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Shipshape?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Shipshape? 🚢 Today’s Featured Product! Biosteel Sugar-Free White Freeze New!!   6000W E-bike for Adults For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Do we cyclists need to stay shipshape? I’m not too sure about that — after all, we aren’t ships! But I enjoy the occasional ship sighting while I’m out riding. I saw one this morning; and while I wasn’t able to make out the name (except that it was something with “A”), I could see that it was flying the flag of the Netherlands. It was a delight to be able to see a ship’s flag well enough to identify it. Too often the flag is wrapped around its staff; or it’s flapping too much for me to see it properly. But today, that flag was flying out straight. I guess the wind was just right. But back to shipshape. I’m certainly trying to get in better condition; and today I worked at riding on the big ring. Fast Twitch? ⚡️ I guess I was using fast-twitch muscles this morning. First, I just rode for 12-13 minutes; warm up before  hard efforts, they say. Then I began the work: shift to the big ring and  push it for three minutes. Then ride easy for two minutes; repeat. I did five or six such efforts on the way out; and another four or five on the way home. This kind of pedaling means a slower cadence; but my legs are pushing harder. I don’t seem to get my heart rate up as much, either; and my breathing doesn’t get as fast. But I’m still not sure whether I’m a spinner or a masher!   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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More Like March

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

More Like March 💨 Today’s Featured Product! Beautiful Ride Tote Bag New!! Digital Kitchen Timer For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Today it feels more like March, for a change. Not that there’s snow on the ground; it’s not cold enough for that. But the temperature dropped to the 50s overnight; and there’s quite a wind. With gusts up to 26 mph, I decided to skip the ride today. Conditions are supposed to calm down by tomorrow; so I’ll be able to ride again. And go to the salvage store come Saturday! By the way, I had wondered at the beginning of the month where the March Hare was. A day or two ago, I finally did see a rabbit while I was out riding. So they’re out there! Maybe they’ll all come out, now that it feels more like March? Not in the Kitchen 🧑🏼‍🍳 But I’m not in the kitchen, even though I’m taking a day off the bike. I cooked quite a lot of stuff recently; and the freezer is pretty full. I’m considering what to do on the bike tomorrow; probably I’ll do a “just ride”. They say, don’t do intense work more than one day per week; and I did intense work just a few days ago. It left my quads a bit sore; but some muscle soreness is normal after a hard ride. From all I’ve read, it’s part of improving fitness, But I don’t follow the no-pain-no-gain boot camp mentality. If something actually hurts, very likely something is wrong!           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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Nature Abhors a Calendar

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Nature Abhors a Calendar 🗓️ Today’s Featured Product!       Co-pilot Bike Trailer New!!   Kakigo Electric Adult Tricycle For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Nature abhors a calendar, it seems. Here we are, not halfway through March; and it was already 80 degrees by 11:00 am! Our weather apparently doesn’t realize that it’s still Winter. But tonight and tomorrow it should be cooler; and then it will feel more seasonable. Along the way, we’ll probably get T-storms; and wind gusts are currently 28-30 mph. I’m glad I’m not out there on the bike!  By the weekend it will be warmer again. Well, as I said, Nature abhors a calendar. Windy!! 🌬️ And if I think it’s windy now, tomorrow will be even gustier — up to 35 mph! If I had been aware of that, I think I would have pushed for more miles today. I’m glad the wind is expected to calm down after tomorrow. Maybe then I can do another 22-mile ride, like I did yesterday. But I doubt that I’ll be riding like the wind! Not even during my hard efforts. This week I pushed those hard efforts to three minutes; with 90 seconds between effort. I have no idea what my power level was; but my heart rate got high! 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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Quaking in My Boots

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Quaking in My Boots? 🥾 Today’s Featured Product! FanttikRide New!! EOEOTWO Electric Bike For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store!  I feel like I’m quaking in my boots. My home state of Louisiana has been having earthquakes! One was 4.9, which is pretty strong. I’d expect a hurricane far more than an earthquake. I think I’d rather have the hurricane, if I must choose. At least with tropical storms, we have plenty of advance warning. Even so, the prospect of a hurricane has me quaking in my boots, so to speak. Do I have enough bottled water and non-perishable food? Can I leave town if a mandatory evacuation is called? Oh, and I’d better keep the rain boots ready! Rain Boots 🌧️ I really might need rain boots later this week, if the forecast is accurate. I’m glad it didn’t rain today — I think it’s time to lengthen my rides a little; and I rode an extra mile before heading back home. There was still fog on the river; and one big patch of it across the bike path. The fog was considerably cooler than the air elsewhere; and I was glad of my leg warmers! Of course there was a headwind on the way home; and that’s become very tiresome! But I tried not to push too  hard; I did hard efforts yesterday, and my legs needed the break. 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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Crowded?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Crowded? 👥 Today’s Featured Product!   Razor A5 New!! MET-Rx Crispy Apple Pie For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Do you sometimes feel crowded? Yesterday my kitchen started to feel like it! But maybe a crowded kitchen is better than riding in a large pack of cyclists. For a recreational rider like me, pack-riding at any speed is a daunting idea. And at racing speed? Those riders are almost elbow-to-elbow. They may have it! Hey, but what about RAGBRAI? After all, there were thousands of cyclists taking part. But that wasn’t really pack-riding; riders were actually several feet apart most of the time. Crazy Weather 🌫️ ⛈️ We’ve got crazy weather, as usual. There’s was a dense fog advisory until mid-morning; and there’s a chance of showers and T-storms. It was 70 degrees at 8:00 am; and I think that’s rather too warm for March. Is this a weather breeder? We’re looking at high temperatures in the mid-80s through Wednesday; but after that, it’s supposed to get much cooler. See what I mean about crazy weather? Maybe I’ll go for a ride later; I didn’t get in much mileage yesterday. I think I’ll keep it rather short; and put in some hard efforts. And, keep an eye out for bad weather! Then, tomorrow, 22 miles. It’s time for me to extend the distance a bit! 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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Rain or Not?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Rain or Not? 🌧️ ☀️ Today’s Featured Product Baby Joy Wiggle Car New!! Larabar Kids Chocolate Chip For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Is it going to rain; or not? The uncertainty makes me feel like this kitty — quite disgruntled! What with the switch to Daylight Time, I didn’t even get up until almost nine o’clock. My body is still on Standard Time; and I’d rather stay on Standard all year. When I finally went out to ride, I saw at once that it had already rained. The sky was quite cloudy; and I decided to head for the park to ride laps. Before I completed the first one, it began to rain again; and I stopped to don the poncho. I wanted to ride more but, mindful of the possibility of T-storms, I decided to go home. Mindful 🤔 We cyclists have to be mindful of more than just whether it will rain or not. What about the temperature? If it’s chilly at the start of a ride, but will heat up a lot, is there a way to carry that jacket if you need to take it off? Will it fit into your hydration pack’s pocket? Stay mindful of your body, too. If you try to push mind-over-matter too far, matter starts to push back. And it’s unlikely to be shy! Starting to feel tired during a long ride? Try to figure out why. Do you need to ease up your effort level? Is it time to grab a bite to eat; or do you need to drink something? Or maybe it’s time to stop for a few minutes. Stay mindful, and don’t risk overuse injuries. Even if we have to ride in the rain sometimes, we don’t like to miss riding. 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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Las Vegas?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Las Vegas? 🎲 Today’s Featured Product! Huffy Green Machine New!!   Kize Chocolate Lovers Energy Bars For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! I’m not in Las Vegas, am I? Today I certainly felt like I was taking a gamble with the weather. As of last night, the forecast said that showers and T-storms were possible from midday today. This morning it was already overcast; and it made me a bit uneasy about riding to the salvage store. But I decided to risk it, even if it did make me feel like I were in Las Vegas. Luckily it paid off. It Paid Off 🤑 It paid off to ride to the salvage store; but I paid for the pay-off. On the way home, I had a 15 mph headwind for a mile or so; and is that ever tiring! It was getting hot, too; and I guess it’s time I hauled out the cool rag. There were a few things that I didn’t find at the salvage store; so I took a hike to the neighborhood grocery store to get them. I’m glad the weather cooperated, but we actually need rain; so I hope it does rain soon. I also hope there’s nothing seriously wrong with my hybrid’s front wheel. On the way home, I kept hearing a sound like a cricket chirping; and realized that my bike was making it. But the bike shop is rather backed up just now; so I’ll have to wait until next week to take my “ride” in. I’d better ride short and easy until then! 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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Lapland?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Lapland? 🦌  Today’s Featured Product! Tandem Tricycle for Kids New!! IQ Wild Blueberry For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Sometimes the local park feels like Lapland; not to be confused with the Arctic region. But riding round and round that path  can have peculiar effects on my brain; such as thinking up bad jokes. Hence the comment about Lapland. I chose to ride in the park this morning because the wind felt rather stiff; and my legs felt tired. I didn’t try to hurry; and I did only three laps before heading home. In addition to getting tired, I was starting to feel too warm. I thought that leg warmers and a lightweight jacket were a good idea; it was 71 degrees. I forgot how quickly it warms up now! I had a water bottle with me; but wished I had electrolyte drink before I finished the ride. The Weekend 🕯️ And what about the weekend? I remember a joke about candlemakers who went on strike because they wanted to work on wick ends only!  I’ve got an eye on the weather, of course. It looks like I’ll be able to ride to the salvage store tomorrow morning; but by tomorrow afternoon rain and even T-storms could be moving in. Sunday afternoon looks even less good for riding; so it’s a good thing I usually go out early in the day. I suppose I’ll never get fond of riding in the rain. And if I’m concerned about a lightning outbreak, I can go ride around the park — I mean, in Lapland. Then I’ll be fairly close to 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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No Fog!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

No Fog! ☀️ 😎 Today’s Featured Product!   Montasen Kids Bike New!!   Clif Nut Butter Variety For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! It was so nice to have no fog this morning. That’s a good reason to delay my ride until about 8:00 am; but maybe I don’t quite remember last night’s forecast accurately. I thought it predicted fog; but if there was any, it had burned off by the time I went out. I just checked the outlook for tomorrow; and  that forecast does, indeed, say patchy, dense fog. Maybe a T-storm, too. I put in a 20-miler today in case weather conditions prohibit my riding tomorrow. But no; I wasn’t doing yoga as the sun rose. I wasn’t up that early! Summer?? ♨️ Is it Summer already? I find myself asking that question every year, when the temperatures reach 80 (or beyond!) in March. Although I don’t even have my new road bike yet, notions of a century ride are nudging at my brain. I’m not sure why; maybe I want some compensation for missing out on RAGBRAI this year.  Training up for a 100-mile day, however, takes several months. I don’t think it’s wise to tackle a century ride in July — I remember the one century I did on the old road bike, and I’d rather not repeat the experience. I think I’ll extend some rides to 21-22 miles next week, though. I need to start building up some more. But even with no fog, I nearly always have a headwind on the way 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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Taxing Day

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Taxing Day 😬 Today’s Featured Product! WANGLY Polarized Lenses New!! AVASTA Govet For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! A taxing day doesn’t always mean a grueling ride — the kind of ride where it’s hard to feel any joy. It’s always a taxing day when I go to get my income taxes done. Thank goodness it’s only once a year; and that’s quite often enough for me! Now it’s out of the way; and I can focus on other things. I’m debating whether to go for a ride. It’s 80 degrees out there, and maybe the heat is why the March Hare hasn’t shown itself. And all too soon, it won’t get below 80 degrees all night long! Walking 🚶🏻‍➡️ I haven’t been out on the bike as of 1:30 pm, but I did get in some walking today; I estimate about 3 miles. My Hoka shoes, I notice, are getting rather battered. They’ll hold up for quite some time yet; but shoes don’t last forever. I see that there’s a chance of rain and T-storms Friday. A rainy ride sure makes for a taxing day; especially if I start to hear thunder. Then I get really nervous! 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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