SpokEasy

July 2020

Post-Op

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Here I am, post-op; and still feeling a bit groggy. Sedation takes some time to fully wear off. The surgeon\’s assistant got me settled in. The overhead \”surgical floodlight\” was still off, and it made a good reflector. I saw three syringes being emptied into my arm. The next thing I remember, the oral surgeon was finishing things up! Back home, I downed a  recovery drink; I made two last night, using almond milk and chocolate whey protein powder. I took a tablet of my pain medication; went back to bed; and slept a few hours. When I got up again, I started in on some \”comfort foods\”:  a butterscotch snack pudding; some Talenti Gelato Layers®; and a cup of chicken bouillon. And a small Diet Coke, naturally. Incredibly, I had forgotten to ask the oral surgeon THE big question: when may I ride again? Is tomorrow morning too soon? I had to call the office to find out. They say that, if I do ride, take it easy for a few days. Don\’t go out there and sweat up a storm by riding hard. In this heat and humidity, I\’ll sweat no matter how easily I ride. If it\’s raining tomorrow morning, I\’d better use the trainer. Being post-op requires a few adjustments. One of them is how I eat. Now, about six hours post-op, my tongue and lower lip still feel somewhat numb. I\’m sure that explains the dictum that I follow a liquid diet for 24 hours after surgery. Besides that, the surgical site itself doesn\’t need to be aggravated by chewing. It would be MEGA-ouch if I tried to eat cashews now!      

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Pre-Op

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Pre-op is a strange way to describe an evening bicycle ride, don\’t you think? I have oral surgery scheduled for 8 am tomorrow. I know I won\’t be able to ride beforehand. I mustn\’t have any solid food for at least six hours prior to the procedure. If I try to go out there for a ride of an hour or more on an empty stomach, I\’ll be a miserable case of the bonk! In addition, no liquids for two hours before surgery. I may have a small amount of water to swallow four capsules of antibiotic one hour before the surgery; but that\’s it. Trying to go for a ride without water is asking for major trouble. Dehydration is not fun. After I\’m back home post-procedure, trying to ride would be foolish. The sedation might not be sufficiently worn off, and I probably will be taking pain medication besides. Hence my decision to go for an evening ride on the road bike. Today I\’ve been feeding myself up, so I won\’t be too hungry pre-op. I got Chinese take-out for lunch. That was almost two meals right there! I\’m having a few extra snacks this evening. I can go to bed a little later than usual, because I don\’t need to get up tomorrow at 4:30 am if I want to get my ride in. Am I feeling nervous about this oral surgery? No, not really. I\’ve been through it before. The hardest part will be keeping myself from absent-mindedly eating tomorrow morning!

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Grasping at Straws

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Ever feel like you\’re grasping at straws? Sometimes there doesn\’t seem to be anything else to do. When working to improve power; or form; or any other aspect of cycling, we\’re apt to reach a point where progress seems to stall. It can even seem like we\’re regressing. It\’s a discouraging place to be, but it might be better not to fight it too hard. That can lead to burnout, or worse. If Rome wasn\’t built in a day, a good cyclist isn\’t made overnight. Ride easy for a couple of days, or even take a day off from the bike. Do some alternate form of exercise. Think about any on-bike gains you\’ve made, however small; and rejoice in them. I can easily feel a bit down when I see that my weekly long ride\’s overall average speed doesn\’t seem to be improving. That\’s when I must remind myself that it\’s become easier for me to average 15 mph for longer stretches; and that, at one time, 15 mph for just a few seconds, even with a good tailwind, was hard work. And that it\’s easier for me to ride up the access ramp to the MRT! Grasping at straws? Perhaps; but I\’m not getting graded on my prowess (if you can call it that) on a bicycle. I ride because my legs love to ride. It lets me get places, such as the salvage store. If you love getting groceries on the cheap, and don\’t mind unpredictable merchandise, look for one in your area. I\’d like to know something, though. We talk of grasping at straws when we\’re trying to find hope in a bad situation; yet there\’s always the one that breaks the camel\’s back. Let\’s hope we don\’t get ahold of that one!

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Early to Bed

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Early to bed would have served me well last night. I was so tired that I didn\’t get up this morning until 6:45. Six forty-five might sound early to some folks; but not for me on a Sunday, when I plan to take a long ride. Especially when the overnight low temperature is 80 degrees or so. It was 7:48 by the time I got going; nearly two hours later than I like to start. Had I gotten up earlier, I may well have been spared the problems I had with the wind on the way back home. My legs felt rather sore, yet I had a lot of trouble slowing my cadence. I had to stop for a breather about four extra times. That always makes me feel like a wimp. After my ride, I checked NOAA for today\’s wind history. Earlier this morning, it was only 6-7 mph. By the time I was on the return leg of today\’s ride, it was 12-14 mph! That\’s a major difference. On the way home, I averaged less than 9 mph. Wind wasn\’t my only concern. As I pedaled back home, I was keeping a wary eye on the sky. To the South and East, more and more clouds were gathering. The sky looked darker and darker. At one of my stops, I looked behind me and saw clouds all around. Naturally the possibility of lightning was a worry. I\’m glad I got home when I did. An hour later it was starting to drizzle, and the wind had risen to 21 mph. When Saturday night rolls around again, I\’d better remember early to bed. Ben Franklin did well to give us that bit of advice.  

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Salvage Store Saturday

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Salvage store Saturday is a frequent occurrence. I went there again this morning. Part of the reason I do it so often is because I enjoy the ride. Today I got a rather small load, although still more than I had planned to buy. We all know about that aspect of grocery shopping, don’t we? A while back I had gotten a small can of salsa  made from green tomatillos, and liked it. I saw it again today, and got two cans. They hadn’t been on my list. Almond milk hadn’t been on the list, either, but I got some anyway. See where I’m headed here? The large grab bag, at least, was on my list. Forty-two snacks for five bucks! Some will make good ride food. Others, sad to say, are total junk food. I had planned to buy bread, but decided not to when I saw how my cart was filling up. I had brought only one pannier and the trunk; and I knew that the grab bag would take up a lot of space in the pannier. On top of that, I saw only whole wheat and white breads, and didn’t quite feel in the mood for either. I was wishing for sourdough bread, but finding that at the salvage store is very rare. I had considered going for a short spin on the road bike. Shortly after getting home from the store, I checked the weather. T-storms were possible from about 11:15 am, and it was already 10:15. Before long it began to rain, so I decided to stay in. Maybe I’ll ride to the regular supermarket tomorrow morning. I’m almost out of apples and bananas. That’s the catch about salvage store Saturday. Their produce admittedly isn’t all that good. But what about the Sunday long ride? 1) I can start it late and make it shorter than usual. 2) I can do the long ride and go to the supermarket before work on Monday. 3) I can skip the long ride. Decisions, decisions!

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MultiMasking?

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Is the new multitasking called multimasking? It certainly seems to be getting that way. We\’ve had it drummed into us for months: wash your hands. Sanitize surfaces. Practice social distancing; and Wear. A. Mask! Do I wear a mask? I\’ve worn filter masks for years because of my sensitivities. I\’m tired of wearing the things, and tired of the constant expense. Working from home has given me a much-welcomed break from masks for hours a day. Of course I wear one when I go into a store, or other public place, or walk somewhere. But on the bike? It would be one thing if I plodded along at 6-7 mph for a few miles. It\’s quite another when I\’m pushing 15-16 mph for much farther. I\’ve seen cyclists who are wearing masks; and some who aren\’t masked. OK, here\’s my excuse: I\’m generally riding solo, with not many other riders/joggers around. Masks are too smothery for real riding, and make keeping hydrated much harder. When I push the mask away from my mouth, the risk of its covering my eyes is quite high. Who needs that while cycling? It isn\’t always easy to get that mask back into place when I have one hand too busy to help. I\’m not sure that having a bite valve to drink through would make much difference. All these COVID-19 prevention measures seem like a lot to juggle at once. We have to become adept at multimasking.  

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Blame Game

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The Blame game. Who nowadays isn\’t familiar with it? It\’s so convenient to have a scapegoat at the ready. We all know the one from the kid who forgets homework: \”My dog ate it.\” Oh, sure, it\’s the poor dog\’s fault; not the fault of the child who left that homework where the dog could get it. I blame my upbringing for my propensity for indulging in pun and parody. We learn what we live, right? After a slow ride: \”I had a bad headwind.\” Or, \”The hills got me.\” OK, those two do have some validity. Of late, the double helix is being targeted in the blame game. Now they\’re saying that DNA determines whether you need a low or moderate intake of carbs in your diet. The same goes for dietary fat. Maybe it does; so it\’s not exactly blaming. It must be a relief to people who learn how they can adjust their diets so that their bodies can get better nutrition; especially if such adjustments improve weight control and other health issues. DNA supposedly even has a rôle in how quickly road rash heals. We hear of \”fast healers\”; people whose cuts and scrapes heal easily. Not everybody is so lucky. Can we do a test to determine this before road rash occurs? Sort of like 23and Me. Meanwhile, if I go down and get some nasty scrapes, it\’s not my fault if they take forever to heal — right?    

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Stormy Weather — Not!

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Stormy weather — not! That\’s what the Fourth of July weekend turned out to be. The forecast looked dire enough, predicting a good chance of showers and T-storms. Doesn\’t it drive you crazy when you postpone or even cancel your planned ride; hang around at home for hours, waiting for it to storm; and at most you get a few sprinkles of rain and a few grumbles of thunder? On the morning of the Fourth, I went out very early. Overcast skies had been predicted, but I hoped for enough of a break in the clouds to see the full moon. Lady Luck had other plans. I thought that parts of the sky looked clear, but they were just patches where the overcast was thinner. The next day, showers and T-storms were again predicted. I decided to skip the Sunday long ride. In my own \’hood, we got little rain. About 20 miles from here, there was a deluge that resulted in street flooding; and several homes got water inside. If I had gone on my long ride, I might have gotten caught in it. I finally did go out for a 15-mile ride that day at around 5 pm. I just had to get moving! On the evening of the Fourth, I found myself viewing some YouTubes about horrific tornado disasters. At least I can be thankful that we haven\’t had any EF-5 twisters here, knock on wood. It\’s absolutely mind-boggling to think of a tornado a mile wide! I know how far I need to ride from home to cover a mile, which gives me a gauge to go by. As last week progressed, a lot of the cloudiness vanished. And then it became very hot! Stormy weather? Not.

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Let’s Count ‘Em

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Let’s Count ‘Em! Let’s count ’em, shall we? Minnesota, the Land of 10000 Lakes! Supposedly somebody really did count the lakes in Minnesota; and there are, indeed, ten grand of them. But that’s beside the point. If you want big cycling adventures in the North Star State, you can begin in northern Minnesota. From Lake Itasca, you can follow the Mississippi all the way to its mouth in extreme southeastern Louisiana. I’m fortunate to have a segment of the MRT close at hand. The “levee bike path”, as cyclists around here call it, is wonderful. It’s paved; and that macadam is in much better condition than many a local street. There are a few crossings for vehicular access to small industries on the riverbank; and except for patrol vehicles, motor traffic up there is verboten. The drawback is that, once the sun is well up, there’s no shade. You’re also fully exposed to the wind. Are your ambitions more modest? There’s nothing wrong with that. How about this Timberline tour? Nine days, 421 miles, with daily distances of 50-74 miles. I’d need to train up even for that! I’ve no doubt I can ride 50 miles in one day; but to do that and more every day for over a week would be a bit much at this point. Luckily Minnesota is fairly flat. If there were hills to climb day after day, I’d be knocked out before the first day was over. If I did do the Timberline tour, I hope I would remember about the 10000 lakes, and remind my cycling companions: “Let’s count ’em!” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Think Ten Times! December 9, 2023 Going Farther Afield December 8, 2023 Mini-Ride! December 7, 2023 I Still Can’t Ride! December 6, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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How Hot I Am

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How Hot I Am No beach near where I live! How hot I am! I guess the dog days are here; and there’s no beach handy where I might cool off a little. For several days we’ve had temperatures in the 90s, and not mere heat advisories. We’ve been getting excessive heat warnings! Yesterday the heat was brutal. The sunshine was blazing all day, and my window units didn’t seem to be doing much good. Today we started to get some clouds, which helped a little. About half past four, I decided to ride to the drug store to get a few things. When I got outdoors, I looked up and saw the looming anvil-top of a thunderhead. I figured somebody off in a southerly direction was getting quite a storm. In fact, much of the sky was full of stormy-looking clouds. On top of that, the wind was picking up. I decided to go to the store, anyway; and hoped it wouldn’t start pouring before I could get back home. I didn’t feel like packing along the poncho. The gamble paid off. An hour after I was back home it hadn’t rained; but a weather site I checked showed rain over my neighborhood. I began to hear some thunder, too. A good T-storm might cool us off. Or is that wishful thinking? The forecast predicts 83 degrees at FIVE o’clock tomorrow morning! At least it looks like it won’t be raining then, which is good for my ride. As for the rest of it? How hot I am.

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