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SpokEasy

bicycling

Jump Start

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Jump Start 🌅 I’ll really need a jump start tomorrow morning if I’m to get in a 20-mile ride. Maybe a Power Crunch bar would help me get going? I’ve gotten my bike fitting set for 10:30 am tomorrow; and I’d rather put in the miles beforehand. If any changes are made, a long ride immediately afterwards isn’t the best idea. Not that 20 miles is all that long to me any more! But your body needs shorter rides for a few days to adapt to any tweaks to the bike. A jump start to the day will let me see the almost-full moon; and I won’t have to worry much about hurrying to get home. All the same, I plan to do some force work; I haven’t done any yet this week. Perhaps better, I can work at simulating a 7% grade. I need to be able to keep at that effort level for more than 12 seconds! Some of the RAGBRAI climbs will be that steep; and they might be long. RAGBRAI Climbs 🚵🏽  I’m very glad the RAGBRAI climbs this year are mostly pretty tame; but I still have to train for them. Unfortunately it’s tricky to gauge the effort level needed for effective hill simulation! It’s a good thing I have three months left to work on it. That’s about more than legs; it’s also about CV fitness, too. When I check my Garmin after a ride, I see that I’m spending less time in the upper heart-rate zones than I used to. I’m not sure whether that indicates improved fitness; or shows that I’m not working as hard as I was before now. Maybe it’s some of both. It might be a good idea to forget about speed per se for a bit; and concentrate on strength development. I’ll need it for those RAGBRAI climbs, after all. Now, how can I jump start improved “hill” training? 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 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Delays April 9, 2025 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Delays

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Delays 🙄 Delays are an aggravating part of life. Sometimes it’s stop signs and detours when you’re in a hurry; and sometimes it’s an unplanned rescheduling. The latter is the case with my bike fit. The bike shop called today. They said, the person who was supposed to do my bike fit, isn’t available at that time slot, after all. Now I have to wait for them to call me back so I can arrange for a new time slot. Delays, delays! But I can still ride while I wait for the bike fit. I must say, though, this week’s ride log looks like a taper! Taper? 🕯️ The taper, in this case, isn’t a candle. It’s an important part of training, whether your upcoming event is a big race; a century; or RAGBRAI. By all I’ve read, when there’s one week to go before event day, it’s too late to train. Tapering means reducing distance considerably for about a week prior to the event; but keeping some intensity going. RAGBRAI is several months away; but all the same, my log ride for this week looks like a taper. Monday, I rode 40+ miles; the next day, a little over 30 miles. Today, I did only 20.5; but actually, 20 miles is what I had in mind for most weekday rides. I keep thinking of this video about training for RAGBRAI, where it suggests doing back-to-back long rides (~6: 57); and see how you manage it. That’s what I’m working up to. I might not be quite ready for 40-mile rides two days in a row; but last May these rides were 20-22 miles. But I don’t need too many delays in ramping up my mileage. RAGBRAI is only about three months away! 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 Delays April 9, 2025 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Visit the Tailor

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

Visit the Tailor 🪡 I’ve decided it’s time to visit the tailor, so to speak: with RAGBRAI on the horizon, I want a bike fit. That’s nothing like making my own cycling jacket, even if I could get that kind of fabric; so I need to see an expert. It’s important that your bicycle fits you; don’t force yourself to fit the bike. It won’t be my first bike fit. About 10 years ago, I had my first fitting; something called Specialized Body Geometry. Then, perhaps five years ago, I went for a re-fit. That time, the fitter used Retül. I was surprised when they lowered my saddle a bit; but they said I have good hip flexion; and that a slightly lower saddle would help me make better use of it. I feel very comfortable on my road bike; but when I’ll be riding an average of 58 miles every day; for seven days straight; I think it’s time to visit the tailor. Doing it now will give me ample time to adapt to any adjustments made. Adjustments 🚴🏿 So I’ve made an appointment for a bike fitting; and it means making some adjustments to my plan for this week’s riding. Sometimes I feel like I’m twisting myself into a pretzel! I was hoping to the visit the tailor tomorrow; with just an easy ride to and from the fitting. As it turns out, I got a slot for day after tomorrow. So I’ll do a ride tomorrow, maybe 20 miles or so; then make Thursday short and easy. Maybe some cadence drills would be in order; but when you’re training, it’s not wise to do long and/or hard rides too many days in a row. Today I rode 30.2 miles; and yesterday I made it to 40.4 miles. This morning I did three seven-minute long efforts to push the pace; and that with legs that were already a bit tired. I’d better give them a bit of a break before making further adjustments, i.e. more longer rides. Oh, well. It’s good training for RAGBRAI! 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 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 It’s Down! April 5, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Ahead of Schedule

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

Ahead of Schedule 📋 It’s good to be ahead of schedule, whether it means a big project at work; or training for an event. So far I’m more than keeping up with the RAGBRAI training schedule. I’m certainly getting in the weekly mileage totals; and today, I finally broke 40 miles! It’s time I started doing more rides of that length. I want to stay ahead of schedule! On days when I do shorter rides, I need to work more on developing better speed. Today I ended up riding for about one hour in the rain. It wasn’t heavy enough for me to need rain gear; but did my bike get mucky! The weather also turned chilly last night. Have we got a broken Spring? Broken Spring? ⛓️‍💥 It seems like a broken Spring, all right. After some days of afternoons in the 80s, last night it dropped to the upper 50s. Tonight it’s supposed to fall to 52 degrees! I had to get out the leg warmers again; and go back to full-fingered gloves. And of course, my nose doesn’t like it! At least the weather is supposed to be clear for the next few days. That’s good for riding; I’m trying to stay ahead of schedule. It looks like this broken Spring will persist for a few more days; but clear weather is the main thing. Especially for Saturday morning. I hope I can get myself going in time for a moon-view 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 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 Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 It’s Down! April 5, 2025 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Break from Videos

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food /

Break from Videos 📽️ By and large, I’ve taken a break from videos for the past two days. I needed to get back to cooking; and yesterday I made Hoppin’ John. Today I made lentil and brown rice soup; and I hauled out my crock pot to cook overnight beans. I think I needed the break from videos; even those about RAGBRAI! I’ve viewed some of those videos many times; and at some point, that starts to feel like a grind. Not to say that I don’t enjoy them; and I’ve learned a lot; but I need to shift mental gears now and then. And now, how about the forecast for tomorrow? It looks wet! It Looks Wet! 💦 The break from videos might sound like more ride time; but this morning the sky looked stormy enough to keep me from riding much. Mid-afternoon, I finally hooked the road bike into the trainer and pedaled for half an hour. I’m not sure how tomorrow will go; it looks wet. There’s a 30% chance of rain in the morning; and maybe I’ll take the chance and push for a 40-miler. It will be cooler tomorrow; so I’ll have to haul out the leg warmers again. Wind 10-15 mph isn’t the most fun thing, either. Or I could wait until afternoon to ride; but I much prefer morning rides, even if it looks wet. I like to be sure I get my ride; then the rest of the day is free for other things. 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 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 It’s Down! April 5, 2025 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Wool over My Eyes April 3, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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It’s Down!

Leave a Comment / BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

It’s Down! 😊 Is “It’s down” really something to be elated about? That depends on what “it” is; and in this case, it’s my A1c level. Nine months ago, it was 6.0, which put me in the prediabetes range. A few days ago, my endocrinologist tested it again; and it’s down to 5.6. I’m elated that I’ve gotten my A1c down; but it’s barely below prediabetes. That means I still have to be careful. But cycling, or any exercise, helps. I’m so glad I can ride! However, I think I’ll have to miss out tomorrow; because the forecast predicts severe T-storms. Miss Out 😒 Doesn’t it gall you when you have to miss out on a ride? It sure galls me; I get antsy from the lack of activity. It’s also harder for me to control my appetite when I’m inactive. That’s no way to  ride your way lean! However, it’s unwise to go out in severe weather. Things were bad enough this morning, with the wind getting stronger as I rode home from the salvage store. RAGBRAI, I’m sure, won’t give me top grades for gambling with lightning during training. In fact, that might result in a resounding flunk. As I’ve said, I’ll probably have to miss out tomorrow. I hope we’re spared the kind of weather that other parts of the country just got. In one location, “it’s down” meant a collapsed bridge. There’s been serious flooding in some places. I’ll be glad to miss out on 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 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 It’s Down! April 5, 2025 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Wool over My Eyes April 3, 2025 Keep Your Shirt On! April 2, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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RAGBRAI Grades

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RAGBRAI Grades ✅ The RAGBRAI grades are out! Or rather, the RAGBRAI gradients. Last night I tuned into the RAGBRAI April Town Hall meeting; and they announced the maximum gradients for each day. It was a relief to learn that most of them will be 4% or less. The steepest gradient is on Day 7; and it’s 7.2%. To me that’s quite steep; but I’m reminding myself that it’s the day’s maximum gradient. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the whole day will be 7.2%. In fact, they say the first half of Day 7 will be fairly flat. It also doesn’t mean that every climb will be that steep. I hope those hills will be short, though. We’ll see how I do with the RAGBRAI grades; but I think I can train better, now that I know what’s coming. For the climbs, anyhow; but will there be crazy weather? Crazy Weather 🥵 Does Iowa have crazy weather like we do? Today the temperature climbed into the mid-80s; and that’s darned near outright hot! But Sunday night it’s supposed to drop to the mid-50s. That’s some crazy weather! Even with modern forecasting, I’m never sure what to expect. How about some RAGBRAI grades for weather? I expect the Three H’s; but at least one video says that the temperature can drop to the 50s at night. In fact, it advised that RAGBRAI-ers bring along a sleeping bag rated for 40 degrees. So I got one; and have a compression stuff sack on order. As far as my personal RAGBRAI grades go, I want to do well on packing! And riding, of course. 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 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Keep Your Shirt On! April 2, 2025 Stuffing April 1, 2025 Getting Easier! March 31, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Wool over My Eyes

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Wool over My Eyes? 🐑 I don’t like the wool over my eyes any more than the next person; but I can’t avoid it for that moment when I’m pulling a T-shirt over my head. Today I tried out my Merino Protect Wool T-shirt; and it’s quite comfortable. It was 78 degrees before 8:00 am; and that might sound much too warm to be wearing wool. But it wasn’t; and besides, there was a pretty stiff wind to cool me off. So I proclaim the experiment a success; and I ordered another one of these shirts. I’ll take them along on RAGBRAI! Wool over my eyes for that one moment is worth it for a comfortable shirt. But the ride is important, too! But the Ride? 🚲 But the ride, you say. T-shirts, merino or otherwise, are secondary, aren’t they? Well, yes. Today I used the road bike; but I think  I’ll take the hybrid tomorrow, so I can make a trip to the supermarket. With a strong wind blowing today, I rode laps around the park. Happily, it gave me a strong tailwind on the way home from that park; but it won’t die down overnight. 🙄 In fact, it will persist through Saturday. Wind from the Southeast is apt to give a sidewind; and that can be as much of a hassle as a headwind. But the ride is the important thing. I need to get those miles in. Just don’t put wool over my eyes. I need to see where I’m going! 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 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Wool over My Eyes April 3, 2025 Keep Your Shirt On! April 2, 2025 Stuffing April 1, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Keep Your Shirt On!

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

Keep Your Shirt On! 🎽 Keep your shirt on; especially this Merino Protect Men’s Tee, shown at left. It’s not hot enough yet to go shirtless, I say; and the Merino Protect Men’s Tee keeps you comfy. It’s lightweight; breathable; and wicks moisture away. Odor resistant, too; and easy to care for. Another reason to keep your shirt on, is to prevent sunburned shoulders! I’ve seen numerous videos that show riders in tank tops; and I suppose they must use a lot more sunblock than riders in sleeves. Here is the Merino Protect Wool T-shirt for women. Like the men’s model, it’s breathable; lightweight; odor resistant; and easy to care for. The Merino Protect Wool T-shirt is made of ethically-raised materials. Both of these shirts are available in a variety of colors and sizes. I first heard of merino wool tees when I watched a YouTube about packing for RAGBRAI. I’ve bought one, and tried it on for size; but haven’t worn it for a ride yet. I plan to do so before long; but for now, it can still feel a bit chilly early in the day. Then I want long sleeves!  Where to Ride? 🚴🏿 But where to ride for the next two days? Even if life is a beautiful ride, it doesn’t mean that bicycle rides are always easy! Or fun. It’s very windy just now; and today, gusts were up to 40 mph! Tomorrow and Friday we can expect gusts up to 30 mph; and it’s not fun up there on the levee in such conditions. So, where to ride? Riding laps around the park is monotonous; but at least it means that I can frequently change direction. Then I can alternate headwinds; tailwinds; and sidewinds. That’s better than battling a headwind for mile after mile. Tomorrow morning it will be 74 degrees; but the wind is going to make it seem cooler. That’s a good reason to keep your shirt on; or even wear a lightweight jacket. Or do you prefer the chill? 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 Keep Your Shirt On! April 2, 2025 Stuffing April 1, 2025 Getting Easier! March 31, 2025 What a Forecast! March 30, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Stuffing

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Stuffing 🧸 Stuffing isn’t only for Thanksgiving turkeys; nor is it only for teddy bears. A long bicycle tour means you’ll be stuffing your bulkier items into small spaces, if at all possible. An eVac Compression Dry Bag can both do that; and keep your — er — stuff dry. These bags are air-permeable as well as waterproof; and come in sizes from 5 liters to 35 liters. At present, I’m trying to figure out what size I’ll need for the sleeping bag I bought for RAGBRAI. I might have to set such thoughts aside for a day or two, though; and think about how best to buck a headwind. Tomorrow and the next day are forecast to be windy. Here comes the wolf! Here Comes the Wolf🐺 Here comes the wolf, yet again. When he’s blowing like crazy, I wonder how much a windscreen actually helps. Maybe it keeps the wind off the rider; but does it make it easier to push against the wind? It seems to me that it would cause greater wind resistance; but I’ve never tried one, so I can’t say for sure. This morning the wind wasn’t too bad; but it was enough for me to feel it. I guess it’s a good thing that I’m not trying to push the pace this week; and I’m glad that I planned to take tomorrow off. Good timing, as here comes the wolf. When he gets to blowing, it wears the stuffing out of me! 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 Stuffing April 1, 2025 Getting Easier! March 31, 2025 What a Forecast! March 30, 2025 You’re a Brick! March 29, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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