Can't offer any advise but I do want to say that I admire your drive to keep going after your diagnosis. Good luck!!!

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I have a close friend who was diagnosed a few years ago & to say he's prospered would be an understatement. Shoot me an e-mail & I'll pass on his info as he loves to share the ins/outs that have worked for him: Brian@PersonalBestNutrition.com

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Brian Shea
http://www.PersonalBestNutrition.com
Open-Water/Masters Swimming at the Jersey Shore:
Monmouth County NJ Ocean Swim/Masters Workouts

Ditto to Brian's response. We have a good friend in Boulder who has been competing with her MS diagnosis for at least the past 10 years. She would be a great resource, perhaps. Feel free to email me if interested in an intro: barrysiff@gmail.com. And, good luck, great success with your road ahead!

I don't have any MS/Racing experience, but plenty of experience with MS as both my parents have it. The training load to race at a high level can be tough on the body so that would be my biggest concern. If you are racing just to stay healthy, then I'd definitely say go for it. It also depends on how aggressive the case of MS is. My dad finished a marathon at 60 after being diagnosed with MS in his late 20's or early 30's. He definitely wasn't fast, but he finished the race in probably some of the most brutal conditions of any marathon (Seattle a few years ago when it was rain/snow/sleet/sun/cold). He was also a scratch to 4 handicap golfer well into his 50s and probably even early 60's. The tough part is when it is hot, it can cause havoc with your body.

Glad to hear you are continuing to live a healthy lifestyle after the diagnosis. Just toeing the line is something to celebrate. Not everyone with MS is that lucky.

Hey Nic s
Just shot a message to my good friend here in NY. He is racing withMS.. He is amazing. Person and athlete.. He should be reaching out soon.

Congrats on being tough...and good luck with the racing...

Hi, I'm almost 2 years post diagnosis and also a hard core racer. I have very mild symptoms that haven't completely gone away. Except for a short initial period, I've been able to continue with my training and racing. I applaud you for coming back to the fray. My mantra has been: "I want to live my life my way.". So far, I've been able to do that.
Best of luck in your first race! I hope it is all that you hope for. I have found a lot of great support systems through my MS contacts. I hope that you have had a similar experience since your diagnosis has changed your life. Whatever support systems you have in place, I know that this will be a huge victory for you. Please let us know how it goes.

I coached an athlete in swimming who did tri's and a bunch of adventure races.
He was diagnosed with MS and then quit swimming at my program.
Though I haven't actually seen him or talked to him; I have followed (stalked?) his career. He is an avid runner and High School track and cross country coach in my area.
Just saying that athletics can still happen after a MS diagnosis and I wish you well.

I've done two fulls, 6 halfs plus a bunch of marathons after my diagnosis. I've had to be smart with my training. It can definitely be done.

You can totally continue racing. You might have to adjust a few things, based on what your symptoms are like on a given day. With MS, everybody is a little different, so it will take some trial and error to find what works best for you.

I got diagnosed in 2010. I competed at 70.3 worlds last year. Try to do a couple 70.3s and one IM every year. While I'm not taking home any hardware, I can still put in a decent time.

Here's a few things that I've found that work for me. Interested if others training with MS have anything to add.

I've found that on days where I don't work out, my symptoms are actually worse. So if I feel like crap, you just have to suck it up and get some work in. After about 30 min, I start to feel good again.

The other thing I've experienced is just how important it is to get 8 hrs of sleep every night.

Other than that, if you fall down- just get up and keep going!

PM me if you want. Happy to help if I can

Glad we could connect Nic & I thought you would also enjoy this recent post from Emilio DeSoto about Gene:

https://www.facebook.com/...p;type=1&theater

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Brian Shea
http://www.PersonalBestNutrition.com
Open-Water/Masters Swimming at the Jersey Shore:
Monmouth County NJ Ocean Swim/Masters Workouts

Hey all! Guess what? I finished my first sprint post MS diagnosis! It was my slowest race ever, but the sweetest and most amazing race. Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement. Doing triathlon isn't about how fast (or how slow, in my situation) you go, but about the journey to cross that finish line.
Today I kicked MS's butt.

*LIKE* :-)

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Brian Shea
http://www.PersonalBestNutrition.com
Open-Water/Masters Swimming at the Jersey Shore:
Monmouth County NJ Ocean Swim/Masters Workouts

not much to add, but wanted to wish you luck. My fiance's mom has MS, so I know the disease all too well. We ride the MS150 every year in her honor. Wishing you many years of training and racing.

Very good to hear... Keep up the good work.

Yeah, she did. My wife rocked it on Saturday. :)

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#cureMS