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Homework

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I feel like the kid in third grade who got loads of homework to do over the weekend. Somehow this dot net site is active; and it still has kinks that I need to work out! But that might have to wait for next week, because it involves know-how that I don’t have. Why do Pages appear with code showing? How did some products in the Shop get transferred in duplicate; and even in triplicate? I know this much; last night I got too tired to wrestle with it any more; and, as usual, there were dishes to wash! This morning I let homework go; and rode to the salvage store, even though I had some misgivings about the weather. The forecast predicted showers; and possible T-storms. At 7:30 am it was overcast; but not raining. I decided to risk it and head for the salvage store; and I packed along the poncho. I knew I might need it. As it turned out, I was right. So It Went As I rode, the sky got darker; but I got to the store without anything worse than a few brief sprinkles; and once I saw a bolt of lightning (far away, luckily). While I was waiting for the store to open, it began to rain harder. It’s a good thing the building’s entrance is sheltered; so I could stay dry. While I was in the store, I heard it pouring. There was more thunder, too; but the storm was moving pretty fast. When I got out of the store, the rain had almost stopped. Even so, I donned the poncho for the ride home; including putting the hood up. Halfway home, I had to stop and put that hood back down because I was getting too hot. I was glad not to be hauling the trailer, because I didn’t like what I saw in my rearview mirror. I saw a black sky; and now and then I heard rumbles of thunder. If it was going to storm, I wanted to beat it back home; and pulling that trailer slows me down. Weathering the Storm I still had over a mile to go when I saw a big bolt of lightning off to the right; and it wasn’t more than two miles away. Then I caught up to the rain that had passed over the salvage store! By then I had only a quarter-mile to go before I reached home; and I decided it wasn’t worth stopping to put the poncho’s hood back up. I could get home in the time it would take to do that; and I just kept going. Since I got home, there hasn’t been much more rain; and maybe I’ll ride to the closest grocery store later for bananas and grapes. As of 11:45 am, it was still overcast and drizzly; and I didn’t feel like getting wet again. Besides, there’s more homework for me: I want to cook something to use up the cauliflower in the fridge; of course there are dishes to be washed; I have to do laundry; and I have to plan tomorrow’s long ride. I get so tired of homework!

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Desertification?

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Are we undergoing desertification? The humidity is only 30%; and for us, that’s very dry. Night before last, we had some heavy rain; and such a low humidity reading surprises me. But I suppose it won’t be long before “the muggies” (as a local meteorologist used to say) return; and the Summer heat along with them! Mornings are still cool enough for leg warmers; jacket; and skull cap. And gloves, of course; but now I don’t need hand warmers. Those warming packs feel good on a frigid day; but I admit they make holding the handlebars more awkward. Since the onset of Daylight time, it’s still dark when I get back home from a morning ride; but soon I’ll need to wear sunblock on my face — for rides that begin in the dark! This morning I was out for a ride, and saw what I thought were alligator’s eyes reflected in my headlight. Then I noticed that there were two pairs of those amber-colored eyes; and they seemed to be bouncing around. I thought that was weird; and then I looked again and realized that it was a pair of raccoons. But back to desertification. I wouldn’t mind if our climate were a little less humid; but I sure don’t want it to turn into anything approximating Death Valley. If it were as hot and dry as that; and I wanted to do 50-mile rides; I’d need to be assured of plenty of “watering holes” where I could refill my Camel-Bak! There’s a 40% chance of rain tomorrow; so I guess I don’t have to worry about desertification just yet. Sunday looks to be clear; and not too warm; so my long ride ought to go OK.

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Tabitha?

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“Tabata” sounds rather like “Tabitha” to me; and that makes me think of a cat. When I was little, I had a book, “Bobby the Dog”; and his neighbor was Tabitha Pussycat. One day Bobby was chasing Tabitha on his bicycle; and he crashed. In retrospect, I catch myself thinking that it served Bobby right. But back to Tabata intervals. I experimented with them this morning. I knew that I didn’t have to start by doing eight sets of the intervals; and doing just two or three of them is a beginning. I did a little more that that, though. For a start, I did about four of them; then rode at a more leisurely pace until my heart rate settled down; and then I did a few more. Tabata intervals are tough on the legs, that’s for sure. Twenty seconds “on” and ten “off”; repeated three or four times, seems like plenty for now. I don’t want to wear myself out too much, because I want to keep up the miles. Tomorrow begins the Love to Ride April Challenge! That reminds me: should I go for an easy ride on the road bike tomorrow morning; or ride the hybrid to the supermarket? I use a rack and panniers; but if you can’t manage a two-wheeler, and adult tricycle with a big basket works as well for “bringing home the bacon”. And do I remember my own tricycle! Even with that big rig, I did some interval work. It’s true that you shouldn’t try intervals before you’re reasonably fit; but you don’t have to be elite level. Let’s say your average speed is 12 mph; and you want to get faster. Working to push yourself to 15 mph for 30 seconds is, technically, an interval!

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Power Plant

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Yes, you can fuel your “power plant” with plant power! I’m not vegan myself; and don’t plan to become vegan. I have, however, experimented with vegetarianism of the lacto-ovo variety for much of my adult life. My main reason for this is that I never enjoyed handling raw meat or poultry. They felt weird; they smelled funny; and it drove me crazy that I couldn’t seem to wash that smell off of my hands. Legumes and whole grains are good alternate sources of protein; and they cost less than meat. From what I’ve read, an elite cyclist is constantly watching his or her diet; and we even read of some riders who weigh every single morsel that they eat. I’m glad I don’t have to go to that extreme to fuel my own power plant; but I need to get my diet back on track — again! I try to save the FitCrunch and Gatorade Whey Protein bars for long rides; but lately I’ve too often been eating them off the bike. I need to get back to carrots and hummus! Incidentally, I sometimes wish for more variety when it comes to fueling my power plant during long rides; but I don’t know what to use. Sandwiches are too bulky; and foods like Combos don’t have any “oomph” to them. Jerked meats are rather tough to chew; and they also make me too thirsty. That’s bad news in hot weather! For me, nuts aren’t a very good choice for on-bike eating; they’re too likely to stick in my throat. Looks like I’m stuck with those bars.

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Fill the Tank

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We fill the tank before we drive a car somewhere, don’t we? Well, or ride a motorcycle. We also have to “fill the tank” before beginning a long bicycle ride; and that’s not always as easy as it sounds. What do I need to eat before I even start the ride? Which foods should I take with me for on-bike fueling; and how much of them? I found this on a web site a day or two ago: “A good way to estimate your additional calorie need is to multiply the distance travelled in miles by 40-50 calories. Therefore, if you’ve been out for a 30-mile ride you can estimate an extra calorie need of between 1,200-1,500 calories erring towards the bottom end of this if you’re a slower or lighter rider and toward the top end if you’re faster or heavier.” (Unfortunately I don’t remember which web site contained this info; so I can’t give it proper credit?) If I followed that advice, I’d eat far too much! Last Sunday I rode 52 miles; and per the above calculations, I should have eaten 2080-2600 calories. However, my bicycle computer’s data showed that I burned only 1445 calories. I think I’ll forget about that formula; and keep doing what I’ve been doing. During my Sunday ride I took in 865 calories, which seems a lot more sensible to me. Over the years I’ve tried many different on-bike foods; and before I begin a long ride I fill the “tank” with my choice of energy/protein bars, cut in pieces for easier handling. It’s not fun when it rains, though; and my food gets soggy. I’m lucky that wet fuel doesn’t foul my “engine”! More Déjà Vu This afternoon we’re getting more déjà vu in the form of possible severe weather. Wasn’t last Wednesday enough? Is “hump day” jinxed? All day we’ve been under a wind advisory; and even a high wind warning! A tornado watch went into effect early this afternoon; and I’m glad we had the option to leave work early. By the time I got home around 3:30 pm, the wind was over 30 mph; and I’m glad I didn’t wait to come home until my usual time. Overnight the wind is supposed to die down a lot; and the bad weather should be past. I guess I won’t have to “fill the tank” too much before I ride in the morning!

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Rider’s Block

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I guess cyclists get rider’s block sometimes; just as authors get writer’s block. Somehow it seems that we just can’t get any faster; or the prep for a century isn’t going well. I’m not immune to rider’s block; and I wonder how much of it is of my own doing. My Own Block The hard efforts that we need to improve strength — and, therefore, speed — aren’t comfortable. They certainly aren’t my favorite part of riding; and it’s often hard for me to prod myself into doing them. No wonder I’m not getting stronger any too fast! I wasn’t sure that this morning was going to be a good time for such exercises, anyway, because “patchy dense fog” was in the forecast. Luckily there wasn’t much fog when I was riding. I was even able to see the old crescent moon; low in the sky, and looking big and orange-y. Yesterday morning it was very foggy, indeed. I had an early doctor’s appointment; and it was still dark plus foggy when I left home. I carried a bicycle headlight; and come to think of it, I should have worn my reflective vest. This appointment was at a clinic that I had never visited before; and I didn’t see anywhere for bicycle parking. It’s a good thing I didn’t try to ride there! So I missed riding yesterday; but I did get in 3-4 miles of walking! Tomorrow there’s a high wind warning from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm; and another outbreak of severe weather is possible in the evening. Poor Arabi. They’re still reeling from last Wednesday’s tornado; and now there’s the possibility of a repeat performance! I hope the wind doesn’t throw a meteorological rider’s block at me. Gusts might reach 45 mph; and that’s close to tropical storm strength! If the strong wind holds off until 8:00 o’clock, I should be OK for my morning ride. But it might be wise to walk to work tomorrow.

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Déjà Vu

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I got a sense of déjà vu yesterday, when I began my 50-mile ride with laps around the local park. It reminded me too much of my first century. Wind conditions that day provoked me to ride endless laps round and round that park. I wanted to get in the miles; but endless circling is terribly mind-numbing! Yesterday I decided to take that approach to make pit stops more convenient. To the park; six laps; and home made 14.50 miles; and that’s the same mileage that I typically ride to reach my first pit stop. (Note: this included a double-back of about 1.4 miles, while I waited for a train to move!) At home I topped up my Camel-Bak; visited Mrs. Murphy; applied more sunblock; and ate a GU-Gel. Then I took off again. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I’m drinking more fluid; and pit stops will be more important. That’s why I’m trying to think up a century route that will let me cover the miles; but not be too far from said pit stops. It will mean a lot of riding back and forth over the same stretch of bike path, aka plenty of déjà vu; but there’s a 4-mile segment that I don’t want to repeat too often in one day! It’s full of humps to climb over; and climbing isn’t my favorite thing. More Prep There’s a lot more prep that I need to do before I’m ready for a century; and I wonder whether anyone is ever truly ready. If they’re anything like me, they don’t ever feel ready! There’s yet more déjà vu — I always began a century ride feeling like I wasn’t properly prepared; and I guess it will always be that way. But maybe it’s better to feel I’m not ready, than to go too far the other way and brag that I’ll crush the Big Ride; and fizzle out at 40 miles. I wish I could get a really long-range weather forecast. If I’m to try for that 100-miler during April, I want a day of no rain and calm winds; but who can foretell that several weeks in advance? And such a day is only too likely to fall during the week, when I have to be at work. After April, it might be getting very hot; and that’s not a good time for me to tackle a century ride. If I had a shady path to ride, it might be different. Aim for a Fall century? That’s what I was doing last year; and then Ida happened! I’m not eager for déjà vu of that!

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Glass Half Full?

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Is my glass half full? Today I rode 50 miles — OK, I rode 52 miles; and that’s a half-century! It’s a hopeful sign; but riding twice that distance in one day is something else again. Today’s pedaling time was 4:16:03; and to ride 100 miles, I’ll need at least twice that amount of time. I’m bound to slow down as the ride goes on and I start to get tired; and in addition, century day might present me with a stronger wind than I had today. This morning my legs really started to feel the effort at about 40 miles; and that means I’m not yet ready for the jump to a full century. Who wants to slog through 60 miles, feeling like their legs are mush? Not I! Of course I can’t ride 100 miles non-stop; and time for the necessary rest breaks must enter into my calculations. In the end, we’re looking at a 10- or even 12-hour day. That’s a long time to be on the bike; but today’s ride seems to show the glass half full. My Garmin showed something that puzzles me. The data for any ride includes calories burned/calories consumed. Today it said I burned 1445 calories; and took in 1200. I know very well that the latter is incorrect; so is the former also wrong? Always Food! Speaking of calories, any ride over an hour or so means on-bike eating. I’m too lazy to do much cooking for my ride fuel; and I stick with FitCrunch bars, etcetera. The downside is, these bars tend to be sweet; and nothing but sweet food all day gets very tiresome — even for my sweet tooth. I need to look around for something more savory. The catch is that savory foods tend to make me too thirsty! I have a good stash of Gatorade Whey Protein bars; so you could say that my glass — or rather, my “feed bag” — is half full. Maybe I can add some Epic Bites to my feed bag. Or a few small cubes of cheese; and some Combos. Whatever I choose, it needs to be something that won’t get too soft in the heat. Incidentally, I started to get too warm today. As I was nearing my regular pit stop on the way home, I even began to feel a bit headachy. After I stopped, I took off one layer; and put my skull cap into my pocket. I also ate a GU-Gel that had a bit of caffeine in it; and after that, I felt better. It looks like windy conditions will arrive about mid-week; and I’m glad there wasn’t much wind today. I hope next Sunday is another low-wind day; and I can shoot for 55 miles!

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Break the Bank

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Break the bank — not! That’s why I go to the salvage store so often. I went again this morning; but tried not to bring home too much canned stuff. Even so, I had quite a load, because I bought a 6-pack of rolls of paper towels! That’s where that trailer comes in handy. The store still has Gatorade Whey Protein bars on sale; and as long as they have them, I’ll keep stocking up. There was on-sale Valentine candy; and today I found hummus! For quite some time, I’ve seen boxes of rice pudding in the refrigerator section of the store; and I finally got some to try. It’s good with cinnamon and clove on top. There was little wind today, which was a pleasant change. Last Saturday it was quite a battle, with the trailer catching the sidewind. I wish it were like today more often! It looks like the wind will be somewhat stronger tomorrow; and that’s not the best news. Of course I’m planning a long ride; and I get SO tired of headwinds during those long treks. I want to extend my distance to 50 miles; and sometimes I wish there were more cycling routes available. I ride the same old path over and over; and that does get monotonous. I think I need to get a new red blinkie for the back of my helmet. The switch on the old one doesn’t seem to be working well. Sometimes I’m sure I turned off the light; and later I’ll find it blinking away. I guess it’s worn out; and I don’t think a new one will break the bank.

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Basket Case?

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Don’t worry about being a basket case! Just use this hand-woven, willow wicker one. It can carry your picnic lunch or other small loads. Adjustable leather straps fasten it to your bicycle’s handlebars. Designed for adult bicycles. Size: 15.3″ x 9.4” x 11.4″/38.86 cm x 29.87 cm x 28.95 cm; and can carry up to 15 lb/6.8 kg. I haven’t tried using such a basket, although I suppose a handlebar bag comes close. I used to have one for the hybrid, before I got the road bike. It was great to carry my on-bike food during long rides; and this basket can do it, too.

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