SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

Mental Gymnastics

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Trying to do intervals feels like mental gymnastics. My bicycle computer isn’t set to remind me when it\’s time to begin the next hard effort; so I have to rely on my mind. That\’s surprisingly difficult. This morning I did force work; and during the second set, I lost count of the intervals. For the first set, I did three efforts of 30-45 seconds; with easier riding for 90 seconds before the next hard push. During the second set, I suddenly couldn’t remember whether I had done three efforts; or only two! On the way back home, I had a slight breeze against me; and I worked at pushing the pace against it for 30 seconds; riding easily for a minute and a half;  and then doing another hard effort. After 15-20 minutes of this, I couldn’t keep track any more. My mental gymnastics need a lot more exercise, I think. They certainly aren’t ready for the Olympics; nor even the local competition. This morning it was about 10 degrees warmer than it was yesterday; and I didn’t need to add a second layer to my legs. I didn’t need thermal socks, either. ? But tonight it’s going to get colder again; and on top of that, rain is likely. All day it’s going to get even cooler; and tomorrow night’s low won’t be much above freezing. Ditto for Friday night. I hope I can ride to the supermarket before work tomorrow, and get a few things. I really need to go to the salvage store Saturday; because when I got home after my last visit, I saw that I’d been undercharged for three items. It’ll be a cold ride, though! Are there any mental gymnastics that can keep me warmer?

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Debating Team?

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Does the cycling world sometimes feel like a debating team? For example, there\’s the argument over whether or not to shave your legs; especially for men. Proponents say that shaved legs heal more readily in case of road rash; and make massages more comfortable. They say that shaved legs provide an aerodynamic plus; and I agree with the opinion that shaved legs simply look better. I\’ve got a personal question for the debating team; and that is whether I\’m doing my \”training\” wrong! Like so many riders, I have limited time to spend on the bike; and we time-crunched cyclists must make the best of what time we do have. I’m not sure I’ve been making good use of my time, because it’s taken several years for me to get marginally faster! I\’m sure the debating team is arguing about the best on-bike food. Some cyclists are all for energy bars; and other riders argue for real food, à la Feed Zone. I myself have drifted into the energy-bar camp; and over the years have tried a number of different products. My food for the weekly long ride has to be compact in size; calorie dense; and easy to carry. Once I tried taking along a sandwich, cut into quarters; and it was simply too bulky to be practical. The debating team can tear into everything from roadie shoes versus MTB shoes; to rice cakes versus Clif Bars; to training with power versus training with heart rate. The list goes on and on! It\’s all too much to keep up with. I\’ll leave the arguing to the debating team; and keep using what works for me.

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Nomenclature

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Nomenclature is a funny thing sometimes. For example, how did that gear cluster on a bicycle\’s rear wheel get the name \”cassette\”? Yesterday it was so cold that I didn\’t ride; and I had some extra time for cooking. Nomenclature cropped up again when I concocted another Hoppin\’ John variation; and couldn\’t think what to call it. I designed it to use up some canned goods; and hauled out a can of dark red kidney beans; a can of pinto beans; and a can of sweet red pimientos. I cooked some brown rice with onion and a little celery; and while the rice was cooking, I opened and drained both cans of beans. I drained and chopped the pimientos; and when the rice was finished cooking, I mixed it all together. But what do I call such a mixture? Olio? That\’s what it is, after all; but to name it \”olio\” is dodging the issue! By late afternoon, the outdoor temperature had climbed to 48 degrees; but the wind was still a stiff 28 mph. According to the forecast, it was going to drop to 10-15 mph overnight; and I began planning today\’s excursion. This Is Monday? This is Monday? It doesn\’t feel like it. When I do a long ride, it seems to be Sunday. The moon is at the full — the Wolf Moon — and whatever the nomenclature, I wanted to see it! I figured I could do a short, early ride to see the moon; then go home and prepare for a long ride. I started earlier than usual for a long ride, because I got up so early to see the moon. That was a very, very short ride: less than four miles, because I went back home to prepare for the big miles. I mixed the recovery drink last night; and this morning I needed to fill up the Camel-Bak, and cut up the bars I wanted to take with me. The wind wasn\’t nearly as strong as it was yesterday; but it was still 14-22 mph. For a change, it had a westerly component to it; and that was a help on the way back home. The temperature was in the 40s, and for me that\’s quite chilly; so I carried warming packs in my gloves. That was fine for my hands; but my feet still got cold!

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Ursa Major?

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I\’m pulling the Ursa Major act today; or sort of. The Big Dipper doesn\’t go into hibernation when cold weather comes. I\’m different; and I feel like I\’m hibernating today! We got that cold front. Shortly after 8:00 am I checked the NOAA site; and decided it would be wise not to go for a ride. The temperature was 40 degrees; and by itself that\’s not bad. But add in a 28 mph wind; a chill factor of 29 degrees; and overcast skies as well! That\’s a recipe for a miserable slog of a ride! When the wind is that strong, one-handed bike control is difficult; and that makes it hard to eat while riding. Add heavy gloves, which interfere with finger dexterity; and on-bike eating gets even more difficult. Would lobster gloves make things harder; or make no difference? I\’d like to get a few groceries today. But it\’s so cold out there! The store I want to visit is less than a mile away; but, I\’ll be frozen before I can ride there. If I walk there, I\’ll get even colder; so maybe I\’ll behave like an ursa major and stay indoors. Hot chocolate helps me to keep warm; but I can\’t drink it endlessly. The calorie and carb count are too much; and I\’d do better to guzzle plain green tea. Or even plain hot water! Tomorrow will be another cold day; but at least with considerably less wind. It will also be the full moon! My plan: get up early and go for a short ride to see the moonlight the river; then go back home and get ready for the long ride. Wait to start that ride until about 8:00 am; and hope it will be just a tad warmer by then.

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Watching and Waiting

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Now I\’m watching and waiting; and wondering when the rain might begin. I rode to the salvage store this morning; and the sky already looked rather threatening. When I came out of the store, I saw that there had already been a little rain. It was about 9:45 am when I got home; and now I\’m debating whether to do any more errands. It isn\’t raining yet, after all! This afternoon it\’s supposed to start getting cooler; and the wind is already up to 13 mph. I\’m watching and waiting on tomorrow\’s weather, because that\’s the biggie. Our low temperature tonight will be about 36 degrees; and from 6 pm this evening there\’s a wind advisory. I\’m debating whether to ride tomorrow; or to save the long ride for Monday. I know that the chill factor tomorrow will be nasty; nobody needs to tell me that! According to the forecast, the temperature at 8:00 am will be 40 degrees; and with a 21 mph wind. The chill factor, then, will be about 30 degrees. Do I really want to ride in such conditions? No matter how much I want to ride, is it wise to ride when, in effect, it\’s below freezing out there? I\’ll need to wear my heaviest gloves, with warming packs; and it\’s hard to manage on-bike eating when my hands are bundled up like that. Leg warmers alone won\’t be nearly enough to keep my legs warm; so I\’ll have to wear slacks over the leg warmers and cycling shorts. Slacks mean the added chore of finding a way to keep those slacks from getting tangled up in the drive train! More Cold Weather Woes Thermal socks alone likely won\’t keep my feet warm enough in sub-freezing temperatures. In the conditions I expect for tomorrow, a helmet liner doesn\’t keep my head warm enough! As if the clothing problem weren\’t enough, cold weather saps my energy; and makes the miles seem long and endless. So I\’m watching and waiting; and I can decide tomorrow morning. I have Monday off; so I can do my long ride on Monday if I can\’t ride tomorrow. If I do ride tomorrow, I\’ll have a tailwind for at least part of the time on the way back home. Usually it\’s the opposite!

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Bicycle Anatomy Shirt

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This Bicycle Anatomy Shirt is in classic tee style; and lets you show your love of cycling. Available in assorted colors. Machine washable on cold. I personally am not a big fan of tee shirts; but I know that many people like them. Bicycle Anatomy Shirt is lightweight and comfortable. On a cold day, a tee shirt makes a good over-the-blouse layer; on the bike or off.

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Cold Thoughts

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Cold Thoughts I get cold thoughts as soon as the temperature starts to edge below 70 degrees. It’s no wonder: I don’t have central climate control; and it gets chilly in here! I spend a lot of time parked in front of my electric heater. Unfortunately that hikes up my power bill! The chill makes me sluggish; and it seems to take much longer to get ready for a ride on such mornings. Perhaps it does! When it’s hot, I don’t have to pull on leg warmers, double socks, and so on. But if running in cold weather has its upside, so does cycling. If nothing else, I feel good that I rode when I get home after a frigid trip. Of course we cold-weather cyclists have to be mindful of layering; and don’t forget the individual cold-tolerance factor. What some people think “isn’t that cold” is too cold for me! If you’ll be riding for hours in freezing temperatures, some special gear is in order. You can get insulating covers for your Camel-Bak drinking tube; and if insulated bottles keep liquids cool longer on hot days, I expect they’d keep liquids warm for longer in the cold. Cold thoughts for me include those warming packs. How did I get along before I had them? Maybe I should tuck some of them into my socks, just above my shoes; then my feet might not get as cold. To give my arms extra warmth, I use the sleeve part of an old cycling jacket. (The zipper went bad, so the jacket itself was useless). No matter how I dress for a cold ride, though, nothing keeps my nose from running like crazy. Would a balaclava help? Or would it be a glorified handkerchief? I Felt the Chill I had more cold thoughts this morning when I went out to ride. It was slightly warmer than the previous few days; and I decided I didn’t need an additional layer over my leg warmers. Wrong decision. As soon as I got outside, my legs felt cold. They didn’t warm up until I had ridden 8 miles or so; and I was chilly in general. There was some fog here and there; and dampness doesn’t help to keep me warm. Maybe the reason I feel tired and sluggish this time of year is that it’s chilly indoors, too. I guess I’m cold-blooded!

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Tradeoff

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Tradeoff There’s a tradeoff involved if I want to visit the salvage store on Saturday; but still want to get fresh produce. It means I must make a weekday morning grocery run in lieu of my usual jaunt on the road bike. It’s rather a nuisance, because I have to be at work at 8:00 am; and thus must head for the store at 5:30 am! How much easier it was when work-from-home was in effect! Today I made the tradeoff. I didn’t get veggies, except for an onion; but I  wanted bananas and grapes. Bananas are quite a go-to food for cyclists; and I like to have one with peanut butter before a ride. Another pre-ride favorite is frozen grapes with peanut butter. Grapes are also good with – if you can believe it – hummus. So hummus was on my list this morning. I got some yogurt; and looked for kitchen matches. Apparently they’re very popular now, because the store was out of them. The employee whom I asked, said I was the third person who was looking for matches! I’m sure the store has some sports bars; but I didn’t have time to hunt for them. That’s the drawback to squeezing in a grocery-shopping ride before I go to work: it has to be a quick trip. I have to know exactly what I want; where to find it; and I can’t buy too many things. The more I buy, the longer I’ll be in the store; and I don’t want to be late for work. I got home about 6:40 am; and that was enough time to put away the groceries and get ready to ride to work. Alas for my diet, I didn’t get around to fixing a lunch last night; and this morning there wasn’t time. “Lunch” today was a Clif Builder’s Protein bar and pretzels! How’s that for good nutrition?

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Double Duty

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I like things that can do double duty; or even triple duty! Multi-use items mean that I have fewer things to clutter up my space; and I spend less, too. It sounds like a Multi Tool; and yes, I have something like this one in my road bike\’s under-saddle pack. Sometimes I find double duty when I least expect it. As an example, BBH includes a formula for waterless wax polish. Years ago I whipped up a batch, and tried it on a wooden bookcase; and I discovered that the stuff is great as hand cream. It\’s quite easy to make, too; and a small batch lasts all Winter, because a little goes a long way. I have no real drinking glasses; but I do have a mug. A mug works just as well as a glass; and it can tolerate hot drinks as well as cold ones. If I really want a drinking glass, I use a 12 ounce Mason jar. The jars have lids, so I can use them to store food, too. Double duty yet again! I often get more than one use out of things by repurposing them. I use an old peanut butter jar as my change-catcher; and I keep some old hand cream that I use to lube the trailer hitch. An old pair of half-fingered cycling gloves keeps my hands warm when it\’s chilly at work. My hybrid is multi-use, for sure. It\’s transportation with a built-in exercise machine; and at the same time, it can carry loads for me. I\’ve got a \”stuff\” problem; and I need to eke out double (or triple, quadruple, etc.) duty with as many items as possible!

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Warm Ups

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Warm ups sound like something you wear while you get your muscles prepared for ballet class; or to stretch before a strenuous bicycle ride. But warm ups can come after a ride, too! What I mean is hot chocolate. Our crazy weather seesaws back and forth between a high of 80 degrees one day; to temperatures down to 40 during the ensuing night. Sunday afternoon and night was just such an occasion. Then last night, it fell to the mid- 40s again; and the chill factor early this morning was 41 degrees. Of course that meant a chilly ride! I try to save the warming packs for times when the temperature is below 40; but a chill factor like today\’s warrants using them, too. When I get home after a ride in such conditions, of course I\’m cold; and a mug of hot chocolate is great as warm ups. The catch is, I don\’t have time for it when I have to eat quickly; and then leave for work. The first hot chocolate I found at the salvage store was actually Keurig pods, which I didn\’t notice until I was back home. I don\’t have a Keurig; but that didn\’t deter me. I just put the contents of a pod into a mug; added hot water; and let the chocolate dissolve. It worked fine! I\’m not sure a Keurig would make much sense for me, anyway. I\’m not a coffee drinker; and never was. I begged a taste of coffee when I was about six; and I was off of that beverage for life! Perhaps ironically, I love to smell roasting coffee beans and brewing coffee. I felt very sluggish this morning; and maybe I needed some warm ups after the ride!

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