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Footloose?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Footloose 🦶🏻 Footloose doesn’t always mean fancy free. Today, in fact, it was quite annoying. I was using a recumbent exercise bike; and couldn’t get the toe strap for the left foot properly adjusted. My foot kept coming out; and I couldn’t figure out why. I tried to pay attention to ankle angle; but that didn’t solve the problem. It was such a nuisance that I gave up after only 23 minutes. I hope I have better success tomorrow. And if this was such a pain in the neck, just think what an “ouch” a footloose skate would be! I remember using roller skates as a kid, back when nobody though of helmets or other protective gear. If you fell, you got skinned knees and elbows; and it was part of the game. I wonder how many kids back then sustained head injuries into the bargain. Bargain 📦 Speaking of bargain, it’s time for me to look for a few. Thanksgiving is almost here; and Christmas will arrive before I know it. I’ve ordered my holiday candy; and I keep an eye peeled for gift possibilities all year round. It’s easier than frantic, last-minute shopping. And don’t forget, I have to allow time for shipping, too! I hope I can be back on the bike by Christmas. The hybrid has toe clips — those cup-like pedal attachments that keep your feet in place and let you pedal witb your quads. When I’m upright on a saddle once more, I don’t think I’ll be footloose any more. 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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Bent?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Bent? ↪️ I’m not bent out of shape, am I? At the recreation center, I’m using a recumbent style exercise bike. There are only two upright exercise bikes; and I saw no instructions as to how to adjust them. One had recently been used by someone whose legs are far longer than mine. The other one’s saddle was barely low enough; and whoever had last used the bike left the pedals on high tension.  Six minutes were enough; it’s  possible to develop knee problems if you pedal too much in too hard a gear. So I moved to a bent-style bike. Another reason to keep using the “bent” is, on an upright bike, I automatically reach for the handlebars. My left elbow quickly began to ache; and I still need to avoid straining it. Therapy 🫱🏼 When I went to physical therapy this morning, I asked about the exercise bikes. They agree that the bent is better until my elbow is fully healed. My usual therapist was out today; but I was able to work with someone else. Now that I have access to the recreation center, I can get in an early “ride” on days when I have physical therapy. Other days I can go a little later; but I’d better use sunblock for the walk home! 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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Pedaling Again

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Pedaling Again! 😊 I’m pedaling again! To be sure, it’s an indoor exercise bike; but my legs really need to get going again. Especially if I have ideas of participating in a cross-state ride next July! As planned, I began with a 30-minute session. I intend to do it again tomorrow, or maybe 35 minutes. I can easily fit it in before my physical therapy appointment. Sure, it’s boring — I’d far rather be outdoors on a real bicycle — but getting pedaling again is great! But not too much, too soon! Bit by bit is the way. Bit by Bit 🧩 I have to do this bit by bit. Sort of like playing Bananagrams; lay down one tile at a time. I read something somewhere about how long you need to get back up to scratch when you begin pedaling again after time off the bike. I don’t remember the source (maybe The Cyclist’s Training Bible); but you need to be especially careful if you had to miss riding due to illness or injury. The longer you were away from riding, of course, the more time you need to allow for regaining fitness. Your muscles will be weak; and your stamina will be diminished. You’ll also need to readjust to riding outdoors in the weather. Summer here hasn’t released its grip yet; but someday it will get cold! 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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Fermata

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Fermata 𝄐   Eager though I am to plunge into RAGBRAI 2026, I’m calling a fermata. Things can wait a bit. Early registration lasts through December 31; and Pork Belly registration doesn’t open until January 1, 2026. I’d better see how things go with my recovery over the next month. By Christmas, I should have a better idea of whether I can build up to RAGBRAI; and maybe I’ll even have my new road bike by then. I plan to start working out on an exercise bike tomorrow. At first, I think I’ll “just ride” for 30 minutes. After two months off the bike, it won’t be wise to ride long; or to include hard efforts. If that goes well, I’ll start adding 10 more minutes every few days.  After a few weeks, I can step up the intensity. Maybe getting to an exercise bike means that tomorrow is my lucky day? Lucky Day? But maybe today should be my lucky day. In my experience, four-leaf clovers aren’t rare; but all the same, this is the first one I’ve found in quite a while. I was out for a walk; looked down at a patch of clover; and there it was! So, how am I lucky today? My arm seems better. The weather was nice this morning, albeit the afternoon is warm for November. That’s become quite the norm, though; and as long as the tropics stay quiet, I guess we’ll just ride it out. We might get some rain by Thursday; so if I were doing real rides, that might put a fermata on my pedaling. It will take a while to readjust to riding outdoors in real weather; especially when it gets cold. We’ll see how it goes! 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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Self-Healing Roads?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Self-Healing Roads? 💊 Self-healing roads? Oh, I wish! I bet the ancient Romans could have built them. Check out this video between about 9:47 and 11:24. Even if we could get the volcanic ash, though, would it work? Maybe the ash available to the builders of the Colosseum happened to have the chemical composition that let it work the way that it did. Perhaps there’s no guarantee that ash from any old volcano will serve; and if all the world tried to build self-healing roads using volcanic ash, said ash might go the way of the dodo within a rather short time. Then we’d have to wait for more eruptions to get the ash; and what disruption that would wreak! Same Old Bumps 🙄 Since self-healing roads seem to be a pipe dream these days, I’ll to just ride over the same old bumps. Street surfaces in this neighborhood have been terrible for decades! I’ve been approved for Emeritus membership at the recreation center I mentioned; and I used my cell phone to take a pic of the email notification. I don’t think I’ll try to go there before Monday, though; this is Parents’ Weekend at the university; and it will probably be pretty crazy through tomorrow. But it’s great to feel like I’m getting my normal energy back. It took at least six weeks! 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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Hope for RAGBRAI?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Hope for RAGBRAI? 🤞 Is there hope for RAGBRAI 2026? I have my physical therapy sessions at a facility that’s on the university campus where I used to work. It’s in the same complex as the student recreation center; and I thought there might be a way I can get in there to use an exercise bike until I can get back on a real bike. There is! As someone who worked for the university for at least 25 consecutive years, I can apply for Emeritus membership! So that’s what I did. I guess I’ll hear from them next week. I understand that I pay for that membership month by month; and I might not need it past January — maybe February. So there’s hope for RAGBRAI. Better Get Going 🏃🏼‍♀️‍➡️ I’d better get going, though. I’ve lost two months already; and it’s lucky I don’t have to go to work any more. Thus I’m not time-crunched like some riders are. I don’t have to go out at 5 am to be sure I get a ride; and if it’s cold, I can wait for it to warm up a little.  I hope I can get my new road bike by February. I’ve got hope for RAGBRAI; but even so, I’ll need time to adjust to the new bicycle; and I’ll want to get a proper fitting. But when I can start pedaling, I’d better keep the pace casual for a week. Yes, I’d better get going; but if I go at it too hard right away, I might do more harm than good! 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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Should I?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Should I? 🤔 Should I go for RAGBRAI 2026? Registration opens day after tomorrow; and if I am going to do the ride, the earlier I sign up, the better. The same goes for getting a Pork Belly tent. But should I commit myself to the ride right now? That’s taking a major chance: I’ll probably be unable to ride for at least another month; and when I can ride again, I’ll have a long way to go before I can regain decent fitness. I’m not sure I can build up the necessary strength and stamina quickly; my body doesn’t seem to work that way. There’s the financial angle, too. For a fact, RAGBRAI is expensive; and I have other big expenses coming up! Financial Angle 📐 The financial angle is  important any time I start to think about a bicycle trip. There will be the plane trip up to Omaha; and lodging there before and after the bus ride to Iowa. Then, another plane flight back home. I have the sleeping bag and pad from last year, so I’d be spared that expense; but I have to buy a new road bike. Add to that upcoming oral surgery; and no wonder I’m asking, should I sign up for the ride. I might not, after those expenses, want to splurge on RAGBRAI. Oh, yeah, if I do shoot for RAGBRAI 2026, I’ll want a sixty-liter duffle bag. A pair of 40-liter bags this past RAGBRAI was barely 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Boomerang?

BACK ISSUES /

Boomerang? 🪃 Does Summer think it’s a boomerang? After just two chilly nights, it’s warming up again! Summer apparently is coming back. Or have the seasons confused the USA and Australia? I associate cold weather with the auroras, and they usually don’t come this far South; but they were visible last night in parts of Louisiana! I don’t know whether anyone here in New Orleans saw them; nor at what time. I do wonder, though, whether that’s why the modem for my WiFi connection was down this morning. Or was it just a garden-variety power outage? I’m starting to feel like a boomerang when it comes to physical therapy. I have to go back to that place twice a week; but at least it looks like my elbow is improving. Drying Up 🌵   Now that we’ve had some cold weather, my skin is drying up. It’s partly the cold; and partly lower-than-usual humidity levels for a day or two. We might keep drying up; no rain is expected for at least five days. I go walking most days; but I still can’t ride. My muscles are getting weaker and weaker. With goodies-laden holidays coming up, I need exercise more than ever! 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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Stiff!

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors /

Stiff! 😬 My arm feels stiff today. I guess that’s normal, considering that the weather has become much cooler. And the wind feels cutting. It wouldn’t be fun if I were riding on the levee! When I can finally start riding again, I’m sure to have stiff legs for a while. Stiff glutes, too. I remember that from my early days on two wheels. Speaking of cutting, I started for the local Supercuts® shortly before 9:00 am; and it felt so cold that I went back indoors! The haircut can wait until later this week; I’ve got four appointments over the next two days. Tomorrow will be a triple header — I have appointments for otolaryngology; audiology; and ophthalmology all in the same day! I’m glad they’re all at the same facility. The next day I have physical therapy again. Triple Header 👤 👤 👤 That triple header, though, will mean hanging around for several hours between the two morning appointments, and the one in mid-afternoon. I must check for places where I can get some lunch; cafeterias in medical centers are typically quite expensive. Coming home for lunch would be pushing it time-wise; and I don’t want to drag a lunch cooler with me. That’s too cumbersome! Tomorrow the temperature will be colder than it was today; but at least the wind is dying down. Maybe I can take public transit; I’m tired of costly taxis. And I think I saw an indoor walking route last time I was at that particular facility. I can go walking; and so what if it gives me stiff legs! 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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Nosedive

BACK ISSUES, Outdoors /

Nosedive ⬇️ We’re set for a nosedive in temperature overnight. The wind will be strong, too — so maybe it’s just as well that I won’t be trying to ride tomorrow. Wind 15 mph; with gusts twice as strong! That’s a chill factor of 34 degrees when it’s not gusting. At least the temperatures will be more seasonal for a day or two. Tomorrow night is supposed to be colder than tonight; but after that it will warm up again. See-Saw 🔄 So here we go again with this crazy see-saw. It happens every year. One night the temperature takes a nosedive; and one or two nights later it doesn’t fall below 60 degrees. In a way it’s easier during Summer, when we can be sure of one thing: it will be hot. We’ve also got something called a Red Flag warning for tomorrow. It’s been very dry, and that plus high winds means an increased fire risk; so beware of burning things outdoors. I’m glad I don’t live in the woods! Cold weather means that my nose will drive me crazy. That’s especially annoying when I’m riding; just try to use a handkerchief while pedaling. Well, I can hear that the wind has gotten much stronger in the last half-hour. So I’m glad I’m indoors. 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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