SpokEasy

September 2020

Crazy Day

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It was a crazy day yesterday. First, I forgot to set my alarm clock the night before. It was already 5:40 when I woke up. Today was Tuesday, and that meant I had to go work on-site. I didn\’t feel like rushing around to fix and eat breakfast post-ride, so I decided not to ride. It was actually a nice change to have a leisurely breakfast! There\’s a FedEx near my workplace, and I had planned send a fax of four or five pages. I changed my mind after I called the FedEx and asked how much it cost to send a fax. Three bucks per page! I didn\’t ride the hybrid to work because I had a large envelope containing the pages I was going to fax. I put the envelope in my backpack. That backpack is so old that the chest straps are all gone, and I don\’t much care to ride a bicycle with a backpack that won\’t stay securely in place. Of course that meant I had to walk to and from work. The hike to work is one thing, but the trek back home is another story. It takes quite a chunk out of my lunch break! It\’s no wonder I end up feeling like that kitty some days. I didn\’t want to skip riding, so I went out on the road bike after work. The wind was 10-13 mph, and much of the time was either a sidewind or a headwind. Even so, I averaged 11.6 mph for a round trip of 11.80 miles. That\’s still quite slow, but such a wind used to push me back to 6-8 mph. Progress! So yes, it was a crazy day; but I still got out to ride.

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Myanmar

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Myanmar 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.” You can get a break from all the high-tech gadgets that surround us all the time; and which most of us (including me, I’ll confess) take for granted. It’s refreshing to read about children who can have fun without electronic toys and games; and about a people who are poor, yet kind and generous. Myanmar’s annual rainfall is about 98 inches. That makes New Orleans look downright arid! If cycle touring in the rain isn’t for you, try to avoid the months of May through October. Average annual temperatures hang between 72 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit. If you feel the cold easily, a lightweight jacket might be wise for those low-70s days. The wildlife lover will find many species in Myanmar. Parrots and other birds; deer; tigers and leopards. I, for one, will be happy to steer clear of the reptiles. Turtles, OK; pythons and cobras, no, thank you very much. Myanmar is primarily Buddhist, and there are many temples to visit. Be sure to keep shoulders and knees covered should you visit a temple; and don’t forget to remove your shoes before entering. Unfortunately, as of September, 2023, Myanmar is under a Level 4 travel advisory; aka Do Not Go There. What a pity; Burma sounds like a beautiful place! 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 Relearning December 19, 2023 I Traverse Afar? December 18, 2023 I Envy Time December 17, 2023 Holiday Food December 16, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Frigid!

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It will be frigid tomorrow morning! The forecast predicts a chilly 63 degrees! Compared to 80 degrees at 5 am, that\’s downright cold; and as usual, there\’s no gradual cooling down. Now it\’s time to haul out skull cap, leg warmers, and so on. One of the worst things about cold — or even cool! — weather is that my exercise-induced rhinitis gets a lot worse; especially if it\’s windy. It means that I can\’t breathe through my nose, which means that I get thirsty faster. There\’s also the problem of cold extremities. My hands and feet become chilled very quickly. I don\’t like to think of the added misery if I get caught in the rain on a cold morning, but it happens now and then. When it does, I come home wishing I had a dryer for my wet things. I don\’t expect this \”cold snap\” to last long. It\’s typical for us to get a brief cold spell, after which the outdoor sauna returns. That drives everybody crazy. Many a time I\’ve heard people complain about the wild fluctuations in temperature. Cold one day; warm the next. I end up with all sorts of accessories strewn everywhere: leg warmers; arm warmers; skull cap; heavy gloves; lightweight gloves; boxing … no, wait, not those kind of gloves! Needing to use cycling jackets and other cold-weather togs means more things to be washed. After I wash them, I have to find a place to hang them up to dry. All in all, I have an easier time when the weather isn\’t frigid.

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Restoration

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Now to restoration, i.e. building back up. I\’m afraid I\’ve lost too much fitness over the last few weeks. Too often I haven\’t gotten in my usual mileage, and I skipped doing any truly intense efforts. There were the mornings when I overslept. Several times there were weather threats; and I haven\’t had quite the energy I need. I decided that it would be wise not to shoot for 45 miles today. A ride of 29-30 miles seemed more sensible. Tour de Cure is now less that two months away; and ultimately, it will be better to ride the route more slowly that I would like, than to be unable to ride it at all due to an overuse injury. Restoration will be a gradual process, but I think I can do it. Let\’s look at the bright side. My legs muscles have become a little stronger. I\’m better at riding 15 mph for several miles. There was a time when it was a struggle to get up to 15 mph at all! TdC this year will be virtual, which means no worries about a time limit. The catch is, I still have to figure out how to enter my ride. I don\’t have all that smartphone stuff, and don\’t really want it. After I got home from my not-so-long ride, I put the trunk on the hybrid, and rode to the nearest grocery store. I got cauliflower and garlic, and I\’m going to try having feta cheese. Supper: tabouli over a bed of romaine salad, with a little feta cheese on top. Kalamata olives would be great with that, but they\’re rather expensive. Time to head for the kitchen now. There are dishes to wash (oh, those unending dirty dishes!), and carrots to clean. And cycling shorts to wash. That never ends, either,

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She\’s Back!

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Yes, she\’s back! I finally have my hybrid again. I\’m delighted, because it was hard not having it. All week, every time I thought of doing a quick errand, I remembered: Oh, I can\’t. I don\’t have the hybrid. Of course I have my road bike, but it\’s not well-suited to shopping runs. I know, because I tried it. I work from home all day Thursday and Friday; and I happily rode to Whole Foods yesterday morning to shop during the special Seniors hour from 7:00-8:00 am. I didn\’t want to get many things, and made it back home before my 8 am clock-in time. This morning I rode the hybrid to the salvage store, and was gladder than ever that she\’s back; because this time I focused on canned goods. I weighed the load that I brought home: 25-26 pounds! Too much to lug home in my arms, even a short distance. And today I was lucky! I found the large-size (14.75 oz) cans of salmon again; $2.97 per can. I got four of them. When future SamMac cravings hook me, I have the salmon on hand. I also got tuna fish, refried beans, and some canned veggies. I skipped frozen foods, because my freezer is already full. After I finished running errands, I got busy and made tabouli. I bet it will be good over a bed of that bagged salad that I brought home! I\’ll put some red onion and orange bell pepper on top. Olives, too! It was raining this morning when I rode to the store. Otherwise, the weather is looking better. The tropics are quiet for change. That\’s a huge relief. The forecast for tomorrow is \”mostly sunny\”; and not much wind; and the high a relatively cool 85 degrees. That\’s great for riding!

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Good Intentions

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Good intentions are a great starting point, but plans don\’t always work out. When I decided to ride Tour de Cure this year, I sat down and drew up my training plan. The idea was to be doing 50-mile Sunday rides by now. Not so fast. Things got in the way. First came the COVID-19 shut-down. That didn\’t really interfere with my riding, but I did miss the ride to and from work; and the 5 miles or so that it gave me. More recently, there were weather threats. First from Hurricane Sally; and then it looked like Hurricane Beta might be heading our way. I\’m thankful that neither storm had any real impact on us. In August came the second A1c test of this year, and my level hadn\’t dropped. That means I\’m still in the prediabetes range. I\’m working with a nurse practitioner, and she says to aim for 150-200 grams of carbs per day. That\’s not terribly difficult so far, but it\’s not a breeze, either. I\’m always tracking what I just ate; and planning what to eat for my next meal. Often I seem to get hungry again too soon. Maybe the reduced carb intake is why I\’ve been feeling tired. Do I need to eat brown rice and beans before a ride, instead of a banana? I know this much, it won\’t be very helpful if I stuff myself and then go out to ride 10 minutes later; especially if I plan to do hard intervals. It will take time to figure out what is best to eat at what time of day. How spoiled I was when I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. With prediabetes, good intentions won\’t make the cut.

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On KP?

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On KP is what it often feels like. I seem to spend an awful lot of time in that kitchen! This past weekend, between Friday evening and Sunday afternoon, I completed three cooking projects! I\’m lucky I\’m not responsible for feeding a family, or I\’d never get a break from pots, pans, and dishwashing. Last Friday evening, it was SamMac. Saturday, it was Boyardee®. Sunday I was at it yet again, with Boppin\’ B&B! Sometimes preparing these simple dishes is quite a hassle. For the SamMac, I had to open a can of peas; drain it; and measure out what I needed for the SamMac. Then I had to put the rest of the peas in a plastic box and put them in the freezer. When I made the Boyardee, I had to portion out the canned pasta and meatballs into four parts; three of them to be frozen. Later, I had to pop the frozen squares out of their boxes; wrap them in foil; and put them in a plastic bag. Making the Boppin\’ B&B meant that I had to open three cans of different foods. And chop onion, celery, and bell pepper, in addition to cooking rice! Between making B&B and fixing lunch, I used all three of my pots. Of course the pots and dishes didn\’t wash themselves. Sometimes I wish they would. Combined, those three projects have yielded enough for at least two dozen meals. I won\’t really need to cook for a couple of weeks. Being on KP all weekend isn\’t all bad, after all!

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Keep on Logging

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Keep on Logging! Birling, anyone? I’d keep on logging if I were a lumberjack. Maybe I’d even try birling! With prediabetes and carb-counting, I have to keep on logging in another way. I have to admit that this constant food-tracking is something of a drag. It’s partly an awareness exercise, I think. I’ve begun to see that, if I want rolled oats mixed with yogurt for breakfast, I’ll have to make it mainly yogurt, and not so much oatmeal. I’ve also noticed that I need to do more advance planning. So far I’ve planned meals one by one, as the day goes on. A little more work ahead of time should make it easier to keep the carbs in check. I’ve probably already mentioned that I’m working out ways to use up my stock of “naughty” foods; diluting the carbs, so to speak. Sammac, for instance. This creation let me get rid of a box of mac n cheese by mixing the prepared mac n cheese with 14.75 oz of (canned) salmon. The box from the mac n cheese says, about 3 servings per box; 51 (yes, that’s fifty-one!) grams of carbs per serving. Mixing in all that salmon, and some peas, means 26 grams of carbs per 1/2 cup serving. SamMac seems quite solid and filling to me, so I don’t eat huge amounts at one time. In addition to trying to curb the carbs, I’m tracking calories. That’s a tricky one. How many calories do I really need? If I go out on a Sunday; ride 44-45 miles; and burn off 1200+ calories, I need fuel! Whatever calorie count I need, I need to pick up the riding again. And log some more miles for Cycle September!

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Under Cloudy Skies

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We\’ve been under cloudy skies here for several days. It keeps things from getting so hot, of course, but a constantly gray sky is a little depressing, too. It\’s a good thing I can listen to a cheerful march or two. This morning it wasn\’t raining, but the wind was quite stiff. Riding against it made my legs feel stiff! More rain is likely over the next two or three days, so I\’ll have to ride under cloudy skies for a while longer. Thankfully, we were spared the heavy rain of Beta. So far. Beta has crawled ashore over the Texas coast, and is now moving ENE. If it doesn\’t degenerate soon, I guess we aren\’t completely in the clear yet. Hurricane Teddy is aiming for Nova Scotia. Paulette regenerated herself; a rare occurrence, but it can happen. We\’ve had a windy few days. Yesterday I went to the park to ride because it was both blowing pretty hard and raining. I didn\’t dare to ride as fast as I wanted, because it was hard to see. I\’m not sure anti-fog spray would have helped. I tried something like that years ago, and the stuff fumed off and made my eyes burn. Besides, it was raining; not foggy. When I ride in the rain, and have to go in to work on-site afterwards; what do I do about socks? During rainy spells I typically end up with extra pairs of socks in the laundry. Yesterday after my ride, I decided not to change into dry socks. I had to get to work, and that would have meant a second pair of wet socks. I\’m looking forward to seeing the sun again, but I hope it starts to get cooler. If we\’re tired of clouds and rain, we\’re also tired of heat!

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Calculations

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The calculations are constant under certain conditions. When drizzles all day, and you\’re tired of being shut up indoors; can you go for a ride? Will the wind rise too much? Will lightning move in? That was the case last Saturday. With the hybrid in the shop, I didn\’t have my usual way to go grocery shopping. So I stayed home, and did some more cooking during the morning. Here is where calculations come in again. I sound like a broken record talking about that salvage store, but what can I do? That place is habit-forming, and I have plenty of canned goods from the store. Among them were two cans of Chef Boyardee® pasta and meatballs. Pasta again! All that high-carb stuff, unsuited to a prediabetes eating plan. How can I use it up? On went the thinking cap. I soon hit on a way to \”dilute\” the original canned product. Step 1: put 1/2 cup of the canned pasta stuff in a large cooking pot. Portion out the rest, 1/2 cup to a food storage box. Freeze them for later. Step 2: to the cooking pot, add: one 28 oz can of tomatoes; one 15 oz can of tomato sauce; 1 cup chopped red onion; and 1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini. Put the pot over medium heat. When it\’s about at the boiling point, turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender. Makes ~6 1/2 cups. Per 1 cup: 78 calories/14 grams carbs. By 3 pm, I had had enough of cooking, carb-counting, and sitting around. I decided to go for a short ride, although it was still drizzling. I couldn\’t know whether drizzle might suddenly turn to deluge. Call it a calculated risk.

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