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Dead Heat

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Dead Heat? ♨️ I thought of “dead heat” when I rode today. It was already at least 2:00 pm when I went out; and it was 76 degrees. Just coming out of Winter, that’s quite warm; but it’s time I started doing rides in the hotter part of the day. I’ll need at least one such ride per week. Having the sun overhead makes it seem even hotter; and I’m used to riding early in the day, when the sun is lower in the sky. But during RAGBRAI, I’ll be riding more than 20; or 30; or even 40 miles most days. Luckily I won’t need to worry about getting caught up in the dead heat of a race; but I won’t be able to avoid riding in bright sunshine. And it could get very hot! So, I’m considering ways to take the edge off of the heat. Take the Edge Off 🔪 A cooling rag really does help take the edge off of the heat; and I definitely plan to take one to RAGBRAI. Or maybe even two! I can use one during the day’s ride; and one to drape over my head if it’s hot in my tent at night. I won’t want to be in a dead heat while trying to sleep! A fan would be nice; but a fan would be one more thing to 1) take up space — and add weight! —  in my luggage; and 2) another thing to keep charged up. So I’m looking for another way to keep cool. A cooling rag should at least take the edge off! 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 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Stacks April 13, 2025 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Trampoline? April 11, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Horning In?

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Horning In? 📯 As a rule, horning in is something we don’t want. It can be most annoying; but this morning was a time when it was nice. I went for a short, early ride to get my moonlight-on-the-river fix; and heard an owl. I’ve heard that kind of hooter before; but didn’t know what kind of owl it was. It didn’t sound quite like a barred owl; and it certainly wasn’t a screech owl. I finally googled “hear Louisiana owls”; and now I’m sure that I heard a great horned owl. For some reason, I thought we didn’t have them here; but evidently we do! Sometimes horning in is actually a good thing. Mornings are still cool; but when I’m out before dawn, I see flying insects. It’s getting buggy! Getting Buggy 🪲 🦟 Now that it’s getting buggy, eyewear for cycling is a good idea; and would be even if you don’t need visual correction. It’s not fun to have a gnat or tiny moth land in your eye; and a corneal abrasion is no joke! ROCKBROS Photochromatic Bike Glasses mean that you don’t need to bother with both a pair of clear lenses; and a pair of sunglasses. No having to stop when you want to swap from clear lenses to dark ones. And my Ray-Ban Sunglasses, I eventually discovered, are too wide for my face. I was riding over a very bumpy street surface; and with each bump those glasses went flying. I had to continually grab them to shove them back on my nose; and after that, I used a retainer. But the catch is, I had to take my helmet off in order to take that sunglasses-retainer combo off! The next time I had an eye exam, I opted for a pair of new glasses with photochromatic lenses. It’s great to have only one pair of optics to deal with! 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 Horning In? April 12, 2025 Trampoline? April 11, 2025 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Delays April 9, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Trampoline?

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Trampoline? 📏 What ever put a trampoline into my mind? This isn’t a gym, after all. This morning I went for my bike fitting; and the fitter said my saddle was too high by a good centimeter. So he lowered it; and that got me to thinking of the seat drop. No wonder I’ve got the trampoline on my mind! Now I’m to ride as usual for about two weeks; and call the fitter if things seem “off.” When I rode home post-fitting, it did seem that my legs were moving in smaller circles than usual. Was that the adjustment in saddle height; or the effect of a tailwind? Which reminds me, I’ve got to check the weather outlook! Weather Outlook ☀️ The weather outlook for the upcoming week looks good; so I won’t have to resort to bouncing on an indoor trampoline. But this morning the wind felt pretty stiff! I had a headwind of some 13 mph on the way out; and I practiced riding hard against it for a minute at a time. Bit by bit I’ll increase that time; I’m pretty sure there will be longer climbs that on RAGBRAI. As the ride date approaches, I’ll start checking the weather outlook for Iowa. Then I’ll have some idea of what I can expect. Incidentally, I missed the moon this morning. Either it was already down; or clouds near the horizon obscured it. But maybe I can do an early, short ride tomorrow; and I hope to see it 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 Elementor #197445 April 11, 2025 Jump Start April 10, 2025 Delays April 9, 2025 Visit the Tailor April 8, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Ahead of Schedule

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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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It’s Down!

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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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Keep Your Shirt On!

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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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What a Forecast!

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What a Forecast! ⛈️ 🍃 What a forecast we’ve got for the upcoming week! I wish I had more rain gear. Tomorrow, showers and T-storms are likely; especially in the morning. There could be heavy rain; and even when the storms are past, the ground is liable to be wet. I’ll have to resign myself to getting a wet, muddy stripe up my back. It will probably be windy; with gusts up to 20 mph. Tuesday will be better; but the following two days are going to be windy; and more strong gusts are coming. What a forecast! All this crazy weather is complicating my RAGBRAI prep! Try Try Again 😓 I’m still working to get my Sunday ride up to 40 miles; but I haven’t quite made it yet. Well — try, try again! Today I rode out to the point where the levee bike path is closed. Then I doubled back; and went to the local park to ride some laps. It’s lucky I didn’t start my ride by doing those laps! When I arrived at the park, I saw that some kind of event had taken place. If I had been trying to ride ’round and ’round the park two hours earlier, I likely would have had to leave the park. Some people in those walk/run events tend to wander into the bike lane; and that’s hazardous to both them and the cyclists. It makes me feel nervous. But I did four laps. I had thought of doing five laps; but my legs were starting to tire; the wind was getting stronger; and I felt like I was running low on energy. Thus I decided to head home; and I thought that I can try, try again. I hope the weather cooperates; but gosh, what a forecast we’ve got! 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 What a Forecast! March 30, 2025 You’re a Brick! March 29, 2025 Storms Love Weekends? March 28, 2025 No End? March 27, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Storms Love Weekends?

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Storms Love Weekends? ⛈️ Do storms love weekends? It sure seems like it! Yet again, the forecast for Saturday and Sunday is not for pleasant weather. How monotonous that looks in a journal: “T-storm again today.” “Strong wind again”; and so on. This morning I rode to the salvage store because of the forecast. Now I’m having trouble remembering that today isn’t Saturday! It’s amazing how easily my sense of time can get thrown off. I wasn’t sure about going out post-shopping to do some more miles; who knew when things might get nasty? And it seems that storms love weekends. At the same time, I wanted (and needed) to get my mileage count up. Mileage Count 🔢 By early evening I was tired of being cooped up; and decided to go ride a few laps around the park. That would get my mileage count up a little. And even in bad weather, I’d rather ride outdoors than on rollers! Because of the wind, I decided to ride the hybrid for its extra stability. I went to the park instead of riding on top of the levee; I didn’t want to have to battle a strong headwind all the way home. And, I wanted to be fairly close to home if the weather did turn nasty. I didn’t get my mileage count up as much as I really wanted. By my third circuit of the park, the wind was starting to feel cooler; and I thought I could smell rain. It was starting to get dark, too; so I went home. Today’s total mileage was about 20.25. I’ll see what’s happening tomorrow; but I’m not optimistic. Storms love weekends! 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 Storms Love Weekends? March 28, 2025 No End? March 27, 2025 Preppie? March 26, 2025 Team RWB March 25, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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No End?

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No End? 🎬 Will there be no end to stormy weekend forecasts? Friday night and Saturday look especially wet; so it’s time to be sure the rain gear is ready! I’m debating whether to go to the salvage store tomorrow; and play it by ear for Saturday and Sunday. We could be getting T-storms by 10:00 am on Saturday. On the other hand, wind gusts tomorrow might reach 25 mph; and from the Southeast. That means a headwind on the way home. There’s no end to planning for weather! Even if I ride in the rain, though, I have to be sure I have adequate water with me. I don’t want to get parched! Parched 🌵 Getting parched isn’t wise; but it can happen. Today I didn’t ride until late morning; and I hadn’t drunk as much liquid as usual. The temperature was about 80; but after all, I intended to do a short, easy ride. So I didn’t use the Camel-Bak; and didn’t bother with electrolyte drink. I think I would have been better off with them; I felt persistently thirsty. After yesterday’s hard efforts, of course I was rather tired; and today’s experience reminds me: soon I must start taking rides in the heat of the day. Before long, the overnight low temperatures will hover around 80 degrees, anyway; but if I ride early I miss the blazing sunshine. Full sun is an important factor in RAGBRAI prep, so I learn how not to get parched. There’s no end to things to think of. That’s why it’s vital to start RAGBRAI prep early! 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 End? March 27, 2025 Preppie? March 26, 2025 Team RWB March 25, 2025 Blank Again March 24, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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