The Art Of Actvity - Cycling Video 2

One night, not long ago, I decided to go for a run out on Galveston Island. It was a really strange night, the wind had picked up and it began to rain. After arriving at the sea wall I changed my mind and decided to leave. It was dark out already and I just didn't feel like getting wet and cold.

I went back and fourth a few times about staying or leaving. Finally I decided since I had gone through the trouble of driving all the way to the island, about 50 miles from my place, to "go for it!". I donned a light jacket that I put on over my running gear and set out. As I started I headed north/north-east. The wind gust were just incredible. I was barely moving, it was foggy and there was a harsh misty spray continuously hitting me in the face. My guess is the wind was a constant 20mph, with gust into the 30s? I was moving almost as slow as I usually walk, but putting in a running effort. I could not see more than a few hundred feet ahead. Not even the traffic lights were visible through the fog and rain until I was under a quarter of a mile from them.

As I reached the half way point I turned around. Now with that wind at my back, it was all I could do to stop from falling over onto my face. I was trucking along almost being pushed over by the wind. Needless to say the last half of the run was about twice as fast as the first.

Even though it was a rainy, windy and cold night out it ended up being pretty neat. Seeing the distant lights from the few boats over the choppy water, the sound of the wind, the spray of the salt air, the deep feeling of being in that moment and just letting my mind roam was really cool. I even stayed pretty comfortable once I got out into it and began moving. The human body can be such an amazing machine. The feeling of accomplishment I had afterwards was great as well. I was on cloud nine all the way back home.

Another time (a wind story again...lol) I was riding my bike close to Port Aransas. I departed headed in a northern direction toward the top of the island. Once I got to the middle of town where the restaurants and ferry are I turned around. The wind was once again blowing hard south, this time probably in the 15 - 20 mph range. Getting up to the top of the island had taken a 'harder than usual' effort.

Once I headed south the magic began. About 10 minutes into it I realized I was in a wind vacuum. It was very surreal. I was clicking along around 20 mph without hardly any effort. I was in my biggest gears just casually pedalling. Sweat drops would fall from my brow straight onto my handlebars and hands. I had no headwind or breeze at all. No air was hitting my face, which was very unusual. Every noise was so much clearer than normal. Without the extra air pressure there was nothing abating the noise flow to my ears like under normal conditions. The gear cogs running over the chain and the creaking of the leather in my cycling shoes were strangely clearly audible. It was wild!

The probability of me ever experiencing a similar moment again is pretty low. Timing and other factors would have to be so perfect for the same scenario to happen again. Due to this rare experience I will never forget the wind vacuum ride. I know there will be other 'magic moments' during future activities. Fantastic moments are one of many reasons I love to participate in athletic endeavors.

I have been blessed so many times with great memories while outside doing things. I have encountered so many neat country roads, cool old bridges, beautiful evening skylines, old stores and other fond memories. Even in what some would consider unfortunate experiences, like flat tires, I have ended up meeting some really interesting and helpful people. The thing is that any situation has potential to be good or bad depending on your outlook on life.

Some experiences have been hard and in some instances dangerous. Running and cycling can involve risk. Then again, you hear of the people that get injured from falling off a porch or tripping over a curb? I am definitely not telling you to participate in crazy or dangerous activities. What I am telling you to do is experience life.

Even a simple activity like sitting with your coffee in the morning as the sun comes up can be a memorable experience. Watching the sun set is a great activity as well. Being on a evening or morning fishing trip, taking the time to teach somebody something, gazing at distant stars, working out, exploring old buildings down town or trying something 'new' are just some of the ways to get the most out of life. It doesn't always take a lot of money or fancy equipment to have an invaluable experience. I have had some great times on a beat up loaner bicycle. There is so much to see right outside our own door we often forget about. Sometimes we just get too caught up in our daily routines.

In the end there is no replacement for the feeling you can have getting out and living. We all need to stop from time to time and realize how valuable life is and how amazing it is to be in the world. It is my honest opinion that humbling ourselves in the glory around us makes us better people. We are all connected and we all know it...sometimes we just choose to ignore it.

I have finally finished Part 2 of the 3 Part Amputee Cycling Series I am doing. I have had so many good times riding a bike since becoming an amputee. Cycling was so important in my physical and mental recovery. I still really enjoy it. It is my hope that someone may gain helpful information or inspiration from watching the video.

Amputee Cycling (part 2)

This particular video was edited using Linux software and is far from fancy, but I think it gets the information across.

[ 3/25/10 - There has been a snag in the video with YouTube. During one part of the video I included music by the band Guns N' Roses. The video has been tagged as possibly violating copyright rules. I am currently trying to clear this up with YouTube and the record label. For the time being the video is barred from mobile devices and in certain regions. My apoligies if you are not able to view it. I'm currently away from home, once back in my production area I will probably re-release the video sans the music.]

Take Care!
Ty :)

The Journey Continues - Looking For Sponsorship

Well it has been a really stressful last couple of weeks, but finally I feel some relief.

It is official, I no longer work for Freedom Prosthetics. Anyone trying to get a hold of me via cell, my number has changed. For now the best way to communicate with me would be via email.

As you could tell from my last blog I was having some difficulty making some tough decisions, my career choice being the main topic. I have decided that while I feel I definitely have a niche that can be used in the prosthetic field...that sales isn't exactly my thing. Freedom is a great company, I will always be appreciative of what I have learned there. I wish them the best of luck in the future. We have had a very amicable parting. I know they wish the best for me as well.

I do think marketing, advocacy and promotion are definitely some avenues that I could pursue in the future, but sales is just so...well I just don't think I have the personality for it.

So what I'm gonna do for now is have some fun. The Houston Rodeo is coming up and starting this Thursday I will be back driving a pedicab. What I am mainly going to do is try to relax and enjoy life for a while.

I also have some athletic events coming up. I will be posting a calendar with the things I am going to be competing in. I have some 5k's, bike rides and a triathlon all taking place in the next few months.


I'm always looking for sponsorship on many different levels.
If you would like to help promote amputee awareness and get your company name out there please contact me. I can arrange a couple of different types of promotion. Things ranging from putting a company link/logo on this blog site to wearing your business name on an athletic jersey or piece of gear. Even though I am not usually the first guy...people seem to usually notice me during an event. It's almost like I am different that the other participants or something???...lol

The other thing that will be occupying a lot of my time is releasing more videos. I have the rest of the amputee cycling series I have been chomping at the bit to complete. I also have a video I want to do about running. I got some other friends I want to interview as well. I've just been waiting for some nice weather so I can get back out and shoot some more.

Final note...Really special thanks for those that I have had to opportunity to meet out in the field this last year while here in Houston. Gonna miss you.

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

This blog isn't so much about being an amputee, prosthetics or anything amputee related. So I apologize in advance.

I've been doing that 'What are you doing with your life?' soul search, that I know some of us visit from time to time. I thought the job I had kind of fallen into, due to my accident had been a perfect fit. That maybe becoming an amputee was part of some grand scheme and I had found my calling. As of late I have been doubting myself. I feel like I am facing adversity at every corner. I have to admit that much of it I have created myself....by unfortunately just being myself.

I ran into some relatives on Facebook late last week, from my Dad's side of the family, in Indiana. I became 'friends' or 'friended' my uncle, an aunt and some of my cousins that I have not seen in years. Some of us had kept up on MySpace, but I got off that site quite a while back. I have a hard time keeping up with email, so I can do only so many sites. My theory is that they are all going to merge into one big site eventually anyway...

My Father was a musician and kind of what you would could call a legend in his own zip code around Central Indiana. After gigging around Austin, Texas in the late 60's and early 70's Dad got signed to Columbia Records. To make a long story short Bill Wilson recorded his debut album and moved back to his home state, Indiana in 1973. He became a local celebrity in the Indianapolis area, gigging and promoting his upcoming album.

To make an even longer story shorter, Dad never became a huge recording artist, but he did lead a very rewarding life following his dreams. Admittedly it was very tough at times. Musicians that don't make it big can live a very hard life. Talk about self doubt? Week after week of scraping by, playing smoky clubs, putting up with drunks and endless road trips. Year after year my Dad walked that path. Don't get me wrong there were some definite bennies my Dad craved on that come with being a musician as well. He loved to talk, tell stories, joke around and be the center of attention...something he got to do just about every night.

Dad did manage to put out several full length LP's and have a lot of single tracks on many local music compilation releases. 'Bill' made a modest living, finding a perfect environment to settle and work in Bloomington, IN. I have to tell you I met some of the neatest people while growing up. There are quite a lot of characters associated with the music biz.

My Father died of a heart attack in 1993 at the age of 46.

To bring all of this around full circle, my Dad is one of the only people I ever met that did exactly what he wanted for a living. I remember him telling me that he knew as a young boy he wanted to become a musician. Being a musical artist was the only job after he got out of the service I ever remember him having...think and thin he held steadfast to his dream.

Many of us just 'fall' into jobs. Others of us get a certain job because it pays good or has benefits, often not really caring about the work. Even in College most people go so they can make more money. No one rarely attends a university just to learn and become a more rounded person (it's original intent)...fortunately though that is one of the many good side effects that just seems to happen in College.

Not that I have many answers right now. I will be doing some serious soul searching 'once again' this week. As I always say...I need to figure out what I want to be when I grow up...lol. So my question to you is...What is a career without passion?

I went through some of my Dad's old recordings this last Sunday and found one of my favorite songs, 'Ballad Of Cody'. Cody is a real guy my Dad met while hanging out in the Austin music scene in the late 60's. This version of the song was originally recorded acoustically. I took the liberty of laying down a bass line and adding a drum sample. I thought some of those relatives I mentioned running into on Facebook might get a kick out of a remixed version of an an old song. A friend of mine convinced me that making a video would be neat, so I did that as well.

So maybe if you want to kick back and think about 'where you are in life' right now with with me you can give it a listen. Maybe you can find your passion?

Bill Wilson - Ballad Of Cody (2010 remix)/YouTube

Remember to keep dreaming big!

Until next time.
Ty

Amputee Cycling Interview With Ozzy Reyes

A while bike, while searching for people to form an amputee cycling team, I met Ozzy Reyes. Ozzy is a left BK amputee like myself. There are differences between us. Ozzy has been an amputee since he was young. Oz also has a residual limb that is much longer than mine. While I am just barely an BK (only extending about 6" past my knee) Ozzy is missing his leg just above where the ankle level is.

The differences between us are very telling in the way we approach things. For instance, Ozzy does not use a shower chair to bathe, he just stands in the shower without much fear of falling. Ozzy can also jog using his regular prosthesis, which is pretty hard for me to do. The shorter lever arm I have makes it difficult to change from walk to run mode without using a different type of prosthesis.

Ozzy and I have been talking about doing an organized bike ride together for some time. As cycling season approaches it is my hope we will participate in some rides together.


I am currently in the middle of putting together my own set of instructional cycling and lifestyle videos for amputees. It dawned on me some time ago when we were hanging out that I had to interview Ozzy as part of my videos series.

Ozzy has been riding for over 20 years. He definitely does some things differently than I would as a cyclist. These differences made me even more intent on interviewing him. We are all different. There may be some method(s) Ozzy uses that might be best for someone else to follow or use as a comparison to develop their own way of doing things.

Ozzy is a great resource for other amputees interested in cycling. At one time Ozzy attended a Paralympic Cycling camp. I have met few people as enthused about cycling as the Oz man. His knowledge of the sport is very good. Any facts about different riders or races he usually has in his memory recall. The guy lives the cycling lifestyle, often riding his bike to and from work each day.

Ozzy's knowledge of bikes is great also. Oz is a certified bike mechanic for Bicycle World here in Houston, TX Bike World . Bicycle World is a great bike shop that does great work. Ozzy's co-workers share his enthusiasm for cycling too. It is always great to see people doing something they are passionate about.

Here is a link to the video. Enjoy!
Amputee - Get Your Bike Ride On

Keep The big Picture In Mind

I ran a 5K this weekend.

It was cold and windy. I did not finish the run in the time that I was shooting for. I had a great time!

I know the above statement seems a little contradictory, but it is all true. I am not a cold weather person. While some may feel the low 40's is great running weather I consider that to be pretty cool. I'm a 'hotter the better' kind of guy. I would rather sweat than be cold any day of the week.

I wanted and really expected to finish in under 30 minutes. I ended up running a time that was just over 31 minutes. I have been running about 6 miles a day (at a slow pace) for the last couple of weeks. I expected the 3 miles to seem like a breeze. What was even more frustrating is that in the last mile I really started getting passed by a lot of people and had no kick at all. There is nothing like feeling like you have put in time and effort for something and still falling short of where you want/expect to be.

Where was the good time you ask? Well, from people I met. You would not believe how many people shook my hand, told me good job and just seemed surprised to see me out there at all. There was great energy in the air. Despite the weather, falling short of my goal and the early hour I had a good time. It was an awesome event to witness. There were over 30,000 runners present.

More importantly I sometimes catch myself forgetting how lucky I really am. Almost 4 years ago I could not walk, much less run anywhere. I was stuck on a pair of crutches and not sure what my future held. As a cigarette ad used to say 'you've come a long way baby'.

In all honesty I set the goal probably a little high. I have not been steadily running for more than a few months now. Just 2 months ago completing a 3 mile run at any pace was a major achievement. I have always been a swing for the fence kind of person. At my current weight and age under 30 minutes would be tough for anyone at this stage in their training.

It is great to have goals. I also think there is nothing wrong with being happy or disappointed with your results. I have and will always be my own worst critic. A lot of people tell me that I am too hard on myself. I must admit I am rarely satisfied. For me, this is how I keep improving and pushing myself.

I am not saying you have to beat yourself up. I do think you have to have goals you are shooting for. If you want to be a [whatever] or want to do [whatever] this gives you a productive way to spend your life's energy. If you just sit around and feel sorry for yourself (which can be easy to do) that isn't really solving any problems. In fact, you are wasting energy doing something that is counterproductive.

If you have something you want to accomplish the next thing is to figure out how to get there. I would never tell you that anything is out of reach. I truly believe if you want it bad enough, you can do it. I will warm you, from personal experience that once you get there it may be very different from what you think. So make sure you endeavor is something that you really want. As the old saying goes be careful what you wish for. Success can be defined on may different levels. Many people that most of us consider successful are miserable.

Have a great week! Please do me and yourself a favor. Take your bat....point at the wall...and when that ball comes flying at you...with all your might swing for the fence.

Running With The Marines

I had one of the most awesome experiences of my life recently.

Early this week I spent 3 days at a conference in Fort Worth, Texas. The conference itself was a wonderful experience. My company set up a booth which I manned for three days. I got to meet a ton of vendors and social service folks that work all over the state of Texas. I met some great people.

The real highlight of my visit though was an unexpected one. There happened to be some Marines staying in the same hotel as the conference. These young leathernecks were attending some type of training program at the hotel. Being a former Marine myself I got a kick out of making small talk with some of America's 'few and proud' I ran into in the halls and lobby of the hotel.

One evening I was invited to attend an 'exclusive' gathering with some of the vendors and social workers from the event. I decided to skip the gathering and get a run in at the hotel exercise area. I went into my room changed into some workout clothes and put on my running leg. I then made my way to the hotel fitness area. On my way I passed a bunch of Marines who appeared to be getting out of their class/training for the day. I remember letting out a "What's up Devil Dogs?" remark as I made my way through a sea of jar heads. I got the usual 'ooh rahs' that often accompany such a remark from several soldiers.

Once I got into the fitness center I got on a treadmill to attempt my daily 4 mile scamper. Within 5 minutes of my run they entered. A group of Marines came in and occupied the remaining treadmills. One by one they fired up their machines and we were off. All of us began running in unison. A deep feeling of pride began to swell up inside me as our strides syncopated upon the treadmills. Other Marines poured into the area to check out what was going on. I started to hear cheers as we ran. I could barely hold back the tears as the miles/minutes began to tick away.

I felt energy and power that I had not felt in a long time. I think that many of the Marines must have thought I was a wounded soldier? There they were to help me bring it home. As you may or may not know? One Marine vow is to "never leave a man behind".

As my run drew toward the end I got numerous remarks of 'way to go' and 'you are f**king motivating', the pride I felt was genuine and moving.

I just want to send out very special Holiday 'thanks' to the young people that serve in our military. I will definitely be thinking about you and your partners that are serving state side and abroad.

Thank you for helping motivate this old Marine.

Sincerely;
Ty Wilson

Two More Vids

I was able to get a couple of more videos posted.(See instructional video section).

One about 'Putting On Your Pants', of all things. Many new amputees have often expressed difficulty about getting ready to me, especially with long pants. I recently showed an amputee that thought he might need to purchase new jeans the technique I use. I remember having some difficulty with long trousers myself when I first became an amputee. I decided to make a video about it. I certainly would want someone to show me an easier and less time consuming way to get dressed. BTW - The same method is great for shorts, except I pull them up over my residual limb first and then step into the leg.

The other video is about cycling, one of my favorite endeavors. I think riding a bike has been one of the most therapeutic things for me since I became an amputee. It was an activity I was able to do even before I had my prosthesis. I used to go to the gym and just strap my one leg to the pedal and ride, while I was healing and recovering. Once I got my leg I was off and running (or should I say riding). It was the one exercise that came pretty easy to me. Cycling was a great confidence builder. I could ride as well as many people who had two legs. The hills of Austin, TX (where I went through my recovery) were a thrill to go down and a great form of aggression therapy to climb.
The cycling video is the 1st installment of a 3 part series. This first video is about 'getting started' and features stationary bike techniques. The next two vids will focus on riding a regular bike and then a road bicycle.

Have a great Thanksgiving! Ty