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Author name: CAL

Motorpacing

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Motorpacing is completely outside of my experience; and I’m not anxious to try it. Phil Gaimon mentions it in the Glossary of his book, “Pro Cycling on $10 a Day”. His definition of this training tactic includes the wry comment, “It’s good if you like exhaust fumes.” I do not like exhaust fumes; and prefer to avoid them if at all possible; so I’m glad I don’t have to train by riding behind a motor vehicle I also don’t want to try riding right behind a motor vehicle because I’m sensitive to noise. A roaring engine anywhere near me is tortuous. I’d want some good-quality earplugs for sure; and often earplugs don’t block enough noise. The idea of motorpacing is to provide a draft to allow the cyclist to hone race-specific skills. As I said, I do not like exhaust fumes; but last Sunday I wished I had something or someone to give me a draft to ride in. The wind was fairly strong; and I got caught in the rain, too. The temperature was close to 60 degrees, so I hadn’t thought to use warming packs; and my poor hands almost froze! How about the motor half of this training technique? You can read about that here. It sounds like both cyclist and motorist have a lot to watch out for; so don’t try to daydream during a session! Keep in mind the legal ramifications of motorpacing. Apparently it’s one thing for pro cyclists during their regular training sessions; and another for impromptu rides. Don’t run afoul of the law! So I think I’ll forget about riding behind a motor vehicle; and leave it to the pros. After all, I have little enough experience riding with other cyclists; never mind right behind a car!    

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Hand in Glove

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Of course it’s hand in glove! We don’t put gloves on our feet, do we? But the cyclist lifestyle means gloves for a number of different weather conditions; and at this time of the year that means I have a lot of gloves (and other things) lying around! I can get close to 80 degrees one afternoon; and the temperature might drop below 40 that same night. For warm weather, I use half-finger gloves. These are for hand protection rather than warmth. No matter how short a ride it is; and no matter how hot it is; I want my gloves! They keep your hands from getting rubbed; and in case of a fall, you’re less likely to lose the skin on the palms of your hands. Gloves also help keep your hands from slipping when they’re wet from sweat or rain. When the temperature starts to fall below 70 I turn to full-finger gloves, because my hands get cold so easily. I have several pairs in different weights to meet the needs of different temperature ranges. One pair is lightweight, and suffices when it’s in the 60s outdoors; but when it gets cooler than that, I want something heavier. For the coldest rides, there are lobster gloves. I’ve never actually tried lobster gloves; and in this climate they might not be necessary. I keep warming packs on hand, anyhow; and when the temperature goes below 50 degrees, I use them for rides of more than a few miles. I don’t want to get frostbite! Cycling goes hand in glove for many of us; and we need those gloves to keep our hands in good condition all year.

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Uncarnival

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It’s uncarnival for me. Yes, today is Mardi Gras, aka Fat Tuesday; and also known as Carnival. Mardi Gras is a big deal here in New Orleans; but for the past couple of years, COVID-19 has put the damper on it, big time. I honestly think it’s too soon for big gatherings; and I still want to avoid crowds. If everybody else wants to go out there with the parade-viewing mobs, that’s their business. I prefer to stay at home for Mardi Gras if I’m not out for a ride; and besides that, it’s rather cool for just standing around outdoors. Hence the uncarnival remark. Fat Tuesday Ride I put in 29 miles today. The wind wasn’t nearly as strong as it was the past two days, which was a major relief; and it was sunny and in the low 50s when I set out. With gloves, leg warmers, and a jacket, that’s actually just about right for riding. Thus uncarnival was quite enjoyable; and now I have time to blog, and maybe do some cooking. I wish I had a week off, though; or even two weeks. I’m about to start some major work on this web site; and when I don’t get home from work until 5:00 pm, I can’t get as much done as I like. Working at anything is “uncarnival”, you could say; but I’ve got to keep at this web site; and any day off from my regular job is a good opportunity! The forecast for this coming Sunday has me groaning. \”Slight chance of showers\”, it says; and I don\’t want to get rained on again like I did day before yesterday! That was one miserable ride. At least it will be a good bit warmer than last Sunday; but even so, mid-60s feels pretty cold if I\’m wet. Enough blogging for now. I\’ve got to get back to browsing Themes!

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Not Much Improvement

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Today’s ride was not much improvement over yesterday’s excursion. It’s bright and sunny; but cold. Today is Lundi Gras, so I’m not at work; and that meant that I could ride later in the morning. It was a bit warmer than at 5:00 am; and I’m glad I didn’t have to fight that 13 mph wind in the dark! The Camel-Bak was still at least half-full after yesterday’s curtailed ride; and I decided to use it up. The wind was a bit gusty; and I don’t enjoy trying to handle a water bottle under such circumstances. I didn’t do much to make up for yesterday’s lack of mileage. Today I didn’t want to go far because I didn’t take ride food along; and it was already about 10:00 am when I set out. I usually eat lunch around 11:20; and why let myself get too hungry on the bike? In case I do, though, I carry a few GU-Gels along. Tomorrow, Mardi Gras, is also a holiday, and it will be chilly again; but not as windy. Maybe I can get in a few more miles; but I’ll have to bundle up. Today I saw at least one rider in short sleeves and bare legs; and I don’t know how anybody can stand that when it’s in the 40s! Maybe this cyclist was from Maine? I have a couple of cooking projects lined up; and that will give me something to do this afternoon and tomorrow. As always, I’m staying away from the Carnival craziness. COVID isn’t over yet; and another mutation is not much improvement. I’d rather stay home and stay well.

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The School of Misery

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Oh, the school of misery! Trying to train for a century ride is frustrating when the weather keeps thwarting your plans. Today again I had to cut my planned 40-plus mile ride very short; and it was a miserable ride. Last night the forecast predicted 57 degrees at 8:00 am; but with a 70% chance of showers. It was overcast, but not raining; so I set out. Right after I began the ride, it started to rain; and the wind was unpleasant, too. I got wetter and wetter; and of course I also got colder and colder. After less than nine miles, I figured it was time to call it quits; and it’s a good thing I did. I didn’t think to use warming packs in my gloves; and that was a big mistake. Before I was halfway home, my hands were so cold that I could hardly feel them. If I had tried to push on, I might have developed frostbite! The rain stopped before I got home, but it’s still overcast; and we might still get some more rain. Tomorrow is supposed to be mostly sunny; but colder than today. I’m glad I don’t have to go to work tomorrow; and I can ride later in the day, after it’s a bit warmer. My road bike at least got some much-needed washing during today’s ride; and of course now I need to lube the chain. The chain is due for a lube job in any case; and it’s especially important to oil it after a ride in the rain. Our next chance for rain isn’t until Saturday; and that’s fine with me. I’ve had enough of the school of misery.

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Maiden Voyage?

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This afternoon my new washing machine had its \”maiden voyage\”. And the thing drove me crazy! I\’m didn\’t know how to \”navigate\” the settings; and the user\’s manual, alas, doesn\’t say how to program the machine! I finally got it to go; but when it came time for the wash water to drain, it gushed out so fast that I couldn\’t manage it. I had to shut the machine off while I mopped up the kitchen floor; and then I couldn\’t get it to start up where I had left off. I began all over again; and this time I finally got the laundry done! The spin cycle gets much more water out of my clothes than the old James washer\’s wringer did, even when the wringer was still good; and that\’s good news. It means the laundry will dry that much faster; and I don\’t have to stress my hands and wrists wringing the stuff by hand. This feels like déjà vu; and I hope I don\’t need six months to develop an efficient laundry routine. That\’s what happened with the James washer; and it got pretty tedious! Incidentally, \”maiden voyage\” makes me think of the Titanic; and we know how that ended! Thank goodness my misadventure with the washing machine wasn\’t quite so disastrous; but it was bad enough for me. Now I\’m thinking about tomorrow\’s long ride; and the forecast says, 70% chance of rain. I have Monday and Tuesday off; and Monday will be clear, but much cooler than tomorrow. I can ride long tomorrow, and keep my fingers crossed that it won\’t rain on me; or wait for Monday and ride cold. Some choice that is. Addendum 02/27/22 last night I finally found the \”how to program\” instructions, on a separate piece of paper! Why isn\’t it part of the user\’s manual?

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Saddle Height

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Correct saddle height is very important for a cyclist. If you intend to ride your bicycle a lot, this app can guide you through the process of determining the best saddle height for you. If your knees hurt while you ride, check that saddle! Is it too low; or too high? If your knees hurt in front, you\’ve got the seat too low; and if the back of the knees hurt, it’s too high. Another cause of knee pain is pedaling too hard a gear for your fitness level; but that’s another story. A professional bike fit is a good idea, too; and that’s the route I took. It was expensive; but well worth it.

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Take the Ball

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Don\’t we all take the ball and run with it sometimes? You could say I did it with the Hoppin\’ John recipe; and indeed, I\’m losing count of the variations I\’ve come up with. I\’ve tried it with different legumes; and different cheeses. Usually I use brown rice for this; but I also tried it with quinoa; and I also tried a wild-rice blend. Maybe sometime I\’ll try a vegetable other than canned tomatoes. in fact, I think I did use chopped raw cabbage one time. Omigosh, this is starting to sound like garbage soup! I want to do some cooking over the weekend; and I\’ve got to \”christen\” my new washer. This is a four-day weekend because of Mardi Gras; and I\’ll have more time than usual. Yesterday morning there was another dense fog advisory, but I didn\’t ride on the levee; and saw little fog away from the river. I went to the supermarket for fresh produce; and tomorrow I want to get to the salvage store. I\’m so hooked on that place that, after not visiting it for two weeks, I\’m developing withdrawal symptoms! But we were talking about take the ball; and here I am discussing cooking! Don\’t they say that cyclists are rather prone to tight hip muscles? One remedy for that is using a tennis ball to roll out those muscles. It doesn\’t sound comfortable; and so far I haven\’t tried it. Oh, and we talk about being \”on the ball\” when we\’re especially alert; and \”having a ball\” when we\’re enjoying ourselves! Blinded by the Blogs I think I\’m blinded by the blogs. Some two weeks ago, this site\’s home page suddenly went wonky; but I was always so busy with composing posts that I didn\’t think too much of it. A day or two ago it finally sank in; but I seem to have gotten the issue resolved now. So I can take the ball (i.e. blogging) and run with it again! The weather this morning was very different from the hour-by-hour forecast I checked last night. It was about 10 degrees cooler than predicted; and the wind was considerably stronger. It was sprinkling when I went out to ride; and I decided to go ride laps around the park. The rain stopped after a half-hour or so; but it was still pretty raw out there. And our groundhog said Winter was over? That critter had better think again. At noon today it still chilly. It was only 55 degrees; and the wind was cold. Overcast skies didn’t do anything to warm us up. And we’re sweltering compared to some parts of the country!

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Unseasonable

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Our weather is most unseasonable. For several days, the high temperature has reached about 80 degrees; and my apartment gets so stuffy and hot that I need to turn on the air conditioner! For the past three mornings there was dense fog; and tonight it’s supposed to go down to 58 degrees. That’s more like it for February. Yesterday morning when I was riding, my glasses got so misty that I had to take them off so I could see; and I didn\’t quite dare to try speed work of any sort. The visibility was simply too poor. Visibility in here hasn\’t been so great, either. The light fixture is for three bulbs; and for some time, two of them have been burnt out. I have high ceilings; and need to climb up on the step ladder to change light bulbs. But the ladder often has clothes hanging from the cross-braces to dry. Well, last weekend I didn\’t try to do any washing. The old James washer is falling apart; and I decided to get an electric washer. It looks like I\’ll still be able to save the water for, er, \”flushing\”; and as I\’m having more and more trouble with my hands, a hand-powered washer might not be practical for much longer. I got plenty of use out of \”Jim-Jim\”, though! The weekend isn\’t looking too unseasonable: lows in the 50s. I\’ll need leg warmers; but not slacks over them. It looks like I\’ll be able to ride to the salvage store on Saturday; and Sunday I think I\’ll shoot for about 45 miles. I just hope the 30% chance of showers doesn\’t mean I\’ll get wet.

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Too Little Too Late?

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Too Little Too Late? Am I doing too little, too late if I want to ride a century in April? It’s late February, after all; and (need I say it again?) time flies. Look here for advice for riding a 100-miler if you haven’t done much training. It says that you can do your usual average weekly mileage total in a single day; and if that’s true, maybe I’ll be OK. The catch, for me, is my pace. I want to do better than 12 mph; but I’ve got plenty of hard work to do in the four or five weeks ahead if I want to manage it. So, what to do?   This book, I admit, is rather beyond me; but serious cyclists may find it helpful. Well, a good dose of interval work to improve my force might do the trick. In fact, I began working at force several years ago; and I’m still a plodder! Apparently I didn’t do enough of it, often enough; and I’ve made only marginal gain in my pace. Of course a part of century prep is longer and longer Sunday rides; and I’ll continue to try out different ride food. I know not to wait until the week before the big ride to start learning to eat on the bike; that’s too little, too late! In April, the weather might still be chancy. A cold front isn’t impossible; but it might be sweltering hot! My favorite cycling temperature is cool enough for long sleeves; but not too cool for shorts. Of course bare legs mean I need more sunblock; and now that I’m on hydroxychloroquine (for rheumatoid arthritis), I need to be more careful about that. We’ll see how it goes; but I know that riding 100 miles in a day is not impossible.    

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