Doc Ernie's Blog : Doc Ernie's Blog : Ernie Franz M.D. : Spinal Cord Injury, Disability, and Rehabilitation

To spare you the details... we made it!  Nearly 33 miles and roughly 2500 feet of climbing.  The ride really went well with no major problems, thanks to the support of Jon Green and Rachael Swerdlow of the Seattle Symphony who jumped off their tandem to run along side us and push us over the steepest pitch.  Others helped too, cheering support or riding ahead to be ready at the last few hills to give us an assist.  In the end it was hard to fit back the tears of joy and happiness - having reclaimed a bit of life.  Many thanks go out to Keith Heinzelman, my PT, who dared to dream of this and yet had discovered the carrot to hold out for me what was to become a key to my rehab.

What next?  Soon afterwards Keith would have me on an upright spinning bicycle in his office.  Yet my arms were so weak from my SCI and radial nerve injuries that after 5 minutes I would beg Keith to let me off the bike.  Without a trace of sympathy he immediately stuffed a large Pilates Ball between my chest and the handlebars, so that the weight of my upper body was supported by the ball.  This became my spinning routine, slowly extending the time till my arms failed and the fit ball needed to be placed.  This was all training for eventual upright standard tandem riding with Keith, and gym group fitness spinning classes that Gwen and I could do together.

In the meantime Bill Davidson framebuilder began drawing up plans for a road bike; one that he designed with input from both Keith and I regarding equipment, wheels, and frame dimensions.  His goal was to make it superlight, stable and functional for my disabilities - particularly considering my poor hand function.  Now all I had to do was to learn how to ride a bicycle again alone, this time two wheels and on my own power.  That story is up next....

• My first attempt at turning some crankarms 6 weeks after injury did not go so well.  I was in my wheelchair with my feet velcro'd to some free spinning (that is no resistance) cranks.  After a few minutes of satisfaction, my feet slipped off the pedals twisting one of my ankles.  Though barely feeling my feet, this precipitated a moderate episode of Autonomic Dysreflexia which can occur with painful stimulus below the level of one's spinal cord injury - with myself feeling immediately dizzy, faint, and sweaty such that I needed to be laid down.  I did not try spinning or turning cranks after that until my discharge home some 6-8 weeks later.

• Once home in mid-December 2004, my physical therapist worked with me on a recumbent trainer in his office.  One in which my heart rate and cadence could be monitored, my watt output measured and various programed training profiles set to challenge me.  Initially I did this 5 days per week, traveling each time to Keith Heinzelman's office to work on the Sci-Fit trainer.  Since I do not feel my feet very well, and particularly do not know their position (lack of proprioception), it was immediately obvious that I needed to use clipless pedals with cleats on the Sci-Fit.  This worked beautifully!  I could focus on spinning circles, not just mashing out watts.  Improving watt output and some evidence of potential for fitness, lead my PT to consider getting me onto a bike.

• I will never forget the day Keith asked me how I might feel about getting back on a bike.  He had checked into us borrowing a recumbent tandem from one of the Washington state ferry boat captains who ever so kindly made his custom 'bent available to us.  So beginning in early January 2005 we began riding together on the recumbent, Keith and I.  I was the stoker with responsibility to provide some power over hills; Keith steering, shifting, braking and providing most of the wattage.  That first ride for the two of us already written about in the section covering The Trauma, did include two low speed spills with no injuries, many laughs from me, and a few quietly muttered expletives from Keith.  Yet we persisted, each outing gaining strength and confidence such that we signed up for the Chilly Hilly, 33 miles, 2500 feet of climbing on the last Sunday of February 2005.  More on that next....