5 replies to this topic

[gsp23]

I decided to go on a walk (roll) today around my neighborhood for the first time since being in a wheelchair. I live in a rural area and its all dirt roads. My boyfriend asked if he should come with but knowing how he would want to help me out when it looked like I was struggeling I told him that I would be fine, he kept insisting that I not go alone for the first time and I finally got him to agree that I was fine trying it alone as long as I took the 2-way radio with.

First task was getting down my road which of course is dirt and is only about 500ft long which I had been down before a couple times. Then I made it to the only paved road which is a state hwy (but hardly any traffic out here) I never realized how much of an uphill climb that was. I made it to the top of that hill where I needed to turn back onto the dirt road and was surprised at how little I actually paid attention to hills around my house. On the dirt road, you got it another steep hill. I took a rest first and made it up that hill and the hill went back down again right on the other side so I had to watch my speed because of rocks and the road came to a T right at the bottom of the hill. I turned the corner and again was a bit deflated when I realized that there was yet another steep hill in front of me. I finally made it up that one and then had a bit of gradual hill all the way back to the paved state hwy at which point I let myself get a little speed but not too much since my road was about half way down that paved hill and I didnt want to have to climb back up again. My total trip was just over a mile and I was determined to not ask for help.

Well I have to say that I never realized how much forarm work is involved in pushing a wheelchair until today when I made my little excursion. But the good news is that it is something I can do again now even if I'm home alone and I know I can make it. And it is also something to make me feel good as a major accomplishment of something I can do.

I think they should make an offical sport of just getting around on dirt roads and hills in a manual wheelchair because that was the best upper body workout I have had in months

Edited by gsp23, 20 November 2006 - 09:33 AM.

[Joed]

Congratulations on this accomplishment! And solo, no less.

After my paralysis, and once I had recovered enough to try it, I insisted on taking a trip to Canada solo....a good 12 hr. drive, one way. So I know the motivation and drive you had to finish your trip....for me, it was a matter of proving to myself that I was still a force to be reckoned with.

Again, congratulations....I'm celebrating with you.

[John Anderson]

Congrats!

Well I don't know...I still call it a walk...but then my friends would tease me and tell me to get my lazy ass up

[gsp23]

John Anderson, on Nov 21 2006, 04:55 PM, said:

Well I don't know...I still call it a walk...but then my friends would tease me and tell me to get my lazy ass up

Yeah my boyfriend says the same thing to me when I say I'm going on a walk... When we were at the mall, I said "He lets run down to this store quick" he looked at me and laughed and said, "I'm going to just walk, but if you want to try and run I sure would like to see that!" I find myself still using all the same phrases as AB people. I used to work with a blind guy and he would talk about a show he watched on TV the night before... its just more natural to use those terms I think.

[John Anderson]

gsp23, on Nov 21 2006, 03:30 PM, said:

Yeah my boyfriend says the same thing to me when I say I'm going on a walk... When we were at the mall, I said "He lets run down to this store quick" he looked at me and laughed and said, "I'm going to just walk, but if you want to try and run I sure would like to see that!" I find myself still using all the same phrases as AB people. I used to work with a blind guy and he would talk about a show he watched on TV the night before... its just more natural to use those terms I think.

nice bf you got lol Yea I know how that is, one of my friend is blind too and he still uses the term and what not. It's just how it is, he's always saying, "See you later." or "Did you watch that game last night?" or some times he would pull a joke (I think he's bad at those...but that's just me ) like, "OH MY F*%& GOD, WHO THE HELL TURN OUT THE LIGHTS?" or "Don't look, but there's a hot chick walking our way"

[Texaswheelz]

Yea those up hill treks are hell on the forarms. I have a walking trail here in my apartments, half uphill and half down. Both are a bitch on the forarms. I just lean back and do a wheelie all the way down, which burns the hell out of my forarms from holding on enough to keep the speed from getting up to fast on the way down.