SpokEasy

July 2020

Pedaling and Parody

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Pedaling and Parody Pedaling and parody go together quite well when you’re out for a long ride. When mile after mile gets monotonous, you can help those miles go by faster by thinking up silly variations on a song. I thought up my own variation on the first and second verses of the Kookaburra Song; and I call it Cajun Kookaburra! Kookaburra sits in the cypress tree; Merry, merry king of the swamp is he/Sing, Kookabura, sing, Kookaburra; Sing your song for me. Kookaburra sits in the cypress tree; Counting every gator he can see/Say, Kookaburra; say, Kookabura; How many do there be? OK, so I’ve got a weird mind. You can blame my upbringing for that. My mother once said she had raised us on pun and parody. But it was a nice break from dreaming up new recipes. It was also a nice break to have a tailwind on the way home. I’m glad I rode early today; I was back home by 9:40 am. I was already aware that there would be a heat advisory from 10 am onwards. About half an hour after I finished my ride, I checked NOAA. An excessive heat warning had just been posted; and is in effect until 8 pm. The heat index could reach 112-113 degrees! Perhaps the heat explains why I was quite prone to coasting today. My legs seemed to lack “snap”. For that matter, I had planned not to try pushing things hard, precisely because of the temperature. I hope I don’t have to go anywhere now. I want to stay indoors and stay as cool as this place will let me. A shower would probably help, but would be an exercise in futility. I’d need another shower by this evening! As for pedaling and parody, I can keep on with the latter. I think I’ve had enough of the former for today. Note: as of Oct. 7, 2022, the video I first used for the Kookaburra song is no longer available.  

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Under the Southern Cross?

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Under the Southern Cross Under the Southern Cross might be a nice change. If we’re sweltering in the Summer heat, it means that they’re having Winter in Australia. Maybe we could cool off a little. Today I returned to the Land Down Under, if only via a laptop screen — and my latest culinary experiment: Kooky Kookaburra! I used kidney beans for this; so I wanted a name with “K”. I immediately thought of koala, or kangaroo; but neither one seemed right with the adjectives I thought of. Suddenly I remembered having seen mention of a song about a kookaburra bird. Then, I had it! Today, when I cooked the soaked-and-frozen kidney beans, I saw that they get done faster than black beans. In fact, they got cooked just short of too soft! It’s lucky I checked for doneness about 10 minutes before the timer rang. After that, draining the cooked beans and assembling the final dish was quick work. It really helps to chop the vegetables; drain the can of tomatoes; grate the cheese; and cook the rice the day before. On the downside, that method means I have five containers to wash up! That, however, is preferable to going dizzy while trying to juggle two pots on the stove with chopping stuff on the opposite side of the kitchen. It means that the final dish is cool, unless I take time to warm it a little. I don’t mind if it’s cool, though. In fact, it ought to be quite transportable, for a picnic under the Southern Cross.

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Follow the Andes

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Follow the Andes for a cycling adventure in South America! You\’ll begin in Quito, the capital city of Ecuador; and finish in Ushuaia, Argentina. This trip, scheduled for 2022, will last 140 days; and cover 6875 miles. That\’s far more than the width of the United States! Maybe an ocean to ocean tour would be a good \”training ride\”? You\’ll be riding at high altitude. You\’ll be faced with some tough climbing as well. Gosh, rarefied air plus hard climbs! My lungs and legs burn just thinking about it. In addition, be prepared for the gamut of weather conditions. It can get very hot; it can be the opposite. High altitudes get cold at night even in the hottest part of the year. You might encounter heavy downpours; and the wind can be fierce. Roads along the route are about 70% paved; but you\’ll also find rough stretches of road, including loose sand and rocks. Whew. Sounds exhausting. How does a cyclist prepare for this? What would I do? Lots of miles, no doubt. Megamiles! I\’d have to get used to riding at different times of day; including afternoons/early evenings when  the heat index is over 100 degrees. It\’s hard to practice climbing when I don\’t have hills. I would have to do longer and longer \”force intervals\” to beef up my leg muscles;  otherwise I wouldn\’t have any chance at all with climbs in the Andes. I would need to use a hypoxic mask to help prepare myself for the thin air of high mountains. This expedition is supported. No need to carry your own gear; follow the Andes, and just enjoy the ride!

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Pros

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Oh, the pros of work-from-home! And here I sit, writing (typing, I mean) prose about it. I\’ve already touched on such advantages as flex time and more time for cooking and meal prep. Another pro that I didn\’t think much about for several weeks is: less laundry! For years, I\’ve had the habit of using the same riding blouse or jersey for two or three days in a row before changing it; especially in cool weather. Now that I\’m not going to work in the physical sense, I\’ll use the same non-ride blouse for two or three days, too.. It hardly matters if that blouse isn\’t exactly \”fresh\” by day three. There\’s nobody around to get offended.  \”Intimate apparel\” I change daily; socks, too. If riding in dirty shorts is a good way to get saddle sores, stiff, dirty socks are more likely to cause blisters. Usually I wash cycling clothes by hand. One of these mini-washers would be nice to have; it would probably get my things cleaner with less effort. An adjunct pro to working from home: I have a little more time to eat something between clocking out and getting down to the laundry. I can get the washing started a few minutes earlier, too; then afterwards I\’ll have a bit more time for blogs, social media, or whatever. Other pros, which I may have mentioned: when I\’m working from home I can hear the birds singing! If I get hungry before a regular meal time, I can stop for a minute and prepare a healthful snack: cut an apple into wedges, or pull out a raw carrot. And now, at least for the moment, I\’ll stop writing prose about pros.

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On the Nile

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On the Nile This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” If you go bicycle touring on the Nile, don’t try riding up and down the Pyramids! That’s not quite what pyramid intervals are about! When I think of Egypt, in fact, Verdi is often what I think of first; even before Pyramids and the Nile! Here you can read one cycle tourist’s account of pedaling on the Nile; and for those who are interested in cycling Egypt, here are some route suggestions. Like so many countries, Egypt offers flat tours; quick tours; long tours; and more. If you’re super-adventurous, you can even cycle the full length of the African continent! Between October and March is the best weather for visiting Egypt. The general climate is both hot and dry; so if you’re going to go cycling there, bring along that Camel-Bak! In addition to sunblock, you’ll likely want lip balm. Mind your manners, of course. If you’re a woman, keep something handy that will let you cover up if you want to visit a mosque. In fact, it’s wise to dress modestly at all times. Not so easy when you’re in Lycra®! And even for men, tank tops are not recommended. Just choose a cover-up that’s easy to fit into a pannier. But I think it would be best to cycle through Egypt with a group; and with an experienced guide. As of September 2023, the country is under a reconsider travel advisory. It’s a pity; I think I’d like to see those Pyramids! 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 Getting Wild December 14, 2023 Sooner or Later December 13, 2023 Quantum Leap December 12, 2023 Afternoon Ride? December 11, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Austria

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Austria This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” Austria makes me think of mountains. Of the Ischler. And of composers such as Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss II. Cycling through Austria? While we’re talking about lil’ ol’ “Johnny Strauss, Jr.”, how about pedaling along the Danube? This cycling path will take you from the river’s source to the Black Sea. You’ll cross half of Europe. Cyclists of all abilities use this route; and it’s family-friendly as well. Guided tours are available; but you can design your own trip, too. It would save you some money, and you can arrange your own schedule. That’s very handy if you don’t want your bicycle trip to turn into “If It’s Tuesday“. Now for a little detour. Design-my-own-tour is what I did when I was able to take a two-week trip to Austria, way back in 1990. I decided when to go; worked out my itinerary using travel literature; and arranged lodgings and plane tickets with the assistance of a travel agent. I’m familiar enough with German that language gave me little trouble while enjoying Vienna; Salzburg; and Innsbruck. I had a great time! And when I got back home, for a while I had a German accent! We had a good laugh about it when I returned to work. End of detour. Back to the Danube cycling path. You can rent a bicycle locally, if you don’t want the expense of transporting your own. Be sure your panniers are waterproof, and take some rain gear. A handlebar bag is a good idea; you’ll probably want to keep your camera handy. From the Black Forest to the Black Sea, there’s sure to be a lot to see and do along the Danube.

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Speechless

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Speechless is what my legs need to be sometimes when I\’m on the bicycle. I also feel speechless many a time when it comes to social media; I can\’t think of anything to say, and I\’d rather not post at all than create poor-quality posts just so I can get something out there. I guess I talk myself dry on blog posts! Getting back to the bicycle, I say again, I wish my legs were speechless more often on the bike. They start complaining too soon and too loudly when I go into hard efforts. Then I find myself thinking that they need a good dose of Jens Voigt. I don\’t have to be doing \”force\” intervals for my legs to get cross. During weekly long rides, my legs start to gripe in the second half. It doesn\’t help that I usually have a headwind on the way home; and every week it\’s the same thing: should I push it, or do I need to tone down the intensity? If I do push it, will I burn out too fast? They say you need to listen to your body. There\’s that dialogue going on between legs and brain during intense efforts: the legs say, Ouch, we don\’t like this, it hurts. The brain says, C\’mon, you won\’t get any stronger if you don\’t do this! Getting my legs to listen doesn\’t always work as well as I would like. I guess that\’s what Jens Voigt meant by, \”Shut up legs!\” Sometimes my legs win; and then I get aggravated with myself for having been such a wimp. Other times I can get through my force intervals. Even when I do, I get the feeling afterwards that I could have/should have pushed harder for longer … oh, shut up, legs.  

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For Granted?

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Do I take my bicycles for granted? It\’s beginning to seem like it. Day before yesterday I took my hybrid in to the shop. The brakes didn\’t seem to be catching well, and were also making loud squawking sounds when applied. I figured the pads were wearing out. I had to leave the bike at the shop; and it\’s making me realize that I always assume that \”Katy\” is right here at home, waiting for me. If I want to go to the drug store, it\’s far faster to ride. Now I have to think twice; do I really want a soda badly enough to walk to the drug store for it? I\’d have six-tenths of a mile to go. I know; that really isn\’t so far. It just seems like it when I\’m on foot because the going is much slower. Today I began to develop a craving for cashews, which I usually buy from the bulk bins at Whole Foods. That store is two miles away. Walking there would involve applying sunblock. This time of the year, it would also get VERY HOT. Why don\’t I use my road bike? The road bike would be somewhat trickier to lock up. For one thing, it doesn\’t have a kickstand. It can\’t stand up by itself! If something happened to it, replacing it would cost much more than having to replace the hybrid. I\’d be extremely limited in the amount of merchandise I could take home by road bike. Let\’s not take our bicycles for granted. I don\’t appreciate mine always being at the ready until one of them is away for a few days. Maybe I should remember the phrase: \”Absence makes the heart grow fonder\”!

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Not Such Fireworks

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Today so far is not such fireworks. This morning I went out early on the road bike. I hoped that the clouds would part for long enough for me to see the Fourth of July full moon. No such luck. As I saw once it was daylight, what had appeared to be clear areas in the sky were merely places where the cloud cover wasn\’t quite as heavy. It looks like viewing chances will also be nil tonight and early tomorrow. There\’s a good chance of rain and T-storms. What a disappointment! I\’m glad I wasn\’t also planning on eclipse-viewing. It sounds like that might not be a major thrill, either. It\’s not such fireworks in the literal pyrotechnics sense — not that I mind the absence of the noise. It\’s now just past noon, and I\’ve heard only a few firecrackers go off. That might change around dusk, depending on whether it\’s raining or not. I\’ve had my Fourth of July feast: a pint of my favorite ice cream; potato chips; and candy. If I were going to eat like a pig anyway, I wanted to do it early in the day, so I can digest it all by bedtime. Now I feel stuffed, and ready to get back on my pre-diabetic eating plan. Which reminds me, I have a cauliflower in the crisper that I need to prep for cooking. If it\’s already cut up, I\’ll have a far easier time getting myself to cook and eat it!  

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