SpokEasy

September 2024

Trial Run

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, equipment /

Trial Run 🏃🏽 The recent power outage was my chance to give my small, battery-powered fan a trial run. I though I would bring it along if I do RAGBRAI 2025, so I  could get a bit of breeze in the tent at night. This trial run showed me that it won’t work out well. Thursday night I set the fan going before I went to bed. Partway through the night, I woke up and discovered that the fan was off. If a set of batteries doesn’t last more than a few hours, it’s not worth it to bring that fan with me on RAGBRAI. It uses four D batteries; and I’m not about to haul along dozens of those things. They’re much too heavy!  Oh, and don’t try to tell me that the fan fiasco didn’t happen because it’s not on Strava! Another Idea 💡 Another idea is this handheld fan. It can fold, as shown in the image; so I don’t need to fnd a way to prop it up. I will, however, need a way to recharge it during the day. So I’ve got to get a charger block, too. If I use the Pork Belly Ventures charter service, I can charge up the block overnight; and then use the block to charge up the fan and other electronics during the day as I’m riding. If that will work when everything is packed up in a duffel bag! 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 Trial Run September 16, 2024 Out of Reach? September 15, 2024 Borrowing Trouble? September 14, 2024 Francine September 13, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Out of Reach?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Out of Reach? 🪜 Is my mileage goal out of reach? This past week, the weather made outdoor riding difficult; and pedaling in a trainer is SO tedious that I can’t tolerate it for long. Of course, this threw my mileage out of whack. A few weeks ago, I hoped to get  my long-term mileage total to 70K by December 31. Now I was beginning to think that this goal was out of reach. Or is it?  Long story short, I did some math today; and to meet that goal I need to average 15 miles per day. That’s quite possible! It will mean a little more time behind bars than I’ve been doing; but not a drastic increase. First Week 🗓️ It looks like the first week of my plan shouldn’t be bad weather-wise. Highs in the mid-80s are tolerable; and I usually ride rather early in the day. I have no doctor’s appointments to work around, which is a great help. I haven’t given up the idea of doing RAGBRAI; and RAGBRAI means averaging about 70 miles per day, for seven days straight. I’m quite a way off from that kind of distance. Rides of 19+ miles are becoming more frequent, though; and soon I want to push for 22 miles. If I follow the 10% rule, that’s a reasonable increase. How about improving my pace? Today I tried a few 30-60 second hard pushes; and touched 18 mph. But I sure can’t stay there for long! This is the catch to my aiming for all those miles. As a rule of thumb, they say, don’t try to increase mileage and work on speed at the same time. Well, here’s an idea. Maybe I can wait until after New Year’s to introduce serious attempts at building speed. RAGBRAI 2025 is months away, after all! 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 Out of Reach? September 15, 2024 Borrowing Trouble? September 14, 2024 Francine September 13, 2024 Hurricane Update September 11, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Borrowing Trouble?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, Food /

Borrowing Trouble? 🏦 Am I borrowing trouble? Tropical Storm Gordon is out there; and I think that he needs watching. At present, he’s heading for Hispaniola/East Cuba. If he gets past those islands without falling apart, I don’t think it’s impossible for Gordon to get into the Gulf; and if he does, who knows where he might go. We sure don’t need another hurricane. It’s only a few days since Francine blew through; and I’m in no hurry for another 36-hour power outage. Or am I borrowing trouble? I know this, the prospect of more time cooped up indoors makes me want ice cream! Or cake. Clearing Out 🧹 I’ve been busy clearing out both refrigerator and freezer; and that means I have to discard a lot of the stuff that I cooked and froze!  So, how soon should I get busy in the kitchen again? I don’t want to cook more food until I can empty and wash all the containers that had food in them; and now I’m nervous about Gordon! Why risk having to discard quarts of food again so soon? I think I can keep my cheeses; and the apples and carrots. Probably the celery, too; and I  hope the corn on the cob is all right. At least I can be sure that my ride food is all right; it wasn’t in the fridge! 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 Borrowing Trouble? September 14, 2024 Francine September 13, 2024 Hurricane Update September 11, 2024 Vanguard? September 11, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Francine

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Francine 🌀 Francine has come and gone; but fortunately for me, it wasn’t an epic disaster. Wednesday, between early afternoon and 9 pm, we had several flash flood warnings; but my neighborhood luckily didn’t suffer. I still had  electricity when I went to bed Wednesday night around 10 pm; and hoped that I wouldn’t see an outage at all. Vain hope! I woke up yesterday about 1 am; and the window unit and electric fan were both off. Possibly the cessation of their sounds was what woke me! The power outage continued until about 1:15 pm today. Coastal Louisiana got the brunt of Francine; but so far, no deaths have been reported.😮‍💨 We were lucky this time; but who knows when another monster hurricane might arrive. It’s when; not if. Passing the Time ⏱️ When the electricity is off for a prolonged period, there’s the matter of passing the time; and it’s much the opposite of being time crunched. It was rather dark in here for reading; I didn’t want to get into heavy house cleaning because I would have gotten too hot; and no “juice”means no internet and no blogging! By 11:00 am yesterday the clouds were breaking up; and I went for a walk. I was tired of being cooped up indoors; and I had heard nothing about orders to stay at home. It was great to get outside and get moving! Several hours later, I decided to go for a bicycle ride. I was going to use the hybrid; but “General Tzo” had other ideas. The rear tire went flat; and I’m not sure whether the valve got stuck open; or tore away from the tube. Either way, I can’t ride the bike. The bike shop seems to be closed today; so I couldn’t go get the tire taken care of. After the Storm ☀️ But I was keen to put in some time behind bars; and yesterday I used the road bike to do some laps around the park. This morning I went out on the levee. I didn’t do my usual mileage; but I’m getting moving again after the storm. It was a relief to get electrical power back; but I’m going to have to toss out quite lot of food! ☹️ I saw a news article that says, a lot of stores are running out of stuff. People are trying to replace lost supplies post-Francine; so I don’t know how much I’ll find at the store tomorrow! Things are crazy after the storm. It will take a while for everything to settle down again! 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 Francine September 13, 2024 Hurricane Update September 11, 2024 Vanguard? September 11, 2024 Forget the Score September 10, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Hurricane Update

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, Outdoors /

Hurricane Update 🌀 Here’s the latest hurricane update from SpokEasy. It’s now mid-afternoon; and the rain has gotten more and more heavy and steady. The wind has become stronger, too; and since about 12:40 pm, we’ve been under tornado watch. No surprise there; I was expecting it. I’m unsure when the electricity will fail; so in spite of the early hour, I already had supper. The stove here is electric; if it can’t work, I can’t heat food! I think that’s what bothers me most about this storm. No power means no Internet; and no Internet means I can’t work on this site; or get news; or watch YouTubes. I might be in for a few rather dull days!   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 #181646 September 11, 2024 Vanguard? September 11, 2024 Forget the Score September 10, 2024 Watch Out!! September 9, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Vanguard?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Vanguard? 🛡️ Well, I think the vanguard is here. Hurricane Francine’s outer rain bands seem to have reached us. It’s the kind of weather that makes me want to stay home and enjoy a Diet Coke, and forget about going out; whether on foot or on a bicycle. Residents of New Orleans are advised to be off the roads by 11:00 am; and as I type this, it’s already past 9:30. Half of me actually feels a rising urge to walk to a store; maybe to get an extra Diet Coke®. Not that I truly need anything; it’s just for the heck of getting outdoors for a while before conditions deteriorate. My other half says it’s wiser to stay indoors. The vanguard of a hurricane can be deceptive. Rain comes in spells; and sometimes it even seems like things will calm down. But beware! At some point, steady and  heavy rain sets in; along with strong wind. Substitute 😟 I’ll need a substitute for riding today; and possibly tomorrow. It’s time to set up the trainer again! What kind of “ride” shall I do? Slow and steady? How many hard pushes, if not slow and steady? And how long will I want to pedal? Or, perhaps better expressed, how long can I tolerate the tedium of “riding” in a trainer? I wish I could use my substitute ride in the trainer to charge up my emergency weather radio. I might need that radio later on, because I’m almost certain that we’ll lose electrical power. That’s what happens during hurricanes! 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 Vanguard? September 11, 2024 Forget the Score September 10, 2024 Watch Out!! September 9, 2024 Real Ride Today! September 8, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Forget the Score

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Forget the Score 🎼 Forget the score. No matter what the notes say, I’ll have to play it by ear for the next few days. There’s no point in making a plan for a ride, when I’m not even sure that weather conditions will let me ride! I was able to do what I planned yesterday; namely, some Tabata intervals. Or to be more exact, Tabata intervals my way. I did the 20 seconds hard/10 seconds coasting thing; but I can’t generate as much power as a racing cyclist in training. Moreover, I didn’t know what FTP meant, let alone what my own FTP is; and do I really need to know? Stormy Days 🌀 We’re in for some stormy days, thanks to Francine. It’s sure not the time to go out there and try to fly a drone; not even to gather weather data. This morning it was only sprinkling; and I decided to go ride the hybrid around the park a few times. Might as well get in a few miles while I can! I would have stayed out longer, but was getting too hungry for it. That’s when it’s time to forget the score. No point in letting myself bonk! Last night I put out the trash for pick-up, thinking that today was Wednesday. Well, it’s only Tuesday; and a Google search elicited the information that tomorrow’s trash pick-up is cancelled. Stormy days make weird things happen. So far not much is happening, but heavy rain is possible this afternoon and tonight; and we could have tropical storm conditions by tomorrow morning. I suppose I won’t be able to 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 Forget the Score September 10, 2024 Watch Out!! September 9, 2024 Real Ride Today! September 8, 2024 Five Minutes September 7, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Watch Out!!

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

WATCH OUT!! 👀 We’ve got to watch out now! Tropical Storm Francine is out there; and we’re apt to have tropical storm conditions, or even hurricane conditions, by the day after tomorrow. And, while Everyone Can Learn to Ride a Bicycle, it’s unwise to go out there and try to learn during a tropical storm. Indeed, we’re already under tropical storm watch. Well, one site says tropical storm watch; and another says hurricane watch. So which is it? Either way, we’ve got some rough weather on the way. I guess I’ll have to “ride” in the trainer again; and that’s not my idea of fun. Hunkering Down 😟 Hunkering down can be a major nuisance. I’m trying to think whether there’s anything I need from the store; because once weather conditions start to deteriorate, I won’t be able to get to any stores. When I was a kid, there was something exciting about heading to the supermarket as a hurricane approached; but not now. Especially while I was still working! In those years, by the time I could reach a store, the shelves were almost bare; and I’m happy to lay in emergency stores before any emergency threatens. I have enough canned goods to last a while; and a good supply of bottled water. I hope I won’t have to dig into my supply of energy bars! Today the sun is peeking in and out; so the really bad weather is probably still a little way off. But I’d better not wait too long to go out! 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 Watch Out!! September 9, 2024 Real Ride Today! September 8, 2024 Five Minutes September 7, 2024 Indoor Pros and Cons September 6, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Real Ride Today!

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Real Ride Today! 🚴🏿 I finally got to go for a real ride today! It was wonderful to be on the road bike again; and it was great to see the sun again. I hope this lasts a few days! Unfortunately a real ride today, outdoors, meant contending with headwinds; and that’s not so much fun. It was blowing at 12-15 mph; and gusts were as strong as 25 mph. Naturally, I had the headwind on the way home! Hint of Fall? 🍂 Was this morning a hint of Fall? Last night’s low temperature was about 71 — far cooler than it’s been for several months — and when I stepped outdoors, I wished I had worn arm warmers  instead of sun sleeves! Cooler weather means no heat advisories; and I was able to leave the cool rag at home. Before I know it; going for a real ride will mean hand warmers!  I surprised myself today by eating less on the bike than usual. Fuel efficiency? Or did I simply eat too much yesterday? Time will tell, I guess. Speaking of time, it looks like this hint of Fall will last a few days. We’re glad of the break from the heat! 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 Five Minutes September 7, 2024 Indoor Pros and Cons September 6, 2024 Foul Weather Bike September 5, 2024 To Ride or Not? September 4, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Five Minutes

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Five Minutes ⏱️ Five minutes. That sounds like so little time; yet those few minutes can make a huge difference! To back up a bit, we’re having another gloomy, gray, drizzly day. I thought I’d have to “ride” in the trainer again; but just before noon the sun almost came out. I looked up the hour-by-hour forecast; and it didn’t show more rain until mid-afternoon. I’m about to go stir-crazy from too little activity; so I decided to go for a ride! Again, I used the hybrid. I figured the ground would be pretty wet; and the hybrid has fenders. Train Timetables ⏱️ And sometimes I wish I could get hold of train timetables; then I would know when to expect trains. I could time my rides better, so as to avoid rail traffic. As it is, it’s a matter of chance. If only I had begun today’s ride five minutes earlier; or had ridden a bit faster! On the way home, there was a long freight train traveling the same direction I was; and it was far enough ahead of me that I couldn’t reach my crossing before it. So I had to stop and wait. Then the dratted thing stopped! I never know how long a train will sit there; and after five minutes I started a detour. I had to go some two miles out of my way just to get home. So for starting a ride a few minutes late, I spent as much as half an hour getting around a train! 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 Five Minutes September 7, 2024 Indoor Pros and Cons September 6, 2024 Foul Weather Bike September 5, 2024 To Ride or Not? September 4, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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