Northern Lights: Returning To Cycling
Our summer here in Calgary was a little unpredictable this year, with daytime temperatures ranging from 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius), with a strong cold north wind blowing, to a record high of 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius). Plus, in between the hot weather and the cold windy day, we had weeks of forest fire smoke occluding the sun, triggering a health alert recommending that people stay indoors.
Despite the unpredictable weather, my husband Dilip and I did our best to exercise, both indoors and outdoors. As part of my outdoor activities, I picked up cycling again after a two-year hiatus.
I was out riding quite a bit along the river pathways in our area before I fractured my vertebrae and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2009. By about three years after that, I had recovered enough from my injuries and initial myeloma treatment that I decided I could try riding again. I had actually given my bike away to one of my daughters after my diagnosis, but she returned it when I decided to try riding again. I was quite cautious in the beginning. We mainly rode along bicycle / pedestrian pathways that summer.
My cycling adventures came to another halt in the summer of 2016 after I found out I would need surgery for a secondary cancer. I felt hesitant to ride in the summer of 2017. However, this year, I feel fine and also am not taking any myeloma medications, so it has been a better year for cycling.
Our first ride this year was around the city’s water reservoir, a distance of about 10 miles (16 km), with lots of hilly portions. It is very scenic, as it goes across the Elbow River, around the reservoir, which is the size of a small lake, and through an adjacent historical park. We put the bikes on a rack at the back of our vehicle and drove to the start point. I couldn’t do this without Dilip loading up the bikes, checking for tire pressures, and other challenges.
On my first ride out, I realized that my brakes were squeaking and I couldn’t readily change gears on the left handlebar because of my sore left thumb. (I use diclofenac (Voltaren) on the thumb and also had a cortisone shot there last year.) So we got some bike lubricant at a local bike shop and put that on the brakes and gears, which did help the next time we went out.
The next weekend we rode along the Bow River pathways, on the north and south banks, which we have done many times in previous years.
Given that I had such good experiences on these shorter rides, I was brave enough to set two goals for my cycling this summer.
One goal was to ride the Legacy Trail, a 14-mile (22 km) paved pathway from Canmore to Banff, Alberta that opened in 2009. It mostly parallels a highway and has a fence on one side to deter wildlife from coming on the path (bears and cougars abound in that area). There also is a bus service from Banff to Canmore that takes bikes, so we knew we could take a bus back in case I would be too tired to ride back.
The other goal was to circle the city of Calgary on the Rotary / Mattamy Greenway, which consists of almost 87 miles (140 km) of inter-linked pathways and road cycling lanes.
One sunny day at the end of July, we decided to tackle my first goal, riding the Legacy Trail. We loaded our bikes up and drove 56 miles (90 km) west to the Visitor’s Center in Canmore. We saw from the map that 6 miles (10 km) into the trail there is a picnic area where cars can pull in and park. So we thought that if I wasn’t feeling up to finishing this ride, I could stop at the picnic area and Dilip could ride back and get the car to pick me up. He had ridden the route before with a friend, so he knew the path.
Much to my surprise, the midway mark came up before too long, and we stopped to take pictures and drink water. There are a few hilly spots along the route. I am not confident of riding down a hill without using the brakes and then surging up the other side, so I stopped and pushed my bike up the hills partway in spots. I was wearing running shoes, not cycling shoes with a clip, so I could easily stop and put a foot out on the ground.
After stopping at the picnic area, we continued on into Banff. We took a little break, had iced tea and nachos at a restaurant, and then headed back to Canmore. This trail had been on my radar for years, and I felt proud to be able to finish it.
As far as biking in the mountains goes, the Legacy Trail is rated as easy, but at 27 miles (44 km) round trip, I found it to be strenuous. The elevation gain from Canmore to Banff is just 250 feet (75 meters), so you don’t feel that much, but coming back seemed faster.
Later in August we started on my plan of riding the Rotary / Mattamy Greenway. We began at the west end of Fish Creek Provincial Park, which is partially located in the city. We got lost finding the entryway, but two kindly motorcyclists gave us a ‘bike escort’ to the start. On that pathway, which has been rebuilt since the devastating flood of 2013, we found ourselves riding through poplar and spruce forests, as well as foothills parkland. We went over many new bridges crossing Fish Creek, which were built for pedestrians and cyclists. We went about 9 miles (15 km) round trip on that outing.
I’m hoping that we will have a mild and sunny September so that I can do the rest of that route and accomplish my second cycling goal for the year.
Even if we don’t, I’m proud of how far I have come. It is reassuring for me to know that I can reconnect with activities I enjoy despite my cancer diagnoses and having been sidelined for a while.
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The quotation for this month is from Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955), a theoretical physicist who developed the general theory of relativity, who said: "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."
Nancy Shamanna is a multiple myeloma patient and a columnist at The Myeloma Beacon. You can view a list of her columns here.
If you are interested in writing a regular column to be published by The Myeloma Beacon, please contact the Beacon team at .
Good for you, Nancy!! I always enjoyed bike riding as a way to really get out and enjoy nature. Unlike traveling in a car when you are a mere spectator, when you bike you "feel" the experience. You become part of it. I get the same sensation hiking but you move slower and cover far less ground then you do on a bike. The wind, the smells, the sounds of wild life...
Thanks for sharing your adventures!
Ron
Nancy,
I enjoyed your article, so much, today. I also enjoy riding my bike but I haven't ridden it for 3 years due to fear of falling and breaking one of these myeloma effected bones. You have inspired me to give it a try. I'll start off trying something simple, there is a nice level trail along the Niagara river where we live. The quote at the end of your article is hanging in my livingroom. That quote is a perfect reflection of your lovely summer.
What a wonderful article and fantastic accomplishment for you. Your determination and drive to return to cycling is so inspiring. The trails you describe sound beautiful, and we have now put Calgary on our bucket list of places to visit. I hope you have the mild September you need in order to continue your challenging bike trips. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us and showing us that even with multiple myeloma we can live fulfilling lives. I look forward to hearing how September was.
So proud of you. Gives me hope that I can get back on my bike soon. Thanks for sharing.
Dear Nancy, thanks so much for your optimistic article. I’m thinking perhaps I should dust off my bike and try cycling again! I’ve just been worried about falling over these last myeloma years but if I start with the flat trails near our house I think I will be fine. I hope you enjoy the remaining summer sunshine on your bike. Every best wish.
Thanks everyone for the nice comments! I was out walking with our grand-dog this afternoon in the warm sunny late summer. I don't bike every day but will try to get out a few more times too.
Ron, your biking thread in the forum always is encouraging. Glad you enjoy nature too, as well as racing. When I think of how busy Banff Park is (over 1 million visitors up until the end of June this year), it was surprising that there were not many cyclists on the Legacy Trail so that was nice, quiet way for us to approach the park!
Patty, hope you both do visit Calgary sometime!
Marjorie, Joann and Lu Anna, when I first got back on the bike a few years ago, we lowered the seat so that I could readily touch the ground with my feet. Also, you should have a well fitting helmet and you could try wearing elbow pads and knee pads if you are worried about falling. Other than that, I went quite slowly and didn't mind hopping off the bike and walking sometimes if I couldn't manage to ride up a hill. Because I am not supposed to lift heavy objects due to having myeloma bone damage, Dilip kindly lifts the bike up onto the bike rack for me!
I don't know if it'll actually help break a fall, but I use a motorcycle impact vest on my rides. 16 miles is my myeloma-body limit on a flat, car-less trail in Virginia. Since I used to be a runner, biking is the closest I can get to fast movement outside. It's also been recommended as a psychological boost. Cheers!
Thanks for sharing that idea about using a motorcyclist's vest for protection while riding, Bernard. Glad you can still enjoy moving quickly on a trail, but on a bike, not by running. I also used to jog, up to the limit of a half marathon (21 km, which is 12.6 miles), but biking is much easier! If you are on a flat paved trail, it might have been on old railway line converted to a pathway. I am sure that the autumn colours will be splendid soon!
I am so impressed you biked that Legacy Trail. Even though I walk every day, I'm not sure I could bike the 27 miles. I have done up to 10 miles, but then that's it. Kudos to you, you should be really proud of yourself!!!
Thanks very much, Christina! Probably if you had stopped for an hour for iced tea and nachos halfway through this bike ride, like we did, in Banff, it would have been easier for you to ride. The return trip also had a 75m. decrease in altitude. But it was a highlight of my summer to be able to do this trail, and hopefully we will ride it again next year! It's chilling down here and snow is expected in some mountain areas this week, so if we get more cycling done it will be in the city, which has lots of cycling/walking pathways.
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