Kyle A Bryant

Life is often times overwhelming and many situations can be daunting when it feels like you have to take on the world alone.

I have been fortunate enough to have many wingmen (and wingwomen) during my cycling experiences. I mainly train alone but when game day comes and the road stretches on forever and the hills are steep and relentless I prefer to have a wingman. My wingman helps me with practical things like getting to the porta-potty at a rest stop or refilling water bottles and getting snacks to fuel our bodies. However, I can get any stranger to help me with that stuff. My wingman is there to share the burden and provide support when things get tough. Often times the support is not physical or verbal and may not even be perceived by someone outside the situation. It comes in the form of a mutual understanding of the goal and the suffering it might take to get there. It comes in the mutual understanding of the ridiculous experiences we have had and will have on the way to that goal. I might ride all day with my Dad and a typical conversation will go like this:

“You hungry? Wanna stop and stretch in a few miles?”
“Sure, next spot we see.”

Then during our pit stop:
“You gonna finish that Cliff Bar?”
“No, go for it.”
…
“Ready?”
“Let’s go.”

This “conversation” may occur several times throughout the day but these might be the only words that are said during 5 or 6 hours on the road. Most of the time words are not needed. Action is our communication.

Uncle Steve is a little less silent. However his communication comes in the form of humming, singing, whistling, random bird impressions, and goofy comments.

Uncle Steve called me the other night and told me he would come down from Libby, MT to be my wingman for the century in Palm Springs next month. I do not expect deep conversation during our ride but I do expect that we will finish together like we always do.

To find out how you can join Team FARA in Tour De Palm Springs, click HERE.

Friedreich’s ataxia causes lack of coordination in the arms and legs (and all muscles for that matter, such as the tongue and diaphragm, making speech and swallowing difficult for many people with FA) which effects cycling technique and can cause injury if not addressed. Good cycling technique includes keeping the knees in line with the ankles during each pedal stroke, this provides more power and prevents injury. However, most people with FA who ride a trike (myself included) have trouble with “leg flop”, where the knee does not stay in line with the ankle sometimes to the point where the knees are knocking together or flopping way out to the side into the wheels. Often times leg flop can be overcome with the use of ankle braces, modified AFO’s or the O’Neil’s famous “Flopper Stoppers”:

Leg flop is a definite difficulty and when you are talking about riding 100 miles, that means thousands of pedal strokes.  For me I think 100 miles will take 15,000-20,000 strokes (I just googled “how many pedal strokes in a mile?”). If my knee is out of line 15,000 times in a day there is the potential for greater muscle and tendon fatigue and possible injury. This means I need to work on my technique this winter to train my knees to get in line.

The weather has been getting cold lately so I have been making the switch to indoor training.  For me, indoor winter training is all about technique, so during the week I have been getting up at 530 to ride the stationary trainer for half an hour before I start my day mainly to tune in my pedaling technique.  My technique suffers a bit when I’m off the trike for a while so it is very important to keep it in tune this winter since my first century for the year will be in February.

When I am on the trainer I spend the first ten minutes as a warm up on a low gear with a high cadence.  After ten minutes I unclip one shoe from the pedal and I pedal with one leg for two minutes and then I switch legs and repeat for the next 10 minutes. I use the last 8 minutes to step up the intensity and push a little harder before the time is up.

Single leg drills help me work on technique one leg at a time. My left leg stays in line much more than my right so I spend a little more effort and concentration on my right leg. By the end of each two minute period the leg gets fatigued and more floppy causing me to concentrate even harder to keep it in line. The effort and concentration spent on the trainer means less effort and concentration on game day.

Another advantage to single leg drills is it forces me to push and pull. When someone is walking they must pick up their leg to move it forward for the next step, engaging the muscles required to lift the leg. I use a wheelchair almost full time now so it is rare that I need to engage the muscles required to lift my legs.  Single leg drills force me to engage these muscles in order to turn the crank all the way since the other leg is not there to help it around.

I think single leg drills were the SINGLE most important thing I did when training for RAAM. This drill helps me work on technique and strengthen the muscles that are otherwise disengaged.

Alright, time for bed, I gotta get up at 530.

I sit here exhausted in my freshly made bed. Why am I exhausted? Because I just made the bed, of course.

The main symptom of Friedreich’s ataxia is energy depravation which makes all movements uncoordinated and labored. Sometimes simply making the bed is a seemingly monumental task. Over time more and more everyday things become difficult and eventually impossible.

The harsh reality of Friedreich’s ataxia is polarizing. Many times this disease causes it’s victims to retreat and waste away. On the other end of the spectrum FA forces a sense of urgency when it’s conquerers realize that it’s now or never. I am confident that my sense of urgency will never fade.

On February 11, 2012 the Freidreich’s Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) is teaming up with Outback Steakhouse to assemble a group of bike riding, research supporting athletes to participate as Team FARA in the Tour De Palm Springs. The tour offers ride lengths from 5 to 100 miles.

For me, it’s now or never so I have set a goal to ride at least 3 centuries in 2012 beginning with the Tour De Palm Springs. In 2012 I will ride my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries of my cycling career. The last (first) time I rode a century was on May 7, 2006 and it was the turning point for me in terms of realizing the sky is the limit. In a matter of 4 months I went from my first ride of 7 miles to 100 miles in a day. My century in 2006 also resulted in an overuse injury that took me over a year to fully heal. So this time I will be smarter. I now have many miles under my belt and considerable experience listening to my body, letting it tell me what it needs and when I am pushing it too hard. On the other hand I also have this disease called FA that has forced me into a wheelchair since I completed my first century and continues to slowly degenerate my condition. However, overall I am a much stronger cyclist than I was in 2006. I have traveled more than 10,000 miles by trike including 2 trips across the country. Additionally my equipment has improved considerably with reputably one of the fastest and most energy efficient trikes on the market, the Catrike 700 made possible by a grant I received in 2009 from the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

My goal to ride a century on February 11 is a considerable challenge in large part because it is much more difficult to train in December and January than say April and May. I have been traveling a lot lately so I have not been on the trike much and I have been eating a lot of airport and hotel food. However, the time for excuses has run out. It is time to concentrate on the goal. I have set up my stationary trainer in my room and in the next couple months I will ride as much as I can on the trainer and outside when possible; I will tighten up the diet; I will get in the weight room for some off season strength training and I will be ready to ride 100 miles on February 11.

As I continue to be pushed by my sense of urgency I encourage you to join me and Team FARA by not only going after your own personal best, but by making an impact on FA research when you join the biggest Team FARA event yet to kick off 2012.

To find out all the details about how to join the team and start your personal fundraising page visit teamfara.blogspot.com.

You can visit my fundraising page to make a donation HERE.