bicycling Archives - Page 25 of 127

Set Free!

Set Free! 😁 I feel like I’ve been set free. This morning I had a follow-up with the orthopedic surgeon; and he’s very pleased with how my elbow is doing. He says I’m ready for some weight-bearing exercise; and he said I may ride a bicycle again! Before I could ride, I needed to hike over to the bike shop to buy a new helmet. My new headpiece is white; the only other color available was black; and I like a visible color for a helmet! Then I walked home, and got ready to roll. It was great to be pedaling again; and moving while I did it. Pedaling Again 🚲 It was wonderful to be pedaling again. Now that I’ve been set free, I rode over to the park; did two circuits; and rode home. That was much more fun than using an indoor bike. Of course I didn’t attempt a long ride; that’s not wise when you’ve been off the bike for three months. I got in just under seven miles; and I’ll build from there. The outside of my elbow, surprisingly, was where I started to get some twinges. This occurred during my second round of the park; and I decided it was better to head home after finishing that lap. I would have liked to do more; but I figured that those twinges meant I was pushing the limit. I can discuss it with the physical therapist tomorrow. I don’t know exactly how much weight the doctor meant; and did he mean push-up exercises; carrying; or both? Would an 11-mile trip be too much, too soon? If it isn’t, maybe I can ride to the salvage store Saturday! 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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Through a Glass Darkly

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Through a Glass Darkly 😎 How do you make eye contact with a driver when you’re looking through a glass darkly? That’s what tinted windows do; and I don’t like it at all. I remember my days as an automobile driver; and bright sunlight and glare were tortuous. But tinted windows create their own problems. I wonder how drivers using such windows see anything. It makes me nervous when I’m on foot, or on a bike. If I can’t see the driver, how can I be sure that the driver sees me? I’m looking through a glass darkly; and often I don’t see anything! I also don’t see yet when I’ll be able to ride again. I have a follow-up with the orthopedic surgeon tomorrow; and I hope it’s good news. Good News? 🗞️ I hope to get good news from the doctor tomorrow; but I don’t quite dare count on it. I have further physical therapy sessions scheduled for several more weeks; and that seems to indicate that I might not be ready to ride again. Must I wait until my elbow can reach out 100%? It still has an 8% bend when I extend it as far as I can; will I be able to control a bicycle properly with that bend? If so, it’s good news. Not that anybody should ride a bicycle with the arms fully extended; they should have a slight bend at the elbows to allow for emergency steering. It’s also hard on the joints to keep your arms rigid; especially when riding over rough surfaces! 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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Post-Christmas Already?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Post-Christmas Already? 🌲 Is it post-Christmas already? I don’t expect to see holiday merchandise on sale until December 26; but today I found gift bags and gift tags on sale, for 30% off! Not that I’m complaining; I needed the gift tags (to put away for next year!); and I was buying a small gift for someone. So post-Christmas already came at a good time! Good News? 📰 Stuff on sale is good news; but I’m hoping for good news from the orthopedic surgeon day after tomorrow. Physical therapy is going well; and my elbow can extend itself a little more. Today, when I straightened it as much as possible without excessive discomfort, there was only an 8-degree bend in it. So I hope it’s not too much longer before I can ride again. The recreation center will be closed December 24 through January 4; and for now, they don’t open until 8 am. When I can ride again, I won’t have any such time constraints. And if the doctor says it’s OK for me to get back on the bicycle, what a great Christmas gift it will be! 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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Last Run

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors / CAL

Last Run ⏩ I guess today was my last run to the salvage store before Christmas. If only I could ride, I’d probably go again next Saturday; but when I have to beg for transportation, it’s different. I don’t want to ask for too much; so today is the last run for a while. Today I finally found medium cheddar cheese; and amazingly, ice cream was still on sale for 99¢ per carton. So I got two pints of Halo Top®. One is a half-chocolate, half-vanilla mix; and it’s wonderful with maple syrup on it! Cold Weather Plans ❄️ I must come up with my cold weather plans; and they begin tonight. The list includes cooking and cleaning. Tonight won’t be bad: low of 52, and calm wind. But from midday tomorrow, the temperature is going to drop; and tomorrow night, we can see freezing conditions. Windy, too! Ergo I want to get to an exercise bike tomorrow, because Monday I might not be able to tolerate the weather for a one-mile walk. I need some exercise, because today I didn’t get much. Then on Monday, I want to make a batch of Tardy Turtle; and I need to sort, rinse, and soak the black beans tonight. Come Monday, when I’ll probably be indoors most of the day, I really must vacuum. Cold weather plans can get weird; I usually just use a broom! 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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Nippy

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors / CAL

Nippy 🥶 It’s going to turn nippy tonight. The predicted low temperature is 45 degrees; and as far as I’m concerned, that’s nippy! It’s the kind of weather that drives me crazy when I’m riding, because my nose runs non-stop. My feet get cold, too. Now that I don’t have to ride at 5:15 am, I can wait until later in the morning, when it’s a bit warmer. When I may ride again; I’m still waiting for clearance from the orthopedic surgeon. It will be great when I can ride very early to see the full moon shining on the river! Keeping Warm 🧣 Of course I’m focusing on keeping warm. I don’t have to be outdoors for that to be a concern; it can get chilly indoors as well. Not, of course, like Winter 1880/1881 in DeSmet, South Dakota (still Dakota Territory at the time). But takes an annoyingly long time for the window unit in the living room to really get the place warm — probably because I don’t leave it running overnight. Keeping warm means several layers when I have to go out and walk somewhere; and it would mean several layers on the bike, too! I like it best when it’s just cool enough for a light jacket; but legs without leg warmers are still tolerable. But I’d better get used to nippy weather. We have several months of Winter ahead. 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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Teeth into It

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Teeth into It 🦷 We say, put your teeth into it, when faced with a difficult task. “Teeth” sounds like bicycle gears; and when I can ride again, I’ll have to put my teeth into it; both in terms of gears, and effort on my part. I’ve put my teeth into it in another way, too. After the accident, it was difficult to clean between my teeth for a month or more. The swelling in my left arm wouldn’t let me get my hand up to my face to use dental floss; and I wasn’t sure those gum-pick things alone were doing an adequate job. I was concerned about developing cavities as a result; not what I need with a tooth extraction coming up. So I scheduled an extra cleaning at the dentist’s. If my insurance won’t cover it, I figure it still costs less than expensive work farther down the road — and fortunately there were no cavities! 😀 This week I decided to send off Christmas gifts. I’m not about to wait until a week before the big day! It’s too hectic by then. Send Off 📦 I like to do the send off early; then I can be sure the Christmas gifts will reach their destinations well before December 25. Besides, as the holiday gets closer, FedEx; post offices; and other such businesses, will get more and more crowded. I can easily imagine folks who waited until the eleventh hour to ship things, getting all riled up because their packages won’t arrive in time for Christmas. I won’t be able to get my teeth into it this holiday — I’ve got oral surgery scheduled for December 23. But I got some cranberry sauce, which doesn’t require much chewing; and I’ll have my own “Christmas dinner” before surgery day. The hard part will be deciding what to get! 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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Want for Christmas?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Want for Christmas? 🎄 It’s already time to think of what we want for Christmas. In fact, by today’s standards, it’s getting late for that. 🙄 I suppose that’s especially true if you’re shopping for kids. I don’t need to worry about my two front teeth; but what I want for Christmas is to be able to ride again. Using an exercise bike is better than nothing; but it’s not real riding! I have most or all of my shopping done; and in fact, I keep an eye peeled for gift ideas year round. Now I’ve got to get things shipped; and it’s irritating to see that the cost of shipping usually exceeds the cost of the gifts! But if I want Christmas presents get from here to there, that’s my only option. Here to There 🛣️ Shipping is how I get things from here to there. Even if I were going visiting for Christmas, I’d ship the gifts ahead. Frankly, I’m glad that I’m not trying to get myself from here to there for December 25. Both of my siblings live out of state. And not only out of state; they both live where it snows. If the weather three weeks from now will be the same as it was recently, travel will be a nail-biter, to put it mildly. Not to mention all the tumult going on with airlines. So I guess I’ll stay here; and how nice if I’ll be able to go for a 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 No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Lightbulb Moments

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Lightbulb Moments 💡 We can all use lightbulb moments; especially when it seems impossible to figure out things. Like the logistics for going on a multi-day ride that takes place in another state; or figuring out how to pack for such a tour. Then, when those lightbulb moments finally occur, we wonder why we didn’t “get it” before; because now it seems so obvious! It Takes Years 📅 But it takes years, sometimes, for those lightbulb moments to strike. It could be the sudden realization that exerting some pull with your arms is a great help for climbing; I had been riding for many years before that dawned on me. This action means that my full weight isn’t on the saddle (although I maintain contact with it); and I can exert more push on the pedals. It’s also helpful when I want to work at pushing the pace. It takes years to develop cycling technique; or anyway, it took me years. I can’t afford a personal trainer; so I gleaned various bits of advice from reading. I’m still waiting to hear when I may ride again. The workouts I’m getting really aren’t sufficient; I’m just trying to keep my body from becoming totally flabby. 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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Skip the Mob

BACK ISSUES, bicycling / CAL

Skip the Mob 😱 On the day after Thanksgiving, I’m always glad to skip the mob. Anybody who wants to deal wlth the Black Friday crowd is welcome to do so; but I’ve heard too many horror stories about this shopping event. People have been injured or even killed in the crush of bargain-hunting shoppers; so I skip the mob. Besides, why stand outdoors for a prolonged time, trying to be the first one through the door at opening time? How monotonous! I’d rather be riding! Rather be Riding 🚲 I’d rather be riding than shopping, or going to physical therapy sessions. I know that therapy is essential to my regaining the use of my elbow; but all the same, it’s a drag. It’s almost three weeks until I see the orthopedic surgeon again; so I won’t know until then when I may ride again. Maybe. It depends on what X-rays show; and I might not get a definite timetable. When I can climb aboard again, I’ll skip the mob. Usually I’m riding solo, anyhow; and my first rides after a long break are going to be better without my having to watch out for other riders! 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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Chill In?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors / CAL

Chill IN? 🧊 Chill in? Whatever happened to chill out? Well, I expect I won’t spend a lot of time outdoors tomorrow; so I’ll chill in. The overnight low temperature will be below 50 degrees; and the wind will be pretty strong. If I eat ice cream, I’ll do so in front of the heater! I won’t be able to get in any pedaling tomorrow or Friday, as the recreation center will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. I have physical therapy on Friday, though; and my elbow is getting close to being able to straighten all the way! Can I ride soon? Can I Ride Soon? 🚲 I guess I’ll have to ask the orthopedic surgeon, can I ride soon. Unfortunately, it’s over two weeks until my next visit with him. Until then, it’s chill out — or maybe chill in. I think I’ll wait until later in the day to go for a walk, when the wind won’t feel so cold. A runny nose is annoying enough when I’m on foot; and can pull out a tissue. When I’m riding a bicycle, I can’t do that. I’ve got my Thanksgiving feast all planned. There was a cup of cooked, ground turkey in the freezer. I thawed it, and cooked it with tomato sauce; chopped onion; chopped red bell pepper; and some canned mushrooms. It’ll be great over sourdough bread, with a bit of cheese on top. I have whole-berry cranberry sauce; and Halo Top® ice cream. It’s too bad I can’t ride; because after all that indulgence, I’ll need some serious 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 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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