Training Starts in Ernest

12th March 09

Training starts in Ernest

One of my biggest problems of getting out on the roads in my local area and doing some training in my power chair, in this case, my Alber Adventure, is time.

Being as severely disabled as i am with a limited care package, 9 hrs per day, I have to fit in any training with my every day life, ie, feeding and watering me and all my personal care along with trips to the bank, walking my two dogs and all the other things that makes lmy ife tick on. You all know the sort of things.

Now that the days are drawing out, i can spread all of the above out a bit, so now is the time to start training in ernest...This is now what i plan to do. Get out there on the open cycle paths and roads around my local area in Alber, and 'burn some rubber.' To those of you who have been reading this blog for some time, will know that i am a proud owner of a Alber Adventure, and tried to do the E2E challenge last year in my Alber. I failed after the first day, not because of Alber letting me down but because of the lack of support.

To all new readers of this blog, you will know that this year I am to be part of a team and that Handicare are providing the power chair and much more, and the British Nursing Association providing all personal care and one or two more goodies, all will be reviled soon. If you scan back a few entries you will see that this blog already has the BNA press release on it.

Today i went to Newcastle by Metro, one of the biggest advantages for anyone living in N/C and a wheelchair user of any description, is the Metro. Any way, i transgress.

To get to my local Metro is a mile, I have clocked it. A trip i do about 4 times a week. Well today, in my newly adjusted Alber, seat well forward, control stick right back, i was ready to burn some rubber and my left arms reply 'hang on, we do not usually do this sort of thing, bumping along at full throttle,' and decide to voice itself by acking a little. When i am out of my house I have to have someone with me at all times, this meant i did another miles because i kept riding back to my PA and surged on again, just like a kiddy on a bike!

By the time i got back from N/C my arm had adjusted to the treatment i was lashing out and no longer acke. I also bought, for 20p from Wilkinson's, store, a very large rubber band to hook onto my chair to pull on, thus helping with building up my arm mussel. Having Rheumatoid Arthritis and my shoulder joins are shot, but they give out no pain, so i have to make sure i am building up my arm mussels without too much strain on the shoulder joint.

Having driven the power chair i am using for the E2E challenge, if only over a short distance. i was very impressed with the amount of adjustments that can be made, so i am sure that even someone, like me, with RA, comfort and support will be achived without too much trouble. I am sure that the whole team will be able to achieve our goal without too much discomfort.

The chair also has an excellent spring system another putting another plus tick box of good features especially as we will be hitting some bumpy footpaths, roads and cycle paths along the 1000 miles.

Handicare have told me that as soon as they have made the few adjustment to meet my special requirements I will be having the chair so i can give it, and me, a good workout and iron out any problems we both have. Can't come sooner enough for me. As soon as Handicare launch the new chair, all will be reveled here in this blog.

So that all for now. So keep reading.

On last small saying i came across on the many. many E2E web sites and blogs i read is this "Fail to plan, Plan to fail" I can assure you that Handicare and BNA are pulling out all the stops to make sure that the challenge is well planned right down to the lat pit stop, so will not fail...

Training, Training, Training

15th November 07

Training. Training, Training.

Today the Alber Adventure went away to Alton Aids to be altered for me to use and Tom from Scootamart has rang to say the Q6000 will be arriving on Saturday for a trial run.

The question I am trying now to solve, my task for today and I am failing terriably is, how can I train, in a heavy power wheelchair, up to a distance of 40 miles per day, indoors and outdoors!

The outdoor training is just a matter of getting me and my PA or friend; out on the roads around here where I live and get some miles in. Not as easy as it seems bearing in mind that I still have to fit in all my eating, drinking and personal care; all this has to be done within a 7 hour window. I could possible build up to do a maximum of 4/5 hrs per day on the roads, which is equal average speed of 5 miles per hour equal to a maximum 25 miles per day. Quite away from my target of 40 miles. Perhaps in the summer I could get more hours in. I must remember to do some training in the bad weather ready for Dartmoor and Scotland.

What would really help would be if I could get some form of wheel rollers, like bike riders use, for here in the house, that I could put the power wheelchair on them and drive to my hearts content, been feed, watered and personal care when the need arises. I have tried every web site I could find about push bike rollers, none of them seem strong enough to hold a power wheelchair, even if I put one set of wheels on one set of rollers and the other set of wheels on the other rollers. Not as daft as it seems. I have even tried motorbike web sites with no luck

Can anyone help with any idea that will solve my problem? I have emailed many roller companies with no success

Thanks for your help