SpokEasy

SpokEasy

April 2025

Stacks

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Stacks 🥞 We’ve all got stacks of things in our lives; and wouldn’t it be nice if that could mean piles of ice cream! Unfortunately those stacks are usually much more mundane: a heap of laundry to be washed; and a big pile of dishes in the kitchen sink! I enjoy riding; and it’s a satisfaction to see those stacks of miles in my ride log. Sometimes I have to rein myself in a bit; and remember what they say about big miles. Steadily increasing the distance week after week, with no letup, can lead to burnout; or, worse, overuse injuries. Or, worst of all, loss of interest. Three out of the past four weeks, I’ve put in over 100 miles. In fact, this past week I rode almost 155 miles; and that was a big increase! I think it’s time to ease up for a week. Ease Up! 😌 It’s OK to ease up sometimes; this isn’t boot camp, after all. And sometimes, when you ease up for a while, you’ll come back even stronger! A break after riding stacks of miles lets your muscles recover; and also gives your mind a rest. It can also be a time to focus on other aspects of your training, such as resistance work for the arms and upper body. And don’t forget core work! Not that I never do such exercises except during lower-mileage  weeks; I have to keep them going as a regular thing. It looks like we’ll have nice weather all week. If I didn’t see that it would be wise to give myself a break, this would be a great time to put in stacks of 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 Stacks April 13, 2025 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Trampoline? April 11, 2025 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Horning In?

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

Horning In? 📯 As a rule, horning in is something we don’t want. It can be most annoying; but this morning was a time when it was nice. I went for a short, early ride to get my moonlight-on-the-river fix; and heard an owl. I’ve heard that kind of hooter before; but didn’t know what kind of owl it was. It didn’t sound quite like a barred owl; and it certainly wasn’t a screech owl. I finally googled “hear Louisiana owls”; and now I’m sure that I heard a great horned owl. For some reason, I thought we didn’t have them here; but evidently we do! Sometimes horning in is actually a good thing. Mornings are still cool; but when I’m out before dawn, I see flying insects. It’s getting buggy! Getting Buggy 🪲 🦟 Now that it’s getting buggy, eyewear for cycling is a good idea; and would be even if you don’t need visual correction. It’s not fun to have a gnat or tiny moth land in your eye; and a corneal abrasion is no joke! ROCKBROS Photochromatic Bike Glasses mean that you don’t need to bother with both a pair of clear lenses; and a pair of sunglasses. No having to stop when you want to swap from clear lenses to dark ones. And my Ray-Ban Sunglasses, I eventually discovered, are too wide for my face. I was riding over a very bumpy street surface; and with each bump those glasses went flying. I had to continually grab them to shove them back on my nose; and after that, I used a retainer. But the catch is, I had to take my helmet off in order to take that sunglasses-retainer combo off! The next time I had an eye exam, I opted for a pair of new glasses with photochromatic lenses. It’s great to have only one pair of optics to deal with! 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 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Trampoline? April 11, 2025 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Delays April 9, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Trampoline?

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Trampoline? 📏 What ever put a trampoline into my mind? This isn’t a gym, after all. This morning I went for my bike fitting; and the fitter said my saddle was too high by a good centimeter. So he lowered it; and that got me to thinking of the seat drop. No wonder I’ve got the trampoline on my mind! Now I’m to ride as usual for about two weeks; and call the fitter if things seem “off.” When I rode home post-fitting, it did seem that my legs were moving in smaller circles than usual. Was that the adjustment in saddle height; or the effect of a tailwind? Which reminds me, I’ve got to check the weather outlook! Weather Outlook ☀️ The weather outlook for the upcoming week looks good; so I won’t have to resort to bouncing on an indoor trampoline. But this morning the wind felt pretty stiff! I had a headwind of some 13 mph on the way out; and I practiced riding hard against it for a minute at a time. Bit by bit I’ll increase that time; I’m pretty sure there will be longer climbs that on RAGBRAI. As the ride date approaches, I’ll start checking the weather outlook for Iowa. Then I’ll have some idea of what I can expect. Incidentally, I missed the moon this morning. Either it was already down; or clouds near the horizon obscured it. But maybe I can do an early, short ride tomorrow; and I hope to see it then! 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 #197445 April 11, 2025 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Delays April 9, 2025 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Jump Start

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Jump Start 🌅 I’ll really need a jump start tomorrow morning if I’m to get in a 20-mile ride. Maybe a Power Crunch bar would help me get going? I’ve gotten my bike fitting set for 10:30 am tomorrow; and I’d rather put in the miles beforehand. If any changes are made, a long ride immediately afterwards isn’t the best idea. Not that 20 miles is all that long to me any more! But your body needs shorter rides for a few days to adapt to any tweaks to the bike. A jump start to the day will let me see the almost-full moon; and I won’t have to worry much about hurrying to get home. All the same, I plan to do some force work; I haven’t done any yet this week. Perhaps better, I can work at simulating a 7% grade. I need to be able to keep at that effort level for more than 12 seconds! Some of the RAGBRAI climbs will be that steep; and they might be long. RAGBRAI Climbs 🚵🏽  I’m very glad the RAGBRAI climbs this year are mostly pretty tame; but I still have to train for them. Unfortunately it’s tricky to gauge the effort level needed for effective hill simulation! It’s a good thing I have three months left to work on it. That’s about more than legs; it’s also about CV fitness, too. When I check my Garmin after a ride, I see that I’m spending less time in the upper heart-rate zones than I used to. I’m not sure whether that indicates improved fitness; or shows that I’m not working as hard as I was before now. Maybe it’s some of both. It might be a good idea to forget about speed per se for a bit; and concentrate on strength development. I’ll need it for those RAGBRAI climbs, after all. Now, how can I jump start improved “hill” training? 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 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Delays April 9, 2025 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Delays

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Delays 🙄 Delays are an aggravating part of life. Sometimes it’s stop signs and detours when you’re in a hurry; and sometimes it’s an unplanned rescheduling. The latter is the case with my bike fit. The bike shop called today. They said, the person who was supposed to do my bike fit, isn’t available at that time slot, after all. Now I have to wait for them to call me back so I can arrange for a new time slot. Delays, delays! But I can still ride while I wait for the bike fit. I must say, though, this week’s ride log looks like a taper! Taper? 🕯️ The taper, in this case, isn’t a candle. It’s an important part of training, whether your upcoming event is a big race; a century; or RAGBRAI. By all I’ve read, when there’s one week to go before event day, it’s too late to train. Tapering means reducing distance considerably for about a week prior to the event; but keeping some intensity going. RAGBRAI is several months away; but all the same, my log ride for this week looks like a taper. Monday, I rode 40+ miles; the next day, a little over 30 miles. Today, I did only 20.5; but actually, 20 miles is what I had in mind for most weekday rides. I keep thinking of this video about training for RAGBRAI, where it suggests doing back-to-back long rides (~6: 57); and see how you manage it. That’s what I’m working up to. I might not be quite ready for 40-mile rides two days in a row; but last May these rides were 20-22 miles. But I don’t need too many delays in ramping up my mileage. RAGBRAI is only about three months away! 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 Delays April 9, 2025 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Visit the Tailor

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Visit the Tailor 🪡 I’ve decided it’s time to visit the tailor, so to speak: with RAGBRAI on the horizon, I want a bike fit. That’s nothing like making my own cycling jacket, even if I could get that kind of fabric; so I need to see an expert. It’s important that your bicycle fits you; don’t force yourself to fit the bike. It won’t be my first bike fit. About 10 years ago, I had my first fitting; something called Specialized Body Geometry. Then, perhaps five years ago, I went for a re-fit. That time, the fitter used Retül. I was surprised when they lowered my saddle a bit; but they said I have good hip flexion; and that a slightly lower saddle would help me make better use of it. I feel very comfortable on my road bike; but when I’ll be riding an average of 58 miles every day; for seven days straight; I think it’s time to visit the tailor. Doing it now will give me ample time to adapt to any adjustments made. Adjustments 🚴🏿 So I’ve made an appointment for a bike fitting; and it means making some adjustments to my plan for this week’s riding. Sometimes I feel like I’m twisting myself into a pretzel! I was hoping to the visit the tailor tomorrow; with just an easy ride to and from the fitting. As it turns out, I got a slot for day after tomorrow. So I’ll do a ride tomorrow, maybe 20 miles or so; then make Thursday short and easy. Maybe some cadence drills would be in order; but when you’re training, it’s not wise to do long and/or hard rides too many days in a row. Today I rode 30.2 miles; and yesterday I made it to 40.4 miles. This morning I did three seven-minute long efforts to push the pace; and that with legs that were already a bit tired. I’d better give them a bit of a break before making further adjustments, i.e. more longer rides. Oh, well. It’s good training for 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 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 It’s Down! April 5, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Ahead of Schedule

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

Ahead of Schedule 📋 It’s good to be ahead of schedule, whether it means a big project at work; or training for an event. So far I’m more than keeping up with the RAGBRAI training schedule. I’m certainly getting in the weekly mileage totals; and today, I finally broke 40 miles! It’s time I started doing more rides of that length. I want to stay ahead of schedule! On days when I do shorter rides, I need to work more on developing better speed. Today I ended up riding for about one hour in the rain. It wasn’t heavy enough for me to need rain gear; but did my bike get mucky! The weather also turned chilly last night. Have we got a broken Spring? Broken Spring? ⛓️‍💥 It seems like a broken Spring, all right. After some days of afternoons in the 80s, last night it dropped to the upper 50s. Tonight it’s supposed to fall to 52 degrees! I had to get out the leg warmers again; and go back to full-fingered gloves. And of course, my nose doesn’t like it! At least the weather is supposed to be clear for the next few days. That’s good for riding; I’m trying to stay ahead of schedule. It looks like this broken Spring will persist for a few more days; but clear weather is the main thing. Especially for Saturday morning. I hope I can get myself going in time for a moon-view 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 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 It’s Down! April 5, 2025 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Break from Videos

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Break from Videos 📽️ By and large, I’ve taken a break from videos for the past two days. I needed to get back to cooking; and yesterday I made Hoppin’ John. Today I made lentil and brown rice soup; and I hauled out my crock pot to cook overnight beans. I think I needed the break from videos; even those about RAGBRAI! I’ve viewed some of those videos many times; and at some point, that starts to feel like a grind. Not to say that I don’t enjoy them; and I’ve learned a lot; but I need to shift mental gears now and then. And now, how about the forecast for tomorrow? It looks wet! It Looks Wet! 💦 The break from videos might sound like more ride time; but this morning the sky looked stormy enough to keep me from riding much. Mid-afternoon, I finally hooked the road bike into the trainer and pedaled for half an hour. I’m not sure how tomorrow will go; it looks wet. There’s a 30% chance of rain in the morning; and maybe I’ll take the chance and push for a 40-miler. It will be cooler tomorrow; so I’ll have to haul out the leg warmers again. Wind 10-15 mph isn’t the most fun thing, either. Or I could wait until afternoon to ride; but I much prefer morning rides, even if it looks wet. I like to be sure I get my ride; then the rest of the day is free for other things. 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 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 It’s Down! April 5, 2025 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Wool over My Eyes April 3, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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It’s Down!

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It’s Down! 😊 Is “It’s down” really something to be elated about? That depends on what “it” is; and in this case, it’s my A1c level. Nine months ago, it was 6.0, which put me in the prediabetes range. A few days ago, my endocrinologist tested it again; and it’s down to 5.6. I’m elated that I’ve gotten my A1c down; but it’s barely below prediabetes. That means I still have to be careful. But cycling, or any exercise, helps. I’m so glad I can ride! However, I think I’ll have to miss out tomorrow; because the forecast predicts severe T-storms. Miss Out 😒 Doesn’t it gall you when you have to miss out on a ride? It sure galls me; I get antsy from the lack of activity. It’s also harder for me to control my appetite when I’m inactive. That’s no way to  ride your way lean! However, it’s unwise to go out in severe weather. Things were bad enough this morning, with the wind getting stronger as I rode home from the salvage store. RAGBRAI, I’m sure, won’t give me top grades for gambling with lightning during training. In fact, that might result in a resounding flunk. As I’ve said, I’ll probably have to miss out tomorrow. I hope we’re spared the kind of weather that other parts of the country just got. In one location, “it’s down” meant a collapsed bridge. There’s been serious flooding in some places. I’ll be glad to miss out on that. 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 Down! April 5, 2025 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Wool over My Eyes April 3, 2025 Keep Your Shirt On! April 2, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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RAGBRAI Grades

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RAGBRAI Grades ✅ The RAGBRAI grades are out! Or rather, the RAGBRAI gradients. Last night I tuned into the RAGBRAI April Town Hall meeting; and they announced the maximum gradients for each day. It was a relief to learn that most of them will be 4% or less. The steepest gradient is on Day 7; and it’s 7.2%. To me that’s quite steep; but I’m reminding myself that it’s the day’s maximum gradient. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the whole day will be 7.2%. In fact, they say the first half of Day 7 will be fairly flat. It also doesn’t mean that every climb will be that steep. I hope those hills will be short, though. We’ll see how I do with the RAGBRAI grades; but I think I can train better, now that I know what’s coming. For the climbs, anyhow; but will there be crazy weather? Crazy Weather 🥵 Does Iowa have crazy weather like we do? Today the temperature climbed into the mid-80s; and that’s darned near outright hot! But Sunday night it’s supposed to drop to the mid-50s. That’s some crazy weather! Even with modern forecasting, I’m never sure what to expect. How about some RAGBRAI grades for weather? I expect the Three H’s; but at least one video says that the temperature can drop to the 50s at night. In fact, it advised that RAGBRAI-ers bring along a sleeping bag rated for 40 degrees. So I got one; and have a compression stuff sack on order. As far as my personal RAGBRAI grades go, I want to do well on packing! And riding, of course. 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 Grades April 4, 2025 Keep Your Shirt On! April 2, 2025 Stuffing April 1, 2025 Getting Easier! March 31, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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