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After the Storm

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

After the Storm 💨 Today’s Featured Product!🥇 Misfits   New!! Sahale Berry Macaroon Almond For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Now it’s “after the storm”; not that we got much from Isaias here. We’re certainly thankful for that! Unfortunately there have been, as of this writing, at least four deaths from the hurricane. It was still cloudy when I set out for the salvage store at 7:30 am; and I was a bit concerned about rain. There was a little misting here and there; but I’m glad it didn’t pour. There are still wind gusts up to 25 mph; so I’m skipping the road bike .today. “After the storm” doesn’t mean we’re done with wind! Skipping ⏩ Skipping the ride on a still-not-quite-familiar bike sounds wise to me when I could be dealing with strong wind gusts. My legs feel tired today, too. Maybe it’s the switching back and forth between two very different “rides”. The wind is supposed to die down a great deal by tomorrow morning; so I don’t suppose I’ll be skipping the Sunday ride. I think I’ll work on the road bike for a while; then put in 10 miles or so on the hybrid. Then maybe do some cooking! 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Blowdown?

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Blowdown? 💨 Today’s Featured Product! 💥 Rose Hip and Hibiscus Tea New!! Thunderbird Cashew Fig Carrot For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Have we got a blowdown coming? With Hurricane Isaias out there, conditions might get rough. Will I even get to ride in the next two days? That storm is definitely strengthening; and locations such as Pensacola apparently are in for a hard hit. Our wind tomorrow might be as strong as 25 mph. As a tailwind, that would be glorious; but if I rode on the levee, I’d be fighting that wind all the way home. What a blowdown! Watch and Wait 👀 All we can do is watch and wait. I’m glad I have sufficient supplies to get me through a few days if things do get bad here. I have a road bike again; but I took the spindle for my trainer to the bike shop; and they say it isn’t suited to the new bike. The hybrid doesn’t fit the trainer. 🙄 So no indoor rides for me at present. Today I tried using my clip-in shoes with the road bike. It didn’t go too badly; and I’m starting to feel like a roadie again! 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Snack First

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Snack First 🥨 🥜 Today’s Featured Product! 👍 Vega Vanilla Protein New!! B.T.R. Nation High-Protein Bar For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! When it’s ride time, a snack first is a good idea. Otherwise, you might get too hungry before you get back home. Early today, I ate only a small apple with some peanut butter; then I went out to work on the road bike. Even though I rode less than four miles, I was hungry by the time I finished! Something about riding a bike without being clipped in is very tiring; perhaps because I’m not accustomed to using my leg muscles that way. Maybe I’m ready to try a ride with real bike shoes; but I’ve got to watch the wind. I didn’t venture out on the hybrid until about midday — and I wished I had eaten a snack first. What If I’m Full? 🥙 But what if I’m full? I had had something to eat within the previous hour; and didn’t feel a bit hungry. I wanted to get in some miles, because who know what the weather might do over the next few days. So I went for a ride; and I packed a David bar in the bicycle trunk. I rode in the park, too; the wind was pretty strong, and I felt like I was working hard. Maybe that was why I suddenly began to feel very tired by the time I headed home; I had burned off whatever calories were in store. I got home, and gulped down a GU-Gel before I even unlocked the front door. Next time, I’ll eat an energy bar before I ride! 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Losing?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Losing? 😕 Today’s Featured Product! ❇️ Bikepacking New!! Perfect Keto Collagen-Protein Bars For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I seem to be losing conditioning fast. Concerns over the weather kept me from doing much for several days; and today I was determined to put in 20 miles. I want to ride some real miles in the next few days; by the weekend, tropical storm conditions aren’t impossible! But those miles this morning seemed awfully tough! On the way home, I had a 12 mph headwind; with gusts up to 20 mph! Not only was that tough on my legs; but my arms started to ache. By the time I reached home, I decided it wasn’t wise to try any work on the road bike. I’m losing conditioning for it before I even have it! More of the Same ⇉ Tomorrow might bring more of the same; at least, later in the morning. It’s a good thing that I habitually go out early. And today I sure wished I had some “cat ears“! Using the road bike still makes me a little nervous; so I still walk it to the bike path. That’s tedious, as there’s a  half-mile to go. I’m not using my biking shoes yet, because they really aren’t designed for long walks. It’s hard to be patient! But I won’t get completely back to road biking overnight. 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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I Need More Time

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I Need More Time ⌚️ Today’s Featured Product! 🎇 KiZE Chocolate Lovers Energy Bars New!! CLIF BUILDERS Reduced Sugar For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I need more time; and not in the sense of being time-crunched. I need more time on that new road bike! This morning it wasn’t raining; but the ground was still wet from previous showers. Reluctant though I was not to get my new “ride” mucked up, I took it out for some practice. I didn’t stay out long. The sky looked quite threatening; so I cut this practice session very short. And then it didn’t rain, after all! But I do seem to be getting the hang of starting up. After I took the road bike home, I went out for a ride on the hybrid. I needed to put in some miles! Eyeing the Sky 👀 Of course I’m eyeing the sky, hoping I’ll get to ride for the next few days without getting drenched. We along the Gulf coast are also eyeing the tropical map! There’s a system out there that we’ve got to watch; according to one source that I read, it has the potential to become a tropical storm! I knew it was too soon to assume that we were off the hook for this year’s hurricane season. For a change, it looks like tomorrow will be rain-free; and I hope to put in a 20-miler. I need the exercise! 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Can I Ride?

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Can I Ride? 🚲 Today’s Featured Product! 😁   Iconic Chocolate Truffle Drink New!! Cycling Training Made Simple  For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Can I ride tomorrow; or will the weather keep me indoors? This morning at about 7:00, it wasn’t raining; but I saw some big clouds building up in several different directions. That  made me wary of going for a ride that would take me five or more miles from home. I pedaled the hybrid over to the park, so I’d be fairly close to home if a downpour began. As there’s a bicycle speed limit there, I didn’t push the pace; but I do seem able to pedal more strongly now. During my fourth lap, the sun went behind the clouds; so I decided to go home. I wanted to take the road bike to the shop, anyway. Getting Set Up ⏲ Getting set up on a new bike is not without some kinks; and they’re more annoying than kinks in the muscles. I thought I needed to do this and that to set up the new road bike’s gearing; but as it turned out, I didn’t need to do anything! I could have skipped the visit to the bike shop, and gone to buy a few groceries, instead. Since about 11:00 am it’s rained on and off; at times, quite hard. Ergo I’m not anxious to go out. In fact, there’s now a flood advisory in effect! So, can I ride? Well, I could; but I’m not so sure it would be a good idea. And tomorrow looks like a repeat of today! 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Battle Scars

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

Battle Scars 🤺 Today’s Featured Product! 💫 Coconut Ropamo Men’s Short-Sleeve Jersey New!! Cycling Exercise for Seniors For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! My new road bike is already accumulating battle scars! And it’s only two days old. This morning I was starting up; and put a little too much energy into it. The bike swerved; and I had to step down in a hurry. The bike fell onto its right side; and the shifter got pushed out of line. I had to go to the bike shop to get it fixed. This isn’t a brifter that I can push back into place; and I suspect that I’ll miss that. Cowering? 😧 I also suspect that I might spend considerable time cowering indoors for the next few days. The forecast is full of rain! I don’t want to be working to get the hang of a new bike when it’s pouring. Naturally I don’t want my shiny new “wheels” to get mucked up too fast; and it’s also a matter of safety. “Battle scars” doesn’t have to mean a serious crash! I’m debating whether to ride to the salvage store tomorrow. There might be rain by 9:00 am; but if it’s not heavy, a poncho might do. Saturday morning, however, there’s a greater chance of adverse weather. I’d rather avoid that! 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Wobbly

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Wobbly 🚴‍♂️ Today’s Featured Product! 💥 Hiland Full-Suspension Men’s MTB New!! Mountain Biking for Kids For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I sure feel wobbly on my new road bike. That’s natural, after a year off of road bikes; but I hope it’s not long before I’m back up to snuff. Not that I’ll try riding like the person pictured above! These electronic gears will take some getting used to; and I miss having a handlebar end mirror! I feel like I’m riding blind! I need to figure out the app for my bike’s system. All this app stuff makes me feel thoroughly antiquated. The old road bike had push levers for shifting; but those brifters were, admittedly, getting harder to operate. Especially the left-hand one. In with the New 🆕 But as they say, out with the old and in with the new. This wobbly phase will pass; and I hope it doesn’t take too long. I’ve discovered that my memory of how to use my Garmin is wobbly, too. This morning I was sure I pressed “save ride”; but when I checked later, the ride wasn’t there! I wore the chest strap, but my heart rate didn’t show. After a year of lying idle, it might need a new battery. Or perhaps I didn’t have it positioned correctly. I might even have to get a new bicycle computer. 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 © 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Shakedown!

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Shakedown 🫨 Today’s Featured Product! 🎊 KOOTU Carbon Road Bike New!! Loire à Vélo For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Tomorrow begins the shakedown! This afternoon, I brought my new road bike home. It was hot, in the mid-80s; and I didn’t want to try riding a road bike next to traffic. After all, I’ve been off the road bike for a bit  over a year. So I wheeled the bicycle home. The prospect of this shakedown has me partly excited; and partly nervous. For my first ride, I think I’ll skip the clip-in shoes. Probably I shouldn’t try riding in the streets for the first few jaunts; but it’s half a mile to to the bike path; and that’s too far for walking in cycling shoes!    Blisters? 🩹 Cycling shoes fit more snugly than sneakers; and have much stiffer soles. That means they aren’t suitable for more than a very short walk. I don’t want blisters or corns! It will feel weird to be pedaling without toe clips; and without being clipped in. But I think it’s wise to get the feel of that new road bike before I ride clipped in. I don’t suppose it will take very long. Then I can start twenty-mile rides! 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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On the Hop

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On the Hop 🐇 Today’s Featured Product! 💥 Backcountry Women’s Bib Shorts   New!! Luna Bar Variety Pack For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Nobody likes to be caught on the hop; except perhaps  a rabbit. That’s their natural behavior, after all. But do you ever feel caught on the hop when you’re about to begin a ride; and realize that you’ve forgotten your ride prep? I usually mix up my electrolyte drink the night prior. That way it has ample time to chill in the fridge; I’ve always found that Propel and other such products taste better cold. They also say that cold liquids are more readily absorbed by the body. Sometimes I forget to mix the drink the evening before a ride; and then of course it’s not cold. Seasonal Tilt? 🌎 Is the Earth in a seasonal tilt? For the past two mornings, I’ve gone riding very early. I wanted to see the moonlight on the river; but the moon was much too high in the sky for a good effect. I also forgot that it get light much later now — closer to 7 am, instead of 5:30 am. It’s Fall, even if  the weather doesn’t feel much like it yet. But it was nice to not need the cool rag this morning! 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 Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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