you as to whether or not this is a good trip for you to take at this time. As a long-time myeloma patient who started out with compression fractures, I would hope that things would get better for you as time goes along. I did not have kyphoplasty, and Xgeva was not available either. I took pamidronate (Aredia) for my bone strength and also, once the myeloma was put into a remission, was much stronger again!
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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
Yesterday (Saturday, March 16) I competed in the cycling events as part of the Dallas Senior Games. I did th 5k and 10k time trials and was in a 20k road race. I competed in the 65-69 age bracket (each bracket is 5 years, starting with 50-54). There was one cyclist in his 80s! The event was held on a 5-mile road that loops around the Texas Motor Speedway. It is chip seal asphalt, so not real fast. There are also no trees to block the wind. We checked in a 8:00 a.m. and the first time trial started a 9:00. It was cold, 35 F (2 C) at 8:00 a.m., so you had to dress warm, which is not conducive to speed.
My times were not great; 10 minutes 39 seconds for the 5K (average of 17.7 mph, or 28.5 km/h) and 21 minutes 52 seconds on the 10K (average speed of 17.3 mph, or 27.8 km/h). In the road race, I held on the back of the pack for just under the first lap, but then got dropped, I finished with a 16.7 mph (26.9 km/h) average. So not a winner in any event; in fact, I was at the back of the pack in all
the events, but I came away with a sense of satisfaction. The cyclists I competed against were all accomplished racers, some of whom had competed and won at the national level.
The three events were all held in the morning, so there was not much recovery time between them. I followed up the races with a 35-mile recovery ride at noon today, at a 15 mph (24 km/h) pace, and actually felt good.
My times were not great; 10 minutes 39 seconds for the 5K (average of 17.7 mph, or 28.5 km/h) and 21 minutes 52 seconds on the 10K (average speed of 17.3 mph, or 27.8 km/h). In the road race, I held on the back of the pack for just under the first lap, but then got dropped, I finished with a 16.7 mph (26.9 km/h) average. So not a winner in any event; in fact, I was at the back of the pack in all
the events, but I came away with a sense of satisfaction. The cyclists I competed against were all accomplished racers, some of whom had competed and won at the national level.
The three events were all held in the morning, so there was not much recovery time between them. I followed up the races with a 35-mile recovery ride at noon today, at a 15 mph (24 km/h) pace, and actually felt good.
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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
Nice work Ron. I appreciate the way you've persevered with your cycling and the equanimity with which you accept the results, even though they may not be what you had hoped.
In 2014 when I retired I made a pretty strong commitment to being fit. Mainly gym type fitness, long hikes, and some running. When I got my diagnosis in March of 2018, I was pretty resolute in continuing my fitness regimen. I was able to soldier through induction therapy with Revlimid, Velcade, and dexamethasone from from September to December of 2018. I was also able to revive my cycling passion during this time and was glad that I did.
From January 2 to February 11 of this year I went through the stem cell transplant process. Obviously there was very little activity during this time. I started training again on February 21. Indoor cycling using a power meter. I could only generate about 35 - 50% of my pre transplant power. I'm currently near 80% of pre transplant power and expect to be out on the road soon.
Hopefully, like you, only "I" will be the true measure of my performance, and I will continue to derive enjoyment from this activity.
Again well done Ron.
Fred
In 2014 when I retired I made a pretty strong commitment to being fit. Mainly gym type fitness, long hikes, and some running. When I got my diagnosis in March of 2018, I was pretty resolute in continuing my fitness regimen. I was able to soldier through induction therapy with Revlimid, Velcade, and dexamethasone from from September to December of 2018. I was also able to revive my cycling passion during this time and was glad that I did.
From January 2 to February 11 of this year I went through the stem cell transplant process. Obviously there was very little activity during this time. I started training again on February 21. Indoor cycling using a power meter. I could only generate about 35 - 50% of my pre transplant power. I'm currently near 80% of pre transplant power and expect to be out on the road soon.
Hopefully, like you, only "I" will be the true measure of my performance, and I will continue to derive enjoyment from this activity.
Again well done Ron.
Fred
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Farcical - Name: Fred
- Who do you know with myeloma?: Myself
- When were you/they diagnosed?: March 2018
- Age at diagnosis: 66
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Fred,
Thanks for your kind words and kudos to you for continuing with your cycling passion after your stem cell transplant. I have had an indolent relapse and am just about back to my induction levels of treatment with Velcade, Revlimid, and dexamethasone (VRD) that I started back in 2009. In addition, I have been getting monthly infusions of IVIG ever since 2012 when I had C. diff and meningitis. As we all know, one of the side effects of treatment is lower red blood cell, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels. The dex also impacts sleep levels, heart rate, and blood pressure. Those side effects of course make it more difficult to do endurance-type activities.
So, going into this race, I knew that I was not going to be among the leaders. However, my real goal was to push myself through training to get to a level that would be an improvement over where I was a year ago despite the increased treatment. Going into the races, I had logged 900 miles outdoors and several hundred miles on my indoor trainer. I focused on intervals and getting my functional threshold power (FTP) level up.
The fact that I had enough endurance to do all 3 events gave me a sense of accomplishment. I actually had a sprint left in my legs to finish the road race, and enough stamina to ride 35 miles at a decent pace the day after. So I think I actually am stronger now than a year ago. Now it is a matter of maintaining and improving this level over the rest of the biking season.
Thanks for your kind words and kudos to you for continuing with your cycling passion after your stem cell transplant. I have had an indolent relapse and am just about back to my induction levels of treatment with Velcade, Revlimid, and dexamethasone (VRD) that I started back in 2009. In addition, I have been getting monthly infusions of IVIG ever since 2012 when I had C. diff and meningitis. As we all know, one of the side effects of treatment is lower red blood cell, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels. The dex also impacts sleep levels, heart rate, and blood pressure. Those side effects of course make it more difficult to do endurance-type activities.
So, going into this race, I knew that I was not going to be among the leaders. However, my real goal was to push myself through training to get to a level that would be an improvement over where I was a year ago despite the increased treatment. Going into the races, I had logged 900 miles outdoors and several hundred miles on my indoor trainer. I focused on intervals and getting my functional threshold power (FTP) level up.
The fact that I had enough endurance to do all 3 events gave me a sense of accomplishment. I actually had a sprint left in my legs to finish the road race, and enough stamina to ride 35 miles at a decent pace the day after. So I think I actually am stronger now than a year ago. Now it is a matter of maintaining and improving this level over the rest of the biking season.
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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
Just an update on my husband’s myeloma. We saw a myeloma specialist this week, and my husband is headed toward a stem cell transplant. The doctor said that his response to the Revlimid, Velcade, and dexamethasone (RVD) has been very good and that he is tolerating well the dosages that she would give to a 45-year-old even though he is 75 years old. When I inquired why his WBC and other blood tests looked so normal when his plasma cell marrow involvement was 70 to 80%, she said that was because he was a cyclist and in such good shape going into this.
So now we go back in two weeks to see the transplant doctor, a pain specialist, and a geriatrician. Because of my husband's age, the myeloma specialist wants the geriatric doctor to check him over! The downside to all of this is that the stem cell transplant will interfere with the Great Divide mountain bike trip, but the transplant is priority! And I’m sure we can find a great bike trip for this fall as a consolation prize. The specialist said that the Great Divide trip could be planned for next year!
So now we go back in two weeks to see the transplant doctor, a pain specialist, and a geriatrician. Because of my husband's age, the myeloma specialist wants the geriatric doctor to check him over! The downside to all of this is that the stem cell transplant will interfere with the Great Divide mountain bike trip, but the transplant is priority! And I’m sure we can find a great bike trip for this fall as a consolation prize. The specialist said that the Great Divide trip could be planned for next year!
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Aheckman - Who do you know with myeloma?: husband
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Febtuary, 2019
- Age at diagnosis: 75
Re: Biking with multiple myeloma
Thanks for the update about your husband, Aheckman. Am wishing you both all the best as you go through the stem cell transplant process. That's really great that he has such good blood work even at such a high involvlement of plasma cells in the bone marrow! Hope you can get back to biking after the treatments since there are so many wonderful trails to try in the summer.
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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
Hello Ron. Well done on your achievements at the Dallas Senior Games, excellent stuff! As you say, just finishing was great, especially in exalted company! I have clocked 180 miles (240 km) this week, but most of it on my e-bike. My haemoglobin is stubbornly low, averaging 112 over the last few months and little prospect of it ever improving. My fitness and stamina are both good, but trying to turn pedals when power is needed is really hard. So I am coming to the reluctant conclusion that e-bikes are my future!
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Rory - Who do you know with myeloma?: Me
- When were you/they diagnosed?: Dec2015
- Age at diagnosis: 65