SpokEasy

May 2024

It’s Easier!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

It’s Easier! 😊 It’s easier to ride 19-20 miles! In fact, today it seemed almost too easy. But should I shoot for longer daily distances right away? I think not. My plan for June was to keep to my current weekday distances; but work for greater speed. It’s probably better to stick to that plan. Then, come July, I can start extending the mileage; but worry less about developing further speed. Plan for August: a repeat of June’s plan. And so on, month by month; until it’s easier to ride up to 50-60 miles in a day. It’s sort of like stepping stones. I need to get a good footing on one stone before going on to the next; and doing this now should be a big help when it comes to RAGBRAI prep. Whether I’ll get to do RAGBRAI 2025 is still very much up in the air. However, I say it’s better to do the training and then not get to go to RAGBRAI; than to not train and be underprepared if I do get to go. Imagine doing that event on minimal training: day after day of averaging some 70 miles; and with rolling hills into the bargain! It makes me feel exhausted to think about it! Love to Ride 💙 The Love to Ride Bike Month Challenge ends today. During these challenges, I try to ride every day; even if only for 5 miles. Epic rides aren’t necessary! It does get challenging, though, never to miss a day. My normal routine is to take one day a week off from cycling. Speaking of up in the air, the weekend’s cycling plans are there; especially for tomorrow. Heavy rain is possible; and if tomorrow’s weather is anything like yesterday’s, we can expect some close lightning. That’s not so good for a ride to the salvage store! I’ve still got a lot of stuff from there, though; and don’t really need any more just now. But I love to ride; so maybe I’ll just go do some laps around the park. 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 Early Is Wise May 30, 2024 Saddle Up! May 29, 2024 Climbing vs Elevation Gain May 28, 2024 Practice Makes Perfect May 27, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Early Is Wise

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Early Is Wise 🌅 Early is wise sometimes. It certainly was for me today! I didn’t get out until almost 8 am, which for me is actually rather late; coffee or no. I’m glad it proved to be early enough! I quickly noticed some dark clouds around; and the sight of such a sky makes me nervous. Will it rain? How can I tell? What about lightning? After the first four miles or so, I ran into a drizzle. Fortunately it was light; and didn’t last long. Good thing; I was working on my pace; and when I’m doing that, I don’t need to deal with a downpour. So I kept to my planned workout: 3 x 5 minutes of pushing for at least 15 mph; with 5 minutes’ easy riding between efforts. I found that early is wise; on the way back home, I saw that the very area where I got the drizzle had had actual rain in the meantime! If I had begun my ride a few minutes later, I might have gotten soaked! Good to Be Home 🏠 It sure was good to be home when the weather broke bad. I got back from my ride about 9:25 am. An hour or so later, I started to hear thunder; and 15-20 minutes later, the lightning was right on top of me! I was much relieved that I had ridden earlier; and didn’t get caught outdoors in that T-storm. Maybe the overnight lows near 80 degrees were a weather breeder.  It rained hard for a while, and we’re still under flash flood warning. There’s a chance of more T-storms tomorrow; and I hope I can complete my ride before the bad weather sets in. When it does, it will be good to be home! 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 Early Is Wise May 30, 2024 Saddle Up! May 29, 2024 Climbing vs Elevation Gain May 28, 2024 Practice Makes Perfect May 27, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Saddle Up!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Saddle Up! 🏇🏻 Let’s saddle up and ride! You can go with the leather Brooks England B17 Saddle; especially if you’re into longer distances. The Brooks England B17 Saddle conforms to your body’s contours over time; and for ladies, there’s the Brooks B17S. A leather saddle needs some special care to keep it supple; and Brooks Saddle Cream is great for protecting and preserving it. This is especially important if you ride in the rain. For a cushier saddle, there’s the Giddy Up! Bike Seat. It has elastomer suspension; memory foam padding; and ergonomic design. Built-in tail light for night cycling. As for me, I’ll stick with the saddle I’ve got; something called Mimic. It’s fairly hard — padding level 2 out of 6 — but I like to put in the miles. By all the advice I’ve read, firmer, narrower saddles are better than soft, cushioned saddles for riding long and/or fast. The most important thing about a saddle: be sure it supports your sit bones! All Bodies on Bikes 🚴‍♀️ 🚴‍♂️ 🚴🏿 No, you don’t have to have the fitness and physique of a Grand Tour GC contender to saddle up and ride. It doesn’t matter if you’re way overweight; you can still ride a bicycle! All Bodies on Bikes aims to make cycling more inclusive; and to help put and end to discrimination against bigger riders. See here at 31:25 minutes as Marley Blonsky tells of her mission. I think it’s great! I wish her all success! 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 Saddle Up! May 29, 2024 Climbing vs Elevation Gain May 28, 2024 Practice Makes Perfect May 27, 2024 Hear Ye Hear Ye May 26, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Climbing vs Elevation Gain

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Climbing vs Elevation Gain 🧗 Climbing vs elevation gain? Aren’t they the same? I’m not so sure. Some of the videos I’ve watched about RAGBRAI mention daily feet of climbing; and there was a day with 4000+ feet of total climbing. That’s more than Iowa’s highest elevation point! Ergo RAGBRAI riders aren’t making much elevation gain. What they are doing is riding up and down rolling hills; and climb after climb adds up. So, climbing vs elevation gain: which do I prefer? I’m not sure, as it’s flat where I live; but I’m glad that training for RAGBRAI won’t require a hypoxic mask! Tiresome! 🥱 Today’s ride got very tiresome; that’s always the case when I have a flat! (Yeah, I know. Bad joke). Even tire liners, in addition to tough tires like GatorSkins, can’t entirely prevent flats. Luckily a kind gentleman came by and helped me. Truth be told, he did all the work! I consider such repairs as temporary; and I rode rather easily until I could get home. Then I had to walk the bike to the shop to get new tire liners and new GatorSkins. Of course that was tiresome in this heat; and my legs were weary as well. And I just didn’t feel like riding alongside traffic! This morning I practiced pace work; 5 minutes of pushing it + 5 minutes of riding easily. Then repeat it twice. And in the middle of the third hard effort, that rear tire went. How tiresome! 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 Climbing vs Elevation Gain May 28, 2024 Practice Makes Perfect May 27, 2024 Hear Ye Hear Ye May 26, 2024 Do Not Repeat May 25, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Practice Makes Perfect

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Practice Makes Perfect? 🚴‍♀️ Practice makes perfect, it is often said; whether you’re learning ballet; taking up the piano; or preparing for RAGBRAI. This video, at about 08:30 minutes, talks about practicing for the event. Have at least 500 miles under your belt for that year, before RAGBRAI? For 2024, I certainly have that, and then some. And a ride of 50 miles without feeling totally exhausted at the end? You can check that off the list, too. What that video doesn’t seem to mention is preparation for hills. That will take work especially meant to improve my strength (aka force). Practice makes perfect! OK, Let’s Practice! ⛭ So OK, let’s practice! The official RAGBRAI site offers training advice to prospective riders; and I see that how-fast-must-I-ride is at the top of the list. There’s no set speed requirement; but as a flatlander I must always keep in mind RAGBRAI’s hills. My speed on flat ground will NOT be my speed while climbing. Tackling hills in the heat will increase my need for hydration, too. Resting during training rides? That’s OK; although I’ve always tried to keep stops to a minimum. I also work to minimize coasting. My constant aim is to build my endurance. As to length of training rides, I’m working to increase my distance on weekday rides. However, I’m aware that increasing my distances won’t necessarily build the strength I’ll need for getting up hills; and RAGBRAI means repeated hills. OK, let’s practice! The prospect of climbing is why I work on very hard efforts once or twice a week! 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 Practice Makes Perfect May 27, 2024 Hear Ye Hear Ye May 26, 2024 Do Not Repeat May 25, 2024 Not Roses May 24, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Hear Ye Hear Ye

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Hear Ye Hear Ye 🎧 “Hear ye, hear ye,” said my legs this morning. “We don’t feel fit. We don’t want to ride any 35-40 miles.” Sometimes it’s better to listen when your body starts talking like that. The trick is knowing when you’re simply not quite in the mood for a ride; and when you really need to back off. There are days when my legs start to feel a lot better after riding easily for 10 minutes; and there are days when those muscles simply won’t “snap out of it”. Today it was the latter. Not only were my legs tired and heavy; the wind was really hard to deal with.  It felt like I could hardly make any headway. So when those legs kept crying, “Hear ye, hear ye,” I finally decided to cut the ride short. Heat Index 🥵 Our heat index is taking off, which doesn’t help. There was a heat advisory posted from noon today, lasting until tomorrow evening. At 7:00 am this morning, it was already nearly 80 degrees! I did my first experiment in using my lightweight helmet liner as a cooling beanie. I learned that it doesn’t work well. As long as the liner stayed wet, it did make my head cooler. After about half an hour, the liner was too dry; and my head was getting hot. I’d need to re-wet that liner about every 30 minutes; and that’s rather impractical. When the heat index rises over 100, I need to drink my water! So I have to find other ways to keep cool. 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 Hear Ye Hear Ye May 26, 2024 Do Not Repeat May 25, 2024 Not Roses May 24, 2024 Tailor? May 23, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Do Not Repeat

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Do Not Repeat 𝄆 🍽️ 𝄇 Remind me, do not repeat yesterday’s eating pattern. I was running a bit late; and was so anxious to get out and try to see the moon over the river, that I didn’t eat before the ride. Since I planned to do 19 miles or so, I did take along an A.M. RXBar Chocolate; and I ate a GU-Gel at the turnaround point. But I don’t think it was enough, even though I didn’t feel bonkish. One of the cycling books that I have — I think it’s Ride Your Way Lean — cautions against this very thing. Trying to eat too little early in the day (even if you don’t ride), means that you’re apt to feel too hungry as the day goes on; and overeat as a result! So I must remember, do not repeat. Things to Repeat 𝄆 🚴🏿 𝄇 Naturally there are things to repeat. If you want to improve your pace, you need to make frequent efforts to ride faster than your current speed. Got a hilly ride on the calendar?  Practice riding hills; or, if you don’t have hills in your area, push hard in a hard gear. Other things to repeat: be like the Little Engine. “I think I can, I think I can.” During long rides, practice on-bike eating. As your pace and distance increase, this becomes more  critical; so it’s important to repeat the exercise often. Ant the most important thing to repeat: enjoy the ride! 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 Do Not Repeat May 25, 2024 Not Roses May 24, 2024 Tailor? May 23, 2024 Volume or Intensity? May 22, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Not Roses

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Not Roses 🌹 It’s not roses we’ll be getting from the South; but wind. Even now, it’s gusting up to 21 mph. What a shame I can’t capture that breeze to air up my tires! I’m sure we’re getting something else from the South that is not roses — plenty of Gulf moisture.  I suppose the humidity level will soon rise. I’m glad the forecast for the weekend doesn’t include rain. I can visit the salvage store tomorrow! And go for a long ride Sunday. Starting to Build 🧱 I’m starting to build now. A ride of 19 miles or so is starting to seem almost too easy; so it’s time to add some intensity. A 5-minute hard effort isn’t impossible; especially when I’ve got a tailwind! I worked to ride at least 15 mph during those efforts; and while it got hard, I wasn’t gasping for breath. Maybe those intervals were too easy? Should I have tried to pedal even harder? Or do I need to stay at my current effort level for a week or two? Coming home was different. I had a headwind then; and one-minute efforts seemed like plenty. Probably that’s the kind of work I really need to do! If you live where it’s pancake flat, pedaling hard into the wind is supposed to be good training for hills. I’m starting to build towards RAGBRAI! 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 Not Roses May 24, 2024 Tailor? May 23, 2024 Volume or Intensity? May 22, 2024 Bathtime May 21, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Tailor?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Tailor? 🪡 Gosh, I didn’t know I was a tailor! I don’t even make cycling jackets! But how else did I develop tailor’s bunions? Who knows. They only cropped up within the last month or two. I saw those bulges at the bases of both little toes; and decided to consult the podiatrist. I don’t want them to interfere with my cycling; not when I’m really starting to feel back into the swing of things! The podiatrist says we’ll just watch them for now. He says, be careful of shoe width; use corn cushions as needed; and apply topical analgesic if necessary. We’ll wait for more drastic measures until later. IF I need them.  The name “tailor’s bunions” comes from the fact that a tailor used to spend hours a day sitting cross-legged on the floor; and this caused a lot of pressure on his little toes. Then bunions were likely to develop. Day Off ☀️ The appointment with the podiatrist meant a day off from cycling; sort of. My appointment was at the crazy early hour of 7:30 am, which left little time for riding beforehand. I did go out around five o’clock for a short, easy jaunt. The forecast predicted overcast skies; but I hoped for enough of a break in the clouds for me to see the moon. No such luck, though. A day off from riding meant I could get some tasks done around here. Back home after my doctor’s visit, I prodded myself into  defrosting my chest freezer  before I could start on anything else. The association  between freezer and ice cream had me heading for the drug store afterwards for Ben & Jerry’s!      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 Tailor? May 23, 2024 Volume or Intensity? May 22, 2024 Bathtime May 21, 2024 Why Didn’t I Look? May 20, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Volume or Intensity?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Volume or Intensity? 🤔 Is volume or intensity better when training for a long-distance event? By all I’ve ever read about it, you need both; although not both of them every day. That would likely lead to overtraining; excessive fatigue; and burnout. I admit that I’ve always been a mileage hog; and in fact, it’s satisfying to watch the miles add up. Add the desire for really big rides, though, and your tactics need to change. Riding longer and longer distances doesn’t necessarily prepare you for what you might encounter during a century; much less what multi-day rides can throw your way. What kind of terrain will you encounter? How about stiff headwinds that last all day? For now, I’ve settled the volume or intensity question. Through the next month, I plan to stick to my current mileages; but work to ride them faster. Then I can start increasing the distances again. RAGBRAI Rehearsal? 💯 Is a century ride good RAGBRAI rehearsal? Maybe; maybe not. I think it depends on how soon before RAGBRAI I do that hundred-miler. If I can do a century a month before RAGBRAI and not be totally wiped out afterwards, that would be a good sign. Riding a century now wouldn’t necessarily indicate what my fitness level will be a year from now. And  how about fueling those long rides? By all accounts, there’s plenty of food along the RAGBRAI route; but doing a century in my home terrain means carrying food. Refried beans, maybe? A RAGBRAI rehearsal will let me try new foods; so I can find out what works. 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 Volume or Intensity? May 22, 2024 Bathtime May 21, 2024 Why Didn’t I Look? May 20, 2024 Doubling Back May 19, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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