CAL, Author at SpokEasy - Page 8 of 130

Keep Plodding

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training / CAL

Keep Plodding 🐌 Today’s Featured Product! Canari Cyclewear Women’s Shorts New!! MERACH W50 Walking Pad For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Keep plodding … oh, here I go again! Maybe I need more Kodiak Protein Balls to speed me up? I seem to be stuck at one slow speed. But of course I’ll keep plodding as long as there’s a headwind; and today, even heading into a breeze of 6-7 mph felt like hard work. I’m glad I was home by 10:00 am, because since then the wind has increased to 13 mph. And day after tomorrow, gusts could reach 25 mph! Maybe better Sunday than tomorrow, though; or I’d have quite a tough time riding home from the salvage store. Switch Things Around 🔀 I can always switch things around; and do my long ride on another day of the week. And I’m not required to put in X number of miles per week; it’s not as though I were training for racing. Or even a recreational century. Maybe having an event to work towards would spur me towards a more structured riding plan, though. That, in turn, could help me to improve my pace. If I can stick to it, that is! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Brain Fag?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Brain Fag? 🧠 Today’s Featured Product! Unigear Hydration Bladder New!! HaoHakka X-Large Duffle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! . Some days I feel like I have brain fag. Sometimes it’s because I’m physically tired; and I sure was tired this morning. Maybe I rode harder than I realized against the wind yesterday? Or did I need more food during that ride? Brain fag is apt to occur after a period of intense website editing; and that would actually be a good time to get outdoors and get some physical activity. I hope I get in some good riding over the weekend! Weekend Plans 🕯️ Hey, wait, I said WEEK-end — not WICK-end! I guess I’m remembering the joke about candle-makers who went on strike because they wanted to work on wickends only. Not that I dare go out there and build a campfire; or even carry around an unprotected candle. It’s still dry; and I don’t know much about keeping a campfire under control. But by Saturday night, there’s a chance of showers; and Sunday morning there’s even a chance of T-storms. But only a 20% chance; so I might get to go for a long ride. We’ll see what’s going on then. Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Unloaded

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training / CAL

Unloaded 🚴🏿 Today’s Featured Product! Optimum Crank Length App New!! ACAGALA Backpack LED Signal For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It felt good to hit the bike path unloaded. Today I left the Camel-Bak home; and did a much shorter ride. I did, however, put in some hard efforts. Hard relatively speaking, anyway. I worked at pushing for 13 mph for two minutes at a time on the way out; and I believe I had a tailwind then. On the way home, the wind was against me; and it had risen from 6 mph to 10 mph! So I worked on low-gear, fast-cadence spinning. It must be nice to ride unloaded on a long bicycle tour, when you’re fully supported; and don’t have to carry everything. I have a long, long way to go before I’m in sufficient condition to attempt a self-supported bicycle trip! Riding Longer ⟺ I’m riding longer now. I think I’m ready to push for 22-25 miles several times a week; not 20 miles. It’s not long-distance cycling; but I’ll get there. Riding longer means more tussling with headwinds 😬; but being out longer lets me see more. I’ve seen bald eagles; and today I saw a rabbit. But I’m glad that I see few snakes! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Spinning

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Spinning 😵‍💫 Today’s Featured Product! TLAMEE Kids Bike Helmet New!! Yumster Yo! Bar For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! We all have times when out heads start spinning. It might be an extra-hard ride that leaves us feeling like we can’t see straight. Or intensive editing work on a website! An hour or two of that sure leaves me with a spinning head! So I try not to edit too big a chunk at one time; and even then, sometimes it makes my head spin. But it’s part of the game; and I can always let it rest day or two. The break, in fact, in good for my brain. This rest can even result in new ideas! Ideas 💡 I’m trying to come up with some new ideas for rides. Not a roller-coaster, though — that’s too crazy for me! Maybe tomorrow I’ll do a short ride, with some intense efforts. I haven’t done much of that for about two weeks; and it’s time to get back to it. I’ll have a headwind on the way home (as usual!) but pushing against the wind is one way to get stronger! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Still Blowing

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Still Blowing 🌬️ Today’s Featured Product! Lundberg Wild Blend New!! Sepnine Dog Bike Trailer For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It’s still blowing out there; and it was hard going this morning. I had a protein bar with me already; but maybe I also needed a Zbar or two! It’s very annoying to start out with a wind of 6-7 mph; only to have the wind rise to 16-17 mph. And right when you have to turn around and ride into it! Even now, at 5 pm, it’s still blowing. I think I’ll take a day off from riding tomorrow. Who doesn’t need a break from headwinds? But what to do if I don’t ride? I guess I’ll think of something! What to Do? 🧹 So, what to do while I’m off the bike? Sweep the floor? It sure needs it; but a dust mop works better; and is faster, too. There’s always blogging; but sometimes my hands need a break from the keyboard! I can sleep later; which for me still means I’ll probably be up by 8:00 am. And I can plan my rides for the rest of the week! The forecast for the coming days is much like today: still blowing. As one rider who passed me this morning said, “This wind ain’t fun!” Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Three-Ring Circus?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Three-Ring Circus? 🎪 Today’s Featured Product! PNW Cascade Dropper Post New!! Cuvccn LED Reflective Vest For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Sometimes riding the hybrid feels like a three-ring circus. Depending on wind conditions, I might use all three rings during even a 5-mile jaunt. That’s what it was like on the way to the salvage store this morning. For several days now, I’ve spent a lot of my riding time on the small (easiest) chain ring; but today I was sometimes on the small ring; sometimes on the middle ring; and, for brief stretches, on the big ring! No wonder I thought of a three-ring circus! Still Windy 🌬️ It’s still windy this afternoon; and it looks like it will continue for at least a few more days. I’ll have more of the three-ring circus! Maybe I should wear a clown costume to ride? I’ve been slack about my on-bike strength-development exercises. Let’s face it, I’m lazy; I don’t enjoy pushing against the wind; but most people don’t, I guess. It might be better to let those exercises go while my head still feels stuffed up. On the other hand, riding can literally clear my head. Let’s keep playing it by ear. Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Becalmed?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Becalmed? 🐚 Today’s Featured Product! Xiapia Tricycle for Toddlers New!! Luxobike Cycling Gloves For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It was almost becalmed early today; although still not like Coleridge’s ocean. Alas, it didn’t last long. At 7:00 am, the wind was only 7 mph; and I started a 20-mile ride. As I was pedaling back home, the wind rose to 14 mph. What a slog that was! That reminds me: soon it will be too warm for a helmet liner; and without that liner to protect my ears, I’ll want some “cat ears“! Unless it’s becalmed; which doesn’t happen often. Addition ➕ There’s some annoying addition in play when you’ve got a headwind. You’ve got your own forward motion, plus the speed of said headwind! I really notice it if I stop for a minute. About halfway home, I stopped to eat a GU. The wind had seemed pretty strong until then; and when I stopped, it felt like there was hardly any wind. When I got back on the bike and started moving — another story! The forecast shows no real change in the wind for tomorrow and Sunday. I’ll for sure wish it were becalmed! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Get Ahead?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training / CAL

Get Ahead? 🤯 Today’s Featured Product! Honey Joy Wiggle Car New!! ROCKBROS Polarized Sunglasses For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It’s hard to get ahead, isn’t it? I don’t feel on top of my riding at all! So how can I get ahead with my mileage? Yesterday I took off from the bike; and today I didn’t go even seven miles! My head is stuffy, making me feel tired and listless. The wind was pretty strong; and that made things hard, too. Would music help? I don’t wear headphones while I ride. It’s important to me that I can hear what’s going on around me; and if thunder is moving in, I need to head it! Harbinger 🌧️ I was uneasy about the clouds this morning; but as it turned out, they weren’t a harbinger of rain. As always, I was glad to not get rained on; but we need rain. How about tomorrow? It will still be windy; but I need to put in some real miles. Maybe I’ll just have to be a slowpoke; but the main thing is that I get out there and pedal. Soon, though, I’ll need to haul out the cooling equipment. We have to guard against heat-induces illnesses! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Not at the Beach

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training / CAL

Not at the Beach ⛱️ Today’s Featured Product! BERGRISAR Men’s Long-Sleeved Jersey New!! Giro Gauge Women’s MTB For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I’m glad I’m not at the beach today. It might be fun to ride alongside the surf on a fat-tire bike; but the wind would be a killer. It’s strong enough that there’s a coastal flood advisory in effect! Wind gusts here are up to 25 mph; so I’m glad I’m not riding. I need to get out and ride tomorrow, though; but not at the beach. Even without any flood advisories, I’d manage to track home a lot of sand; and sand is maddeningly hard to sweep up. Take Five? 5️⃣ I guess it’s time to take five minutes’ hard effort at a time. Or did I start that last week? I need to make better notes of my rides! But ride hard for 5 minutes; and ride easy for two minutes. Do three hard efforts; ride easy for 15 minutes; and start another set. It should help me to get stronger, even if I’m not gaining speed any too fast. There’s a 20% chance of showers tomorrow. OK, take along the poncho; but I hope it won’t rain. My bike trunk’s zippers have an unfornate way of leaking! The wind will still be 10-15 mph; so I’ll have a headwind on the way home again. How tired I am of that! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Not Only Legs

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training / CAL

Not Only Legs 🎒 Today’s Featured Product! Dynacraft Magna Throttle New!! Shimano SH-EX300W For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It’s not only legs when it comes to cyclist training. We can tell those limbs to shut up as much as we want; but if you’re training for long rides, it’s important to get your body used to carrying a load. A full Camel-Bak does affect how you feel on the saddle; and it also can affect your stability until you get adjusted to it. That’s why I’ve been using a hydration pack; to keep myself trained to carrying that load. If you’ve got a long event on the calendar (say, a century), you might not be able to count on chances to refill standard water bottles as often as needed. That’s why a hydration pack is important; and don’t wait for event day to ride with three liters of water on your back! That’s why I say, it’s not only legs. Frisky 🍃 The wind was pretty frisky this morning; and a headwind on the way back home, as usual. I’m glad I took along electrolyte drink as well as water! The effort to ride against the wind had me doing a lot of mouth-breathing; and that dries me out faster. When the wind was behind me, on the way out, I worked at riding on the big ring. I need that for developing strength. Six minutes at a time worked great, until the path turned and I got a headwind. On the way back home, I was on the small ring most of the time; and all that spinning tired me out! That’s the trouble with a frisky wind. Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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 Add Your Heading Text Here

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Author name: CAL