SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

Medic Alert

BACK ISSUES /

Medic Alert, even if only as an ID, is a wise idea; but if you ever have a medical emergency, I hope you won\’t need one of these! However, if you have any kind of medical condition, such as a heart problem; a Medic Alert bracelet is a wise idea. I wear one because of multiple chemical sensitivities. I\’m not nearly as severely affected as some people who have the condition, but it\’s bad enough. I need to wear filter masks nearly all the time, except at home. I had to switch to a lighter-weight type because the fabric kind  was too smothery. And do I ever get tired of wearing those things! I sometimes worry about possible long-term health consequences from inhaling through those masks for hours a day; five days a week. Several months ago I got a wearable air purifier; but it seems to have no effect on whatever it is that I smell all day at work. The person who wears that stuff has toned it down a good bit, which I appreciate; but it still bothers me. I have a salt lamp at my desk, too; but it doesn\’t seem to help. I need to wear a filter mask in stores, and any public area. \”Air fresheners\”; the detergents on the shelves in stores;  and on and on. Just walking down the street, I\’m assailed by the smells of laundry detergents and fabric softeners; exhaust fumes from motor vehicles and leaf blowers; and even insecticides. Plenty of times I\’ve wished I could wear one of those masks while riding; but it makes it too difficult to breathe, not to mention trying to get a drink of water around it. I just have to take my chances, and hope I don\’t have to use Medic Alert.  

Medic Alert Read More »

Rain Rain Go Away

BACK ISSUES /

As the old kids\’ song goes, Rain, rain, go away! We got an ill-timed downpour this afternoon. During the last hour I was at work, it got darker and darker outside. I donned the poncho before I left work, as a precaution. Wise move; there was a light sprinkle. The rain quickly became heavier; and before I had ridden 0.3 miles the wind had sprung up, and it was pouring. Between the wind and the downpour, it was hard to see where I was riding. I was glad I had my lights with me! Because of the weather, I had decided to take the short route home. Unfortunately that\’s alongside traffic. When I tried to turn my head to look behind me, my face got blasted by the wind. I caught myself wishing I had taken my usual, longer route. At least then I would not have had cars at my elbow. I got home with a dripping-wet bicycle; a dripping poncho; soaked socks and shoes; and with half the stuff in my bike trunk damp. I wish I had double-bagged it all. In a deluge like today\’s, the trunk\’s zippers leak like a sieve. And wouldn\’t you know, it stopped raining about five minutes after I got home. If I could have known the shower would be brief, I would have waited it out. That\’s the trouble with our rainstorms. We can\’t tell whether the shower will stop in 15 minutes, or persist for hours. Getting caught in the rain means extra work, too. Dry the bike, lube the chain, find a place to hang up the poncho to dry, etcetera. So rain, rain, go away. I, for one, am tired of you.

Rain Rain Go Away Read More »

Dem Bones

BACK ISSUES /

Dem Bones       I hope my bones don’t look like this! How about dem bones? I hope my skeleton doesn’t look like this! At any rate, several months ago I was diagnosed with osteoporosis. So, what does that mean when it comes to cycling? Having osteoporosis does, after all, put me at increased risk for fractures. The occasional spill is an inevitable part of cycling; and I don’t need to land on the ground and break a hip. On the other hand, I won’t be blasting along at 30 mph; at least, not for the foreseeable future. But do I do enough weight-bearing exercise off the bike to help stymie osteoporosis? Is walking to work once or twice a week enough? I’m riding to work more often this month because of Cycle September. For the same reason I’m also using the bike this month to go to the nearby strip mall; 0.6 miles from home and an easy walk. Plyometrics would be a wise addition to my routine, and probably would be good for my bone health; but all that jumping would make a lot of racket (I live in part of an old, raised building). Jumping/bouncing also tends to make me feel dizzy. I’m on prescription medication for osteoporosis; and also take calcium supplements and Vitamin D. I eat yogurt; and need to start mixing up milk (from instant milk powder) to drink. I grew up drinking milk; but in the last few years somehow I’ve drifted away from it. It would be wise, I think, to get back to it for the sake of “dem bones”.    

Dem Bones Read More »

The Un-Gym Revisited

BACK ISSUES /

It\’s time for the un-gym revisited! As mentioned in a blog in my old web site, I don\’t go to the gym to do off-bike exercises. Gyms can be noisy places, which would drive me bonkers. There\’s my sensitivities to the \”stuff\” some people wear (not meaning to insult anybody, but I get adverse physical reactions to scented things). Add to that the stress of trying to cram a gym session into my day — not to mention the cost of a gym membership! — and I\’d much rather exercise elsewhere. I use a pair of hand-held weights. I don\’t have the set shown here, but I began by using 2-lb weights. When that started to seem too easy, I got a pair of 5-lb weights. Eventually I began to wear a pair of weighted gloves in addition to holding 5-lb weights. Now even that is approaching the too-easy stage. How now? I\’ve heard of the NordicTrack Speed Weights, but this product seems very pricey to me. I\’ve also read about the way the plates can jangle around, which some people find annoying. I can think about it. Meanwhile, it\’s the old use-what-I-have routine. Sometimes I think a session with a personal coach would be beneficial. I\’d like to know whether I\’m using correct form. I know from reading about ballet that correct form is very important. Incorrect form leads to bad habits, even injury. The catch is that one session wouldn\’t have much lasting effect, if any. I forget so quickly, and/or slide back into my old habits. A personal coach is beyond my budget, so it\’s stick with the un-gym revisited.

The Un-Gym Revisited Read More »

Wind

BACK ISSUES /

How do you feel about wind? \”I saw you toss the kites on high…\” I remember memorizing that poem when I was in first grade. Now I have to look it up if I want to know how it goes because I\’ve forgotten at least half of it! It\’s a nice poem; but if the wind is blowing as hard as that, it won\’t be so nice riding. How often it seems to be blowing against us as we ride! The perception of \”always a headwind\” isn\’t so far off, according to The Complete Book of Long-Distance Cycling. There\’s a trailing arc of 160 degrees behind a rider where the breeze is helpful (see pg. 46). Otherwise, air in motion can be a big hindrance. I agree with the book\’s statement that \”…a pure crosswind is the worst.\” I\’ve been out in 20 mph crosswinds; and getting a drink was a major chore. Trying to control the bike with one hand while I handled the water bottle was so difficult, that I had to stop when I wanted a drink. It didn\’t help that it was drizzling as well. Not to say that battling a stiff headwind for mile after mile isn\’t difficult. It, too, can make bike control tricky. Thus I\’ll let the wind go blow kites and birds around; but it\’s welcome to let us cyclists alone.

Wind Read More »

More Sunday Ride Prep

BACK ISSUES /

  More Sunday ride prep! This time, it\’s eyewear. I don\’t want to ride even one block without proper sunglasses. I have some called Tifosi®. The frame came with three interchangeable lenses: dark; vermillion; and clear. The vermillion lenses are good on overcast days when the dark lenses would be too dark; but there\’s enough light that unprotected eyes would be miserable. The clear lenses are for riding in the dark. In warm weather, they (mostly!) keep flying insects out of my eyes. In cold weather, they keep the worst of a cold wind out of my eyes; and in any temperatures, they protect my eyes from wherever dust and leaves might be flying around. Sometimes I guess wrong as to which lenses to wear. If the forecast sounded like it would be overcast; and I wear the vermillion lenses; and it turns out to be bright sunlight; it\’s quite uncomfortable for my eyes. I need more Sunday ride prep than that! So when I\’m going out on a ride of several hours, and wearing the Camel-Bak; I need to pack along whichever pair of sunglasses that I\’m not wearing, so I can change if need be. Sunglasses alone don\’t provide sufficient protection from overhead sunlight for me. At least, not the ones I have. Maybe some sophisticated wrap-around glasses would keep the overhead light from bothering my eyes; but just now I don\’t feel like spending the money. That is why I leave the visor on my helmet. I read somewhere that wearing a helmet visor is one of the  signs of a rookie cyclist. Like Rhett Butler, I don\’t give a … well, you know. If I need the shading that the visor provides, I\’m going to wear it.

More Sunday Ride Prep Read More »

Lap It Up

BACK ISSUES /

How many riders like to lap it up? I sure do! My bicycle computer has a Lap button. You may well wonder why I bother with laps when I\’m not training for competitive cycling. For quite some time, in fact, I did not use the Lap button. I eventually began using it so that I can see what my average speed is over various segments of a ride. My warm-up mile and cool-down of several blocks drag down my overall average speed; and I wanted to see whether I\’m able to average 15 mph for more than a very short distance. I\’m pleased to see that I\’ve made some progress in that respect. Boy, do I lap it up when I see it reflected in my ride data! It doesn\’t happen every ride, of course — it didn\’t today —  but when it does happen, I\’m elated. Alas, I\’m still a ways off from being able to ride 15 miles in one hour!

Lap It Up Read More »

Sunday Ride Prep

BACK ISSUES /

Sunday Ride Prep Sunday ride prep is a long-standing ritual. Sunday is, after all, long-ride day; and means that there’s much more preparation needed than for an ordinary, weekday-morning ride. First of all, there’s getting my water supply ready. If I’m going to ride more than about 15 miles, especially in hot weather, I fill up the Camel-Bak. Sure, it makes for quite a load, but I’d rather have that load on my back than to collapse from dehydration. Then there’s electrolyte drink. (Starting at ~03: 17 minutes). I like to start a long ride using one that has some caffeine, such as Zym Berry. If I’m out long enough that I drain my bottle of electrolyte drink, I switch to something non-caffeinated, such as Nuun. I must also prepare my ride food. With my hydration and nutrition lined up, I must of course pump up the road bike’s tires. OK, so the Camel-Bak and bicycle are now ready to roll. But what about me? Before starting a ride on a warm day, I almost take a bath in sunblock. I look for fragrance-free, 45-50 SPF. In addition to slathering it on before leaving home, I carry a tube in my bicycle’s under-saddle pack. Sunblock needs to be reapplied fairly often, every 80 minutes. For a ride longer than a few miles, Chamois Butt’r makes things much more comfortable. I’ve also tried Chamois Butt’r Her’. I prefer the original formula. Of course I apply it before starting the ride, and take it along so I can freshen up when I make pit stops. Sunday ride prep also means, be sure I have my cell phone and IDs in case of emergency; pack along a few GU-Gels; and probably some other stuff that I forgot to mention!

Sunday Ride Prep Read More »

Still BEHIND That Camera!

BACK ISSUES /

I\’m still behind that camera! Today I made another mini-video. I wanted to make some kind of contact (other than blog posts) with my site\’s visitors; but I was still behind that camera. Last March was the only time I was out in front of it. I would love to make a video to demonstrate how I learned to get a drink while riding the road bike. I didn\’t want the load of a Camel-Bak on me while working to get the hang of a road bike; even though grabbing the drinking tube is easier than reaching for a water bottle on the down tube. Thus I had to learn how to get that bottle out of its cage; and, even trickier, to put it back in. Before I started recording today\’s video, I tried to get a selfie into it. Somehow it didn\’t occur to me until just now that, to get a selfie, I have to turn the camera around. Without a selfie stick I\’d be, in effect, grabbing blind, but at present that\’s all I can do. I\’m trying to think of other videos that I could make, but I feel I\’m already running short on material. If I were a pro (or former pro) cyclist, or a coach, I\’d be in a better position to offer advice. All I can do is to say what helped me, and what I figured out as I went along. But if it helps somebody, I\’m happy to \”put out the word\”.

Still BEHIND That Camera! Read More »

Roll It Out!

BACK ISSUES /

By \”roll it out\” I don\’t mean the beer barrel. I\’m talking about the foam roller, which I probably should use more often than I do. I got to thinking about it while making a trip to and from Whole Foods this morning. My legs felt stiff and sore, and this wasn\’t a long trip at all! Not even 4.5 miles round trip. Neither was I pushing the pace. There\’s not much point in trying to make a grocery run on the hybrid into a training session, especially when I must ride over some very rough surfaces along the way. Then, thinking about rolling out my leg muscles got me to thinking of Beer Barrel Polka. Why, I don\’t know. I don\’t even like beer. I\’ve never been to Oktoberfest. It might be fun to go, though, as long as I don\’t have to drink beer! Incidentally, using a foam roller often makes me wonder about this: are the spots that feel sorest an indication of my pedaling mechanics? How much does my physical build come into it? For example, would my ITB give me trouble if I happened to be bowlegged? How often is often enough to \”roll it out\”? Twice a week? Three times? So, let me finish the Diet Coke that I\’m drinking. Then I can go roll out the barr… I mean, my leg muscles.

Roll It Out! Read More »