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Longer and Longer

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Longer and Longer 📏 My weekday rides are getting longer and longer. Today I pushed it to 30 miles; but I sure wasn’t fast! Yesterday I put in intense efforts; so today I rode at a more leisurely pace. For the time being, I’m riding the hybrid. The road bike is in the shop for a tuneup; and it’s also due for new tires and tubes. I’d rather get that done now; and not leave it until too close to RAGBRAI! The weekend long ride also needs to get longer and longer. It’s time to aim for 40-45 miles; after all, there are only three months left to train. It’s also getting warmer and warmer; a good “warm-up” for the conditions I’ll meet dudring RAGBRAI. Warmer and Warmer ♨️ Right when I’m working to make my rides longer and longer, the weather is getting warmer and warmer. I might as well say, “hotter”. Afternoon temperatures are climbing well into the 80s! Soon I’ll need that cool rag! It’s time to start doing rides later in the day, so I can get used to riding in the heat. In fact, I did one such ride last week. It’s getting warmer and warmer, so before long it won’t be difficult to pick a hot time of day. For now I can do short and easy hot rides, maybe 10 miles; and start making such treks longer and longer. It’s time to pull out the sun sleeves; and now that it’s warm enough for bare legs, I need a lot more sunblock! 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 Longer and Longer April 23, 2025 Dress Rehearsal April 22, 2025 In a Flash April 21, 2025 Down the Bunny Trail April 20, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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In a Flash

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

In a Flash ⚡️ Things can change in a flash; too often, when we aren’t expecting it. Take the weather — it can go from sunny to torrential rain in a hurry! We got some heavy rain today; fortunately, not while I was riding. We’re still under flash flood warning; and we might get more rain tomorrow. Rain is a good reason to keep lights on your bike. You need to be able to see; and perhaps even more important, you need to be seen. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to ride on a bike path almost entirely free of motor traffic; and that means staying extra alert in bad weather. Trouble can happen in a flash! Getting back to rain, it’s amazing how much grit and muck get kicked up by the wheels after a rain; the rear wheel in particular. I guess many cyclists would be glad of a spare bike to ride; one that has fenders. Glad of a Spare 🚲 I expect the ground will still be wet tomorrow morning, even if it isn’t raining. That’s when I’m glad of a “spare” bicycle; namely, my hybrid. It has fenders, so the bike and I stay a bit cleaner. This wet weather isn’t great for this week’s riding plans. I want to start doing some shorter rides, with bursts of much greater intensity. If it’s pouring, visibility of course is poorer; and that’s not the best time to be blasting down the path! An unexpected obstacle can come up in a flash; and you need to be able to see it in time. Hard efforts, though, are what I need to get ready for RAGBRAI. I don’t expect that each day’s maximum gradient means I’ll be facing such climbs the whole day; but I’m sure there will be more than one such hill. It’s repeated hill efforts that I’m thinking about. I might be glad of a spare pair of legs! 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 In a Flash April 21, 2025 Down the Bunny Trail April 20, 2025 Serenade April 19, 2025 Pack It In April 18, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Serenade

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Food, Outdoors /

Serenade 🎶 How about a serenade for Easter? Just don’t look at me; I’ve been very self-conscious about singing since I was a young child; and my unexercised voice has trouble carrying a tune! Would the song about Peter Cottontail suffice as a serenade? Or, if you’re feelilng goofy, there’s the parody I knew as  kid: Little Peter Cottontail, hoppin’ down the Bunny Trail, happened to find some carrots 🥕 on his way. Something told him it was wrong; Farmer Jones🧑‍🌾 might come along, and what an awful price he’d have to pay. But he knew his legs were faster, so he nibbled three or four; and he almost met disaster when he heard that shotgun roar. Oh! That’s how Peter Cottontail, hoppin’ down the Bunny Trail, lost his tail; but still he got away! I have no idea who came up with it; but it was always more fun than the original song. If you’re the singing type, you can sing it on the bike! In between jelly beans and bites of RX Bars, that is. What about the Weather? 🌧️ But what about the weather? I, for one, can’t carry a barometer along on my rides; so I can’t keep track of the meteorological moods any too well. And they can change very quickly! Your serenade can go from sun-drenched to just plain drenched in a minute. It looks like tomorrow will be overcast; with rain sometime during Sunday night. That’s good news for tomorrow’s local egg hunts; and for bicycle rides, too. But what about the weather beyond tomorrow? It looks wet; and that’s a nuisance. My poor road bike gets all mucked up! 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 Serenade April 19, 2025 Pack It In April 18, 2025 Egg Hunt April 17, 2025 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Egg Hunt

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Egg Hunt 🐣 “Don’t rain on my egg hunt!” is probably on many local kids’ lips. The forecast for upcoming Easter Sunday is, mostly cloudy. If I were a little kid, I think I’d be worried about that! Oh, to find eggs made of chocolate; and jelly beans; and, if you were part of the Imperial family in Russia — Fabergé eggs! I don’t expect to participate in an egg hunt; but I don’t want it to rain on the kids’ Easter fun. I also don’t want it to rain on my bicycle ride. Speaking of rain, while I was out on my hybrid this morning, I heard a rain crow.  Uh-oh. Does that mean we’ve got rain on the way? Gosh, talk about weather weary! Sometimes I get tired of watching the forecasts; and I’m sure I’m not alone. But I need to know what kind of conditions I might face during a ride. Weather Weary 😮‍💨 I think I’m weather weary already, whether we’re talking about an egg hunt or not; and it’s some time before hurricane season is due to begin. Weather weary isn’t only about rain, it’s also about wind; and tomorrow it could be blowing at 15 mph. With a headwind on the way back home, of course! This week I’ve been taking it pretty easy; after last week’s mileage, I realized that I needed to rein myself in a little. Since I wasn’t concentrating on force-development exercises, pace improvement, etc.; I decided to make a few mini side-trips to look for places where I might make restroom stops. The results aren’t encouraging; and I think it might be better to google “filling stations” along my route. That might be the lazy way; but it sure saves time!   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 Egg Hunt April 17, 2025 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Rearview April 15, 2025 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Morning Machine?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Morning Machine? 🌅 Is my bicycle a morning machine? Or maybe this is a word association matter. Most of my rides do take place early in the day; and I get used to greeting people that I pass with, “Good morning.” Then, when I ride later in the day, I automatically say the same thing; even if it’s past noon! Morning rides have advantages: in hot weather, it’s a little cooler then; and if the moon is full, I like to ride before dawn to see the moonlight on the river. Sometimes I hear an owl; and if the river is high, sometimes I see the gleam of alligator eyes. So yes, my bicycle is a morning machine — even if it doesn’t run on coffee! I like to see the various critters, such as rabbits. But rabbits seem to vanish into the underbrush by mid-morning; so if I want to see them, my bike needs to be a morning machine. Critters 🐊 🦈 Speaking of critters, I was astonished enough to learn that there are alligators in the Mississippi River. I was even more surprised to read that sharks get into the river, too! I wonder how long they’ve been there; and whether it might be possible to spot a shark’s fin from the top of the levee. Probably not; but now I have an even better reason to not try to go swimming in that river. Even reaching the edge of the water means risking whatever critters are lurking in all the trees and undergrowth. Whether my bicycle is a morning machine or not, I don’t want to take it in there! By the way, a bike is a morning machine during RAGBRAI. Many riders start very early, especially if the day is expected to get very hot. And it will be interesting to see what critters are in Iowa! 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 Morning Machine? April 16, 2025 Rearview April 15, 2025 Dead Heat April 14, 2025 Stacks April 13, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Dead Heat

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors, Training /

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?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

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?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

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

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Ahead of Schedule 📋 It’s good to be ahead of schedule, whether it means a big project at work; or training for an event. So far I’m more than keeping up with the RAGBRAI training schedule. I’m certainly getting in the weekly mileage totals; and today, I finally broke 40 miles! It’s time I started doing more rides of that length. I want to stay ahead of schedule! On days when I do shorter rides, I need to work more on developing better speed. Today I ended up riding for about one hour in the rain. It wasn’t heavy enough for me to need rain gear; but did my bike get mucky! The weather also turned chilly last night. Have we got a broken Spring? Broken Spring? ⛓️‍💥 It seems like a broken Spring, all right. After some days of afternoons in the 80s, last night it dropped to the upper 50s. Tonight it’s supposed to fall to 52 degrees! I had to get out the leg warmers again; and go back to full-fingered gloves. And of course, my nose doesn’t like it! At least the weather is supposed to be clear for the next few days. That’s good for riding; I’m trying to stay ahead of schedule. It looks like this broken Spring will persist for a few more days; but clear weather is the main thing. Especially for Saturday morning. I hope I can get myself going in time for a moon-view ride!     This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL Ahead of Schedule April 7, 2025 Break from Videos April 6, 2025 It’s Down! April 5, 2025 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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It’s Down!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

It’s Down! 😊 Is “It’s down” really something to be elated about? That depends on what “it” is; and in this case, it’s my A1c level. Nine months ago, it was 6.0, which put me in the prediabetes range. A few days ago, my endocrinologist tested it again; and it’s down to 5.6. I’m elated that I’ve gotten my A1c down; but it’s barely below prediabetes. That means I still have to be careful. But cycling, or any exercise, helps. I’m so glad I can ride! However, I think I’ll have to miss out tomorrow; because the forecast predicts severe T-storms. Miss Out 😒 Doesn’t it gall you when you have to miss out on a ride? It sure galls me; I get antsy from the lack of activity. It’s also harder for me to control my appetite when I’m inactive. That’s no way to  ride your way lean! However, it’s unwise to go out in severe weather. Things were bad enough this morning, with the wind getting stronger as I rode home from the salvage store. RAGBRAI, I’m sure, won’t give me top grades for gambling with lightning during training. In fact, that might result in a resounding flunk. As I’ve said, I’ll probably have to miss out tomorrow. I hope we’re spared the kind of weather that other parts of the country just got. In one location, “it’s down” meant a collapsed bridge. There’s been serious flooding in some places. I’ll be glad to miss out on that. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL It’s Down! April 5, 2025 RAGBRAI Grades April 4, 2025 Wool over My Eyes April 3, 2025 Keep Your Shirt On! April 2, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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