SpokEasy

December 2020

Lethargic

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Lethargic is what I am today. It was gray and rainy this morning. I didn\’t ride to the salvage store, and the lack of exercise only made me feel less energetic. I went to the drug store, but I didn\’t ride. There\’s road work in progress in the street where I live; and it\’s enough of a mess even when it isn\’t raining. I didn\’t feel like riding through all that mud. At the drug store, I found Cold Stone Protein Crisp bars. The one I got is a flavor called Birthday Cake Remix. It\’s pretty good; another addition to my ride-food pantry! By noon or so the rain had stopped; and the sun was dodging in and out of the clouds. Around 1 pm I finally decided to go for a ride, to see if I\’d feel less lethargic afterwards. I also needed to do something to get myself to stop nibbling for a while. Recording everything I eat is irksome at times; but if I want to keep pre-diabetes from progressing to full-blown Type II, I\’ve got to be honest with myself about what I eat; even if it seems downright brutal. It was warm enough not to need leg warmers for the ride. I\’m glad of that! I get so sick and tired of slip-down leg warmers and slip-up shorts legs. It was warm enough for half-fingered gloves, too. I wore my lightweight skull cap, though; and a long-sleeved blouse and my vest. The ride didn\’t make me feel take-on-the-world energetic, but I\’m glad I rode. If nothing else, I burned off about 200 hundred calories. Once back home, it\’s still hard for me to keep from munching — especially the ice cream I got yesterday!

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Weekend Fun

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Weekend fun? That depends on how you define \”fun\”. News reports give me the impression that most people aren\’t having the time of their lives: wearing masks; social distancing; and on and on. It certainly is wearisome, and many people are more than fed up with it all. I can\’t really blame them. I\’ve been thankful all during this pandemic that I\’m not the kind who needs a lot of socialization in order to enjoy myself. Some people thrive on that, and the current restrictions must be very hard on them. I wonder how avid group-riding cyclists are coping. Do they wear filter masks during their rides? Make sure to stay at least one bike-length apart at all times? Or have they had to put group rides on hold? My weekend fun might be rather damp. It\’s warming up again, and rain is in the forecast. A 40% chance doesn\’t mean certain rain, but all the same I might skip going to the salvage store tomorrow. I enjoy the ride, and in the store there\’s always the excitement of the chase: what will I find this time? And for a fact, I would like to get more hummus! But at present I don\’t need more canned goods. For months my excuse for continuing to stockpile stuff is: suppose a major COVID-19 shut-down comes, and everybody has to stay strictly indoors for several weeks? I don\’t think it\’s impossible. Sunday looks like it could get wet, too, although mainly in the afternoon. I hope I don\’t get rained on during my long ride! Then, Sunday night, the temperatures will drop again; down to the mid-40s! That\’s not my idea of fun.

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By Camel-Bak?

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By Camel-Bak? 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.” “This is a paid link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.” For me, mention of Arabia conjures up images of endless, sandy desert. In one Bugs Bunny cartoon, Bugs ends up in Arabia (I suppose it’s Arabia) while trying to get to Miami Beach; and I guess I’ve seen it too many times. The UAE has its share of cycling possibilities; check out Dubai! Or, try the Seih Al-Salam. This is a desert trail; so I got that one right, anyway! Other trails are located in parks; and Nad Al Sheba is a converted camel racecourse. It includes several loops of varying lengths, and a children’s course as well. Naturally there’s more to the UAE than Dubai. See here for more ideas. You’ll find Quick Rides, Long Tours, and more! The UAE even has a cycling event especially for women: the Dubai Women’s Cycling Challenge. This event is open to female riders of all abilities, from novices to racing cyclists.  I don’t think want to cycle the UAE in July or August. Temperatures during the Summer can reach well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and that’s too hot for me! Bring on the cooling vest; and don’t forget the sunblock! Winters are warm, with minimum temperatures of 50-57 degrees Fahrenheit. For me, that’s not “warm”; it’s cool enough for cold-weather gear. Bring out the leg warmers; or try some embrocation cream. Arabic is the UAE’s official language, although English is often spoken there. Even so, learning some frequently used expressions in Arabic is helpful. Some of these etiquette tips sound familiar; it’s a small world, isn’t it?    

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Reschedule?

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Must I reschedule my breakfast time? For the longest time, my usual weekday-morning thing is to eat something small, e.g. a banana, before I go out on the road bike. When I get home afterwards, I eat \”real\” breakfast. But after a ride, especially if I did intense efforts, I usually don\’t want a large meal right away. That causes complications on the days when I must go to work on-site. I have only half an hour to forty-five minutes to fix and eat breakfast; dress to go to work; and then head on out. If I do eat a large meal then, I have to gulp it down too fast for comfort. I feel overly full and bloated afterwards. But a small meal won\’t hold me over until my morning break; much less until lunch time! Reschedule breakfast so I have a full meal before I ride? Uh, no, I don\’t think so. A big meal 15 minutes after I roll out of bed doesn\’t sit very comfortably in my stomach; and can get a lot more uncomfortable if I do on-bike force exercises! I keep snacks at my desk; and try to leave them alone unless I really need something to eat. Now that I have pre-diabetes and must be carb-conscious, I have to watch what I eat for snacks. Too many easy-to-grab items are chock-full of carbohydrates, and not the good kind. We really aren\’t supposed to eat at our desks, and that\’s another limitation. Plain carrot sticks are permissible, I guess; but no hummus! I\’m very much looking forward the holiday break (we get two full weeks this year!), when I don\’t have to rush off to work post-ride. Then I can have real breakfast!

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Foxy?

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Foxy? 🦊 How do “foxy” and cycling come together? I, for one, have never seen a fox while out riding; although I’ve seen coyotes. “Foxy”, however, is the word that comes to mind when I think of Raynaud’s; “renard” being the French word for the animal. I’ve certainly got symptoms of Raynaud’s. My right-hand ring finger is especially susceptible. It can go entirely bloodless; and it can take five minutes for it to return to normal. They say the best thing to do for Raynaud’s is keep your hands and feet warm. That’s not so easy! On a cold day, even the heaviest gloves I own don’t keep my hands warm. Maybe I should ask Santa_Claus to bring me a pair of lobster gloves for Christmas! Incidentally, double socks often aren’t sufficient to keep my feet warm.   Trying to Keep Warm ♨️ I hope my symptoms aren’t indicative of an underlying vascular disorder. I’ve got problems enough already! This also had better not mean I’ll be forced to restrict myself to indoor riding in cold weather. Or move to a place I really can’t afford so I can have central heating. Trying to keep warm applies to indoors as well as outdoors! I thought that wearing my lightweight full-fingered gloves under heavy gloves might help. This morning I decided to try it; and it was another idea that didn’t quite pan out. First I put on the lightweight gloves; then I tried to pull the heavy “wombat” gloves over them. I was able to get the wombat glove onto my right hand, but then said hand was too clumsy to pull the other wombat glove onto my left hand. So I had to give up on the idea. I didn’t make me feel very foxy.  Fortunately there wasn’t a wind this morning, although it was very humid. That helped me to stay a bit warmer — including my hands. 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.” 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; and I hope I can provide a bit of inspiration.   Along the way, I got into blogging; presenting my kitchen experiments; and even setting up a store. You can visit my Facebook page here; or check into my Twitter (aka X) page, Cyclo_Pathy. 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube Take the Cake October 16, 2024 Easy 100? October 15, 2024 Fitness Freak? October 14, 2024 Smog? October 13, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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To Mask or Not?

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To mask, or not to mask? If we\’ve paid any attention to the news reports about COVID-19, the answer to that one seems obvious: DO IT! In fact, for about the last ten years I\’ve needed to wear those things everywhere except at home and on the bike. I\’m SO tired of it! But now, nearly everybody wears the things. I feel rather like a trend-setter! What about using PPE while riding a bicycle? I don\’t like having my nose and mouth covered up while I\’m cycling. It feels too smothery. I\’ve always kept a mask in a pocket or my top-tube pouch, where I can grab it and don it quickly if needed. That\’s not so simple now that the weather is cold enough for full-fingered gloves. My helmet liner makes it more complicated, as of course it covers my ears. So: to mask, or not to mask? For cycling, I put on one of those face covers; fasten the helmet\’s chin strap; and move the face cover under my chin. If I need to, I can pull it up easily. What are the pros and cons of riding while wearing a mask? I\’ll start with cold-weather cycling; after all, it\’s December! On the upside, the covering keeps my face warmer. The downside? I have to move the \”veil\” in order to eat or drink. And does it keep my nose from getting sniffly? No, it does not! In hot weather, as I\’ve already said, covering up my face while riding makes me feel smothered; both as in gasping for breath, and smothered as in feeling too hot. Oh, well, I don\’t have to worry much about the \”too hot\” part for a while; that is, as long as it doesn\’t get up to 80-some degrees on December 25!

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Let It Rain

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Let it rain?! What right-minded cyclist says that? I don\’t suppose that many of us want to ride in the rain. Sure, in hot weather rainy rides are a bit cooler; but wet-weather riding has its hazards, as we know. Now that the Summer\’s heat is past, we don\’t want the added chill of wet-weather rides. A poncho keeps at least some of the rain off; and can also keep you a bit warmer. But there\’s a catch. I\’ve always found that a poncho is too likely to flare out to the sides. When I try to look behind me, all I can see is that poncho! Needless to say, a flapping poncho adds wind resistance; and can make a bicycle difficult to control. This morning I set out under gray skies. I knew that the chances of precipitation were expected to increase as the day went on, so all could do was ride and hope for the best. The road bike is still in the shop, so I rode the hybrid. That let me use the trunk. I packed my poncho, just in case. I no longer have a handlebar bag, so I had to pack my ride food in the trunk, too. Of course that meant stopping and getting off the bike whenever I needed a bite to eat! I rode out to my usual pit-stop place, then came back home. With two miles still to go, I felt the first few drops. The drops gradually became more frequent, and I hoped to reach home before it really began to rain. Fortunately I did. We still haven\’t gotten any real rain; but as long as I\’m home, I\’ll paraphrase the song: Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

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Pushing the Limit

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I\’m really pushing the limit when it comes to my stash of canned goods, especially after this morning\’s excursion to the salvage store. There are piles of cans all over the place; and if I don\’t get some control of myself, there won\’t be room in here for me to walk! Maybe I need Salvage Store Anonymous. Pushing the limit is also necessary for improvement as a cyclist, and something that I need to do more; and more often. At present the road bike is in the shop for a tune-up, so I\’m being quite lazy when it comes to riding. My rides this week have been short; too short, really. The hybrid seems very heavy; and the cold weather makes me feel tired and sluggish. It\’s chilly indoors as well as out. When all I want to do is huddle in one spot, trying to get warm, getting myself ready to go for a ride takes a lot of prodding. Then sometimes it feels warmer outdoors than indoors! What can I do to get myself to approach my limits? Intervals, obviously. For more than a year leading up to Tour de Cure 2020, I did weekly on-bike exercises to try to improve my force. I think it did help a little; but I don\’t think I worked enough at riding faster for longer distances. As a result, on TdC day I was a slow-poke! It looks like the weather tomorrow won\’t be very pleasant. Rain is quite likely, bringing up the old refrain: To ride, or not to ride? I\’ll see how conditions are tomorrow morning. But if I don\’t ride, I can work at compacting those piles of cans.

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Evening Doldrums?

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I seem to have evening doldrums. After supper, I too often crave sweets. For a minute I thought that a post-work ride would help, even if it\’s only a mile or two. Then I remembered that I get these evening doldrums when I worked away from home all day; and rode my bicycle home afterwards! So what\’s going on here? Do I need more than 1500-2000 calories per day? It seems unlikely, except for those Sundays when I ride upwards of 30 miles. Maybe I need to eat more earlier in the day. I think that would be easier if I could go back to working remotely full time. When I have to go in to work on-site; and don\’t get home from my morning ride until about 6:30; I don\’t have time for a large, leisurely breakfast. That\’s all the more true if I haven\’t prepared a breakfast the evening before. Am I trying to restrict the sweets too much? We all know that trying to be too \”good\” can backfire. It might help if I ate a little more candy than a Hershey Kiss® or two during the day. Being chilly much of the time is no help. I\’ve been far too under-active this week; and lack of physical activity makes appetite regulation harder. Let\’s see whether a ride to the salvage store tomorrow helps! Getting back to sweets, I\’m thankful that I don\’t have Diabetes Type I. The Athlete\’s Guide to Diabetes makes it plain that the practice of athletics with Type I is no easy task. There are too many details to list here, so I\’ll just say that it sounds like a veritable minefield. I\’ve got it easy compared to them.

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Lagging

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I feel like I\’m lagging in every way this week. We\’ve gotten our first cold weather. My place is poorly insulated (if at all!); and I don\’t have central climate control. I don\’t dare leave my electric heater going all night. I set it to turn on an hour before my alarm goes off; but it\’s still plenty cold in here when it comes time to get up. That makes it hard for me to get up and get moving. Being cold always has made me feel physically tired and sluggish; and it makes me mentally sluggish as well. I haven\’t done much riding as a result. The road bike is in the shop for a tune-up, and the hybrid feels very slow and heavy by comparison; especially when there\’s a strong wind blowing! Most of my morning rides this week haven\’t been much over five miles. I\’m lagging when it comes to my diet, too. I keep going off my plan, and eating too much of the high-carb stuff that I need to limit. Paradoxically, I suspect that the lack of physical activity is a factor here. I need more veggies; and cauliflower was the plan for this evening\’s supper. Instead I made Carb-Lite SamMac. It\’s been on my mind for a while; and now that I\’ve cooked it up, there are two less cans sitting around! And now I have to stop being the laggard and go clean up the kitchen!

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