SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

Emergency Rations

BACK ISSUES /

Having emergency rations at hand came in useful this morning. I\’ve long kept a couple of GU-Gels in one of the pockets of my bicycle trunk. Sometimes I\’m too hungry after work to wait until I ride home to eat; and I might get hungry while out on a shopping trip. This morning the weather was dreary; and there was a strong wind. I didn\’t feel like battling that wind on the road bike while atop the levee, so I put the panniers and trunk on the hybrid\’s rack; and went to the local park. I rode around the park five times; and then headed for Whole Foods. As it turned out, I could have made a sixth round of the park. I got to the store with 15-20 minutes to spare; and while I waited for the store to open, I began to feel rather chilled. I also began to feel hungry. Just great. I\’m about to shop for food; and I get hungry! Whether you\’re watching your diet or your budget — or both — the Number One Rule is: Don\’t go food shopping while you\’re hungry! I decided that eating a GU-Gel was by far a lesser evil that skipping the GU; and then buying a pastry. With all the hummus I\’ve been eating, I spend more on food than I really need to; so why buy goodies from the bakery case? My prediabetes doesn\’t need it, anyway. I worked from home today; and during lunch break I busied myself with prep work for Leapin\’ Leo. I varied it by using green onions instead of red; red bell pepper instead of orange; and I used a different kind of cheese. It came out well enough, but it wouldn\’t be easy to carry as emergency rations!

Emergency Rations Read More »

Amusement Park?

BACK ISSUES /

In an amusement park is where I\’d expect to find a roller coaster. Our weather, however, is behaving like that roller coaster! And no, I am not amused. It\’s really crazy. This past Sunday, the afternoon temperature reached the mid-70s; and by the next morning it had plunged by some 30 degrees. For the next two nights it got down to the mid-40s. This afternoon the roller coaster tracks angled upwards again, and it got up to 72 degrees. At about 3 pm I was leaving for an appointment at the dentist\’s, and saw dark clouds towards the South; and they moved in faster than I thought they would. By the time I reached the dentist\’s office (only one mile away), the sky was mostly overcast. It wished I had brought along the poncho. Besides the worry about getting wet, I wanted to get Chinese take-out for my supper. Today I was lucky. I got my Chinese food, and got home still dry. It hasn\’t started to rain yet; but it likely will during the night. Then we\’ll get another temperature drop: down to 49 degrees. And to think that we probably have at least another month of this crazy weather! I hope I can ride tomorrow morning. This morning I overslept (AGAIN!); and simply didn\’t feel like scrambling to get out on the bicycle. That\’s rather a pity, as it wasn\’t quite as cold as it was the pervious two mornings. When it\’s cold and raining, riding a bicycle isn\’t exactly a walk in the park; much less fun in an amusement park. Well, that\’s what the trainer is for; although \”riding\” in the trainer doesn\’t amuse me, either.

Amusement Park? Read More »

Resistance

BACK ISSUES /

Resistance training is an important aspect of a cyclist\’s training. We need it to develop the arms; upper body; and obliques. Back when I was a tricycle rider, I didn\’t worry about such work; but after I was on two wheels, it was a different story. I soon noticed that, after 15-20 minutes\’ riding, my arms started to feel like overcooked noodles; and that my abs sagged, which put strain on my lower back. By that time I had read a good bit about cyclist\’s training; and I realized that it was time to start off-bike exercises! So I worked out a schedule that would give me five or six off-bike sessions per week. Some of the exercises were for the arms/upper body. Others were for legs/lower body; and some were for core strengthening. My aim wasn\’t body-building, so I didn\’t do many reps of any one exercise; and I didn\’t push all that hard. This wasn\’t boot camp, after all! I merely wanted to develop enough strength so that long rides on two wheels would be more comfortable. Thanks to my lackadaisical approach, my progress was very slow; and it was several years before I finally did gain a bit of strength. Over recent months, however, I miss those off-bike sessions too often. I\’m always busy blogging; or meal planning; or cooking; or cleaning up the kitchen. That reminds me of another kind of resistance: fighting off the temptation to get take-out for supper. I have to think of all the food in the fridge that I need to use up! There\’s no sense in letting it go bad. Oh, and grocery shopping. Tomorrow I work from home, and I want to make a run to the supermarket before clocking in. I miss hummus!

Resistance Read More »

History Repeats Itself

BACK ISSUES /

History repeats itself! Today looked much like a re-run of Groundhog Day 2019. Early this morning, it was pretty heavily overcast. The sun didn\’t show itself until about 8:30. For the next few hours it dodged in and out of the clouds; and it didn\’t really clear up until about midday. So whether our local groundhog saw his shadow depends on what time he (or she) came out. Phil up in Pennsylvania says that Winter is not over. That\’s bad news for me. I\’m tired of leg warmers, jackets, and so on. Tomorrow morning will be another cold one: history repeats itself! At least the forecast says, wind only about 5 mph; and that will help. But from the East, as is only too usual. I don\’t exactly celebrate Groundhog Day, but I was terribly tempted to get Chinese take-out for supper. Then I remembered that I had some cut-up broccoli in the fridge that really needed to be used up. So, I steamed the broccoli; drained a can of chicken; and tossed chicken and broccoli with some orange sauce; soy sauce; and sesame seeds. It was close enough to appease my craving for Chinese food. Tomorrow I have yet another COVID-19 test. That bit of \”history repeats itself\” is quite a drag. The swab up my nose makes me feel like sneezing — and sometimes I actually do sneeze! I\’m eager for Thursday morning, because it\’s a remote-work day. That means, I can go to the supermarket and get hummus! I ran out of it a few days ago, and immediately began to miss it. I need to learn how to make my own; but where could I store a food processor? Oh, by the way: that critter shown above looks quite disapproving of this whole business!

History Repeats Itself Read More »

Winter Came Back

BACK ISSUES /

Winter came back! Yesterday the temperature reached the mid-70s by noon; and by 5 am today it had fallen some 30 degrees. The chill factor made it seem even colder! In fact, said chill factor wasn\’t much above freezing; and it made me glad that Monday is off-bikes day. Tomorrow morning it will be 39 degrees; but at least the wind won\’t be as strong. I\’ll have to bundle up; and I\’m glad I have warm packs to tuck into my gloves. Bundling up drives me crazy because seems to take so long: two layers on my legs, and double socks; three or four layers for my top; the heavy skull cap; heavy gloves; and the aforementioned warm packs for my hands. These days I even include a mask in my riding costume, although I usually have it pulled down below my mouth unless someone else is approaching. A mask makes me get thirsty faster! These bursts of colder weather are likely to have people staying indoors more; and that\’s not good news. The university campus where I work has seen a rise in cases of COVID-19 among students; and classes began only two weeks ago. Now I\’m more concerned about the possibility of getting the virus. The newer strains of the virus are more contagious; and I\’m worried about becoming a \”long hauler\”. I hope we go back to full-time remote work, at least until we can get the vaccine. But for now I have to clean up the kitchen; and make a lunch to take along tomorrow; and try to keep warm: Winter came back!

Winter Came Back Read More »

Icky Sticky Goo

BACK ISSUES /

GU-Gels make me think of icky sticky goo. You can thank my mother for that. When I was little, she\’d sometimes sing, \”Molasses, molasses it\’s icky sticky goo; molasses, molasses it always sticks to you.\” GU-Gel is sticky stuff, all right; and very sweet. That\’s why I normally reserve it for long-ride day. After I\’ve pedaled about 15 miles, a \”goo\” is a nice pick-me-up. That\’s especially the case when I have to battle a headwind for mile upon mile. I keep a couple of the gels in my bike trunk pocket, too. Sometimes, when I get off work, I feel too hungry to ride home before I eat. It\’s not a long ride — about 2.5 miles — but why risk bonking? Determining GU-Gel intake must take some planning for riders who have diabetes. As The Athlete\’s Guide to Diabetes makes plain, the athlete who has diabetes has much more to consider than carbs per se. He or she has to think about: when did I last eat; and what did I eat? How long will I be exercising? How hard will I be going? Intense efforts can actually cause glycogen levels in the blood to rise; and that, for people who have diabetes, can be bad news. It sounds like a complicated jugging act; and one that I\’d rather not have to learn. It\’s one reason why I\’m working to keep my prediabetes from developing into full-blown Type II. Another reason is, I don\’t want (and my budget doesn\’t need) to have to pay for expensive diabetes medications; and I definitely don\’t want to wind up insulin dependent! So I\’ll keep watching the carbs; and watch what I keep in my pantry. I\’m getting better at minimizing the candy; and I don\’t eat GU-Gels just anytime!

Icky Sticky Goo Read More »

Panniers Next Time

BACK ISSUES /

Maybe I\’ll use panniers next time I ride to the salvage store. My last two trips, I used the trailer; and then didn\’t get the load that I had anticipated. It was actually rather disappointed this morning not to find cans of refried beans; or tuna fish; or boxes of hummus. As it turned out, I didn\’t really need the trailer today! I did, however, find canned chicken; 4.5 oz cans for 99¢ apiece. That\’s a rather rare find; so I grabbed eight cans. My raid of the grab-bag bins unearthed a couple of Fit Crunch bars. That, too, is rare. Of course, and alas, I got some candy from those bins. I look for things that can be eaten one small piece at a time (such as M&Ms); or easily cut into small pieces. Some candy bars are already scored into sections, which makes it easier. Easier to cut them into uniform pieces, that is. It doesn\’t necessarily make it easier to resist eating them! I found hot chocolate mix again, and a few other things. I decided against buying anything frozen, because I forgot the cooler. Incidentally, the cooler is a good reason to use the trailer; that thing takes up most of the space in a pannier! When I arrived back home, I was hungry; and opened a can of the chicken. Pulling that trailer can really work up my appetite. After I ate, I began work on this blog; and got hungry again! I had to interrupt myself to get some hummus and carrots to munch on. Hauling a load using saddlebags is less work; so it\’s panniers next time. And just watch: it will be the day when I really could use the trailer!

Panniers Next Time Read More »

Member of the Club?

BACK ISSUES /

We all want to be a member of the club at one time or another. It might be a casual cycling club; or a bicycle touring group; or even a racing team. I used to go on Saturday morning rides with a casual cycling club; but finally had to stop. Our meet-up spot was five or six miles from home; and our rides started at 10 am. That didn\’t give me much time to go grocery shopping; get the load home; and then ride over to meet the gang. Then, after the group ride, I\’d be heading home in the hottest part of the day. After I began going to the salvage store, making it to these rides was impossible. It was either go grocery shopping, or do the club rides; and I had to opt for getting my food. You could say that I\’m a member of the century club. If I may say so, I earned it when I put in a 100-miler on an adult tricycle. Will I ever get up the gumption to train up for another century? I also aspire to be a member of the club in another way: tightwaddery. I must admit that I\’m not doing very well at it! At the rate I\’m going, I\’ll never earn my membership card. So far I haven\’t managed to kick my expensive Diet Coke habit. That\’s bad for my wallet; and worse for my teeth. It probably isn\’t doing my innards any good, either. Lately I suspect that I spend a lot more on groceries than I thought. Since the pandemic began, I\’ve been bringing home bigger loads from the salvage store: \”just in case\”. Even at the salvage store, that adds up. A member of the club? Not yet.

Member of the Club? Read More »

A Grain of Salt

BACK ISSUES /

A grain of salt might not be a bad thing for us cyclists. Salt has gotten rather a bad name, thanks to its role in hypertension. Sometimes I think it\’s a wonder I don\’t have high blood pressure; I love salt. But I actually have the opposite problem; and I wonder whether it might be secondary to another condition. Athletes who work long and hard in heat and humidity are apt to lose a lot of salt through perspiration. Some, in fact, lose so much salt through their skin that their workout clothes become encrusted in salt. This is why electrolyte replacement during long and/or hard workouts is important. I\’ve noticed that, after an hour or so of riding, water doesn\’t quench my thirst very well; but downing more and more water isn\’t a good idea. Overdoing the water can result in hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is a serious condition, and potentially fatal; and of course we want to avoid that! There are many options out there for electrolyte replacement: Zym is just one of them (I like the berry flavor). Some people enjoy Gatorade. Pickle juice is another way to get a grain of salt (and then some!); and one of these days I hope to try frozen pickle juice. Salty foods are welcome during my long Sunday rides; especially in hot, humid weather. RXBar Sea Salt Chocolate does well. Combos are salty enough, but unfortunately they lack \”oomph\”. I\’ve been phasing out Combos, anyway. They\’re high-carb and low in protein; and not what I need on a prediabetes diet. Unfortunately I love sweets; but I also enjoy salty foods such as olives. My favorite way to eat broccoli is lightly steamed, with lemon juice and salt on it. So let\’s get creative! There are plenty of ways to get salt.

A Grain of Salt Read More »

In Memoriam

BACK ISSUES /

In memoriam, to the victims of the Holocaust. Sometimes I get to thinking: of those millions of concentration camp victims, whose fate is the saddest? Those who were sent to the camps – assuming they survived the journey there to begin with – fall into three broad categories: those who were put to death immediately; those who died during imprisonment in the camps; and those who somehow survived. Whose fate is saddest? If anything, I say it\’s that of the survivors. Not that is isn’t sad to think of those many who were killed right away. They never had the chance to fight for their survival. Their suffering, on the other hand, was brief. Those who weren’t sent straight from the cattle cars to the gas chambers suffered horribly: starvation; overwork and exhaustion; dehydration; inadequate clothing; and generally brutal treatment. But why do I think that the survivors’ lot is the hardest? Weren’t they fortunate to live through the horror? It\’s easy to think that they were the lucky ones; but just think of the terrible memories they had to live with. I\’ve listened to a few videos of Holocaust survivors; they speak of still having nightmares about the camps. Some survivors learned that everyone else in their large, extended families had perished; and we hear of them suffering from survivor guilt. I\’m sure there\’s much, much more. The more I learn about concentration camps, in fact, the more amazed I am that there were any survivors at all. I hope that we can learn from those who are still with us. The Central Europe Route can let you combine a bicycle tour with a visit to the former Auschwitz concentration camp; and if you go there, keep In Memoriam in mind.

In Memoriam Read More »