This is an excerpt from a chapter of my ebook. When I wrote this it brought back memories. A person forgets many things throughout his life. This ebook and chapter shook some cobwebs for me. If you want to read more, go to my website.

Through high school, college, and into my thirties, I was an excellent athlete. My brother and I could play any sport with ease. I’m not bragging, but we were usually among the best players in any sport we tried. In January 1982 when I started running my first racquetball club I knew what racquetball was but I played very sporadically and I wasn’t very good. I decided in January of 1984 that if I was going to manage this club I should be a better racquetball player. I taught myself to play by watching good players and playing for an hour a day.

I also decided that I had gotten too fat and something had to be done! Between January 1984 and May 1984 I lost 30 pounds on what has become the diet yo-yo of all time. I have gained and lost the same 20-30 pounds about 8 times. The only problem with my multiple sclerosis now is that I can’t burn the calories like I used to. Anyway, in the summer of 1984 I was playing A-level racquetball. When I left the clubs in 1987 I was a low-level open player (open is the highest level). I also started jogging and biking in 1985. I ran 2 miles a day. A friend and I could easily be seen biking 20 miles on rural Mankato roads in the spring and summer. The highlight for me was cycling in the 60 mile race at the Jesse James Day Celebration in Northfield in 1985. I remember telling my friend that if it was really hot I couldn’t bike the 60 miles because of my asthma. In hindsight, I probably had heat issues due to my MS when I was cycling and the usual uncomfortable feelings. It was hot on race day but a good breeze was blowing, so I was able to bike the 60 miles and complete my athletic challenges. If it were winter, I could be seen riding an exercise bike for an hour every day.

After moving to Minneapolis in ’87, I really got interested in running and by the spring of 1988 I was running 5 miles a day. Because of my asthma, I never thought I could run this far, but by pacing myself and running through the streets of Minneapolis, I proved to myself that I could! Then, in the summer of 1988, I ran a 5-mile race at the Grand Old Days celebration in St. Paul, Minnesota. I ran the 8k in 36.5 minutes or an average of 7:30 minutes per mile. I was very proud of myself for finishing let alone what I thought was a good time for an asthmatic. I would continue running until 1991 when I kept pulling a muscle in my right calf. I would rest it for 3 or 4 days but the first time I went out for a run it would pull the muscle again. I did it about four times. It wasn’t long after I was diagnosed with MS that I decided I had to stop running.

I started golfing with a girlfriend in 1988 and in 1990. I was playing it seriously and little by little I was teaching myself how to play well. I was a double bogey golfer when I was diagnosed in 1991. I had a good round every once in a while that kept me coming back to the golf courses. Tea

The reason I’m telling you all this is because I was a good athlete, very coordinated and had good dexterity. All this has changed in the last 16 years and it has really changed in the last 2 years.

I am now 49 years old and my MS has gotten worse in the last year. Sometimes I forget how much I biked and ran. I also forget how fit I was in 1988. By contrast, I now use my electric scooter 90% of the time and in my apartment I use a walker to help me walk and keep my balance. Stay tuned for more MS related thoughts.