SpokEasy

SpokEasy

Author name: CAL

Cycling enthusiast; classical music lover; experimenter in the kitchen!

Outer Zones?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Training /

Outer Zones? 🛰️ Outer zones sounds like a satellite at the farthest reaches of the solar system, still orbiting around. Incidentally, I remember there was a cookie called “Orbit” when I was  kid; but I haven’t seen Orbits in decades. I wish they were still around! My outer zones are heart-rate zones 4 and 5; and it’s been a couple of weeks since I last did efforts that got my heart rate up there. Today I resumed these efforts. I began by doing 90-second spurts, with about 90 seconds of rest in between. After three efforts, I rode easy for 10 minutes; then started over. By about the fourth set, I had to reduce these “sprints” to 60 seconds; I was getting tired. In addition, I was having trouble shifting to the big ring. The brifter didn’t seem to be working right; so now my road bike is in the shop again. I guess the derailer needs adjusting; so now my ride plans are derailed (so to speak) for a few days. Derailed 🛤️ Doesn’t it aggravate you when your ride schedule gets derailed? But better now than right before RAGBRAI. If that happened, my big riding vacation might be derailed! My plan for tomorrow is to ride short and easy; and day after tomorrow, to try a ride in the middle of the day. It will get well into the 80s; and I need some practice riding in the heat. I can even try out that cooling vest! Such high-tech is outer zones for me; but I need to expand my horizons if I’m to tackle day-long rides in hot weather. Using these things isn’t “cheating”; and if cooling devices let me push the outer zones, why not use them? 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! 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 Outer Zones? May 13, 2025 Just As Well May 12, 2025 Looks Are Deceptive May 11, 2025 In the Clear May 10, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Just As Well

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Just As Well 🙂 Sometimes you think you’d just as well do ABC because of XYZ. That was me this morning. It’s full-moon time again; and of course I wanted to see it. Last night the moon wasn’t showing; and I suppose it was obscured by clouds. This morning I got up extra early; but when I checked the NOAA site it said, to my dismay, that conditions were overcast. Yet a different weather site said it was partly cloudy. I decided I’d just as well go for a short ride, and hope for the best. After all I was up and about; so why not do something? To my delight, the clouds parted long enough for me to have a great view of the moon reflecting on the river. But a look at the calendar shows that I won’t see a full moon during RAGBRAI. Split the Mileage 2️⃣ Today I decided to split the mileage. You don’t have to do every day’s riding all in one session; although I generally try to do so. The moon-viewing ride was done on the hybrid; and I kept that one short. The sun comes up pretty early now; and I wasn’t wearing sunblock. I don’t need to get sunburned; so I decided it was just as well to go home for a while. Then, about seven o’clock, I set out on the road bike. I split the mileage between laps around the park; and a ride on top of the levee. Total miles for today: 37.32. Not quite the 40 miles I was aiming for; but still quite respectable. 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! 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 Just As Well May 12, 2025 Looks Are Deceptive May 11, 2025 In the Clear May 10, 2025 Three More Days May 9, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Looks Are Deceptive

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Looks Are Deceptive 😵‍💫 Looks are deceptive, all right! When I started my ride this morning, I intended to go do laps around the park; then head out on the levee. But when I looked towards the South, I saw dark clouds.  I knew that the forecast predicted a 30% chance of T-storms in the afternoon; and suppose those storms came early? And it was already nearly 8 o’clock when I got going. Besides, I was aiming for 40-45 miles today; and if it was going to start raining before I could complete my miles, I wanted to be in the park.  So I went on the levee; rode about 13 miles; then headed for the park. Again, it was quite crowded there. Sunday rides in the park are better done early in the day. By 10:30 am, there are a lot of people in the park. It didn’t rain, though; as I said, looks are deceptive. There wasn’t much wind today, either. What a welcome change that was! Welcome Change 🤑 It would be nice if a welcome change like calm winds put some spare change into my pocket! It was also a welcome change to have Quest Bars for ride food. Usually I use what I can find at the salvage store; and the merchandise there is unpredictable. But yesterday I bought some Quest Bars at a different store, just so I could have a bit more variety. I kept an eye on the sky as I rode today; and it became increasingly cloudy. Looks are deceptive, though: it didn’t rain; and the cloud cover kept the temperature down. Cloud cover will be a welcome change in a month or so, when it’s already 80 degrees at 5 am. I’ve got to keep that cool rag ready! 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! 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 Looks Are Deceptive May 11, 2025 In the Clear May 10, 2025 Three More Days May 9, 2025 Dried Up May 8, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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In the Clear

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors /

In the Clear ⎚ It looks like I’m in the clear for tomorrow morning’s ride. I hope the forecast doesn’t go the opposite way overnight! This morning it was overcast, but not raining; and I took off for a trip to the salvage store. I was rather annoyed that the temperature was cool enough for leg warmers; I had hoped that I could put the things away until Fall. This morning it was 67 degrees; and tonight’s low will be 60! So I’m not yet in the clear when it comes to cold-weather gear. I’m glad the forecast doesn’t predict strong wind; that’s a nuisance any day, but especially when I want to add the miles to my current distance! Add the Miles ⏩  It can be very satisfying to add the miles; and see your endurance develop. That’s an important aspect of preparing for a long-distance event; and RAGBRAI isn’t much over two months away. I intend to aim for 40-45 miles tomorrow. Weather-wise, it looks like I’m in the clear for tomorrow morning; and I hope I can ride Monday. I always forget  what “30 percent chance” of showers means; but maybe I’ll be able to ride between the showers. “Add the miles” means taking along more on-bike food; and I like to experiment with different kinds of protein bars. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I have to be careful to avoid bars with chocolate coating; they can make a big mess. Long miles also have me expermienting with meat snacks, so I can get more variety in my on-bike food. The catch is, they make me thirsty! So are they in the clear for my ride menus? 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! 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 Elementor #200113 May 10, 2025 Three More Days May 9, 2025 Dried Up May 8, 2025 Waiting It Out May 7, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Three More Days

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Three More Days 🗓️ It looks like we can expect three more days of this rainy weather; and the results are not what I want to enter into a training diary. Today again I “rode” in the trainer; and this time for barely half an hour. That was hardly “exercise”! My major concern was lightning, of course; and around 3:45 pm, my cell phone screeched with a tornado warning! And of all things, just as this video was discussing contingency plans should a tornado develop during RAGBRAI. How’s that for weird? At the moment, it looks like I’ll get enough of a break in the weather to ride to the salvage store tomorrow. I need the exercise; so I hope I can get out there and ride. If only I could know for sure! I’m so tired of being on tenterhooks. It wears me out. Wears Me Out 😓 It wears me out when the weather is uncertain; especially when it goes on for several days on end. Should I ride; or is it wiser to stay indoors? Can I use the down-time for a massage? It’s about time I started pushing for 45-mile rides; and that’s not much fun if it’s pouring. When the forecast shows three more days of foul weather, it’s even less fun. I have to remind myself that it’s good training for RAGBRAI.   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! 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 Three More Days May 9, 2025 Dried Up May 8, 2025 Waiting It Out May 7, 2025 Floodgates May 6, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Dried Up

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Dried Up 🌵 I was surprised at how dried up it was this morning. It rained yesterday; and I expected the path to be wet. At least my shoes didn’t get wet. When they do, I find myself wishing for a dryer! Today I rode the hybrid because I expected things to be mucky. But just about everything was dried up; and it was sunny for my ride. I’m not sure I can say the same for tomorrow, though. Just how “isolated” are isolated T-storms? Isolated? ⛈️ The forecast is for isolated T-storms early in the day; followed by scattered T-storms; then progressing to T-storms. It’s no comfort to think of one little “isolated” storm when said little isolated storm is right on top of me! If it’s storming, I’ll have to get creative; and find a way to get a good workout in the trainer. This morning I worked at riding 13-14 mph for three minutes at a time; with three minutes’ easier riding in between. I lost count; but I think I did 8-10 such efforts. Mileage was about 26.7; rather short, but a lot better than yesterday’s estimated five miles in the trainer. And after all, my plan is to include shorter, harder rides in my schedule, as well as long, more leisurely miles. I hope the bike path stays dried up for all us cyclists! 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! 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 Dried Up May 8, 2025 Waiting It Out May 7, 2025 Floodgates May 6, 2025 Short and Easy May 5, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Waiting It Out

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Waiting It Out ⏱️ Waiting it out is a tedious business; but what else can I do when the weather outlook isn’t in my favor? We’ve been under flood watch all day; and we even had a severe T-storm warning this morning. I finally got tired of waiting it out; and put my road bike in the trainer. Believe it or not, pedaling in the trainer gets more tiring than actually riding. I can’t coast when my front wheel is immobile; and I also have no idea of my distance. All I can do is guess; and I might be way off. Unfortuntely, more of this is coming; the weather pattern seems to be stuck on repeat. Stuck on Repeat 🔁 “Stuck on repeat” reminds me of Ravel’s Bolero. The composer himself described it as something like, “Seventeen minutes of orchestra without music.” It’s a terrific piece, though. But it’s generally played at a tempo that’s rather slow for pedaling; so while waiting it out by indoor riding, Sousa marches would be better for getting my legs moving. If I think the music in my head instead of actually playing it, I can keep it stuck on repeat indefinitely! 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! 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 Waiting It Out May 7, 2025 Floodgates May 6, 2025 Short and Easy May 5, 2025 Forty Below? May 4, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Floodgates

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Floodgates? 🌊 I’m waiting for the floodgates to open. Or will it happen at all? Forecasts, in my book, aren’t always reliable. Heavy rain is possible; and we’re under flood watch for the next 48 hours. There’s one good thing, maybe, about not being able to go out for a ride. I won’t need to worry about breaking the bonk. Yes, that’s bonk; not bank. Although of course I don’t want to break the bank, either. When the floodgates do open, I don’t think I’ll want to be out there, whether riding or not; especially if the lightning is going to move in. As I’ve said so often, heavy rain makes it hard for me to see where I’m going; and lightning makes me very nervous! I don’t really need to wonder what to do under such circumstances; I already know what to do: get under cover as soon as I can. Unfortunately that’s not so easy when I’m ten miles from home. What to Do? 🤔 And what do do if the weather forbids my going for a real ride tomorrow? Maybe I could prepare a jar of fridge tea tonight; and guzzle it tomorrow while I view YouTubes about RAGBRAI. Since this is a bike challenge month, I do want to get in some mileage; and at least I know what to do about that. Spells of bad weather are why I have a trainer. Today I put in a short ride in the park, even though I hadn’t planned it. Knowing that the floodgates might open any time, I wanted to get in a few miles while I could. Yes, my legs were a little tired after two days of long rides; but they’ll perk up again. 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! 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 Floodgates May 6, 2025 Short and Easy May 5, 2025 Forty Below? May 4, 2025 Weather Window May 3, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Short and Easy

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Short and Easy? 📊 Short and easy was my plan for tomorrow’s ride; but I’m starting to have second thoughts. Would it be better to get in some more real miles before the rainy spell sets in? Besides, this is a Love to Ride bike challenge month! Last week I kept seeing reports about bad weather in parts of Texas; and wondered how soon it would head our way. I think I have my answer now. From 7 pm tomorrow, we’re under flood watch for the ensuing 48 hours. Rain could begin by late tomorrow morning; and will it be only rain, or T-storms? I’m thinking of going to the farmers market tomorrow morning, if it’s not already raining; then doing a short and easy ride around the park. If the weather does start to act up, I won’t be ten miles from home. But the challenge of riding in bad weather is also good practice for RAGBRAI! I’ll take along the poncho; but unfortunately rain with a strong wind means a poncho flaps all over the place. Then I get pretty wet, anyway. But the Challenge? 🚲 But the challenge? May is Bike Month Challenge; and during a challenge month, I try not to miss a day — even if I ride only two miles. Short and easy counts, as does a forty-mile ride. And you don’t have to be training your brains out for the Bike Month Challenge; you can just ride! It looks like I might have to ride inside for a while to keep the challenge going. Pedaling in the trainer is tedious; but when the weather is just too bad to ride outdoors, it at least lets my legs get some action. I don’t dare pedal too hard, though, for fear I’ll dump myself over; which is why I wear a helmet for these “rides”. You’ve got to stay safe!         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! 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 Short and Easy May 5, 2025 Forty Below? May 4, 2025 Weather Window May 3, 2025 A-riding I Will Go May 2, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Forty Below?

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Forty Below? 🥶 Forty below? I hope the temperature doesn’t plunge that low! Maybe “forty down” is a better phrase. I got in forty miles today! I’m thinking more and more of consecutive long-mileage days, as mentioned in this video at about 6:57 minutes. It’s already May; and I don’t have time to waste. I’m glad it’s not expected to rain tomorrow; I want to shoot for at least 30 miles. Consecutive 20-mile days didn’t seem to cause much of a problem for me; so it’s time to go for longer days. Say, get 40 below the belt? Plodding 🐌 For the time being, at least, longer rides feel like plodding along. Today’s miles — 40.70 to be exact — took over four hours to complete. If that’s not plodding, what is? Riding 30-40 miles might mean another long day tomorrow. I plan to make Tuesday’s ride short and easy; but the next day, I want to work on force. I hope the weather cooperates; but the forecast, unfortunately, is for rain. Not the best conditions for exercises that might get me up to 18 mph. You need to see where you’re going to do speed work! During RAGBRAI I’ll have all day to complete each day’s mileage; except for Day 7. But the more often I can get 40 below my tires in one day, the better. As time goes on, I can increase the 40-milers to three a week. I can save pace improvement work for shorter rides. A mix of long and casual, and short and hard, is supposed to be a good way to work up to a big event. And RAGBRAI is big! 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! 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 Forty Below? May 4, 2025 Weather Window May 3, 2025 A-riding I Will Go May 2, 2025 Vesti la Giubba? May 1, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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