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Endless Storms

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Endless Storms ⛈️ Today’s Featured Product! 😄 Vevor Dog Bike Trailer New!! Leikefitness Exercise Step Platform For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Of late, the forecasts predict seemingly endless storms. “Chance of showers and thunderstorms” comes up only too frequently; and every evening I’m wondering whether I’ll get to ride the next morning. Twenty-mile rides are becoming more frequent; and long distances aren’t fun in the rain. Even short jaunts can get miserable if it’s pouring; and that’s  before taking concerns about lightning into consideration. Oh, these endless storms! Going Places 🚦 When I need to be going places, weather comes into even sharper focus. Visibility is important any time; but it’s even more vital in rain and fog. Even if I have a backpack with light-up arrows on it, being seen is only half the problem. How about my being able to see?  Lens wipes help; but only so much. If it’s raining very hard; or the fog is “pea soup”; riding a bicycle is rather a nail-biter. It’s tiresome having to take a wait-and-see approach on a day-to-day basis; but what else can I do? This is one of the things that makes me glad to be retired. If I can’t ride early in the day, I can go out later. IF the heat index isn’t 100+ degrees!   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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Not Over Yet

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

Not Over Yet 🥵 Today’s Featured Product! ☄️ Tom Danielson’s Core Advantage New!! Bicycle Handlebar Clock   For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Summer’s not over yet; and I won’t be reaching for heat wraps anytime soon. On the contrary, I need to keep that cool rag handy! This morning I didn’t ride; the forecast looked like there could be T-storms this morning. Wouldn’t you know, nothing happened; so I hope I can ride tomorrow morning. But I need to be home by nine o’clock; I’ve got a 10:00 am appointment to get this season’s flu shot. Unfortunately, T-storm season is not over yet; and neither is hurricane season. Regarding T-storms, I just have to watch the forecasts; and keep the poncho handy when I ride. As for hurricanes, we can only watch; and hope for the best. Hard Riding? 🚲 I’ve been trying to do some hard riding; but is it enough? I’m still on the hybrid; although I hope to get a new road bike  soon (how much longer will I keep saying that?) I’m trying to spend more time on the big ring; and it’s taken quite a while for me to reach that point. Sometimes I go by distance; other times I go by, well, time. It depends on how much of a headwind I’ve got. But I need to work up some more strength; especially if I hope to do RAGBRAI again next Summer. There’ll be hills; and I’d also like to be able to finish a day’s mileage by 5 pm. Maybe I could manage hard riding next July  if I can work up my strength now! 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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Sunday Dinner

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Sunday Dinner? 🍽️ Today’s Featured Product! 🎊 Goodie Girl Blueberry Biscuits New!! Viribus Folding Adult Tricycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Sunday dinner is supposed to be pleasant, right? Especially when you don’t have to do the cooking! For some folks, Sunday dinner is steak; others turn to chicken. But — bugs? I remember a list of how-to-tell-you’re-a-real-cyclist items. (Not this one; but I can’t find the one I want). One was being able to identify bugs by taste. I thought of that today when, just before I got home, I caught a bug in the corner of my mouth. I have no idea what it was; but it did not taste good! You may be sure that I spat it out in a hurry. If only I could breathe through my nose better while riding! Looking Ahead 👁️ Looking ahead to the week, I think I’ll ride tomorrow; and take Tuesday off. It looks like rain/T-storms are more likely the day after tomorrow than tomorrow; and it’s important to be flexible in your riding plans. Tomorrow is already Labor Day; and soon it will be Fall — officially, anyway. I’m not expecting our weather to cooperate with the calendar. It will be nice when I can ride without having to worry about heat advisories! 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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Toil and Trouble

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Toil and Trouble? ♨️ Today’s Featured Product! ☺️ Bikewa Men’s Rain Jacket New!! Happybuy 7-Speed Folding Adult Trike For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Double, double, toil and trouble, as the chant goes. I don’t know about toil and trouble; but we got double rain today. The first shower began around 11:00 am. I was glad to be back from the salvage store well before it started to rain. Riding home from the store, I could see rain on the other side of the river; and I had forgotten to bring along the poncho! It rained again around 5:00 pm; and I hope the forecast for tomorrow is accurate. It doesn’t show any precipitation; and now that we’ve had a good shower or two, I’m ready for a break from rain.   Ready for a Break ⛓️‍💥 I’m ready for a break from rain; and also from this cold. It’s been making me tired and rather listless; and my off-bike exercises have fallen by the wayside as a result.😕 The tropics are quiet for now; and we’re always ready for a break in that respect. But we’ve got two more months of watching over our shoulder, so to speak. I need to get in some good miles tomorrow; I missed riding yesterday and the day before. Despite that, my legs felt pretty strong today. Could I be in better shape than I think? 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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Endless Woes

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Endless Woes 😢 Today’s Featured Product! 💫 Winter Gel Clings New!!   ADDMOTOR ARISETAN M-360 For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Sometimes life seems like endless woes. I need an old kit bag to stuff them into! A week ago Tuesday, I came down with a cold. Even now, my head feels stuffy; I’m a bit dizzy; and I still am tired. Last Saturday, I developed an odd swelling on my right arm; and it cropped up for no apparent reason: no cut; no bruise; no insect bite. To keep it brief, it seems to be an erythema nodosum; and it might be connected to rheumatoid arthritis. Or even to this cold that I have. These nodules typically resolve on their own. But trust me to  get something with an unpronounceable name! Labor Day 🛠️ 🪏 Here it is, Labor Day weekend already. It’ll be Christmas before we know it; and then 2027 will be upon us.  But until then, it’s day by day; and I’m always watching the weather. The heat continues unabated (no surprise there); but rain is harder to predict. I hope I can ride tomorrow; I’ve already missed two days. Oh, these endless woes! At least we’ve been spared the woes of a hurricane so far. Long may it last; we’re having a freakish season. 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 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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Thwarted Again!

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Thwarted Again! 🚧 Today’s Featured Product! 🤩 Women’s Quest Road Shoes New!! Bull Trail Adult E-Trike For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Thwarted again! Just when I’m getting to work to extend my mileage, I’ve got to stop and figure out an alternate route! Some kind of work has just begun on the bike path, right at the point where I get on. Who knows how long it will take; and it won’t be fun riding alongside traffic to reach said path at another point. I’ll be cross; and so will my bicycle!  Advance Notice 🗣️ I wish I could get some advance notice when projects like this are imminent; then I wouldn’t get nasty surprises. I suppose there might be notices about these things; but where? Not everyone subscribes to a newspaper; and not all of us have TV. So here I am, thwarted again. It’s hard to have so few riding paths available; even getting to the park will be complicated by this current bike-path work.  I don’t want to take more time off from riding; I’ve missed a lot in the past year. And if I can’t ride much, how can I train up for next year’s 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 © 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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Back to Scratch?

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Up to Scratch? 🚲 Today’s Featured Product! 🎊 KAKIGO Electric Adult Tricycle New!! Slsy Adult Mountain Tricycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Am I finally getting back up to scratch? That’s sure somethng to smile about! Between a trip out of town, and then a cold, my distance has been kept short. Today I rode 20 miles for the first time in several weeks; and now I’m waiting to see how my legs will feel tomorrow. I hope they aren’t quivery! But I have some appointments day after tomorrow; so I want to put in some good miles tomorrow. And, of course, I want to get back up to scratch. Cooperative Weather 🌞 ⛈️ But will I have coopertive weather? That’s something I often don’t know until right before a ride, when I can check the current conditions. Thankfully, we don’t need to worry about Edouard here! Today I worked at riding on the big ring. I’m trying to get some real strength back into my legs. If my legs do feel quivery tomorrow, I’ll know why!     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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When I Don’t Ride

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When I Don’t Ride 😕 Today’s Featured Product! 🎆 Salted-Caramel-Truffle Protein Powder New!! Leather Makeup Bag   For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! What do I do when I don’t ride? Sleep all day? Mope around because I’m not on the bike? I decided not to ride today, because rain and T-storms were in the forecast. We did, indeed, have some rain; but I didn’t notice when it began. I had my headphones on, listening to a documentary about Katrina. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 21 years since that hurricane. We’ve been pretty lucky since then; but it won’t last forever! When I don’t ride, I have more time to reflect on such matters; and to keep watching the tropics. Watching the Tropics 👀 Yes, we’re all watching the tropics (so what else is new?); and there’s a system out there that could become a named storm. As of this moment, it’s not heading our way; but I guess we could get some wind and rain from it. In fact, WeatherUnderground indicates a tropical storm warning for coastal Texas and SW Louisiana! Unless this system turns fiendishly freakish, it probably won’t amount to much; but we’ve still got to watch it. Tomorrow morning looks OK for a ride; but I hope I’m back home before any rain begins. Maybe I should learn to read tea leaves; and then I wouldn’t have to rely on forecasts! 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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Still Lagging

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Still Lagging 🐌 Today’s Featured Product! 💥 HiVisible Reflective Bands New!! Zukka Rear Bike Basket For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I’m still lagging with my cycling. This cold is hanging on; and it makes me feel tired. That causes me to keep my rides short; and I’m reluctant to include much intense work. Hence it’s taking me too long to get back to my usual mileage. This morning I went out rather early, at 7:30 am. As usual, I had an eye on the forecast; it said T-storms possible from 10:00 am.. Naturally I wanted to beat those storms; but as of mid-afternoon they hadn’t materialized! I get SO tired of planning my rides around bad weather that doesn’t come. What’s Next? ⏭️ So what’s next with this crazy weather? How can I tell? A home weather station might be helpful; but I don’t want to fasten things to the walls in a rental property. Besides, how can I be sure that readings aren’t being affected by conditions in here? As I’m still lagging with my mileage, I don’t want to miss too many days of riding. But the forecast for tomorrow isn’t the greatest; and I don’t want to ride in a T-storm, with or without a 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 © 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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Flash in the Pan

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Flash in the Pan 🍳 Today’s Featured Product! 🎉 Women’s Sleeveless Tri Top New!! NDakter Bike Panniers   For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Tropical Storm Dolly sure was a flash in the pan. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing; we don’t want or need a hurricane. Ler’s just hope she doesn’t regenerate. And the official season has three months left! I suppose I could say that my cycling hasn’t been a flash in the pan; and I hope I can keep it up. If I ever relocate, I want to move to a bikeable, walkable area; and one with good cycling paths available. The catch is, where? And how do I rebuild my health-care team? How do I get there in the first place? Thinking about it all is enough to bog me down before I start! Maybe Someday? 🗓️ Well, maybe someday I’ll do it; but the thought is overwhelming. It makes me want to take a nap in a box! When I returned to work post-Katrina, things still looked a bit uncertain; and for a while, I tried to figure out where I’d go if I had to quit New Orleans. It won’t hurt to start doing it again if I have ideas of relocating; even if it’s some years in the future. One big advantage now, is that I shouldn’t need to worry about employment prospects! Oh, and how do I transport my bicycles if I relocate? Is there a way I could make a one-way bicycle tour out of it? But that’s another bag of tricks entirely! 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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