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No Zs No Brain

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No Zs no brain. Nearly everybody knows the sluggish, dragged-down feeling that results from a night of poor-quality sleep. The pharmacy still hasn\’t gotten my med, and without it I\’m half-awake all night. After three such nights, my brain function is barely half-steam ahead. This morning I decided to take a shorter Sunday ride than usual. As I turned on my Garmin, I suddenly thought: Hey, did I charge up this thing? No, I didn\’t. I completely forgot about it. Brain fog! Brain fog also kept me from remembering to adjust my heart-rate settings in the Garmin yesterday. I knew something was amiss; the crazy thing kept telling me I was in Zone 5, and I knew I wasn\’t! Anyway, I was almost to my turn-around point when the Garmin beeped and showed Low Battery on the screen. I finished the distance to turn-around, and switched the Garmin off. When I got back home, I multiplied the data by two. Today, for a change, I rode the full distance back home without any extra stops! No Zs no brain didn\’t keep me from realizing that it would be wise to take it easy today. I rode the small ring most of the time, and didn\’t try to push the pace. I did, however, pedal quite rapidly. My legs don\’t want to slow down, no matter what!

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Back in the Kitchen

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I\’m finally back in the kitchen! Today I let riding slide. I made a short trip to Whole Foods; but that was it. I absolutely had to do my laundry; and when that was out of the way, it was more than high time I ate lunch. Today I created another new dish! All morning I mulled over ways to use up the cabbage that I bought a week ago. By the time I finished washing clothes, I knew what I wanted to do. The result: Sweet & Sour Sesame Cabbage! I enjoyed this new dish, but unfortunately it doesn\’t \”stick to my ribs\” very well. I ate an apple, too; but 90 minutes later I already feel the edge of hunger again. I have further cooking projects in mind: soups made with a mixture of black beans and field peas. I can use up more of the cabbage; and some canned tomatoes, too. Today I bought wild rice, and I plan to add some of it to at least one soup. I\’ll be back in the kitchen for some time to come! But not all day. Tomorrow looks good for riding! It will be warmer than today, which is fine with me. This morning it was a rather nippy and windy 62 degrees, and my nose drove me crazy on the way to and from the store. It ran so fast, I could\’t possibly keep up with it!

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Oh Put It Off

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Oh put it off! has been going on for several days now. Specifically, I keep procrastinating over the laundry! Wednesday evening I was very tired; last night something else came up; and this evening I had to go to the drug store to pick up a refill. Last night I ran completely out of that particular medication, so I had to get the refill pronto. The errand didn\’t take very long, but when I got back home I was hungry. Now that I fixed my supper, I have two pots to wash; and dishes from both breakfast and supper. After I ate, I unpacked the bag from the drug store. The prescription I GOT is not the one I NEED. I called the pharmacy, and they\’re still waiting on the thing I need; and I can\’t return the script that\’s the goof. Laundry will have to be done tomorrow, after I do my grocery shopping. The salvage store is exerting its usual pull, but Whole Foods has bulk bins! I want to get black peppercorns; and maybe I\’ll get some tofu. I sure don\’t need to procrastinate over my riding the way I do laundry! Tour de Cure is barely over one month away. I doubt that I can do much now to improve my pace in the next few weeks, but I need to keep up my endurance. My training has been suffering in the last couple of months. I\’m more tired than usual; perhaps because of the reduced carb intake. Too often I get to bed too late. I\’ve become too lax about my off-bike exercises. I get very busy with blogs; and when I see it\’s already past 8:30 pm, I say Oh put it off!

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You Never Know

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You never know how you like something until you try it. This evening I tried a cucumber-tofu salad. The cucumber was about a week old, and needed to be used. Ditto for the tofu. I was just in time with the \”cuke\”. Another day or two and it would have had to go into the garbage. I peeled, quartered, and sliced it; and put it in a bowl. I cubed 3 oz of tofu. It\’s firm-style, and held its shape pretty well. I put the tofu cubes over the cucumber slices. There was a scallion that was rather old, too. (This is starting to sound like Garbage Soup!) I chopped the scallion and sprinkled it over the cucumber-tofu; and added four sliced, pimiento-stuffed olives. The crowning touch was a tablespoon of sweet and sour sauce; and some soy sauce. I admit I hadn\’t had great hopes for this strange, new salad; but it\’s good! You never know, do you? While I\’m talking about cooking: the freezer is finally getting emptied out! Soon I can plan my next Hoppin\’ John variation. And another sweet potato mash, too; maybe this time with broccoli. I guess I\’ll be on KP for a while. Cooking was far from my mind early this morning. I did a short, easy spin on the road bike, and went very early. I hoped to see the final sliver of the moon before its dark phase. To my disappointment, no moon was in sight. After I got the road bike home, I readied the hybrid for a trip to the grocery store. On the way there, I did see the moon! Maybe my road bike jaunt was too early. I\’m glad I saw it; and I\’m glad tomorrow is Friday!

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Alabama

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Alabama When I hear mention of Alabama, I think of red dirt. And kudzu vine, aka mile-a-night. During the Summer when I was twelve, we planned a road trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. Our route there went through Alabama; and we kids flew ahead to Birmingham, where an aunt of ours lived. That was when we first saw kudzu, nicknamed mile-a-night because it grows so fast. We were fascinated by the sight of orangish dirt. It’s also hilly around Birmingham. Time to haul out that mountain bike and hit some trails, wouldn’t you think? The Vulcan Trail is an easy route with views of the city. Trail users can walk; jog; bicycle; skate; and even walk the dog. But is that too tame for a hard-core MTB enthusiast? Black Creek Park features a Rails to Trails route; smooth and level. That’s a good one for me; but again, the MTB fan might find it overly easy. Ruffner Mountain? Are we finally getting somewhere? This one sounds like it has possibilities for MTB fans. Unfortunately, it looks as though mountain-biking is forbidden there. I guess they don’t want MTB riders tearing up the switchbacks; and I really can’t blame them. Ruffner Mountain is, after all, a nature preserve. How about heading for Anniston? There are a number of MTB trails to choose from. These range in skill level from Easy to Difficult. Something for everyone! Alabama has more to offer than MTB trails, of course. There are beaches; and there are museums, such as the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. In Birmingham you can take a Civil Rights Tour. Whatever your tastes, the “Heart of Dixie” has plenty to offer!   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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Sleepyhead

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I was a sleepyhead again this morning! It drives me crazy when I fall back asleep and don’t have time to go for a ride. Well, OK, I could have squeezed in a short ride by frantically rushing myself. I decided to wait until after work to ride. I’m glad the temperature won’t be in the 90s this afternoon! Oversleeping isn’t my only complaint today. My hybrid has a flat tire; and I can’t ride to work until I get it fixed. I don’t quite dare to try fixing it myself because of tendonitits in my left thumb. That was too much on my mind, in fact. On those sleepyhead mornings when I shut off the alarm and fall back asleep, I dream. I dreamed about checking that tire to see why it went flat. I also dreamed about sitting in a lecture, and taking notes in German! Never mind that the lecture was in English. Some people might wonder, why don’t I put the alarm clock on the other side of the room? Then I have to get up to shut the thing off. This is why: if I fly out of bed like a rocket, I go staggering all over the place. I might even land on the floor! But now I have to get ready to go to work. Tuesday morning means on-site. I wish I could continue remote work full-time. It’s much easier! 7 pm addendum: I got the hybrid’s tire fixed. As I thought, the valve had torn away from the tube. I decided not to try going out on the road bike. I had 5-6 weeks’ worth of ride data to enter into my “big log”; dishes to wash; and I was tired out, anyway. Maybe that’s what drove me to a candy binge!

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Tire Woes

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Tire woes are an unfortunate part of being a cyclist. After work today, I wanted to ride the hybrid over to the drug store. Before starting out, I decided to pump up its tires. For whatever reason, I gave the front tire a little squeeze before starting to pump; and it seemed soft. When I attached the pump\’s nozzle to the front tire valve, the gauge on the pump didn\’t budge, as it normally does. That seemed very odd. When I began pumping, the gauge didn\’t rise in the usual way. Then air began to rush out, even though the pump nozzle was still attached to the tire\’s valve. I knew then that I\’d be walking to the drug store! Not for the first time, I saw how much I take my bicycles for granted. Maybe the valve tore loose from the tube. Or did I roll over something last Saturday that caused a puncture? Either way, that front tire needs work. Unfortunately I don\’t dare try to do it myself. Since before last Christmas, I\’ve had tendonitis in my left thumb. I\’m sure it won\’t take kindly to the strain of getting a bicycle tire off of the rim. Tomorrow I\’ll call the bike shop. Tire woes aren\’t my only reason for going there. I bought a new chest strap for my Garmin a few months ago; and I still haven\’t figured out how to enter my heart rate zones into my laptop so that I can use the sensor during my rides! So I have to ask the guys at the bike shop for help with that as well. I sometimes feel like a helpless infant in the face of all this computerization. Did high-wheel enthusiasts feel like that about the newfangled safety bicycle?

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algeria blog post globetrotting page

Algeria

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Algeria Algeria makes me think first and foremost of Rossini. But how about bicycle touring there? If you stay near the coast, roads can be hilly; but not especially hard to manage. Traffic can be heavy near the  capital city of Algiers. Want mountain biking? You can tour the Atlas Mountains by bicycle. This mountain range crosses Morocco and Tunisia as well as Algeria; and it sounds like you can expect some stiff climbing! If you’d like to see something of the Sahara, there’s a loop through Ghardaia, Ouargla, Touggourt and Biskra. It isn’t the easiest route; but it’s doable. Actually riding into the Sahara is serious business; and potentially life-threatening. Better to rove the desert in a four-wheel drive; or on camelback. No, I don’t mean the hydration system! Even a full Camel-Bak won’t get you very far in that place. Be sure to take an ample supply of food and water, whatever  your transportation method. See here for more info about bicycle touring in this African country. Tours are on offer in all regions in the continent; primarily self-contained small groups. The people of Algeria are generally quite welcoming; honest; and helpful. However, this country is morally conservative; and women on bicycles need to be especially cautious, even in groups. And of course, check up on travel advisories before heading there. Me? I think I’ll stick with that Rossini overture! 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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Nice Change

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

It was a nice change to have a tailwind on the way home during my weekly long ride. I still wasn’t fast; I did very little of pushing the pace. But I did, however, hit a max speed of over 22 mph when passing another cyclist! For once, I didn’t get home exhausted. The general weather today is also a nice change. It was in the low 70s when I started out, and about 80 when I got back home. That’s a welcome relief from the conditions of just a few weeks ago. Then, it was usually at least 80 degrees at 5 am! This morning it was cool enough for arm warmers. Unfortunately they kept slipping down, leaving a gap between arm warmers and the edges of my sleeves. I fear I’ll have pink bands around my biceps! That will look weird, won’t it? Today I tried two new foods: the RXBar Banana Chocolate Walnut; and the RXBar Coconut Chocolate. The Coconut Chocolate is better, I think. I also took along a Clif Bar; but I’m going to phase them out. Now that I have pre-diabetes and must watch carbs, I’m paying more attention to ingredient lists and the carbohydrate content of what I eat. Several days ago, I checked the ingredient lists for several flavors of Clif Bar. Every one shows brown rice syrup first! Clif Bars are also low in protein. The nutritionist says, look for at least 12 grams of protein in any bar that I want to use as ride food; and she says that RXBars are a good choice. Oh, and I almost forgot: I saw three roseate spoonbills in flight! Such sights make even the most grueling ride worth the effort.

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Random Thoughts

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My random thoughts can make me feel rather like I’m lost in a maze. I shift from thinking about Hurricane Delta to mulling over future cooking projects to keeping an eye on the expected weather conditions for tomorrow! New Orleans got lucky once again. If my neighborhood had a power outage, it was during the night; and brief. I didn’t even look like it had rained very much. Today I skipped the salvage store, and hit Whole Foods instead. I wanted some things from the bulk bins; the salvage store is unlikely to have buckwheat. I decided to get tofu to experiment with; and I got cucumbers for snacks. I tried to remember to check labels for nutrition facts as I went through the store. Both the nurse-practitioner and the nutritionist have mentioned that. It’s important now that I must keep tabs on my carb intake. Cooking projects are on the back burner, so to speak. My freezer is still too full to hold them. After visiting Whole Foods this morning, I had to cram in hazelnuts, buckwheat, and sunflower seeds. When there’s enough room in there, I have another Hoppin’ John variation in mind: Liltin’ Limas! Tomorrow is long-ride day, and that’s when I really go overboard with the carbs! When I’m riding for several hours, I have to have the calories; and my answer to that has long been various bars: Clif Bars, and so on. When I was with the nutritionist last Tuesday, I asked about that. She says, look for bars with at least 12 (or was it 18?) grams of protein. RX Bars are good, she says, and Clif Builder’s Protein Bars. So, RX Bars tomorrow. I’ll try some new flavors; and continue my random thoughts as I pedal.

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