SpokEasy

March 2024

Hoppy Ride?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Hoppy Ride? 🐇 A hoppy ride — not! I did, however, see a couple of rabbits; and that’s most suitable, as today is Easter. But I’ve never learned to bunny hop a bicycle; and I don’t think I’d want to try it on this Mongoose Malus Fat Tire bike. At 34+ pounds, that bicycle is quite heavy for me; and it’s also too big for me. Although I didn’t have a hoppy ride, I came up with some interesting numbers. I keep track of distance and time; and this year’s total time on the hybrid reached 36:36:36! Interesting that the readout is three-across-the-board. The road bike is the one with the big numbers: almost 65 hours so far this year. Between the two bikes, I’ve logged over 1000 miles since New Year’s; and I’m looking forward to getting in plenty more miles! It All Adds Up 🧮 Sure, I know. I’m quite low-mileage compared to some other riders; but recreational riders needn’t compare themselves to the pros. I’m quite happy to be able to ride again, after last November’s bunion surgery. Shorter rides aren’t to be sneezed at; it all adds up. It all adds up faster, however, if you happen to be a mileage hog. I’m working up to several rides of about 20 miles during the week, in addition to a long Sunday ride; I need it if I have any idea of doing a century in a few months’ time. I’ve done 100-milers before; so this isn’t uncharted territory for  me. If it’s new to you, a book about long-distance cycling is helpful. Learn about training; nutrition; and so on. Hoppy — I man happy — riding! 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! 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 Hoppy Ride? March 31, 2024 Overstock March 30, 2024 Good Sprinters? March 29, 2024 Gimmie a Break! March 28, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Overstock

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Overstock 📊 An overstock has crept up on me. The shoebox that I use to hold my energy/protein bars is crammed! Should I use a bar chart to help me keep track of my supplies? I came home from the salvage store this morning with 11-12 assorted bars; and I also still have an overstock of canned goods. It doesn’t help that I brought home a few more cans of stuff today. Maybe I’d better plan a jaunt on the road bike for next Saturday; and skip the salvage store. The NOAA forecast doesn’t reach that far ahead, though; so who knows what the weather might do. Use It Up! 🥣 Since I’ve got that overstock, I must find a way to use it up. That might take quite some time, though! It’s not a good idea to eat nothing but protein bars as long as other foods are available. I remember my century rides, when eating and drinking became tedious; but back then I hadn’t yet met many of the protein bars I use now. But I suspect it might be the same with FitCrunch, RXBars, etcetera. I have an oversupply; but I doubt very much that even RAGBRAI would be a good opportunity to use it up. Protein bars all day, every day, for seven days? I don’t think my gut would take very well to such a regimen. How would I even bring all that stuff along? RAGBRAI gets hot; and can I keep those bars from getting half-melted? The catch is, buying your food as you go along the RAGBRAI route can get expensive! 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! 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 Overstock March 30, 2024 Good Sprinters? March 29, 2024 Gimmie a Break! March 28, 2024 Don’t Cross the Border! March 27, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Good Sprinters?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Good Sprinters? ⏩ If you could put Neanderthals on bicycles, would they make good sprinters? According to this video (at about 15:30), the Neanderthals were probably built more for sprinting than for long-distance walking; and they probably had a higher proportion of fast-twitch muscle fibers than modern humans. Since the Neanderthals disappeared many millennia ago, there’s no way we can definitely determine whether, as bicycle racers, they’s have made good sprinters. But it sounds to me rather likely.  A-sprintin’ I Will Go? 😵‍💫 A-sprintin’ I will go? I’m not quite sure of that. Maybe I got short-changed on fast-twitch muscle fibers; or maybe I’m not strong enough yet. But working on short, hard efforts (aka sprints) tires me faster than I like. I quickly feel like my leg muscles are turning wobbly. Today I omitted a-sprintin’ I will go. My head felt much better than it did yesterday; and I rode over 21 miles. But I figured I was better off riding at a steady, moderate pace. It’s not a good idea to push yourself hard if you’re feeling under the weather. Joe Friel mentions this in The Cyclist’s Training Bible; and tells of a rider who developed a coxsackievirus infection of the heart after working out while ill. It can take a long time to recover from coxsackie; so let’s avoid it if we can! 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! 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 Good Sprinters? March 29, 2024 Gimmie a Break! March 28, 2024 Don’t Cross the Border! March 27, 2024 Striking a Balance March 26, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Gimmie a Break!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Gimme a Break! 🥱   “Gimme a break!” isn’t always about a stop for coffee; even though there’s a strong link between cycling and coffee. I’ve never liked coffee; but I sure enjoy cycling! Not today, though. Although my current goal is to ride 100 miles per week, sometimes I have to say, gimme a break! This morning my head was so stuffy that I decided it wasn’t wise to go for a ride; and certainly not a trek of 19-22 miles. Maybe I’m also simply tired of tussling with headwinds. Even without things like an allergy flare, we all need to back off sometimes. Leave the all-hard-all-the-time mentality for military boot camp. For us recreational cyclists, such an approach is apt to result in exhaustion; burnout; and possible overuse injuries. That’s why we need to allow ample time to train up to big events. Mañana 🗓️ Okay, so I skipped the ride today (unless I go out at 5 pm!) There’s always mañana; and as we all know, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither is good fitness. It looks like tomorrow won’t be bad for a ride; so I don’t think I’ll suffer from having taken a day off. The century I’m starting to dream about isn’t next week; and I’m certainly not planning to ride the length of Sweden! (It sounds like a terrific adventure, though). And even if did have a 100-miler planned for next week, now is the time for me to taper. Longer rides require electrolyte drink, even in cold weather. Last night, with a 20-mile ride in mind, I fixed a bottle Nuun and put it in the fridge to chill (this stuff tastes better cold). But directions for most electrolyte drinks say, use within 24 hours of preparation; so here I am, sipping on Nuun. For mañana? Maybe Propel. It might help me to, um, propel myself along the path! 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! 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 Gimmie a Break! March 28, 2024 Don’t Cross the Border! March 27, 2024 Striking a Balance March 26, 2024 Superfit March 25, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Don’t Cross the Border!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Don’t Cross the Border! 😳 Don’t cross the border; the border into Bonkland, I mean. Sure, have a South of the Border lunch before your ride if you like; and in fact, that could help fend off that bonk! Don’t start a ride on empty. I think I approached bonking yesterday. I didn’t get to ride until at least 10:30 am; and for fuel I cut up a Built Bar Puff. I didn’t think I needed to carry a lot for this ride; after all, I had eaten breakfast. And then, just before riding, I ate a yogurt. On the Edge 😬 All the same, I think I wound up on the edge. I had the Built bar; and ate a GU-Gel at my turnaround point. Next time, I’d better take along more to eat; what I had with me was barely enough. Yesterday I did some 5-minute efforts at pushing the pace to 14 mph or more; and that got tough when the path turned and I had a headwind. I did two of these intervals on the way out; and one or two on the way back. My efforts fizzled during the final minute of the last hard effort; and maybe I was already on the edge by then. Hard efforts like that burn up your fuel faster; and with about three miles left to go, my legs suddenly got an odd, weak feeling. All I’ve read about bonking nudged my mind; and luckily I had one piece of bar left. I knew I’d better eat it, even though I didn’t feel hungry. I’m glad I didn’t cross the border! 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! 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 Striking a Balance March 26, 2024 Superfit March 25, 2024 Bite the Bullet March 24, 2024 Wear Out Your Gears March 23, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Striking a Balance

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Striking a Balance 🔨 Cycling is about striking a balance in more ways than one; even if you aren’t on a unicycle. There’s striking a balance between riding and the other things in life: family; work; and so on. So many of us don’t have nearly as much time as we would like for riding; and that was the case with me before I retired. Now I can ride nearly two hours a day if I want; and I intend to work towards extending that time in the saddle. For the beginning cyclist, of course there’s getting the hang of balance; and getting used to the fact that it’s easier to stay balanced when you’ve got a bit of speed going! It sounds contradictory; but it’s true. Feast or Famine? 🥙 🍽️ As to on-bike fueling, does it matter whether you choose feast or famine? Actually, neither is good. You needn’t stuff yourself with protein bars — or anything else, for that matter — but it’s unwise to go for long rides without eating. This is about striking a balance between eating enough to keep your energy up; but not so much that you start to feel queasy. If you’re doing a long, organized ride, don’t spend too much time at rest stops; and don’t stuff yourself while you’re there! When you start riding again, your stomach is apt to feel like you’ve been eating bricks. Experiment with this during training rides. As I discovered while preparing for my first century, what tastes good early in a ride might not be appealing later on; and prolonged hard effort makes me lose my appetite. But I’ve still got to eat — or bonk! 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! 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 Striking a Balance March 26, 2024 Superfit March 25, 2024 Bite the Bullet March 24, 2024 Wear Out Your Gears March 23, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Superfit

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Superfit? 🏋🏻 You don’t have to be superfit to enjoy cycling. I you did, who would have the gumption to even try? Superfitness isn’t needed even for long, multi-day events. That’s lucky for me, as lifting weights isn’t my thing. And I detest gyms. “Not superfit”, however, doesn’t mean you don’t need to be fit if you want to ride a century; or tackle RAGBRAI. You do. You just don’t need to be of pro tour caliber. Getting Fit 🚴‍♀️ Getting fit can take time; so don’t wait to start working on it until your event is next week. Over the years, I’ve read many a website and book about century prep; or indeed, just getting started on a bike. If you’ve never sat on a bicycle saddle before, the advice is (naturally) to start slow and easy. Take short rides of a few miles; and gradually increase your distance. What about speed? As I discovered when I was riding the trike, speed takes care of itself up to a certain point; but eventually you’ll plateau. That’s when it’s time to start intensity work; namely, short, hard efforts. Start with 10 seconds if that’s all you can manage; and work up. It’s normal to feel stiff/sore “in the back” when you first start on two wheels; but this discomfort fades away with regular riding. Sore leg muscles in those early days are normal, too; but listen to your body. If something actually hurts, back off for a day or two. The Big One 💯 How long does it take to get in shape for a 100-miler? It’s rather difficult for me to say. Last year I lost considerable riding time because of medical issues; and it’s only in the past few weeks that I’m getting fit again; that is, back to normal mileage. It’s late March now; can I be ready for a century by early June? Training plans such as this one can help you prepare; but I’m always falling short on the hard-effort rides! You need some high-intensity work to prepare you to fight against headwinds on the day of the big one! 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! 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 Elementor #165784 March 25, 2024 Bite the Bullet March 24, 2024 Wear Out Your Gears March 23, 2024 Tardy! March 22, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Bite the Bullet

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Bite the Bullet 😬 Bite the bullet; not donuts! Although I must say, a donut is much easier to bite than a bullet; and it also tastes much better! I decided that it was time for me to bite the bullet, and start doing longer Sunday rides. If I’m cranking out 19-22 miles several times during the week, I ought to be able to manage a 30-miler on Sundays; and today I went for it. As usual, I took along some ride food; and electrolyte drink. I fell a little short of my 30-mile goal at 29.6 miles; and total time, including breaks, was just under three hours. Overall average speed was 10.59 mph. The wind wasn’t as bad as it was yesterday; but it still slowed  me down considerably. It’s a good thing I did that ride today, though; there’s a wind advisory out for tomorrow! Fast Enough? ⏩ At such times, I’m very glad I have a compact crankset. At the time I bought my road bike, I wasn’t even aware of compact vs standard cranksets; but apparently I made a lucky choice. Fine; but is 10.59 mph fast enough for RAGBRAI? At that pace, it would take me nearly seven hours to cover 71 miles; an average day’s distance on RAGBRAI. And that’s pedaling time; it doesn’t take into account stops for food, and the fun stuff along the way. Not to mention the necessary KYBO breaks! Fast enough? If not, I’ve got a lot of training up to do. 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! 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 Bite the Bullet March 24, 2024 Wear Out Your Gears March 23, 2024 Tardy! March 22, 2024 On Strike March 21, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Wear Out Your Gears

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Wear Out Your Gears ⛭ Wear out your gears? Why? Well, somewhere I read that, if the terrain where you live isn’t pancake-flat, you should wear out your gears. If you have hills to deal with, of course you’ll be shifting to easier gears for the climbs; and that does wear them out over time. I certainly thought about gear-wearing during today’s trip to and from the salvage store. I was contending with a wind of 16-18 mph; and gusts were as high as 28 mph. Much of the time, it was either a headwind or a sidewind; and when a gust hit me head-on, I had to shift to an easier gear. I spent a lot of this ride on the smallest chain ring; and using the easiest (aka biggest) cog. Better Tomorrow, I Hope 🚴🏿 It will be better tomorrow, I hope. According to the forecast, the wind will be much calmer; and I can expect temperatures in the 60s. That’s still cool enough for leg warmers; but I think I can get away with half-fingered gloves. That will make on-bike eating much easier! I haven’t decided exactly what I’ll take along to eat; but I’ve got more thought for wind conditions than food. After today’s tussle with the breeze, it will be better tomorrow, I hope. 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! 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 Wear Out Your Gears March 23, 2024 Tardy! March 22, 2024 On Strike March 21, 2024 RAGBRAI Ready? March 20, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Tardy!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Tardy! 🐢 To be tardy is generally frowned upon. When people are late, I want to them to get fast; all the more as I tend to be an early bird. Today, however, I was tardy about my ride! At 7 am, the hour when I usually go out, it was raining; and there was lightning and thunder. It’s not as though I have to ride very early, or not at all; so I waited. It feels funny to be tardy, though. The sunlight is very different at noon; and fueling is different, too. My stomach has enough of a load that I don’t need to eat as much while riding. Scrambled Brains? 🧠 Switching my ride time sure seemed to result in scrambled brains. I forgot to put on my heart-rate monitor strap; and didn’t realize it until I was about to push off. Then I saw that the heart rate  reading was absent from my cyclocomputer screen. I was going to ride, anyway; then saw that I had absent-mindedly put on sneakers instead of my riding shoes. Maybe I was too busy filling up the Camel-Bak and cutting up that Built Bar to think straight! These scrambled brains are a bit worrisome — I’m not going demented, am I? But I had a great ride. On the way home, I had a wonderful tailwind for about 7.5 miles — and even hit 22.33 mph for a bit!  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! 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 Tardy! March 22, 2024 On Strike March 21, 2024 RAGBRAI Ready? March 20, 2024 Nip and Tuck March 19, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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