SpokEasy

June 2024

RAGBRAI for Seniors

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

RAGBRAI for Seniors 👵 👴🏼 RAGBRAI for seniors? You bet! Although some of us might have to pack along some Voltaren Gel! I’ve watched enough YouTubes about this event to know that RAGBRAI for seniors is very much doable. Some riders are in their 70s and beyond! Older riders might have to make adjustments to their training; but as the article says, getting older doesn’t have to mean slowing down.  How Am I Doing? 🐣 So how am I doing with my cycling? I’m no spring chicken; and there’s no point in my trying to train like a collegiate bicycle racer. I do see from my day-to-day journal that I’m not getting faster yet. I’m working to improve my pace, though; and to develop better strength. Being able to cruise on flat ground at 16-18 mph (instead of 11-12 mph) doesn’t automatically translate to better climbing ability.  I know from riding Tour de Cure that hills are my nemesis; and RAGBRAI means hills. 😬 Maybe ask me, how am I doing, about Christmas! Incidentally, I don’t have to ride across Iowa at 16 mph. But I think it’s better to be able to ride at that pace, and choose to ride more slowly; than to find myself unable to cope because I can’t get beyond 10 mph. 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 RAGBRAI for Seniors June 10, 2024 RAGBRAI and Heat June 9, 2024 Hold Your Line June 8, 2024 Carbs or Fat? June 7, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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RAGBRAI and Heat

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

RAGBRAI and Heat 🥵 When you’re hot, you’re hot! RAGBRAI and heat seem to go together; or at least they did last year! So, how do you prepare for it? Here are some helpful hints. Riding in hot weather is the default here, sometimes starting as early as March. I usually try to begin a ride by 7:00 am; earlier if I plan to ride more than 20 miles. Prepping for RAGBRAI by riding in the heat of the day might be better left until next Spring. Whatever conditioning I develop over this Summer will fade during Winter. I just must remember, RAGBRAI and heat go together! I wish I had a shady path to ride; but I don’t. I use a hydration pack so I can carry lots of water; plus I carry a bottle of electrolyte drink, such as Propel. What else can I do to beat the heat? Heat Begone! 🧊 Yes, PLEASE, heat begone! It was well into the 80s by the time I finished today’s ride; and it wasn’t even 10:00 am! A Mission Cooling Neck Gaiter sounds great. Just get it wet to activate it! You can wear it a dozen different ways; and it provides SPF 50 protection. The cooling towel that I have ought to work in similar fashion; and I must try it soon. I don’t have one of those neck gaiters; but I do have sun sleeves. And more on order! Sun sleeves keep your arms cooler once they get damp; and when you wear them, you needn’t apply sunblock! Sunblock is expensive; and I’m tired of going through it like crazy! In similar vein, I’ve ordered full-length leg sleeves. I’ve got an idea that the black ones will get too hot; but the only way to find out is to try them. Worried about looking crazy with all those sun-protection items on? I don’t care if it looks crazy; I want to find ways to keep cooler. Heat, begone, I say! And, I want to find out what works for me long before I try heading for Iowa. 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 RAGBRAI and Heat June 9, 2024 Hold Your Line June 8, 2024 Carbs or Fat? June 7, 2024 It’s Not the Distance June 6, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Hold Your Line

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Hold Your Line 🛣️ It’s important to hold your line when riding around other cyclists. The faster the pace; and/or the larger the group, the more vital this is. Take RAGBRAI. There are tens of thousands of riders on the road at one time. I’d be surrounded by other people on bikes; and on top of that, I can’t always hold my line all that well. The slower the pace, the harder it is! I think that’s because a lighter (aka easier) gear has me spinning my legs faster; it seems to be instinctive. A slower pace also means less gyroscopic effect. Then, when I ride one-handed while I reach for my water bottle, I start swerving all over the place! I’m looking around for a cycling group, so I can get some practice riding with others. Even that probably won’t properly prepare me for rolling amongst thousands of other riders; but it will be better than nothing. Bring out the Camel-Bak! 🐪 I bring out the Camel-Bak for long rides; and I’d use it for RAGBRAI, too. Mine has a 3-liter reservoir; but with frequent opportunities for replenishing water bottles and the like, I might not need to fill it all the way. That’s less of load on my back, and some room for other stuff; e.g. tubes of Chamois Butt’r and sunblock! Having that drinking tube to grab is easier than having to reach downwards for a bottle; so let’s bring out the Camel-Bak. But let’s not forget, I’ll still need electrolyte drink. I sip at my BioSteel (or whatever I’m using that ride) less often than I do water; but I still need a gulp of the stuff quite frequently. Oh, well. If I need to, I can holler, “Rider off!”; pull to the side; and get my drink. Then I’ll have to watch for an opening before I call, “Rider on!” and ease my way back into the pack. 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 #172445 June 8, 2024 Carbs or Fat? June 7, 2024 It’s Not the Distance June 6, 2024 Ready for the Range June 5, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Carbs or Fat?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Carbs or Fat? 🥯 🧈 Do I burn more carbs or fat when I ride? Good question; although I know that I seldom or never take along Laughing Cow on a ride. Especially not in this heat! I suppose you could answer the carb/fat question by some kind of sophisticated (and expensive!) lab test. For most of us, we have to rely on deduction. By all I’ve read, cycling burns both carbs and fat. The percentage of each burned depends on intensity. The higher the intensity, the faster you’ll burn through your body’s glycogen (aka carb) stores. But how hard must you ride to deplete your body’s carb stores? Your maximum heart rate?  My cyclecomputer tells me that I spend much of my riding time in Zones 3 (steady/tempo) and 4 (brisk). During hard efforts, I’ll get into Zone 5 (max) briefly. So, am I burning carbs, or fat?  Fat Burning Zone 🔥 I guess we’ve all heard about the “fat burning zone”. Supposedly some riders think they must maintain a slow, steady pace in order to burn fat; especially if they’re interested in losing weight. Ride Your Way Lean explains that the important thing for losing weight through cycling is to burn calories. I personally don’t fret over the fat burning zone. Staying in my aerobic, “fat-burning” heart-rate zone means riding more slowly than I want to; and that drives me crazy. Besides, if I don’t make deliberate efforts to ride faster, I won’t get faster! 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 #172388 June 7, 2024 It’s Not the Distance June 6, 2024 Ready for the Range June 5, 2024 Endurance June 4, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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It’s Not the Distance

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

It’s Not the Distance 🏃🏻‍♂️ Sometimes it’s not the distance that gets you. Depending on road conditions, a ride of under 7 miles can seem like a breeze; or an exhausting ordeal. Yesterday it was the latter. The bike shop that I visited doesn’t open until 10:00 am; and by then there’s more traffic. On the way there I had to ride over some horribly rough street surfaces; and both sides were parked up with cars. One of the streets I rode does have sharrows; but I don’t enjoy them. It added up to a very tiring trek! And a rather slow one, too. It took me almost an hour to ride less than 7 miles! I don’t dare get up any real speed when I’m riding close to parked cars, for fear of getting doored. That’s why I say it’s not the distance that wears you out every time. The reason I didn’t leave this errand until Saturday is, they’re busier at the shop on weekends. In addition, I typically go to the salvage store on Saturday mornings. Mission Accomplished 🏁 At least it’s “mission accompished” as far as my bicycle saddle goes. I should’t need to replace it again for five years or so; and that’s cause for rejoicing. It’s not that I don’t like that bike shop. Getting to it is what I don’t like. Incidentally, this particular bike shop has a penny-farthing hanging from the ceiling. It’s amazing how big one of those bikes is! Some RAGBRAI riders do it on a penny-farthing. When they reach the Mississippi River at the end of the ride, it sure must feel like Mission Accomplished! 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 It’s Not the Distance June 6, 2024 Ready for the Range June 5, 2024 Endurance June 4, 2024 A-OK June 3, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Ready for the Range

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Ready for the Range 🤠 I feel ready for the range with my road bike’s brand-new saddle. It had bought one at a local bike shop; and I thought it was due for replacement. The covering was rubbed off near the nose; and the top surface looked slightly rumpled.  I don’t remember when I bought that saddle; but I guess it was around 2018. It was before Hurricane Ida, that’s certain. I figured the wearing process would only continue; and I didn’t want to end up with a saddle so battered that I couldn’t ride the bike! A new saddle needs some time to break in, too; so don’t get a new one when you’ve got a big ride coming up in a few days. You’ll want to be ready for the range, so to speak. Worth It 🤑 A good-quality bicycle saddle is worth it; whether you’re planning epic rides, or merely trekking around the neighborhood. Just be sure your saddle is the correct height; and be sure it supports your sit bones. (I had kept the product card from my saddle; and I took it along so I could get the exact same model.) Another good rule of thumb is, the top surface of your saddle should be level.  The bike shop I visited today charged a modest $5.00 to install my new saddle; and I took my bike for a turn around their parking lot before heading home. The saddle seemed fine then; but after about five miles, it began to feel like the nose was tilted up just a tad too much. I’ll see how it goes for the next few days; and if it still doesn’t seem right, my usual bike shop — they don’t carry this kind of saddle, or I’d have bought the new one there — can adjust it for  me. It’s worth it to be able to ride in comfort!   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 Ready for the Range June 5, 2024 Endurance June 4, 2024 A-OK June 3, 2024 Gut Test June 2, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Endurance

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Endurance 😮‍💨 You call this endurance? Endurance is something most of us cyclists strive for; especially if our interests lean towards long-distance rides. The word, however, can mean different things. There’s the endurance required for long, moderately-paced events, which is aerobic endurance. It’s all very well to develop a large base of such fitness; but the trouble is that it doesn’t prepare you for anaerobic efforts. No matter how long I can ride on flat ground, or how fast; hills not only slow me down a lot, but the extra effort needed to climb exhausts me in no time. I became acutely aware of that while riding Tour de Cure through hilly terrain. I didn’t live near the TdC course; and the weekly training rides weren’t enough for me to develop proper climbing legs! Working Up 🏋🏻 Many a book and website say, you’ve got to train both your aerobic and anaerobic systems. Yes, you need to be able to ride long miles; but exclusive focus on long, moderate rides won’t develop the force you’ll need for hills. Force development, I admit, isn’t fun. It means very hard efforts that have me gasping for breath; and convince me that mountain biking at altitude isn’t for me. But I’m working up to longer and longer efforts. There’s no great hurry at this point; and I’d rather get into stuff like this slowly and carefully. These two ways of training develop both your slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. The former are at work during those long, moderate efforts. Need to get over a hill? That’s when you need trained fast-twitch muscles! 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 Endurance June 4, 2024 A-OK June 3, 2024 Gut Test June 2, 2024 Let’s Take Off! June 1, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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A-OK

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

A-OK 👍 The gut test went A-OK! I felt minimal discomfort at one point; but nothing like nausea. So I’d say it was a success. Today’s experiment brings up a good point: how long before a ride to eat; and what to eat. Get Fast! includes a discussion of this. What to eat; when; and how much, varies depending on the planned workout. Short and easy? You can chow down as you’re pulling on your cycling clothes. Long and hard? Eat a good meal three hours or so before riding, so your food can digest. About half an hour before starting, have a small snack, such as a fig bar or two. Another gut test in a few weeks will let me try having a larger meal than I did this morning; and we’ll see how that goes. It’ll be A-OK, I hope! Short and Easy? 😴 Was this morning’s ride short and easy? Depends on how you define it. I rode 19.60 miles; with a roll time of 1:44:42; and an average speed of  11.25 mph. On the surface, that looks pretty casual. It wasn’t exactly a beautiful ride, though, because the sky was overcast! Today I did pace work: three efforts of 6 minutes each, trying to hold to 15 mph or over; and 4 minutes between efforts. I was pretty tired by the last effort! But to develop a better pace, you need to gradually do longer and longer efforts; with shorter recovery times in between. Incidentally, I was passed by a paceline of about eight riders. They were flying; and made me feel mighty lame. 🐌 Tomorrow I’ll just ride; and the next day I plan to work on force-development exercises. I remember too well my participation in Tours de Cure on a course that included hills. I was always frustrated to discover that the training I did never was adequate for those climbs. If I ride RAGBRAI, I want to do better than that. Because this much is certain: RAGBRAI isn’t short and easy! 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 A-OK June 3, 2024 Gut Test June 2, 2024 Let’s Take Off! June 1, 2024 It’s Easier! May 31, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Gut Test

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Gut Test 🌮 It’s time for a gut test! My usual pre-ride snack is a banana with a tablespoon or two of peanut butter; but I need to know how my stomach will react to riding right after a heavier — and stronger flavored — meal.  Video after video of RAGBRAI mentions all the food along the way: sweet corn dipped in melted butter; home-made ice cream; pork chops; and pie, pie, and yet more pie. (Ragpie, I always say! 😉) How will I manage if my gut is stuffed when I’ve got hills to climb? Hence the need for the gut test. I’ve got the gut test all lined up. Today I went to a nearby pizza restaurant; and got a take-out calzone. Those calzones are huge, and I cut mine in three; ate one piece; and put the rest in the fridge. Tomorrow I can eat another piece of calzone right before I ride. We’ll see how I feel when I’m pushing the pace. Moderation 😋 Dietary moderation during RAGBRAI won’t be easy with so many tantalizing offerings along the way. It would be very tempting to try all I can on the first day, to be sure I don’t miss anything; because how can I be sure of being able to return for subsequent RAGBRAIs? But I don’t need to stuff myself like that, or I’ll be miserable on the bike. My idea is to try one thing each day: Beekman’s Ice Cream the first day; Mr. Pork Chop the next; and so on. I can carry a piece of aluminum foil for wrapping that chop, because I’ve got an idea that it will be too big for me to eat all at once! I recently found an online RAGBRAI article that does address the issue of fueling during the ride. It says, pace your eating; you don’t want or need to be riding on an overloaded stomach. At the same time, riding all day burns lots of calories; and that means eating to keep going. It’ll be hard to draw the line between enough, and too much! 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 Gut Test June 2, 2024 Let’s Take Off! June 1, 2024 It’s Easier! May 31, 2024 Early Is Wise May 30, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Let’s Take Off!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Let’s Take Off! ✈️ Let’s take off … no, not into the wild blue yonder. Nor for a two-wheeled journey around the globe. But let’s take off from cycling for a day. We all need a rest day now and then; and I didn’t take any days off last month because of the Love to Ride challenge. Naturally I’m rather tired now; and it looks like tomorrow will be a good day for skipping the ride, anyway. Rain and T-storms are in the forecast again; but Monday should be sunny. It’s nice to know I can do my weekly long ride on a weekday if I can’t ride on Sunday. Unfortunately it will be just as hot on weekdays as as on Sundays; and my ride food, whether Power Crunch bars or something else, will get melted. 🫠 It makes even me wish for cold weather! 🥶 What to Do? 🤔 Well, what to do tomorrow if I’m not riding? If I were a coffee drinker, I could sit outside and enjoy a cup of “joe“. If it’s not pouring; and if the lightning keeps its distance. I can view some more videos about RAGBRAI. I have a page (not linked to this website) where I’m keeping notes about what I’d need to bring to RAGBRAI; how much cash I’ll have to take with me; training; and so on. The more rider accounts I listen to, the better, because I have a lot to learn. If I don’t need to get up at 6 am to ride, I can sleep in for a change. 😴 Otherwise, what to do? Get some housework taken care of, for one thing. 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 Let’s Take Off! June 1, 2024 It’s Easier! May 31, 2024 Early Is Wise May 30, 2024 Saddle Up! May 29, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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