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SpokEasy

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Coming to Naught

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Good intentions are coming to naught, yet again. I had planned to skip all grocery stores this weekend; but now I see that such a plan isn\’t quite practical. I ran out of scallions several days ago, and really miss them. I have part of a yellow onion; but it\’s getting too old. I\’m out of bananas; and I want a cauliflower. I\’m running low on bread, too. I thought of going to Whole Foods; but the lure of the salvage store is hard to resist. I never know when they\’ll have a lot of goods that will let me stock up big-time; and I\’m reluctant to miss an opportunity. I\’m also reluctant to miss the ride! Of course I can order online from Whole Foods. Doing that would let me ride to the salvage store tomorrow morning. I don\’t like trying to hit both stores on the same day because of traffic concerns; and the later I go, the more people will be at the store. I had my second COVID-19 vaccine dose day before yesterday; but why take chances? Another factor is that ordering groceries online seems a lot more costly than buying them in the store. That\’s no surprise; I\’m paying for the convenience. There\’s no such convenience attached to the salvage store, and I don\’t expect that there ever will be; so if I want stuff from both stores tomorrow, I have to order online from Whole Foods. Yesterday morning I saw that my ride plans were coming to naught when I suddenly felt light-headed and very tired. My arms and legs still felt achy this morning, so I headed for the local park and rode five easy laps. It was good just to get out and ride; and we all need to take it easy sometimes!

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Saint Gone Wild?

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Had the good saint gone wild yesterday? It was Saint Patrick\’s Day; and some nasty weather moved into the Southeast region. It was windy all day; and by 2:40 pm we were under tornado watch. Some states, such as Alabama, had already reported twisters. When I left work at 4:30 pm, the wind was 18mph; gusts were up to 35 mph; and we were under a wind advisory. I was glad that I left the bicycle at home! From my work station, I can see out of the windows if I just turn around; and from mid-day onwards I was keeping an anxious eye on the sky. I had an errand I needed to run before going home; and that heightened my uneasiness. The \”saint gone wild\” wasn\’t expected to hit until about 8 pm; but you never know with these things. Suppose it began storming several hours earlier? I had my poncho with me; but fortunately didn\’t need to use it. Come to think of it, a poncho isn\’t much help in a wind like that; and an umbrella is useless. I reached home about 5 pm; and fixed some supper. I tried a new salad: avocado mashed with lemon juice; and mixed with chopped raw cabbage. Then I settled down to wait and see how crazy the weather was going to get. As it turned out, we didn\’t get much bad weather. Today, as of 4:45 am, the wind is still 15 mph; but I\’d be getting ready to ride anyhow if it weren\’t for the fact that I feel weird. I keep getting lightheaded. Reaction to yesterday\’s \”jab\”, I suppose?. Lightheadedness doesn\’t mix well with two whees, so I think I\’d better skip the ride. Geez, has my body gone wild?

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Reversal

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I’ve undergone a complete reversal. Thirteen months ago, my poundage had me borderline overweight. This past Monday I had a doctor’s appointment; and the doctor told me my BMI was 19! Now I’m verging on UNDERweight. Well, I don’t want to vanish into thin air. Now I need to find a way to maintain my weight; yet still keep tabs on the carbs. I’ve got to keep that prediabetes in mind; I suspect that prediabetes isn’t “cured”. Even if my A1c levels are back to normal, I suspect that I\’ll always have to be careful. After work that day, I decided to blow my spendcation and get Chinese take-out for supper. I\’m tired of getting hungry too quickly after eating; and when I told the doctor about it Monday, she suggested that I schedule another session with the nutritionist. Anyway, I thought that having a humongous meal might bring me back on a more even keel. Maybe I need more calories, considering the amount of riding I do. But do I need more carbs? It\’s already often difficult to plan a day\’s meals; fit in roughly 2000 calories; and not go over 200 grams of carbs. I also try to minimize cholesterol. If anything, that complicates matters; because it means curbing cheese, meat, eggs, and poultry. As long as I can keep up the cycling, I should be able to keep my weight under control; and avoid becoming \”skinny obese\”. Exercise also helps to control diabetes/prediabetes. Now if only I could bring about a major reversal in my slowpoke pace!

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Czechia

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Czechia This Prague-to-Vienna trip sounds terrific. Eight days long, this tour takes you past castles and vineyards; and well-preserved medieval towns. Sounds good for the history lover. But I suspect that I’d want a triple crankset! The Bohemia tour is an out-and-back trip, beginning and ending in Prague. You can choose a beginner; advanced; or pro-level tour. I haven’t read the itinerary very closely; but it looks like this one is e-bike-oriented. I find the idea of mounting an e-bike intimidating. I’ve got an idea that such a “ride” might run away with me! The Prague to Dresden tour sounds quite attractive. Easy to moderate cycling; and mostly on dedicated cycling lanes. I think I might enjoy the Vltava Cycling Trail, thanks to Smetana. But there are castles along the way; as well as museums and churches.  As always, give some thought to climate and weather. Summers in Czechia are warm; Winters are cold and snowy. Altitude matters too, of course. Higher elevations are, naturally, cooler; and also tend to be more rainy. Determine what clothing you’re likely to need during your tour. Is rain likely? Will it be chilly? There’s a lot to consider; but Czechia sounds like someplace to keep in mind.   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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER

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Fuel Efficient?

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Fuel Efficient? Have I become more fuel efficient? Or was I actually eating too much during those Sunday long rides? In recent months, when I do a ride of 29 miles or more, my “menu” often includes a Fit Crunch bar; an RXBar or Quest bar; and a “goo” or two. I’d cut the bars into pieces before I went out on the bike: I usually cut them into quarters. Most of the time I ate most of the pieces before I got back home. Yesterday I switched tactics. I cut the Fit Crunch into sixths; and the Quest bar into eighths. I left the RXBar in its wrapper as “backup”. I ate all of the Fit Crunch; but I finished my ride with half of the Quest bar uneaten! Does that mean I’m becoming more fuel efficient? My legs got tired, but I didn’t feel hungry; let alone bonkish. I think I’ll let this be my ride food routine for a while; and see how it goes. What about my pre-long ride meal? You can hardly call it a “meal”: usually it’s just a banana and some peanut butter. As a rule, I begin my long ride half an hour or so after eating; and a huge breakfast probably isn’t the best idea. I don’t think my gut would be very comfortable with it! But I begin on-bike eating after the first 15 minutes of pedaling. Then I grab a bite every 15 minutes after that. Turnaround point is GU-Gel time. Most flavors of GU contain a bit of caffeine, so I get a bit of a pick-me-up. Then I head home, continuing the bite-per-15-minutes routine; and hope that it’s fueling enough. 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 Five Minutes September 7, 2024 Indoor Pros and Cons September 6, 2024 Foul Weather Bike September 5, 2024 To Ride or Not? September 4, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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The Plodder

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The Plodder 🐢 Just call me The Plodder. I’m still quite the slowpoke! During my Sunday long rides, I don’t want to push too hard for too long. I might end up burned out far from home; and then getting home would be a miserable slog. Today for example, I averaged only 11.61 mph over 29 miles. At the same time, I get the feeling that I can ride a bit more strongly against the wind than I used to. This is where a power meter can be useful. Speed can actually be deceptive, because so many variables come into it. A strong headwind can push your speed way down, but X watts is X watts; headwind, steep climb, or what. A power meter would let me see whether I’m actually improving. Unfortunately power meters are too expensive for me. So I was the plodder this morning, as is only too usual; but at least I rode the return leg non-stop, which is a bit of progress. Most of the time I need to make a halt or two on the way back home. Often I’m slow enough that the time comes to reapply sunblock before I can get home; and I can’t do that while I’m riding! Incidentally, how do Grand Tour riders manage that? The weather is feeling more Spring-like. Soon I can dispense with the leg warmers, which will mean less laundry; but it will also mean using a lot more sunblock. I’m glad I have several tubes of it in reserve. Not needing to wear a cycling jacket also helps lessen the laundry load; but it means the drawback of fewer pockets. Soon I’ll be hauling out the sun sleeves. And carrying along more electrolyte drink. But I’m quite sure of this: I’ll still be the plodder!  

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Spendcation

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I need a spendcation! At least, I think that\’s what they call it: a specified period of time during which no money is spent, except for absolute necessities. I\’m shocked to see that I spent over $100 in various grocery stores since last Thursday; some $10 of it for totally unnecessary Diet Coke! OK, the sodas I do not need; but what about the rest of it? I need fruits and vegetables for a proper diet; and yogurt provides some protein. I don\’t eat much meat, so I need to get protein from somewhere; and I don\’t think that unstinting use of protein powders is the solution. Yesterday at Whole Foods I got enough bulk-bin nuts to last quite a while; so I probably won\’t buy any more for some time. (I can always find excuses, right?) I caved in and went to the salvage store this morning; and I took the trailer. As part of a spendcation, I need to keep myself out of that place! I got canned beans; and I found almond/coconut milk. I found jars of olives! The store still had Laughing Cow Lite, and I stocked up on it. The allure of the grab-bag bins held sway; and I found assorted bars that will make good ride food. Of course (and alas!) I got some candy bars, and packs of M&Ms. They\’re now stashed in the back of the fridge, where they\’re out of plain sight. With the weather starting to warm up, I\’ll need to keep anything chocolate in the fridge, anyhow. I got quite a decent haul this morning; and I got in a good bicycle ride to boot. But to help make this spendcation successful, I think I\’d better plan a jaunt on the road bike for next Saturday!

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Spare Us the Obscenity

BACK ISSUES, Food /

Spare us the obscenity! What\’s all this about Tastefully NUDE? This variety of GU-Gel is unflavored; and uncolored as well. Hence the designation \”nude\”. It can be a nice change from flavored gels, especially if you eat a lot of them. Eating \”goos\” is something that I generally reserve for my Sunday long rides; but I always have a couple of them my road bike\’s top tube pouch. Occasionally I need one while out on a weekday morning ride; and I also keep a couple of them in my bike trunk\’s pocket. Now and then I need one as emergency rations. GU-Gel comes in many other flavors; including one for the coffee lover. A great favorite of mine is Chocolate Outrage; and I like Salted Caramel a lot, too. As for going nude, please spare us the obscenity.

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Rationalize

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It\’s so easy to rationalize, isn\’t it? I usually don\’t feel the need to rationalize going for a bicycle ride; and I suppose that few of us do. My legs love to move! I need the exercise! It\’s how I get to and from the grocery store! No excuses needed for riding; but I sure rationalize about other things — probably much more that I realize. My trips to the salvage store, for one thing. Something in me is driven to hit that place week after week: who knows when COVID-19 might force a shut-down? It seems less likely as time goes on; but one never knows. I\’ll need to have supplies on hand if it does come to a shut-down. Hurricane season is approaching; and the time to prepare is right now. If a storm does head our way, I\’ll have ample supplies. Come to think of it, that stash of canned stuff is my security blanket! Then there\’s this morning\’s jaunt to Whole Foods. I spent close to $50! It\’s easy to excuse myself for blowing over $16 on various nuts from the bulk bins by saying, I won\’t need to buy almonds or hazelnuts for quite a while now; it\’s not as though I eat them by the fistful. I even wrote today\’s date on the paper/wire twisters that hold shut the bags, and now I\’ll be able to see how long supplies last. I needed the Calcium-Magnesium-Zinc tablets (almost $15 right there!); but now I have enough for three months. On the upside, I managed to resist buying Enlightened or any other frozen goodies. Now — ride to the salvage store tomorrow, or not? I feel like I need a morning to sleep in; but the \”thrill of the hunt\” is rising!

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Pinch Hitting?

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I\’ve never been a pinch hitter on a bicycle team; but I guess you can call it pinch hitting when I make substitutions while cooking. Sometimes it\’s make the substitution; or not try out the new recipe! Today I took vacation because I had several things I needed to get done. With that extra time, I hauled out The American Diabetes Association Vegetarian Cookbook; and tried the Basil Ginger Cashew Pilaf, on page 57. And did I do some some pinch hitting! First, the recipe says to use white basmati rice. I have none; but why buy basmati rice when I\’ve got lots of brown rice? So I cooked up brown rice. The recipe uses peanut and dark roasted sesame oils. I don\’t have either one, so I used sesame seed oil. Another substitution I made was peanuts instead of cashews. I\’ve got to use up those roasted-in-the-shell \”goobers\” that I bought at the salvage store a while back. And I didn\’t want to buy fresh ginger root; so I used some ground ginger instead. The onion, carrot, celery, and bell pepper I could leave unchanged. Perhaps most notably, I didn\’t have any fresh basil. Fresh herbs are crazy expensive, so I used a teaspoon of dry basil leaves. Maybe I could have used more than that; next time I\’ll try it. This recipe makes a LOT: a good 11 cups; and I packed most of it away in the freezer. Naturally I ate some right away; and it\’s really good. Some day I\’ll try it with chopped cabbage instead of carrots and celery. Oh, there I go again! This will be like Hoppin\’John and its many variations. Mañana Tomorrow is another work day; but at least it\’s Friday ? I\’m thinking of how I\’ll get in my riding: a short spin on the road bike; and then take the hybrid to Whole Foods? Or rig the hybrid for a load; ride around the park a few times; and then head for the store? The former means I can get in some real \”unclimbing\” work; but it\’s too easy to stay out too long that way. Then I might not have time to go to the store and be back home in time for clocking in. The latter means plodding along; but it will be easier in a way because I won\’t need to go home and switch bikes. I can think about it tomorrow before I go out. Mañana is good enough for me; and I don\’t have to get out there and do any pinch hitting for a racing team.

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