CAL, Author at SpokEasy - Page 27 of 130

I Got Hot!

I Got Hot! 🥵 I got hot today; and this was a very short ride! However, I didn’t go out until nearly 9:00 am; and it heats up fast. I forgot to wear my cooling rag; so of course I got hot. When I did remember it, I was half a mile from home already. I had some things that I wanted to drop off at the Salvation Army donation center; and that’s just 2.5 miles from here. So I decided to keep going. If I’d had 20 miles planned, I might have gone back home to get that cooling device! And now it’s still 91 degrees. Amazingly, the heat index is just a degree above that; the humidity is rather low for once. I hope it lasts for a while. Still 91 Degrees! 🌡️ Half of me wants to do some easy laps around the park; but it’s still 91 degrees! So the other half says, better not to ride just now. If I got hot this morning, I’ll absolutely broil if I go out this minute. This is the season for carrying electrolyte drink on almost every ride. After about half an hour, plain water simply doesn’t cut it; and endless water without replacing electrolytes means risking hyponatremia. The Tour de France went almost unnoticed by me this year; I was too busy with RAGBRAI. Those poor TdF riders are out there racing when the temperatures are in the 90’s; but I thery’re properly trained for it. I’m not; so when it’s still 91 degrees, maybe I shouldn’t ride. 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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This Is Hills?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training / CAL

This Is Hills? 🚵🏽 “This is hills?” I can ask myself that today! I worked at riding in a hard gear for 90 seconds to two minutes at a time; and it certainly makes my muscles work harder! It lets me ride a little faster too, of course; but was I really working hard enough? What I did today didn’t tax my CV system much, though. I wasn’t working to push the cadence, as I do in force-development exercises. That really gets my heart rate up! So, this is hills? I noticed during RAGBRAI hills that my breathing usually seemed to be working harder than my legs. Maybe my CV system needs as much work as my quads! Wary Eye 👁️ I’ve got my usual wary eye on the tropics; and I hope that the system in the Atlantic doesn’t make its way into the Gulf We don’t need a hurricane! If we do get one that’s not bad enough to warrant evacuation, I have a good store of bottled water and canned food. Not salmon, though; I’m not crazy about salmon. The worst part about hunkering down for a storm is — you guessed it — missing my cycling. I love my miles; even when I don’t ask, “This is hills?” 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Come on and Rain!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training / CAL

Come On and Rain! ☔️ “Come on and rain!” is what I feel like saying when it’s been overcast all day; and it seems that it’s likely to pour, anyway. The catch with being stuck indoors and waiting for rain is, I want to munch Alter Eco Truffles! An overcast sky is why I made a split-second decision to ride the hybrid today. It let me use the bike trunk, so I could take some rain gear. And it didn’t rain, after all, except for an isolated drop here and there. The sun even broke through for a short time. Mid-afternoon, I received word that it was raining hard only about six miles away; so maybe it’s on the way here. Come on and rain, and get it over with! I don’t want rain tomorrow morning, when I plan to work on simulated hills. It’s flat here; but I’ve gotta pretend sometimes! Gotta Pretend Sometimes 🚵🏽 I’ve gotta pretend sometimes; such as when I want hill practice without any hills. If I want to improve my climbing ability, I have to try, try again. On the way home from the salvage store, I ride up a vehicular access ramp to the top of the levee. I’m riding the hybrid on such trips; and bringing home a load that might total twenty pounds. It’s hard to find a gear on my road bike that simulates this climb; which makes it hard to simulate hills. Maybe I should do “hill” practice on the hybrid? And when I’m back home afterwards, it can come on and rain. 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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The Heart Is Back!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

The Heart Is Back! ❤️ The heart is back in my riding! I finally got a new battery put into my heart rate monitor. Now that I can see what my heart rate is, I can start working at getting my heart rate up; an important aspect of training. And tomorrow begins Cycle September! I want to put in about 20 leisurely miles tomorrow; and after that, I’ll begin to mix in shorter, more intense rides. It looks like the weather will cooperate for at least the next few days; and I always like that. Good weather certainly helps to put the heart back in my riding; especially as the allergy symptoms that I had seem to be abating. And I’d rather be cycling than going somewhere amidst the Labor Day crowds. Labor Day 👷🏻 Labor Day isn’t really a big deal to me, now that I’m retired; but hey, it’s a holiday! A holiday isn’t a proper holiday to me unless I ride; so I plan to put in some miles. With some cut-up bars, of course. Probably not in the park, though. On Labor Day, as on any holiday, it likely will be quite crowded; and if there are small children involved, I have to be especially careful. Little kids can make some very unpredictable moves; and I don’t want to hit anyone. Maybe I’ll play it by ear again, though. If I can get going early enough, the park might not be bad. But wherever I ride, I’m glad the heart is back. 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Twenty Years

BACK ISSUES / CAL

Twenty Years 🌀 It’s hard to believe it’s twenty years since Katrina slammed New Orleans and Mississippi. In New Orleans alone, over one thousand lives were lost; and they say that some areas still haven’t recovered; even after twenty years. Suppose some such monster hurricane hit again? The neighborhood where I live is one of the few parts of the city that ecaped flooding in the levee breaches; but next time I might not be so lucky. Even if all I got were some street flooding, how would I manage in a prolonged power outage? A handheld fan wouldn’t be good for more than a day or so; with no electricity, I couldn’t recharge it. The thought of such a catastrophe makes me wonder, should I stay; or leave for an area less hurricane-prone? Stay or Leave? 🚦 The stay or leave question is a serious one; and truth be told, I have no plans to pull up stakes and move. For one thing, I’m too lazy to put in the thought right now! But suppose I did want or need to relocate? What do I want in a new home? How do I get there? If only I could make a bike packing trip out of it! If I did relocate, I want lots of easily accessible, good bike paths; that’s for sure. I need a location where it’s easy to live and get around without a car. I’d need to rebuild my healthcare team. Affordability 🤑 is a major factor; if not the biggest one of all. And don’t forget climate! Being out of the immediate reach of hurricanes won’t be a good trade for somewhere that’s tornado prone! Neither do I want to land in a seismically active zone. There will be some kind of drawbacks anywhere; and that tends to make me think that I may as well stay put! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Planning around the Weather

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Planning around the Weather 🌧️ Don’t you get tired of planning around the weather? I sure do; but sometimes there’s no alternative. It’s what I’m doing now; and maybe I could plan better if I had a barometer! Wednesday I looked at the forecast for the weekend; and started planning around the weather. It looked like Saturday would be bad; so I made the trip to the salvage store yesterday. That trip went fine. The forecast didn’t predict rain before 11:00 today; so I went for a ride. The sky looked quite stormy already; and I was rather nervous about what this might portend. It began to drizzle just before I reached my turnaround point. Luckily it didn’t start to rain hard; and thank goodness the lightning didn’t start to fire up! For a while now, I’ll have to play it by ear. as the saying goes. Forecasts aren’t always reliable, as I’m sure we all know. By Ear👂🏻 Playing by ear, or course, makes me think of music. Playing by ear when it comes to cycling is more difficult; and most annoying. Conditions might seem favorable at, say, 7:00 am; but if rain and T-storms are in the forecast, I don’t know when they might arrive. I might go out for a ride when things are calm, or even sunny; only to get caught in a downpour 45 minutes later! Planning around the weather isn’t easy when said weather is so capricious! I keep expecting it to pour this afternoon; and so far it hasn’t happened. And what about tomorrow? I guess I’ll ride if it’s not storming; but I’ll keep it short, and stay close to home. I’ll ride by ear, too — if I start to hear thunder, it’s time to head home! 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Shuffle

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Shuffle 🔀 Sometimes I need to shuffle without having a deck of cards handy. The riding schedule needs to be shifted around at times; such as now. The forecast for the weekend looked pretty stormy; so I decided to make my visit to the salvage store this morning. I won’t want to try the trip if it’s storming! But I couldn’t find everything I wanted, and am debating whether to ride to the regular supermarket tomorrow; or to order online. I also need to shuffle things around in my cupboard, so the older items are at the front. That’s a drag, though — taking everything out, and then putting it back in! Drag 🥱 The upcoming Labor Day weekend looks to be a drag, and I don’t mean hauling stuff by tractor. The forecast shows constant chances of rain and T-storms. I suppose many folks will have to shuffle their plans from outdoor picnics to indoor munching; and I’m glad I don’t have my heart set on a backyard BBQ! The weather will, naturally, have some impact on my cycling plans. That’s a drag, too. I need to get back to my regular mileage, and start working to improve my pace. If I’m to do RAGBRAI again next year, the time to start working is now. 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Heat of the Day

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Heat of the Day ☀️ Is it really a good idea to go out in the heat of the day? I try to avoid it; but today I had a 10:00 am appointment. For almost two months, I seem to keep getting colds; and I wanted to consult with my primary-care physician about it. Of course I don’t want to get too sweaty and stinky before visiting any doctor; so I skipped riding this morning. The doctor thinks this is could be an allergy problem; and he’s having me use a nasal spray along with an oral medication. I hope it helps! But did I have an allergic reaction to all that corn in Iowa? By early afternoon, the lack of activity was getting to me; so I went out in the heat of the day. I used the Camel-Bak, and took along electrolyte drink. I also kept it short and easy, just over 11 miles; and I rode in the park, where I can get some shade. Get Some Shade 👒 We all want to get some shade; especially in the heat of the day. A Tontron Helmet Visor can provide more shade than a regular helmet visor; but I have reservations about using one. It looks to me like the Tontron would create a lot of resistance in a headwind! Today I rode the hybrid; and mostly in low gear. I’m still working on my pedaling mechanics; and am at the aggravating stage where neither the old way nor the new way feels quite right. But I’m not training up for anything big at present; so I can afford to take my time. 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Shorter but not Cooler

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Shorter but Not Cooler ♨️ Our days are now shorter; but not cooler. At least, not by more than a few degrees. I still very much need the Camel-Bak for rides over a few miles; and I need to take electrolyte drink along. We’ve actually had a few consecutive days without a heat advisory; and that’s a relief. Even so, I try to ride early. We still have many daylight hours, even though the days are shorter (but not cooler!) Continuing heat and humidity means we’re still nervous about possible hurricanes. That won’t end for about three months! Still Nervous 😟 Of course I’m still nervous about what the tropics might do. Tropical Storm Fernand is heading for nowhere; but today I saw an online article that said the Gulf might start to fire up soon. So shorter-but-not- cooler days won’t help inhibit storm formation! I’m still not back up to my regular mileage; and if tropical storm conditions become a threat, I’ll miss even more riding. Unfortunately I just don’t feel quite right; so it’s probably wise not to ride too long and/or hard. I see the doctor tomorrow; and I hope we can figure out what’s going on. 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 ✍🏻 Shorter but not Cooler August 26, 2025 Empty Again August 25, 2025 Cooling Trend? August 24, 2025 Not So Fast August 22, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Empty Again

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Empty Again 🫙 Here it is, blogging time; and I’m empty again. 🙄 That drives me crazy. Maybe all those posts about RAGBRAI left me drained. It doesn’t help that I seem to keep getting colds, which saps my energy. I see my doctor day after tomorrow; and I hope we can figure out what’s going on. Today I took off from bikes; and I hope I’m not “empty” again when I ride tomorrow. If only I had the energy and stamina of the kids in this video! Would a good dose of peanut butter help? Peanut Butter 🥜 Sometimes I wish I could take peanut butter along on the bike. It would be a nice change from all those bars and gels. I must try it some time. Maybe “PB” would be good fuel for hard efforts! For now I’m letting hard efforts go. I don’t need to plunge into intense work too soon; I’d wind up feeling empty again, especially as I’m not feeling quite up to par. I don’t think it’s the heat. I’ve ridden in hot weather for months; and I go out pretty early in the day, usually by 7:30 am. I hydrate and use a cooling towel. Did all that corn in Iowa do something to me? 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Author name: CAL