SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

Misadventure

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Misadventure can occur to anyone, anytime. A miscalculation of distance can do it. Forgetting to look both ways before entering an intersection can also result in disaster, even in the case of a one-way street. There\’s always the possibility of a driver going the wrong way; and often enough, I see cyclists riding against one-way signs. That is a no-no for cyclists as much for motor vehicle operators. I wonder whether the rider of the bicycle shown above was wearing reflective clothing. Or was using lights. Either one might have prevented this crash. This morning I nearly had my own misadventure. Coming back from Wal-Mart, I had to take to a main road for a short stretch. I neither saw nor heard anything coming when I got to that road. But before I got to the place where I can leave the road, I heard a big truck coming up behind me; and another vehicle was approaching from the opposite direction! I got off the road as soon as I could, but I heard the truck\’s brakes hissing. My \”escape hatch\” was the dirt-and-gravel access ramp to a mini-industry. I use it when I ride toWal-Mart; and today it was a big struggle getting up that ramp! I had a heavy load to begin with. The surface was loose and skid-y. My feet couldn\’t get any purchase, and neither could my bicycle\’s tires. The load was poorly distributed between my two panniers, and it was nearly impossible to keep the bicycle upright. I had to wrestle that bike off the access road and get into the grass. But I ultimately got home in one piece, and that\’s the important thing. I\’m just glad I won\’t need to go to Wal-Mart again soon.

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Plotting and Planning

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Plotting and planning sounds to me like planning where to plant everything in a garden plot. At present I can\’t have a garden. Even if I could, I\’m not so sure I really want to do the work involved in raising my own vegetables; and am I physically up to it? In my garden, I want tomatoes. I want broccoli and cauliflower. Kale and spinach, too, and maybe romaine lettuce. I want red onions and scallions. Don\’t forget garlic! I want herbs, too: chives, basil, rosemary, and flat-leaf parsley. And maybe a dwarf lemon tree. But that\’s a dream garden. I\’m better off plotting and planning about things that I know I can do, such as this weekend\’s activities. Temperature-wise, tomorrow and Sunday will be perfect for riding. Clear, too. The wind will get strong enough to be bothersome, but at least there\’s no rain in the forecast. This morning I rode very short and easy with the road bike; and then did a Whole Foods run with the hybrid. And I got sticker shock! I always do whenever I buy groceries anywhere but the salvage store. Tomorrow I think I\’ll go to Wal-Mart. I need some new bed sheets; and there are a few groceries that I didn\’t pick up at Whole Foods today. For one thing, I was in such a hurry that I forgot to get bread. I need to do some more cooking, too. It\’s time I concocted another garbage soup, and maybe I\’ll hunt for a new recipe to try. Plan for Sunday: a long ride, of course. I\’ll aim for 35 miles this time. For ride food, I\’m thinking of Stroopwafels and Lara Bars. Yes, I know — that stuff is loaded with carbs. Let\’s hope I burn them off during my ride.

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Oktober UNfest?

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Oktober UNfest? That\’s what it looks like this year. Months ago I read in a news article that Oktoberfest was to be postponed, or perhaps even cancelled. I guess that there are a lot of disappointed people who think that it isn\’t Fall without that famed celebration. For the time being, it actually feels like Autumn here! Yesterday morning\’s low was 58 degrees. That was cool enough for leg warmers for my morning ride, so now I know that Fall is here. Using leg warmers isn\’t all beer and skittles. The pair I wore this morning is brand new; but not the shorts. The gripper bands at the bottoms of the shorts\’ legs didn\’t grip so very well. As I pedaled along, I became aware of something rubbing against the inside of my left thigh. I really should have stopped to see what was up; but I seemed to be doing unusually well, and didn\’t want to interrupt it. Back home, I saw that the left leg of the shorts had pulled up, leaving a patch of bare skin. It took several hours for most of the chafing to wear off, and one small spot is a brushburn! OK, enough about my ills and cycling wardrobe problems. I saw the most gorgeous full moon this morning. The Harvest Moon! It was quite low, and cast a beautiful light path on the river. It\’s worth it to get up at 4:15 am to see that. The wind was calm, too; a big relief after the previous evening\’s ride. I hope the weather is clear for October 31: blue moon time! Meanwhile, I — and many others — will have to put up with Oktober UNfest.

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Crazy Day

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It was a crazy day yesterday. First, I forgot to set my alarm clock the night before. It was already 5:40 when I woke up. Today was Tuesday, and that meant I had to go work on-site. I didn\’t feel like rushing around to fix and eat breakfast post-ride, so I decided not to ride. It was actually a nice change to have a leisurely breakfast! There\’s a FedEx near my workplace, and I had planned send a fax of four or five pages. I changed my mind after I called the FedEx and asked how much it cost to send a fax. Three bucks per page! I didn\’t ride the hybrid to work because I had a large envelope containing the pages I was going to fax. I put the envelope in my backpack. That backpack is so old that the chest straps are all gone, and I don\’t much care to ride a bicycle with a backpack that won\’t stay securely in place. Of course that meant I had to walk to and from work. The hike to work is one thing, but the trek back home is another story. It takes quite a chunk out of my lunch break! It\’s no wonder I end up feeling like that kitty some days. I didn\’t want to skip riding, so I went out on the road bike after work. The wind was 10-13 mph, and much of the time was either a sidewind or a headwind. Even so, I averaged 11.6 mph for a round trip of 11.80 miles. That\’s still quite slow, but such a wind used to push me back to 6-8 mph. Progress! So yes, it was a crazy day; but I still got out to ride.

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Myanmar

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Myanmar 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.” You can get a break from all the high-tech gadgets that surround us all the time; and which most of us (including me, I’ll confess) take for granted. It’s refreshing to read about children who can have fun without electronic toys and games; and about a people who are poor, yet kind and generous. Myanmar’s annual rainfall is about 98 inches. That makes New Orleans look downright arid! If cycle touring in the rain isn’t for you, try to avoid the months of May through October. Average annual temperatures hang between 72 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit. If you feel the cold easily, a lightweight jacket might be wise for those low-70s days. The wildlife lover will find many species in Myanmar. Parrots and other birds; deer; tigers and leopards. I, for one, will be happy to steer clear of the reptiles. Turtles, OK; pythons and cobras, no, thank you very much. Myanmar is primarily Buddhist, and there are many temples to visit. Be sure to keep shoulders and knees covered should you visit a temple; and don’t forget to remove your shoes before entering. Unfortunately, as of September, 2023, Myanmar is under a Level 4 travel advisory; aka Do Not Go There. What a pity; Burma sounds like a beautiful place! 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! You can read all about it in My Story. 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 Relearning December 19, 2023 I Traverse Afar? December 18, 2023 I Envy Time December 17, 2023 Holiday Food December 16, 2023 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Frigid!

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It will be frigid tomorrow morning! The forecast predicts a chilly 63 degrees! Compared to 80 degrees at 5 am, that\’s downright cold; and as usual, there\’s no gradual cooling down. Now it\’s time to haul out skull cap, leg warmers, and so on. One of the worst things about cold — or even cool! — weather is that my exercise-induced rhinitis gets a lot worse; especially if it\’s windy. It means that I can\’t breathe through my nose, which means that I get thirsty faster. There\’s also the problem of cold extremities. My hands and feet become chilled very quickly. I don\’t like to think of the added misery if I get caught in the rain on a cold morning, but it happens now and then. When it does, I come home wishing I had a dryer for my wet things. I don\’t expect this \”cold snap\” to last long. It\’s typical for us to get a brief cold spell, after which the outdoor sauna returns. That drives everybody crazy. Many a time I\’ve heard people complain about the wild fluctuations in temperature. Cold one day; warm the next. I end up with all sorts of accessories strewn everywhere: leg warmers; arm warmers; skull cap; heavy gloves; lightweight gloves; boxing … no, wait, not those kind of gloves! Needing to use cycling jackets and other cold-weather togs means more things to be washed. After I wash them, I have to find a place to hang them up to dry. All in all, I have an easier time when the weather isn\’t frigid.

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Restoration

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Now to restoration, i.e. building back up. I\’m afraid I\’ve lost too much fitness over the last few weeks. Too often I haven\’t gotten in my usual mileage, and I skipped doing any truly intense efforts. There were the mornings when I overslept. Several times there were weather threats; and I haven\’t had quite the energy I need. I decided that it would be wise not to shoot for 45 miles today. A ride of 29-30 miles seemed more sensible. Tour de Cure is now less that two months away; and ultimately, it will be better to ride the route more slowly that I would like, than to be unable to ride it at all due to an overuse injury. Restoration will be a gradual process, but I think I can do it. Let\’s look at the bright side. My legs muscles have become a little stronger. I\’m better at riding 15 mph for several miles. There was a time when it was a struggle to get up to 15 mph at all! TdC this year will be virtual, which means no worries about a time limit. The catch is, I still have to figure out how to enter my ride. I don\’t have all that smartphone stuff, and don\’t really want it. After I got home from my not-so-long ride, I put the trunk on the hybrid, and rode to the nearest grocery store. I got cauliflower and garlic, and I\’m going to try having feta cheese. Supper: tabouli over a bed of romaine salad, with a little feta cheese on top. Kalamata olives would be great with that, but they\’re rather expensive. Time to head for the kitchen now. There are dishes to wash (oh, those unending dirty dishes!), and carrots to clean. And cycling shorts to wash. That never ends, either,

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She\’s Back!

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Yes, she\’s back! I finally have my hybrid again. I\’m delighted, because it was hard not having it. All week, every time I thought of doing a quick errand, I remembered: Oh, I can\’t. I don\’t have the hybrid. Of course I have my road bike, but it\’s not well-suited to shopping runs. I know, because I tried it. I work from home all day Thursday and Friday; and I happily rode to Whole Foods yesterday morning to shop during the special Seniors hour from 7:00-8:00 am. I didn\’t want to get many things, and made it back home before my 8 am clock-in time. This morning I rode the hybrid to the salvage store, and was gladder than ever that she\’s back; because this time I focused on canned goods. I weighed the load that I brought home: 25-26 pounds! Too much to lug home in my arms, even a short distance. And today I was lucky! I found the large-size (14.75 oz) cans of salmon again; $2.97 per can. I got four of them. When future SamMac cravings hook me, I have the salmon on hand. I also got tuna fish, refried beans, and some canned veggies. I skipped frozen foods, because my freezer is already full. After I finished running errands, I got busy and made tabouli. I bet it will be good over a bed of that bagged salad that I brought home! I\’ll put some red onion and orange bell pepper on top. Olives, too! It was raining this morning when I rode to the store. Otherwise, the weather is looking better. The tropics are quiet for change. That\’s a huge relief. The forecast for tomorrow is \”mostly sunny\”; and not much wind; and the high a relatively cool 85 degrees. That\’s great for riding!

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Good Intentions

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Good intentions are a great starting point, but plans don\’t always work out. When I decided to ride Tour de Cure this year, I sat down and drew up my training plan. The idea was to be doing 50-mile Sunday rides by now. Not so fast. Things got in the way. First came the COVID-19 shut-down. That didn\’t really interfere with my riding, but I did miss the ride to and from work; and the 5 miles or so that it gave me. More recently, there were weather threats. First from Hurricane Sally; and then it looked like Hurricane Beta might be heading our way. I\’m thankful that neither storm had any real impact on us. In August came the second A1c test of this year, and my level hadn\’t dropped. That means I\’m still in the prediabetes range. I\’m working with a nurse practitioner, and she says to aim for 150-200 grams of carbs per day. That\’s not terribly difficult so far, but it\’s not a breeze, either. I\’m always tracking what I just ate; and planning what to eat for my next meal. Often I seem to get hungry again too soon. Maybe the reduced carb intake is why I\’ve been feeling tired. Do I need to eat brown rice and beans before a ride, instead of a banana? I know this much, it won\’t be very helpful if I stuff myself and then go out to ride 10 minutes later; especially if I plan to do hard intervals. It will take time to figure out what is best to eat at what time of day. How spoiled I was when I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. With prediabetes, good intentions won\’t make the cut.

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On KP?

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On KP is what it often feels like. I seem to spend an awful lot of time in that kitchen! This past weekend, between Friday evening and Sunday afternoon, I completed three cooking projects! I\’m lucky I\’m not responsible for feeding a family, or I\’d never get a break from pots, pans, and dishwashing. Last Friday evening, it was SamMac. Saturday, it was Boyardee®. Sunday I was at it yet again, with Boppin\’ B&B! Sometimes preparing these simple dishes is quite a hassle. For the SamMac, I had to open a can of peas; drain it; and measure out what I needed for the SamMac. Then I had to put the rest of the peas in a plastic box and put them in the freezer. When I made the Boyardee, I had to portion out the canned pasta and meatballs into four parts; three of them to be frozen. Later, I had to pop the frozen squares out of their boxes; wrap them in foil; and put them in a plastic bag. Making the Boppin\’ B&B meant that I had to open three cans of different foods. And chop onion, celery, and bell pepper, in addition to cooking rice! Between making B&B and fixing lunch, I used all three of my pots. Of course the pots and dishes didn\’t wash themselves. Sometimes I wish they would. Combined, those three projects have yielded enough for at least two dozen meals. I won\’t really need to cook for a couple of weeks. Being on KP all weekend isn\’t all bad, after all!

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