I may have more large fiber involvement than I know, but my legs below the knee are numb, and I turn ankles and pronate badly enough to need two kinds of orthotics, both worn at once. As far as I know, I supposedly have only SFN....but all over.

As far as fatigue goes. I am utterly exhausted. I literally collapse for days at at time, but when I do come out of it, I get back in the saddle....one step forward, two steps back.

I am always pushing forward and falling back....I would like to say there is balance, but there isn't. I can swim 20 minutes one day and feel horrible the next, then swim 30 minutes and do 15 on a bike and feel great for 3 days, then I can swim 20 mintues and be dead for 3 days....I have in all these years found no way to balance it. And because I do not feel the injury at the time....I find out 48 hours later, that I over did it.

I do not work a job at this time....to work a job and do this level of exercise is out of the question. Neither am I on disability. I am a lot older, at 55, and female. Most healthy women my age don't aspire to endurance cycling or sprint triathlons. My last event was done at age 50....so, yes, I am pushing the envelope, hard...and I could burst it...It is believed my neuropathy is hereditary and looking back, I can say, I probably had issues for over 20 years.....plus a high speed head on...i wont bore you more as others have read all this garbage before.

I am quite positionally challanged and have foot drop after several minutes of walking. As far as I know I have only SFN, but I am wondering about that given I have myopathy, as that is motor neuron, if I am thinking correctly.

I 'do' days when I concentrate only on position, or technique. I am constantly reminding myself of what muscles I am trying to recruit, and how I am compensating or 'cheating'....and some compensation is OK...provided it doesn't cause new problems or injury.

Oh, I am not fond of treadmills for folks with neuropathy...I think they force your gait, and can cause injuries.

I think, again, it depends on what your neuropathy is caused by, to some extent, and the extent of the neuropathy no matter what the cause.

I figured it wasn't easy for Lance Armstrong, and if he has no neuropathy from his killer course of Cisplatinum, I will eat several of his yellow bracelets. I can't do what he did, and neither do I have his doctors, nor net worth.....but, it still makes me think that I can push the envelope beyond what is considered normal or reasonable for my condition, or what might be reasonable for the average person...I don't recommend it to any one else tho. It is my personal choice. My kids were just about born on bicycles, and as a family, we are generally far more active than most.

As far as tingling, numbness, coldness, you can expect just about anything with sensory neuropathy...Buzzing, oscillating, itching, burning, crawling, restless leg, tightness etc. This is one reason it is hard to tell when you are working out too hard...

I have a ton of orthotics, hand, ankle-foot, shoe, back, thumb...you name it, to keep me in the right positions....AND I have put adaptations on sports equipment too. I have aerobars on my bike, and a triple chainring. Weight lifting is causing me issues as my wrists and hands will not take the weight that my biceps or pecs etc can handle...I have to get more inventive.

I am hoping I can 'jog'...I don't know, as walking is a huge issue---dorsiflexor pain and some foot drop after about a half mile....hopefully new orthotics may allow me some short jogs, but they may not make up for the sensory issues. If you get orthotics, get an orthotist who works with disease AND active patients. Question them ahead of time, tell them what you hope to do, or you will end up with the wrong equipment.

Nerves do not like pressure on them...I can tell you that. It is a constant battle not to do more damage to the nerves....if some pain, tingling or numbess persists....I would stop the activity for a while and give the nerves in that area a break.

You will get all kinds of advice...some of it from non-athletes who know about neuropathy but not how the athletic mind or body works...and some of it from athletes who know nothing of neuropathy....listen to things, and find your own pace....remember mind your time and intensity, and that it is a constant getting back on the wagon that you inevitably fall off of. I also have herniated, desicated discs, and running with them without back support has caused some major pain and other 'issues'....so it may be out if this new orthotic doesn't work. I also can not 'run' far. If I ever walk-run a 5K I will be overjoyed.

If you are a hard core athlete, I suggest autonomic testing. I didn't know I didn't sweat to temperature, nor that my BP and P were that low...and that those factors were impeding my performance, and can actually be dangerous.

It has been almost 5 years since I did a recreational competitive endurance event, and I don't know if I will ever do another one again, but thinking I might, makes me not give up all together, when that would be the easy thing to do most days. But I have days and weeks, when I can not move, and it may have nothing to do with over working myself...it just happens. I am 'older' and tho I hate to admit it, 'impaired, or sick'.

I considered myself pretty hard core at one time....again, it is always starting over, and over and over, and not getting discouraged.

Just don't rock climb with numb hands and feet!!!