SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

TOO Fit?

BACK ISSUES /

I never thought about being too fit. Merely keeping decent fitness going is quite enough for me! So far my ticker seems to be doing all right; and as long as I\’m not trying to train for racing, maybe I don\’t need to worry. My Garmin readout shows that my heart rate recovers pretty quickly after efforts that push me into Zone 5; and I guess that\’s a good sign. It seems from this video that the \”too fit\” problem often occurred when the riders were doping; and it sounds like it was a big nuisance. Can you imagine having to disrupt your sleep, just to get your heart rate UP enough that you won\’t die? To me, that\’s not fitness! I\’m not sure what my resting heart rate is. When my alarm clock goes off, the \”startle factor\” usually sets my heart racing. That\’s no \”resting\” heart rate! A while back, I bought a new blood pressure monitor; but getting the cuff properly wrapped around my arm is tricky. And then, while waiting for my heart to settle back down, I\’m likely to fall asleep again; and then I\’ll miss my ride! It probably doesn\’t matter much what my resting heart rate is; and my Garmin\’s \”Recovery Check\” screen lets me know whether going hard is OK; or whether I should make it a more leisurely ride. At any rate, I doubt that I\’m \”too fit\”.

TOO Fit? Read More »

Stretch It Out

BACK ISSUES /

I probably should stretch it out before my bicycle rides. Typically I ride my first mile easily, to let my muscles warm up; but is that enough? Often my legs start to gripe, \”We don\’t wanna do this!\” after ten minutes or so; and maybe they wouldn\’t if did some quadriceps stretches before I get on the bike. But how much of this stretching do I need? On weekday mornings, my time for cycling is limited; and stretching falls by the wayside. Probably I should stretch it out after a ride, too; but again, I don\’t have much time between completion of a weekday morning ride; and having to leave for work. When I get home from a salvage store run, I\’m thinking about figuring out how much money I saved over the regular store; and after the Sunday long ride, I\’ve got blogging on my mind! Yesterday, at least, I thought about on-bike stretching while pedaling home against a headwind. All that rapid, low-gear spinning was tiring my legs; so I coasted a bit while I stretched one leg; and then the other. It probably wasn\’t enough; but it gave me a mini-break from pedaling! Prior to Ida, my Sunday long rides had reached about 50 miles. Now I\’m working to stretch it out, so to speak; getting back up to 50 miles. But how about riding those miles faster? Yesterday I was quite poky, because I had to fight a headwind of 13-14 mph most of the way home. It puts me to shame when I\’m plodding along like that; and other riders whiz past me like I\’m backing up. How do they do it? If only I could stretch the day, as well as my muscles; and have more time to work up to it!

Stretch It Out Read More »

Compensation

BACK ISSUES /

I guess I\’m getting into self-compensation. As a result of Ida, I had to toss a fair amount of food. Among the gone-bad stuff was a concoction that I called, Taco Black. It was a mixture of canned black beans; chopped onion and red bell pepper; and a can of Taco Complete. This was a new dish; and I was rather disgruntled that I didn\’t get to eat it. Yesterday I cooked up a new batch; and put it in the freezer. Of course I ate a small sample; but I have other things that I need to use first. I just hope there\’s not a prolonged power outage anytime soon! I skipped the salvage store yesterday; and that meant less mileage than I normally get on Saturday. I thought of going for a short ride on the road bike, as compensation; but by early afternoon the wind was pretty strong. I decided I didn\’t want to fight it; and stayed home. Late in the afternoon, I noticed that my right quad felt sore and strained. DOMS, perhaps? I did force work on Thursday; and maybe it was catching up with me. Taste of Winter? Today I rode 35.5 miles; and I had to battle a headwind most of the way home. The wind was 13-14 mph; and gusts were as high as 23 mph! It was some compensation that I finally had a good tailwind for the final mile; but my overall average speed was still only 11.53 mph. It seemed to take forever to get back home; and I feel like such a slowpoke! It was cool enough for arm warmers and leg warmers. I thought it might get a bit too warm for a jacket; so I wore a jersey with the arm warmers, plus my vest. I figured I could pull off the arm warmers if I needed to; and I can always unzip the vest. Today\’s workout is a taste of Winter: chilly wind; a nose that won\’t stop running; and trying to juggle dressing warmly enough with not overdressing, and thus getting overheated during the ride. I don\’t like having to stuff articles of clothing into my Camel-Bak pockets, because I have other things stowed there; so the only alternative is to keep the jacket (or whatever) on. When I get back home after a prolonged tussle against the wind, my compensation is my recovery drink. Then I can be lazy for a while; but Sunday also means that I have to get ready for the upcoming work week. Where\’s my compensation for that?

Compensation Read More »

Break from Routine

BACK ISSUES /

Break from Routine I’m taking a break from routine today; but it isn’t a coffee break. That’s because I don’t drink coffee! For a change, I decided to skip the salvage store in favor of Whole Foods. I needed to buy a back-up jug of laundry detergent; and I can’t count on finding fragrance-free detergent at the salvage store. Ditto for dishwashing liquid; and I also wanted to see whether my favorite sunblock was on sale. I needed some fresh produce, too; and I wanted yogurt. As it turned out, the sunblock wasn’t on sale; but I bought some, anyway. I might not get back to Whole Foods for some time; and I don’t want to run out of sunblock. I really need it during those long Sunday excursions. With cooling temperatures, however, I’ll soon need leg warmers and hence less sunblock; so the three tubes that I now have should last quite a while! I took the trailer to Whole Foods, because a large jug of detergent is a bit much for a pannier. When I started to load up the trailer to go home, there were both panniers in the trailer! That’s where I store them when I’m not using them, and I forgot to take them out before I went to Whole Foods; but actually it was good to have them. Delicate things such as bananas don’t seem to get as much battering when they “ride” in a bag. Taking It Easy After I got home from Whole Foods and put that haul away, I rode to Walgreen’s; and again I took the trailer. I wanted to stock up on paper goods, but I wasn’t sure the panniers were big enough for that bulky stuff; and large packs of paper towels and bathroom tissue can get pretty heavy when I have to carry them for over half a mile. I’m trying to get back on a proper diet; but got a pint of ice cream anyhow. That was also a break from routine; and another reason not to walk to the store! Of course I didn’t want that ice cream to get too soft; and the faster I could get it home, the better. Last night the forecast predicted North winds of at least 15 mph; and I didn’t feel like fighting such a breeze all the way home on top of the levee. The wind felt strong enough even down here at ground level; and by 10:30 am, the temperature had dropped from 74 to 68 degrees. That’s sure a break from routine! For months, it’s been much warmer than that. Not riding to the salvage store meant I have a bit more time at home to take it easy; and after a while, I’ll do some cooking and wash the dishes. Always dishes! There’s never a break from that.

Break from Routine Read More »

BAGAIL Mesh Laundry Bags

BACK ISSUES /

BAGAIL Mesh Laundry Bags help protect your delicate items of clothing in both washer and dryer; and are great for keeping small items from getting \”eaten\” by your laundry machines! They also are handy for organizing socks or cosmetics when traveling. Made of breathable polyester mesh. Do not use at \”High\” temperatures. I don\’t have an automatic washer or dryer; but if I did, I\’d want some BAGAIL bags. Cycling clothes are expensive; and I think these bags are worth the investment if they can make my \”kit\” last longer!

BAGAIL Mesh Laundry Bags Read More »

Boost

BACK ISSUES /

We all need a boost now and then! Sometimes our efforts to improve on the bike don\’t seem to be getting anywhere; and that\’s when we need to find a way to boost our training. If you want to get faster, work to ride several mph faster than your desired cruising pace. This can be short efforts of only a minute or two; and I suspect that I need more of this, more often. At present, such intervals drive my heart rate into the max; but I hope these efforts will help me to get faster. My pace is still lagging at around 13 mph! If you bounce in the saddle, slow down the rpm; and work on a smoother pedal stroke. Over time, you can increase your cadence without bouncing. Of course, kids love to bounce; and here\’s a way for them to enjoy it! At present, my diet very definitely needs a boost! For at least a month before Ida, I was off track; and I suspect it was mostly meal-planning burnout. Post-Ida, I was off track for at least three more weeks; and since I returned home on September 21, I\’m not doing much better. But now I\’ve got to get back on track. I\’ve regained some 7-8 pounds; and when you\’re a petite like me, that\’s a lot! Tomorrow I plan to hit Whole Foods, partly so that I can get some fragrance-free products that I need; and partly to stock up on bananas! I haven\’t had any all week; and I miss them. The COVID upheaval is far from over; and today I got my booster shot. At work, I have to get tested every two weeks. It sure is tiresome; but it looks like we\’re in this for the long haul.

Boost Read More »

Comfort Food

BACK ISSUES /

Everyone seems to have a favorite comfort food. For some, this means a serving of French fries, with loads of ketchup. Others turn to a bowl of soup; perhaps with crusty bread. A favorite of mine Diet Coke and chocolate! We love those things that give a us a mood boost when we’re feeling low. When it comes to on-bike food, I think more of adequate fueling than I do about comfort food. Of course I have my preferences; but even these favorites have their seasons. For example, I might choose FitCrunch over other bars for several months; and then for a while I’ll prefer Gatorade Whey bars. The same applies to energy gels. I have my favorites; but even favorites become discomfort food if I have the same kind for every ride! However, there are some two dozen flavors of GU-Gel; so I don\’t get bored. As a rule, I have at least two different flavors of GU-Gel on hand. At present I have Campfire S’mores; Tri-Berry; and several others. When this supply runs low, I\’ll get some different flavors; perhaps Chocolate Outrage and Salted Caramel. When I\’m off the bike, \”comfort food\” often means eating whatever I\’m in the mood to eat! Sometimes it\’s Chinese take-out; and sometimes it means garbage soup over sourdough bread; with a little cheese on top. Now and then I\’ll step out of my gustatory comfort zone and try something entirely different. Try it; you might find yourself with a new favorite! But don\’t try it for an important biking event. That\’s the time to stick with what you know. Otherwise the results might be quite UN-comfortable!

Comfort Food Read More »

Holyhead?

BACK ISSUES /

How on earth did I start thinking of Holyhead? Because I\’ve got a holey head! I usually take my lunch cooler to work in a pannier on the hybrid\’s rack. Day before yesterday, after work, I carried the cooler and my bike trunk out to my bicycle; and only then realized that I had left the pannier at my desk! It made me think, \”Gosh, I\’ve got a holey head!\”; and \”holey head\” lead quite naturally to Holyhead. Of course I soon became curious about opportunities for cycling adventures in this Welsh town. Cycling Holyhead If you\’re interested in cycling Holyhead, there are plenty of routes available. The Beach Road to Gwelfor route is designed for MTB and gravel bikes; and includes 178 meters of climbing over 8 kilometers. From the map provided, it looks like this means some steep up-and-down riding; so I don\’t think that one is for me. Some of the Quick Rides are only a kilometer or two long; but one, the Holyhead route, is 44 kilometers! In my opinion, 44 kilometers, or 27+ miles, isn\’t exactly a \”quick\” ride; but it\’s a nice distance for a Sunday ride. Happily, there are several flat routes for uphill antagonists like me; and some long routes, such as the 77 kilometer (47.8 miles) Anglesy Loop. Wales is quite mountainous. I\’m sure I\’d enjoy the scenery; but I might not enjoy trying to ride through such terrain! As I\’ve said time and again, my legs are far from ready for such a test; and it\’s hard to get ready for hilly rides if you live where the ground is flat! The climate of Holyhead is maritime. Cool Summers and mild Winters sound great to me; but strong winds are common there! I get headwinds often enough here; so I don\’t think I\’ll travel to Wales only to get more wind. Maybe it\’s like the Seagull Century? For that matter, the average January temperature at Holyhead is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit; and that\’s not \”mild\” as far as I\’m concerned. I\’d sure need my helmet liner; or my poor head would freeze!

Holyhead? Read More »

Summer Again?

BACK ISSUES /

It feels like Summer again. Afternoon temperatures are reaching well into the 80s; and Friday afternoon and night there\’s a chance of T-storms. That\’s like having Summer again, even though it\’s October. But then, Saturday night, it\’s supposed to go down to 57! I\’ll need my cold-weather gear for the Sunday ride: leg warmers; skull cap; jacket; and possibly even full-fingered gloves. Fifty-seven degrees might not sound all that cold; but add a 10 mph wind and the forward motion of riding, and the wind chill mounts. And I\’m definitely not looking forward to the way that my nose behaves under such conditions! The weather is crazy this time of year. One day we\’re sweltering; and the next day we have to dig out the heavy sweater! Thanks to the constantly changing conditions, I have all sorts of cycling togs strewn about. One day I need leg warmers; and the next day bare legs are just fine. Sometimes it\’s hard to keep track of all that stuff; but I don\’t want to lose any of it. It\’s too expensive for that. It\’s now dark by 7:00 pm or so; and that, at least, is definitely like Fall. It also is still dark when I finish my morning ride. It\’s a relief to not have to apply sunblock before those rides! The tropics seem to be winding down, too. Theres\’ a disturbance out there; but it probably won\’t present a threat to us. All the same, we still can\’t let our guard down. Just look at last year\’s Zeta! I don\’t want Summer again if it means a hurricane! We already had Ida; and that was enough and then some.

Summer Again? Read More »

Land of the Quetzal

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Land of the Quetzal 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.”   There’s the Double Down Enduro Ride for those who love downhill; and there’s the Golden Arches Lujo Ride for groups of mixed ability. There are rides designed for those who who are just developing their mountain-biking skills. Love coffee; and specially if it’s coffee produced by small-scale farming? Maybe the Sip n’ Cycle Tour is for you. Learn about how coffee is planted, grown, and harvested; and enjoy the local “brew”! If you want to combine pedaling and paddling: go for it! This two-day adventure includes marvelous views of volcanoes; and lets you mix cycling with kayaking and hiking. If you’re feeling super-adventurous, you can even try some cliff-diving! Naturally the Land of the Quetzal isn’t entirely about off-road adventures; but sometimes the roads aren’t so easy. IS it a backroad; or is it a main road? Some roads are really steep; and some make the streets around my part of town seem in reasonably good condition! Oh, and watch out for tumulos! But you can visit out-of-the-way Mayan villages; and watch for wildlife along the road. Maybe you’ll even see a quetzal! Check up on local laws before your trip, of course; and use common sense when it comes to personal safety. The principal language of Guatemala is Spanish; so even if you don’t know the language, learn these helpful phrases. Guatemala has a tropical climate; but some elevations top 13,000 feet. Such altitudes get cold at night, even in the hot season; so sure to bring some warm clothing — say, a Pearl Izumi Ultra Barrier jacket. With its ancient Mayan sites; rainforests; and volcanoes, Guatemala seems to have something for everyone!    

Land of the Quetzal Read More »