SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

Spokane

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Yesterday I came out to Spokane, Washington, where my sister lives. My brother, who lives in Connecticut, arranged my plane ticket; and also set up transportation to the Baton Rouge airport for me. An old college buddy of his lives not far from where I was staying; and he (I\’ll call him \”M\”) picked me up at 11:00 am. That turned out to be plenty of time. On the way to the airport, M pointed out the place close to where the eye of Ida had passed. He said that Ida acted quite oddly: the storm\’s eye was expanding and contracting. There were many trees down; and damaged buildings. I got to the airport several hours before my flight was due to depart. By then I was hungry; and wondered why. I looked at my watch; and saw that it was noon. No wonder I was hungry! There was a Wow Wingery in the terminal; and I got some chicken, at the usual skyway robbery prices in airports. Then I settled down near my departure gate, where I found some electrical outlets. I plugged in my laptop; got onto the airport WiFi; and actually got an entire blog done! I began another blog; but didn\’t have time to finish it. Then, onto a plane; to Spokane via DFW. En Route The flight from Baton Rouge to DFW was quite short, and the cabin crew didn\’t serve any refreshments. I was glad that I found some small-sized FitCrunch bars in a dollar store the day before! I got very thirsty during the flight. When I went through security at the airport, they wouldn\’t let me take my full bottle of water through; and I had to dash to the nearby restroom to empty it. I wasn\’t about to throw away a seven-buck cycling water bottle! Then I didn\’t find a water fountain; and I wasn\’t in the mood to pay for a bottle of water! My layover at DFW was hardly worthy of the name. I arrived at one terminal; and had to catch some kind of shuttle to get to my departure terminal. When I got to the gate, they were already boarding passengers. That was a bit too close for my liking! On the plane from DFW to Spokane, we were served only something to drink and a small snack. That little cup of water wasn\’t enough to slake my thirst! I hoped to use WiFi on the plane; but the cost stopped me in my tracks. It was almost $15.00 for one hour! The flight got into Spokane a bit ahead of schedule. I was glad to get off the plane and stretch my legs; and also, to get something to drink! Getting off Cheap Before I came to Spokane, I hoped to find bike rentals here. As it turned out, my sister has an exercise bike in her basement! I tried it today. I didn\’t know at first that the straps on the pedals can be adjusted; and there was far more space than my feet needed. It was driving me crazy to try to pedal, because I couldn\’t use my quads. The resistance on this \”bike\” was much too high; and it sure made me miss my bicycles. I tried a second session later in the day, after I adjusted the pedal straps; and this time it went a little better. I\’m a bit out of condition anyhow, after almost no riding for a week. It will be better if I don\’t try to do too much right away. Besides, I want to see a little of Spokane. I won\’t see a thing if I stay in that basement!

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What a Week!

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What a week this has been! Last Saturday I got a ride out of town, because Hurricane Ida was on the way. A friend of mine lives North of the lake; and my brother thought I would be better off there than staying in New Orleans. My friend wasn\’t so sure. She lives on four wooded acres; and was very concerned about falling trees. Anyway, I wound up at her house. Later that day, someone whom she knows contacted her; and suggested that my friend and I come to her place. So my friend and I went there. At least there weren\’t trees crowded thickly about the abode. For privacy\’s sake, I\’ll call my friend \”B\”; the person who invited us over shall be \”S\”; and her husband is \”D\”. B naturally didn\’t want to leave her pets alone; and we brought along her dog and three of her cats. She has four cats; but one of them Simply! Will! Not! get into a carrier. The folks we went to also had a small dog. Luckily there was plenty of space. We were six adults; and two pooches running around. The cats we put into a room with the door closed, because one of B\’s cats bolts for the tall timber whenever he sees an open door; and we couldn\’t risk his getting loose. That afternoon it seemed impossible that a hurricane was on the way. It was the calm before the storm. As the evening came on, the wind began to get stronger; and the clouds began to move in. So did the rain! As it got dark, the lights began to flicker here and there; and at 6:20 pm, they went off completely. A loud POW! told us that a transformer blew nearby. And what a week followed! Storm Coverage After we lost power, we used charged-up lights to see our way. B, S, and I played UNO. I never heard of it before; but it\’s fun, and a way to pass the time when you can\’t see well enough to do much else. After we lost the lights, we heard at least one more transformer blow; and also some loud reports from falling trees hitting roofs (luckily, not our roof!). So what a week it was! There\’s lots more to come; but I think I\’ll leave it for further blogs. If I don\’t, this one will be far too long! I can\’t go home for a while yet; and I\’m writing this in an airport as I wait for my flight to Spokane via Dallas.

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Special Bulletin

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Special Bulletin This is a special bulletin. I’ll have to go blow-by-blow, so to speak. To be exact, Hurricane Ida is approaching. I’m starting this on Saturday, August 28, even though it’s scheduled for Monday, the 30th. It’s presently just after 9:00 am on Saturday; and I’m expecting a ride out of town in about an hour. I’m not sure my laptop has remote Internet access; and I want minimal interruption to the blog flow! Hence this special bulletin. I got up very early, about 4:30 am; and really wanted to go for a ride. But the  laundry needed to be done; and I decided it was wise to get it done! So after I had something to eat, I did the laundry; and then I went for a short ride. And I do mean short: less than 8 miles. To compensate for the lack of mileage I did some short, hard efforts. I didn’t know when conditions might start to deteriorate; but I don’t think they expect that until later today, or even tomorrow. In fact, the sky didn’t look too bad. It was quite cloudy; but part of the time the sun was out. To Continue Sunday, August 29, 2021. To continue with this special bulletin, I had to shut down yesterday morning around 9:15. My ride came at about 10:00; and we headed for the Northshore. I was amazed that there wasn’t all that much traffic; and we made a rather quick trip. My friend had told me where she would meet me once I got across the lake; and I got to my friend’s house at about 11:00 am. She was very busy trying to get things ready for the storm; and also very worried about a Category 4 hurricane’s winds. There are numerous trees around the house; and she was scared of having trees fall on her home. We watched television coverage of Ida constantly; and this morning, a friend of hers suggested leaving if she could — again, because of the hazard of falling trees. Thus I’ve moved once again. It’s almost noon; and things don’t look bad. Yet. It’s coming, though; of that I’m sure. I brought my laptop with me, and my friend’s friend generously let me borrow her WiFi password so I could get on the Internet. I’ve got to look up how to get on WiFi once I’m back home! When I got back online, it occurred to me that I’m more attached to the Internet — and my web and my web site! than I ever thought. And On Special bulletin continuation. It’s shortly after 1:00 pm on Sunday. About half an hour ago, Ida hit the Louisiana coast; and they’re calling her a “monster”. As of 2:22 pm Sunday, it’s raining heavily. The wind is still pretty calm; and that surprises me. We have electricity so far; and just watched some footage from New Orleans. They’ve got downed trees already; and somewhere in Mississippi just got a tornado warning. I’m glad it isn’t here; but those poor folks in its path are in for a rough time. I sure missed going on my long ride today; and I hope I can start riding again very soon. I’m going to lose too much conditioning; and I need to continue practicing on-bike eating! I have no idea what things are like in my own neighborhood. I don’t expect street flooding; but power outages are a sure thing. I got online via WiFi; and won’t have it when we lose power here. Even if we did still have it, I don’t want to run down my laptop’s battery. I’d better keep that battery in case I need to send emergency emails!

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To Cook

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To cook; or no to cook? I really had to ask myself that Friday. My freezer was getting rather empty; and normally that means a weekend crammed with kitchen activities. But I wasn\’t sure it was a good idea to cook large amounts of food for the freezer. Not with a hurricane threatening our area! A full freezer stays cool longer; but on the other hand, a full freezer means more food that can spoil before the electricity supply is back. Instead of cooking, I filled quart yogurt containers with water, and froze them; and I made plenty of ice cubes, too. I thought about trying to fit in a pre-work run to the supermarket Friday morning; but after some thought decided to skip it. Given the situation, I had an idea that the store would be crowded even at 6:00 am. On top of that, I\’m not sure how well grapes will keep outside of the refrigerator; or cauliflower, for that matter. Friday I decided to leave work at noon. I didn\’t come home to cook; but I had to stop at the bank to get quarters. They close at 4:00 pm, so I couldn\’t wait to leave work at the usual hour. I also had to stop at the drug store to pick up a refill — and I got sodas, of course? I\’m surprised that I didn\’t encounter long lines at either business. Maybe I got in just ahead of the crowds; but in the following 24 hours, things probably got really crazy! It\’s true what they say: don\’t wait until the last minute.

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Cycle Ops

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The Cycle Ops Fluid 2 trainer is handy when you can\’t ride outdoors — such as when your area is under threat from a hurricane. In Winter, when the chill factor drops to freezing or below, being able to \”ride\” indoors is useful. We don\’t get such cold weather very often; so I haven\’t had the opportunity to get used to it, or really learn how to dress for it. Even with warming packs inside my gloves, my fingers can get numb from the cold. My feet also get miserably cold, making me worry about frostbite. Cycle Ops is useful in another way, too. When I need to clean a bike; or lube the chain, I can fasten the bicycle into the trainer. This is ever so much easier than struggling to hold the bicycle up while I work on it. I\’d say this item is worth the money!

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Hurricane Party

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Hurricane Party Yesterday I had a hurricane party; sort of. I was in the mood for ice cream; but I wasn’t about to wait for hurricane conditions to set in before indulging. By then, I’ll probably be too concerned about weather conditions to enjoy ice cream! I left work at noon yesterday, partly because I knew I wasn’t going to get much done. My mind was on Ida; and I wasn’t alone in that. Besides, I needed to stop by the bank; and the lobby closes at 4:00 pm. Then I had to visit the drug store to pick up a refill; and I decided to get a pint of ice cream. I ate it soon after I got it home, to be sure it wouldn’t get melted in a power outage; so in that sense it wasn’t a hurricane party. There wasn’t any hurricane yet. I remember hearing about the Hurricane Party during Camille. At the time (yes, I remember that), I thought it was dumb of people to stay right on the coast and have a party during a hurricane; but now, the story has been disproven. I’m glad to know that fewer people died there than reported. By mid-afternoon yesterday, residents of coastal areas outside of levee-protected areas were ordered to evacuate. Fortunately that doesn’t include me; and I was glad I didn’t have to go rushing off to who-knows-where. I was uneasy about the storm, all the same. Ida was shaping up to be a powerful system. Some models showed that Ida was making a beeline for New Orleans; others had her crossing the Louisiana coast farther West. Either way, we’re sure to get some rough weather. 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; and I hope I can provide a bit of inspiration.   Along the way, I got into blogging; presenting my kitchen experiments; and even setting up a store. You can visit my Facebook page here; or check into my Twitter (aka X) page, Cyclo_Pathy. 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 ✍? Facebook Twitter Youtube Wind Relief October 17, 2024 Take the Cake October 16, 2024 Easy 100? October 15, 2024 Fitness Freak? October 14, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Hybrid Engine?

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Am I a hybrid engine? Books about cycling nearly always mention that riding burns both fat and carbs, aka glycogen. The proportion of fat-to-carb used depends on intensity. Riding at a steady, low-to-moderate pace burns a higher proportion of fat to carb; and as you increase the intensity of your efforts, your body starts to use up its glycogen stores. Any rider has ample stores of fat in the body to fuel his or her rides; but this fat is comparable to a wax candle; and carbs are comparable to the candle\’s wick. The body\’s glycogen stores are quite small; and with intense riding are soon used up. Then, if you haven\’t been fueling — BONK! So we\’ve got to keep the wick from dwindling to nothing. I can\’t say whether my weekly long rides burn more fat than carb; or the other way around. Sunday before last I rode 37.5 miles; and I spent most of those miles in my steady-to-brisk heart rate zones; that is, Zones 3 and 4. If I\’m not in my max heart rate zone, does it mean that I\’m burning mostly fat? Or does it really matter? It looks like I\’m a hybrid engine, no matter what I do. Besides, for those watching their weight, the most important thing is to burn calories. Things do not look good for the Sunday ride. Ida is out there; and we were under hurricane watch before midnight last night. Trying to ride in hurricane conditions is foolhardy. Even if I have the strength to hold my own against such a wind, there are the hazards of flying debris and downed power lines. I don\’t want to hit a power line. Hybrid engine I might be; but not an electric one!

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Protein

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Protein is important for everyone; not only for cyclists. That article asks, are we getting enough? Am I getting enough of it? Many years ago I had a book about vegetarian cooking and nutrition; and it said, most people need roughly half a gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. But do very active people need more? From what I\’ve read, it’s quite possible to get enough protein without eating a lot of meat; or, in fact, any. Besides, constantly hearing about the hazards of E. coli; salmonella; and so on, make me glad to avoid handling raw meat and raw poultry. When I do eat chicken, I get pre-grilled chicken strips; or use canned chicken. Now and then I use a product called Taco Complete. I’ll cook up two cups of dried beans (pinto, kidney, etc.) with onions; and add one can of the taco stuff. Last night I cooked up “pinto taco”; and it has over 6 grams of protein per half-cup serving. But that\’s food that I eat at home; or carry along to work. What about on-bike food? Protein normally is not burned by the body as fuel; but hard-working muscles need it for repair. The nutritionist I worked with advised me to look for bars that have 8-12 grams of protein. That rules out Clif Bars as ride food, although I still like them. I\’ve turned instead to FitCrunch bars; Met-Rx bars; RXBars; and Gatorade Whey Protein bars. Drawbacks I like them all; but they have their drawbacks. Besides the fact that they get very messy in this heat, on an all-day ride I think I would get tired of eating them. Those bars are all on the sweet side; and after several hours of sweet foods I want something salty or savory. Last time I was at the salvage store, I found single-serve packs of smoked, salted almonds in the grab-bag bins; and stocked up. Next Sunday long ride, I think I\’ll try some in between bites of bars. Nuts have a bit of protein; and the salt will be helpful, too. If I stick with FitCrunch and Met-Rx, I\’ll get plenty of protein, too. Now for the big question: will I be able to get out for a ride come Sunday? Tropical Storm Ida has formed; she\’s moving fast; and will probably intensity rapidly. Maybe she\’s eating too many protein bars! We\’re in the \”cone\”; and I\’m weighing my options in case the city calls for an evacuation. This is one of the few times when I actually wish I had a car!

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In the Red

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They say that, in training, you need to push your heart rate in the red now and then; that is, into its maximum zone. It’s been a long time since I did much of that, if any. Often my legs are crying uncle before I can get my heart rate in the red. Is it like that for every cyclist; or does it mean that my fitness level is lower than I think? Yesterday morning I worked to ride 16-17 mph for 3 minutes at a time. Outward-bound I was against a 5-6 mph wind; and wasn’t able to get quite that fast. During the second effort, my Garmin’s screen showed that I was in HR zone 5. That’s when I start gasping for breath; and even after several minutes to recover, I couldn’t quite finish the third interval. That fast and hard breathing presents a hazard. We\’re in a \”buggy\” spell; and all those insects flying around make me worry that I\’ll inhale a bug and choke. Those little bugs can also get behind the lenses of my glasses, and threaten to get into my eyes. In fact, yesterday I encountered one kamikaze bug! I felt it hit my face; but didn\’t know until after I was back home that the impact had killed it. That insect was smeared on my cheek. More Red? I thought I might get more \”red\” this morning. Today I worked on force; and now I\’m aiming for 40-second intervals. Incidentally, such workouts are helpful for cyclists who don\’t have time to put in the miles that they would like. I thought that this morning’s force efforts would send my heart rate in the red; but they didn’t. Not enough for it to count, anyway; just one second. I suppose those 40-second intervals were too short to get my heart rate that high. I hit a max speed of 20.85 mph, and thought it was respectable enough; but I looked up some old ride notes from August 2018. One day when I did force work, I got up to 19.35 mph; so am I really that much stronger now — three years later? After work I had to visit the bike shop. My Garmin\’s sensor needed a new battery; and I always have a lot of trouble getting the battery compartment\’s cover off. When I left work, I saw a big, black could in the Southwest; and as I rolled up to the bike shop\’s door, I heard thunder. I rode somewhat harder than usual, because I didn\’t want to get caught in the rain. I didn\’t get in the red; but at least I stayed dry.

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Bellwether

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I fear the heat of the last fortnight is a bellwether of the month to come; and I\’m weary of getting so very hot and tired during my Sunday long rides! Yesterday we had another heat advisory; and by evening yet another had already been posted for today. If I had a crystal ball, I could see what\’s coming weeks ahead; and plan accordingly. Unfortunately I don\’t have a crystal ball; and have forecasts for only a few days to a week in advance. So far this week it\’s still very hot; and I hope Sunday won\’t bring more excessive heat warnings. I already made last Sunday\’s ride very short; and the Sunday ride before that was also rather short. I don\’t want to miss any more mileage. I don\’t need that if I have any idea of riding a century in the next month or so! Maybe this \”wearable A/C\” would help during those hours-long rides; but it would also spoil me! There’s another bellwether or two of Fall’s approach; even though the weather doesn\’t feel like it. For several weeks, I’ve seen that it gets light later in the morning; and I\’ll be glad when I don\’t have to put sunblock on my face before my morning rides. It gets dark earlier in the evenings, too; and I like that! When it stays light until 8:00 pm and later, evening doesn\’t look like evening; and often I don\’t realize how late it is. The way the blue jays holler now sounds like Fall, too. I must remember to watch for Orion during the homeward-bound part of my morning rides. When I see him sliding downwards towards the western horizon, it means that Autumn is on the way — and maybe some relief from the heat.

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