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Not Such Fireworks

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Today so far is not such fireworks. This morning I went out early on the road bike. I hoped that the clouds would part for long enough for me to see the Fourth of July full moon. No such luck. As I saw once it was daylight, what had appeared to be clear areas in the sky were merely places where the cloud cover wasn\’t quite as heavy. It looks like viewing chances will also be nil tonight and early tomorrow. There\’s a good chance of rain and T-storms. What a disappointment! I\’m glad I wasn\’t also planning on eclipse-viewing. It sounds like that might not be a major thrill, either. It\’s not such fireworks in the literal pyrotechnics sense — not that I mind the absence of the noise. It\’s now just past noon, and I\’ve heard only a few firecrackers go off. That might change around dusk, depending on whether it\’s raining or not. I\’ve had my Fourth of July feast: a pint of my favorite ice cream; potato chips; and candy. If I were going to eat like a pig anyway, I wanted to do it early in the day, so I can digest it all by bedtime. Now I feel stuffed, and ready to get back on my pre-diabetic eating plan. Which reminds me, I have a cauliflower in the crisper that I need to prep for cooking. If it\’s already cut up, I\’ll have a far easier time getting myself to cook and eat it!  

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Addendum

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7:40 pm addendum: About six o\’clock, I decided to go for a ride, in case the weather tomorrow means that I can\’t. I was amazed at how strong and fast I felt! It had me wondering, \”What happened\”? The weather was actually pretty good. Thanks to a lot of overcast today, it was a balmy 79 degrees. Many a day lately the temperature has reached the low 90s! The humidity is 82%; no surprise there. On the way out, I had a bit of a headwind; 7-10 mph. I found myself riding on the small ring, and using a rapid cadence. Even so, except for my warm-up mile, I averaged over 14 mph! Coming back was even better. I had a bit of a boost from the wind. For a segment of almost four miles, I averaged well over 16 mph! For me, that\’s phenomenal. Have the effects of my force intervals finally kicked in? I\’m without a heart-rate sensor for the time being, but I\’d guess that I spent a lot of time in mid- to upper-Zone 4; or 7-8 by this chart. My breathing was certainly heavy. For this ride, I didn\’t seem to need to drink as much as usual. As a rule, I\’m reluctant to imbibe large amounts of any fluid right before I go riding. I don\’t want to be plagued by an urgent need to find a bathroom! But by evening I\’ve been getting fluids of some kind in me all day long. It looks like I start my regular morning rides dehydrated! When I got home, I decided to go straight into the shower. I had sunblock all over me, and didn\’t want to get it all over everything I touched. And now that\’s enough of this addendum.    

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Watching

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I\’m watching the forecast with a certain amount of anxiety. It looks like tomorrow will be stormy; and I wanted to go for an early-morning ride! You see, the moon will be at the full. A full moon on the Fourth of July! When might that happen again? As always, I\’m eager for the sight of that moon over the river, lighting up the water. I can\’t do anything but wait and see what happens. If it\’s pouring when my alarm clock goes off, probably the best thing to do will be to go back to sleep. If it isn\’t raining, I\’ll check the NOAA site. Maybe I\’ll get lucky, and there will be a break in the weather. I might have to resort to the trainer to get in some pedaling tomorrow. Maybe I\’ll ride in the trainer for a while this afternoon. I did almost no riding so far today; just to take the hybrid in to the shop (I think the brake pads are wearing out). I had decided to skip the ride to the salvage store. However the weather turns out tomorrow, I\’m ready for the Fourth of July. Several days ago I bought a pint of Cherry Garcia® ice cream. I put it away for the Fourth. It\’s not easy for me to resist ice cream like that; but if I put my mind to it, I can do it. I still had a couple of servings\’ worth of Sweet and Sour Hot Dogs in the freezer; I put the container down in the fridge to thaw. Sheesh, look at that. Ice cream + Sweet and Sour Hot Dogs. Not what I ought to be eating, that\’s for sure. Weather isn\’t the only thing that needs watching!  

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Good Break

5 Comments / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Good Break Getting a good break will be a nice change, won’t it? Especially if that good break is from a piñata that’s full of all the “goodies” ( e.g. spare tubes) we need for cycling South of the Border! A visit to the capital, Mexico City, might sound tempting. It seems that this city has improved for cyclists in recent years. Even so, I’m not crazy about the noise and exhaust of cars, buses, etc. What about exploring Mexico by bicycle? It’s easy for me to think of that as meaning rutted, rough, dirt roads; the kind of surface that makes me wish I were riding a dualie. Actually, main roads are likely to be in pretty good condition. That’s certainly a good break! Travel Age West offers many options. There are “no frills” tours along the coast of the Pacific, and in the Yucatan peninsula. Or explore one of the southern Mexico states, such as Chiapas. There are also tours of large cities. Getting back to “no frills”, exactly what does that mean? Panniers crammed with ride food; and no SAG wagon? As with any country, there are certain areas to be avoided if possible. In Mexico, a lot of this is along the border with the USA; plus the states of Michoacan and Guerrero. Much of the crime has to do with drug-running. Sure, stay away from those spots. You don’t want to get caught in the cross-fire if trouble breaks out. Stay safe, and Que tengas un buen paseo! 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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Nigeria

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Nigeria In Lagos in Nigeria, cycling is, alas, marginalized. But that doesn’t mean that the country is without good cycling routes. First Route to Work is a good one as an introduction to MTB riding. At just under 5 miles long, and little climbing, you can take it easy. For a flat route, the Adeshina Street 17 is another short one; just under 2.5 miles; and almost totally flat. I’d appreciate the flatness; but I like longer miles than that! If you’re up to a long road bike tour, LIL Audax offers 119 miles, with nearly 1300 feet in considerable climbing. Sounds pretty tough to me, even though the route is paved! Nigeria’s climate  has three distinct zones. The southern part of the country gets more rain than the northern part; and the average year-round temperature is about 80 degrees.  I guess a bicycle trip there would be much like a ride at home in one way: keep both poncho and sunblock handy! 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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Packing a Punch?

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Packing a Punch? Packing a punch? Sure! Delaware Punch! Why not pack some along to have with lunch while cycle-touring the First State? Check out southern Delaware’s Sussex Cyclists. The landscape is flat; the scenery is great; and the roads are excellent. Bikemap helps you choose from a variety of trail types, from flat to downhill to long tours. The state has a year-round moderate climate; or so the description says. Temperatures that can fall to sub-freezing aren’t my idea of “moderate”. I’d call that downright frigid! I would need some heavy-duty leg warmers; a good base layer; definitely a heavy helmet liner; and more! It’s a feather in any cyclist’s cap — pardon me, I mean helmet — to ride all the way across a state. Delaware offers an event that lets you cross the state twice in one day! Not many of the States can let you do the same. How’s that for packing a punch? 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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Beta-Carotene!

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Beta-carotene seems to be a big thing nowadays. Eat orange/red fruits and vegetables! So here I am, making up another new recipe. All of a sudden, I was tired of Hoppin\’ John variations. It occurred to me that I hadn\’t been eating much in the way of vegetables, aside from raw carrots. My mind drifted back to the Cauliflower Potato Cheddar Mash from page 87 of the ADA Vegetarian Cookbook. The result: Spinach-Sweet Potato-Jack mash! I made it yesterday. The sweet potatoes supply beta-carotene. The dark green spinach makes a nice color contrast with the sweet potatoes, as does the red onion. It\’s actually quite pretty, if I may say so myself. It tastes good, too. An hour after completing this cooking project, my imagination was already at work, conjuring up further variations. There\’s just no end to it!

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Compulsive

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\”Compulsive\” doesn\’t always conjure up the most positive images. Compulsive eating disorder. OCD. Even compulsive training in athletes, including cyclists. I seem to be turning into a compulsive cook. I think up variations on Hoppin\’ John, and I\’ve just got to make them as soon as possible. Since trying out the original recipe in early May, I\’ve made four of those variations; the latest being Tardy Turtle. I still want to try variations using kidney beans, mayacoba beans, and maybe split peas. The trouble with this relentless urge to create new dishes is, I\’ll need a chest freezer if I don\’t bring myself to a halt; and I don\’t have anywhere to put such a thing! Getting back to OCD-style training, I don\’t seem to have it. That\’s something to be thankful for. From what I\’ve read about it, If I were training compulsively, I\’d be dead beat all the time; yet still pushing myself to train, Train, TRAIN! I\’d hardly leave myself time to eat; much less to cook. I would even be trying to sleep on the bike. And now, back to compulsive cooking. This time, it\’s another variation on Cauliflower Potato Cheddar Mash, from The American Diabetes Association Vegetarian Cookbook. Instead of cauliflower, 17 oz of frozen spinach, thawed (I\’m saving the \”juice\” for soup). Sweet potatoes instead of russet potatoes; red onion instead of scallions; and Monterrey Jack cheese instead of cheddar. Then I\’ll feel compelled to dream up even MORE variations!

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Ozarks

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Ozarks The Ozarks lie, in part, in the state of Arkansas. I’ve heard that the Ozarks aren’t especially high; but that they’re steep. Better get your climbing legs prepared! Maybe a compact — or even super-compact — crankset would be a good idea, too. Arkansas ranks #39 among the States for bicycle friendliness; and there are eight cities that carry the Bicycle Friendly title. It sounds like finding riding companions ought to be fairly easy. The terrain varies from flat to mountainous, so there’s something for everyone. But remember those Ozarks! Arkansas has a moderate climate, with four distinct seasons. Add in the state’s varied terrain, and there’s sure to be a trail suited to you. Is road cycling your thing? The Winslow Death March Loop is not, I would say, for the novice roadie. It’ll really show you the Ozarks: steep climbs, plenty of switchbacks, and speedy downhills. That sounds pretty tough, doesn’t it? If it’s too tame for you, try the Jasper Disaster. This turn-packed route is one of the hardest in the entire state. I can easily imagine it becoming a disaster for me! For folks who want gravel, Pedal the Ridge might be a good choice. This path offers 20- and 50-mile options. Do you want mountain biking? Arkansas has five Epic Rides for MTB fans; just ask the IMBA. Mount Kessler MTB trails are among the state’s most difficult, with rocky singletrack. Upper Buffalo brings you in touch with native plants and wildlife. Boyle Park offers a variety of terrain. And those are only a few of the many cycling trails on offer in The Natural State! 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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