SpokEasy

November 2024

Winter Wheelers

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Winter Wheelers ☃️ 🚴🏿 Hold on, there! I said, Winter Wheelers; not cross-country skiing. Not that there’s anything wrong with cross-country skiing; but here in New Orleans, it’s impossible. It’s rare for us to get snow at all; let alone enough of the white stuff for long enough to make having skis practical. So Winter Wheelers it shall be; at least, for me. This is another of Love to Ride’s  one-month challenges; and I hope the weather is cooperative enough for me to ride daily. It looks like tomorrow won’t be bad; so I can get off to a good start. What Shall I Wear? 🧥🧤 What shall I wear for Winter Wheelers? If anything, correct clothing choices are more important in cold weather than in the heat. There’s layering, of course; and there’s quite an array of Winter clothing to choose from. The question is always, how many layers? Will one more make me too hot? Suppose I’m too cold if I don’t add that extra layer? That’s especially important if you expect your ride to last all day; and you won’t be able to detour to your home for additional clothes. The worst thing about cold-weather riding, aside from a chronically runny nose, is: cold hands and cold feet. I ought to put Rabbitroom Electric Heated Gloves on my Christmas wish list. If they aren’t too big for me, that is. I’d rather be able to get something like that from a brick-and-mortar store, where I can try them on before buying. We’ve got to get through Winter — and cold weather — before Spring. Then we’ll be right back to complaining about 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 ✍🏻 Winter Wheelers November 30, 2024 Harbinger of Winter November 29, 2024 Day of Doom? November 28, 2024 Anytime Anywhere November 27, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Harbinger of Winter

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

Harbinger of Winter ❄️ Today seemed to be a harbinger of Winter. Soon I’ll need to haul out the hand warmers and warm socks.  The temperature this morning wasn’t really terribly cold; about 51 degrees. The wind, however, made it seem much colder! It was blowing at 15 mph; and gusts were up to 23 mph. Those gusts made it feel like my bicycle was skidding sideways; even though the path was dry. Fighting the wind like that causes me to grip my handlebars more tightly; and at one point I had to remind myself to loosen up because my hands were on the verge of numbness Bundle Up! 🧥 It’s a nuisance to have to bundle up for a ride. You want enough layers to keep you warm; but not so many that you’ll overheat. There seems to be a fine line between the two! The usual advice is that underdressing a little is better than overdressing; but if you go with the former, take along an extra layer in case something forces you to interrupt your ride. Wearing more layers means that I have more pockets; and sometimes I forget what I’ve put into which pocket. When I need to bundle up, it takes longer to prepare for a ride. If I do start to feel too warm during the ride, I’m in a rather tight spot. My Camel-Bak pockets are often stuffed with a cable lock; a tube of Chamois Butt’r; and bathroom tissue. There’s not much room to add clothes. So if I start to feel a little over-warm, I just put up with it. I hope today’s harbinger of Winter doesn’t prophesy weather so bad that we can’t ride. Day after tomorrow begins Winter Wheelers! 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 ✍🏻 Harbinger of Winter November 29, 2024 Day of Doom? November 28, 2024 Anytime Anywhere November 27, 2024 Wet Turkey November 26, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Day of Doom?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, Food /

Day of Doom? 😱 Day of doom? Thanksgiving?? Any holiday can seem like a day of doom to someone who has dietary restrictions. Holidays are typically laden with goodies (such as these Deep-Dark Sea-Salt Alter Eco Truffles!); and when you’re cursed with a gigantic sweet tooth like mine, it can be hard to resist them. Especially when you’re in a gathering with friends and family, where it’s difficult or impossible to have control over what foods are around. That’s why I actually prefer to enjoy such days at home, where there won’t be pies; cakes; and so on right under my nose to tempt me. Weather ☀️⛈️   As far as weather goes, today hasn’t been the day of doom that the forecast seemed to predict. Not so far, anyway; and I was able to enjoy some life behind bars this morning. After a detour to a grocery store to get a cabbage, I headed to the park to ride some laps. Most of the time it was cloudy; and I got  home just before a burst of drizzle. I thought, of course, that it was about to start storming; but now, four or five hours later, that hasn’t happened. I got home hungry; and went right to work preparing my Thanksgiving feast! Basically, it was a big salad: a large fistful of an iceberg lettuce blend; 5 oz of canned chicken; avocado slices; chopped tomato; sliced olives; with a drizzle of garlic aioli and a squeeze of lemon juice. On the side, I had sweet potato-cauliflower mash with a little cranberry sauce. Dessert was a little 72% chocolate and some cashews. Soon I must make a garbage soup, and get few containers out of the freezer. Tomorrow might be a good day for it. The weather is supposed to turn chilly! 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 ✍🏻 Day of Doom? November 28, 2024 Anytime Anywhere November 27, 2024 Wet Turkey November 26, 2024 Empty Headed November 25, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Anytime Anywhere

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Anytime Anywhere ⏰ ↷ Some things can strike anytime, anywhere. The Bonk, for instance. This morning I think I may have been approaching it, even though I did a shorter ride. Some days I’m simply not in the mood for peanut butter and banana; so I ate a protein bar (not a Bonk Breaker, though). This particular bar didn’t have any fewer calories than PB and banana; and in fact, it was a few more calories! Just to be on the safe side, I cut up a small protein bar to take along; and it’s a good thing I did. Apparently a protein bar doesn’t fill me up the way PB and banana does! I needed to eat part of the bar I took along; which shows that the bonk can strike anytime, anywhere.  I did some rather intense intervals; was that the cause? Un-Black Friday? ⚫️ I call the day after Thanksgiving Un-Black Friday, because I avoid the Black Friday madness. In fact, I’ve heard horror stories of bargain hunters getting badly injured — even crushed to death — in the stampedes. Who needs that? I’d rather be out for a bicycle ride than fighting crowds for the “best deals”. When I do go shopping, a my set of panniers is very useful. They can carry quite a lot, whether it’s Un-Black Friday or not; and are useful anytime, anywhere. Like if you undertake a bicycle tour! But tomorrow is Thanksgiving; and I hope it isn’t raining when I go out to ride. As so often happens, the forecast keeps changing; and forecast or not, we never know what the weather will 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 ✍🏻 Anytime Anywhere November 27, 2024 Wet Turkey November 26, 2024 Empty Headed November 25, 2024 Every Little Bit November 24, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Wet Turkey

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Wet Turkey 🦃 It’s going to be a wet turkey day, I think. The forecast predicts rain and even T-storms. I’m not sure how well the Mediterranean Diet would go with the typical Thanksgiving Day dinner. I’m not all that familiar with the diet; but it looks like turkey doesn’t fit into it very well! But I like legumes and veggies and fruit; and I suppose that hummus is part of the Mediterranean diet. Speaking of turkeys, a wet turkey is something you don’t want if you’re raising the birds. From what I’ve heard, they literally don’t have the sense to come in out of the rain. Then they’re apt to get sick and die. Ride Anyway? 🚲 If it’s raining Thursday morning, shall I ride anyway? As usual, that depends on how hard it’s raining; and whether there’s lightning. I’d use the hybrid, because it has fenders; and wear rain gear unless there’s just a light sprinkle. We’ll see how things are Thursday morning. After Thanksgiving the weather is supposed to turn cooler. It’s more than high time it did; but I must say, I don’t enjoy battling a stiff, cold wind while I’m riding a bicycle! Question: Say, how fast can a wet turkey (or a dry one) run? Answer: A wild turkey can reach 25 mph in short spurts; so I don’t think I’d do very well trying to race one! A now-defunct local grocery store used to have large paper bags (before plastic grocery bags took over) in November, showing an image of somebody wielding a hatchet overhead while chasing after a turkey. Did they ever catch it, I wonder? 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 ✍🏻 Wet Turkey November 26, 2024 Empty Headed November 25, 2024 Every Little Bit November 24, 2024 Cotton Tale? November 23, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Empty Headed

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Empty Headed 🥴 I sure feel empty headed sometimes. It almost makes me wonder why I protect my head when it seems like nothing’s in it! If only getting a new idea were as easy as the illustration at left! In part, I’m spending too much time viewing YouTubes. Since I began serious work on my diet, I’ve drifted back into watching episodes of My 600-lb Life; maybe partly for inspiration. But thank goodness I’ve never had such a serious weight problem as the unfortunate people featured in these films. Watching videos is actually a rather mindless activity; so no wonder I feel empty headed. I hope that a good ride tomorrow morning will wake me up again! It looks like the weather will be good for it.  Maybe I’ll shoot for 22 miles; and even throw in some hard efforts. I’ve been VERY lax about them for the past two months; and I need to stop being so lazy. Lucky? 🍀 With prediabetes hanging over me, I need to be careful to keep both diet and weight under control. Maybe I’m lucky; once I make up my mind to lose some weight, I seem to be able to do it quite easily. The flip side of that coin is, I also gain it back easily! Having an outsized appetite for sweets doesn’t help; but I’m working to control that. I can’t get empty headed about my eating; I need to keep watch all the time. Unfortunately I’m apt to reach a point where I wear out; and then I can easily fall off the wagon.  It’s so hard to be good all the time, as anyone knows who has tried to change dietary habits. Some of it is the same as on-bike eating: don’t wait to eat until you’re starving. At that point, anything goes! 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 ✍🏻 Empty Headed November 25, 2024 Every Little Bit November 24, 2024 Cotton Tale? November 23, 2024 Cold Turkey? November 22, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Every Little Bit

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Training /

Every Little Bit 📏 They say that every little bit helps; whether it’s easing goodies out of your diet, or extending your mileage. Or increasing the weight you lift if you do off-bike strength training! Today I added a mile or so to my ride for a total of 23.1 miles. That wasn’t a major increase; but every little bit helps! I wonder, am I ready to add a 30-miler once a week? Today’s ride was quite poky; my average speed was less than 11 mph. I’m not quick as a bunny! Not yet, anyway! But rides of 22-23 miles at a rather casual pace don’t leave me gasping for breath at the end; so going for 30 miles shouldn’t be a major undertaking. RAGBRAI? 🌽 Is RAGBRAI possible? I’m still interested; but I must admit that I seem to have run out of options for getting to and from Iowa with a small group of riders. Traveling there by air will be frightfully costly; and going by Amtrack will mean a long trip in a swaying passenger car. My head doesn’t like that sort of thing! All the same, I’ve bought a few things that I’d need on RAGBRAI. I got an air mattress similar to the HiiPeak Sleeping Pad shown at left; and I got a cooling rag, too. In fact, I tried it out during that extremely hot spell in July/August; and it really helps.  Every little bit helps when you’re aiming for a mileage goal; and maybe I’ll ride to Whole Foods tomorrow. Or shall I wait for Saturday, and skip the salvage store? 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 ✍🏻 Every Little Bit November 24, 2024 Cotton Tale? November 23, 2024 Cold Turkey? November 22, 2024 Thermal Shock November 21, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Cotton Tale?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Cotton Tale? 🐇 Have you ever heard a cotton tale? Here’s mine: when I was six or seven years old, my father raised a few cotton plants in his backyard garden. I think it was so that we kids could see what growing cotton plants looked like; because it was a one-time thing. Daddy preferred to grow tomatoes that he could eat! Of course it wasn’t nearly enough of a crop to make a T-shirt; and as I discovered, it’s hard to separate the cotton from its seed without tearing it apart. It really makes me respect the folks who had to “seed” an entire cotton crop by hand! This morning I came up with another cotton tale — I mean, a cotton tail. On the way to the salvage store, I saw a rabbit running along; and that white tail was very visible! But Don’t Wear Cotton! 🎽 But don’t wear cotton for riding, they say. It absorbs perspiration; and then doesn’t dry out. That’s not what you want on a cold day; especially if you intend to include hard efforts. Sure, you’ll get heated up during those efforts; but when you slow down, you’ll quickly begin to feel the chill. I’m not feeling much of that just yet. This morning was chilly; but over the next few days it will warm up again. As usual, Winter is taking its time coming in! Even so, I’m hauling out the cold-weather wardrobe! I’ll want to keep it handy for when it really does get cold. 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 ✍🏻 Cotton Tale? November 23, 2024 Cold Turkey? November 22, 2024 Thermal Shock November 21, 2024 Cold Shock November 20, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Cold Turkey?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Cold Turkey? 🦃 It looks like Thanksgiving Day won’t be “cold turkey”. The weather will be warming up again; and for next Thursday there’s a chance of rain besides. I hope the rain waits until afternoon, so I can go for a ride first. I’ve been working on my diet. The smart watch shown at left won’t help me to cut out sweets cold turkey; but it can do a lot of other things! You can track your heart rate; keep track of time; and so on. Bluetooth connectivity, too. Unfortunately this smart watch doesn’t seem to be for cycling; but some of us swim or go for runs, in addition to riding a bike. If It Rains 🌧️ Getting back to the weather for Thanksgiving, what shall I do if it rains? Stay home and eat ice cream? Like Butter Pecan and Cookie Dough? Obviously, I should avoid ice cream on a prediabetic diet; but I still love it! It isn’t that I don’t know how to ride in the rain, but I don’t enjoy it; and I’ll have to get out a new poncho. The one I’ve been using for years got a big tear in it a few days ago; and it’s hit the trash bin.  If it rains on my ride, I’ll feel colder; especially if it’s windy. But I hope I don’t end up feeling like cold turkey! 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 ✍🏻 Cold Turkey? November 22, 2024 Thermal Shock November 21, 2024 Cold Shock November 20, 2024 Front? November 19, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Thermal Shock

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Thermal Shock 🥵 How long will it be, before thermal shock returns? We just got some cold shock; but I know that it might be of brief duration. It could well be in the 80s on Christmas Day! Riding in cold weather certainly has its downside. My nose runs like crazy; and if it’s windy, of course the temperature feels even colder. The upside is that I’m mostly covered; and need sunblock only on my face. I’m glad our brand of thermal shock is nothing like that of Herculaneum. The victims, they say, probably never knew what hit them. But it’s bad enough when you’re out on a bicycle; and the heat index is 100+ degrees! Storm Protection? 🌀 Maybe a good cold front or two will act as storm protection; and push away any further potential hurricanes. If so, being chilly will be worth it. Speaking of weather, it might be fun to track temperature, barometric pressure, and so on with a Fischer Sheraton Weather Station! Early today I rode laps around the park. All morning the wind was 13-14 mph; with gusts as high as 26 mph! I decided to get in some miles on the road bike while avoiding the worst of the wind. It was the lazy way; but I wanted to ride over to Walmart later in the morning. I knew that I’d get the full brunt of the wind then. And I was right. For part of the way, I could barely ride at 5 mph in my granny gear! It looks like the wind won’t be nearly as strong tomorrow. Good thing; I want to get out there and do a good 22 miles! 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 ✍🏻 Thermal Shock November 21, 2024 Cold Shock November 20, 2024 Front? November 19, 2024 Cop-Out? November 18, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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