SpokEasy

Outdoors

SAG

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

SAG 🥀 No rider wants to sag; or, to be more exact, need the SAG wagon. RAGBRAI provides SAG wagons for registered riders who need them; and yes, some riders do require this service. Last year’s RAGBRAI coincided with a heat wave; and riders who came from cooler regions must have had a terrible time with it. A  heat index of 100+ is tough even if you live where heat and humidity are the norm. Ways to keep cool are essential; but even with them, hours in blazing sunshine and heat can really wear you down. Other riders, unfortunately, are physically unprepared for all the miles. Yes, it does happen. Add hills, and the difficulty intensifies.  Beat the SAG 🏋🏻 How do you beat the SAG? Train up, of course. You don’t have to resort to body-building; but a little bit of work with weights helps firm up your arm muscles. This is surprisingly important for riding a bicycle. And naturally, train your legs! You can follow this training plan; or create your own. My weekend long ride is short of what this plan indicates for June; so it’s a good thing I’m starting to work towards RAGBRAI 2025 right now! RAGBRAI, after all, is physically very demanding! Another way to beat the SAG: train your gut. I’ve read it often. Don’t do training rides on only a little food; then expect to manage long rides — when you’ll need to eat more — without stomach distress. And of course, look for ways to beat that heat! 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 SAG June 14, 2024 Grease June 13, 2024 How about Some Joplin? June 12, 2024 Blast Furnace Time June 11, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Bathtime

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Bathtime 🫧 It’s bathtime again. Take-a-bath-in-sunblock time, that is. Nobody wants to get sunburned; especially not these days, when we hear so much about skin cancer from excessive UV exposure. I’ve tried KINeSYS; and I like it well enough. However, what I had was a sample-sized bottle that I bought at a sports shoe store. I prefer a tube that can fit into my under-saddle pack; so I’ve been sticking with Alba Botanica. I’m not all that crazy about this sunblock bathtime. I have to use a lot more of the stuff than I do when it’s cool enough for long sleeves and leg warmers. But I can’t change the seasons; and the upside of warmer weather is that my nose isn’t such a nuisance as it is on cold days. Sauna? ♨️ It’s time to turn up the steam during my rides; and I don’t mean a sauna. It will feel like a steam bath out there soon enough; but no matter how hot it gets, I need to work on speed. Today I did three five-minute efforts to ride at least 15 mph; with five minutes rest in between efforts. I hit a top speed of 18 mph; so does that mean I have the potential to develop a cruising speed that’s 18 mph? The wind was more or less behind me, though. Coming back home, I had more headwind; and it was hard to push myself to 13-14 mph for 10-25 seconds. Good thing it wasn’t too much of a sauna out there yet! I still sometimes wish I had a power meter; but every time I’ve come close to purchasing one, a more urgent expense has emerged. But knowing how much power you can generate tells you more about your strength than does speed. So many factors influence speed; but X watts is X watts,  whether you’ve got a calm day; or are battling a 20 mph headwind! 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 #170979 May 21, 2024 Why Didn’t I Look? May 20, 2024 Doubling Back May 19, 2024 Hurricane Rehearsal? May 18, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Hurricane Rehearsal?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Hurricane Rehearsal? 🌀 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.” Is today a hurricane rehearsal? When such a storm is threatening, it means hunkering down indoors; or, at the very least, staying very close to home. This morning there’s still the possibility of severe T-storms; and I didn’t want to risk getting caught in a lightning storm. So I skipped the trip to the salvage store. A missed chance to stock up! 😞 It’s supposed to calm down by late morning; and I hope to go for a good ride then. I rode very little yesterday for the same reason that I’m staying indoors right now; and I’m not enjoying this hurricane rehearsal. Pacing 🚶 Pacing might be a good way to get a bit of exercise while I wait out the rain. Not in cycling shoes, though! Today should be a good time to go “pacing” on the bike; namely, to work on my pace. I’m still quite a snail; 🐌 and as I keep saying,  if I’m serious about doing RAGBRAI next year, now is the time to work on my pace. If I wait to train until next March, it will already be too late! I’m not sure whether I’m not working hard enough, often enough; or whether I’m what Joe Friel calls a “slow responder”. Some people’s bodies respond more readily than others’ to training stress; and the latter need more time to train. Maybe I’m also overly concerned that I’ll push too hard, too soon; and as a result, I don’t work hard enough! H’m. Maybe I just answered my own question. Addendum ➕ I’ve wound up having to create an addendum. By about 10:00 am, the weather seemed to be clearing. I was getting tired of being house-bound; and started to prepare for a ride. Before getting underway, I checked the weather site once more. It said, wind gusts 40 mph! 😳 Conditions didn’t seem nearly that extreme; and I figured maybe it was supposed to be 14 mph. All the same, I didn’t want to get blown away with my road bike; so I took the hybrid to the park. During Lap 2, I heard an announcement that some kind of event was about to start; so I left the park and headed for the levee. The wind wasn’t any 40 mph😊; and I worked at pushing my pace. 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 Hurricane Rehearsal? May 18, 2024 Still on Edge! May 17, 2024 Meteorologist May 16, 2024 Slow It Down? May 15, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Still on Edge!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Still on Edge! 😳 I’m still on edge about the weather. If only these batteries could power a crystal ball that would tell me what’s going to happen! Yesterday we were under flood watch from 7:00 am onwards; and by 5:00 pm a tornado watch had been added. I was lucky that the weather was OK in the morning; and I was able to put in 20 miles.  It got rough during the night, though. At midnight, my cell phone woke me, screeching a Severe T-storm warning. I’m glad it wasn’t a tornado warning! And today, I’m still on edge about the weather. My concerns provoked me to cut my ride short; and as too often happens, I needn’t have taken such action. What Next? ⚡️ What next? Is it going to rain, or not? The forecast says, severe T-storms are possible tonight. We’re still under flood watch. The forecast for tomorrow doesn’t look good for a trip to the salvage store. As always, when I rode this morning, I didn’t want to get caught out in a storm; and besides, I wanted to visit the grocery store. I needed bananas!🍌 So, what to do? Rain isn’t expected for another hour or two; but this morning it was already overcast. I decided to ride the hybrid; and make it a short, easy ride in the park. I needed some recovery after yesterday’s miles. Before I finished the first lap, the clouds were getting darker. It looked too much like rain; and I don’t like taking chances with lightning! And here I am, on edge about what the weather will do. I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking, what next? 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 Still on Edge! May 17, 2024 Meteorologist May 16, 2024 Slow It Down? May 15, 2024 Welcome Change May 14, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Meteorologist

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Meteorologist ⛈️ Do you ever wish you were a meteorologist?  Sometime I wish I had that kind of knowledge about the weather! The compass on my road bike lets me know which way is North; but it doesn’t help me predict whether it will rain. At the same time, I’m glad I’m not a weather forecaster. Those folks have their hands full, trying to tell us with at least reasonable accuracy what the temperature will be; how strong the wind will be, and from what direction; and of course, whether we’ll need to pack along rain gear. Forecasters probably have a lot of people irked at them many a time — when the forecast says clear weather, and it pours; or when they predict possible severe T-storms, and nothing happens — and cyclists like me are disgusted at having missed a ride. What a job it must be, having people mad at you. It’s a good thing after all that I’m not a meteorologist! Will It Come True? 🔮 Will it come true? The forecast says we could get heavy rain and severe T-storms overnight. Recently, similar predictions haven’t come true. So I’m not sure I can ride tomorrow, or not. A crystal ball sure would be handy right now. Failing a crystal ball, this book would be handy. If the weather precludes riding outdoors, a set of rollers is a big help. This “treadmill for a bike” lets you either ride easy; perform an intense workout; or anything in between. Riding on rollers is supposed to help you learn to hold a straight, unswerving line. This is a valuable skill to have for group riding. Or for riding, period. I still have a tendency to waver all over the place when riding one-handed. Wind conditions have a lot to do with it; and I notice that I swerve less at higher speeds and/or in harder gears. At the moment, I’m less concerned about being “squirrely” than I am about tomorrow’s weather. I checked the forecast; and will it come true? 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 Meteorologist May 16, 2024 Slow It Down? May 15, 2024 Welcome Change May 14, 2024 Missed Opportunity? May 13, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Muscles or Mush?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Muscles or Mush? 🦵🏼 Are your legs muscles, or mush? Mine sure seemed like the latter this morning; and I couldn’t even think about speed. I was an absolute slug! I averaged less than 10 mph; and rode only 19.6 miles. The breeze didn’t help, of course. As I was working my way back home, I had a wind of 12-14 mph to fight; and there was little time when I had a tailwind. In fact, they say that there’s an arc of only 160 degrees behind you where the wind helps push you along. It looks like tomorrow will be even worse than today: wind 15-20 mph; and we’ve got a flood watch in effect for the morning. Even now, the sky is overcast; and the wind hasn’t calmed down much since morning. If I went out on a bike now, I’d be asking myself again whether my legs are muscles or mush. Bikin’ in the Rain 💦 When you go bikin’ in the rain (with apologies to Gene Kelly), what do you do to keep yourself dry? Riding under a poncho or other rain gear can get very hot; and I’m apt to wind up soaked from perspiration. A poncho also has the tendency to flap like crazy in a wind; and it will be windy tomorrow! Wind-driven rain also makes it harder to see where I’m going. Sometimes visibility is almost nil; and that’s a safety hazard. I might have to haul out the trainer tomorrow if I’m determined to get in some miles. As usual, all I can do is wait and see how conditions are in the morning; then decide whether or not I want to go bikin’ in the rain. 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 Muscles or Mush? May 12, 2024 What Happened? May 11, 2024 Make the Grade May 10, 2024 Forget the Calendar May 9, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Rain Drill?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Outdoors /

Rain Drill? 🌧️ I thought I might get a rain drill today; namely, that I’d get caught in a downpour. And without a poncho! Anyone who cycles regularly for exercise; fun; or transportation, does need to learn how to deal with riding in the rain. Hence the term rain drill.  When I set out this morning, the sky was overcast; and it looked quite stormy in a northwesterly direction. However, I got lucky. I was back home before we any rain began. A former co-worker once told of cycling home in rain so heavy that it threatened to wash his contact lenses out of his eyes! It makes me glad that I don’t use contacts. An occasional rain drill is also good practice for RAGBRAI. We can’t count on having clear weather all week. If I do that big ride, I must remember to bring along chain lube! If it does rain, I’ll need it. Weekend Outlook ☀️ The weekend outlook, fortunately, is much better. Tomorrow I’ll want to hang my panniers on the hybrid’s rack; and make my usual trek to the salvage store. I must look for ride food; and I hope I find almond milk. It’s also time to think about laying in supplies in case we have a hurricane (oh, that loathsome H-word!) Sunday I want to go for a longish ride. A high of 86 is predicted; so I won’t need leg warmers. But I will need plenty of 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 Rain Drill? May 3, 2024 Enough Rest? May 2, 2024 Experimenting May 1, 2024 Goodbye Leg Warmers? April 30, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Old Tease

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Old Tease 😝 Weather can be an old tease; and it makes me feel quite the sourpuss. Especially when I can’t sure that I can rely on the forecast. This morning I checked a weather site; and it indicated T-storms and possibly heavy rain. I looked up a different weather site; and it showed T-storms starting about 11 am. I decided to ride and get in a few miles; but I did it the sissy way.   First, I went to the park. If it did start storming, I’d be fairly close to  home. And I used my hybrid,  because it has fenders. If it did start to pour, I wouldn’t get a  wet, dirty stripe up my back. Using the hybrid meant I could take my trunk, which let me pack my poncho. I applied sunblock; pumped up the tires; and headed for the door. Then I realized that it was raining. That old tease we call weather was acting up! Adjustments 💦 So, that meant adjustments. I pulled on the poncho; and started off. I found that it wasn’t raining as hard as I thought; in fact, it was barely a sprinkle, which soon stopped. The sun was coming out too; and I quickly became too warm. On top of that, the sunblock make the poncho stick to my legs. After a quarter-mile I had to stop and get out of that rain gear.  Then, on to the park. The appearance of the sky drove me crazy. For a while it would cloud over, and look like a storm were imminent. Then the sun would come out again! As I approached the end of Lap 2, I  decided it might be best to make some adjustments to my ride, and cut things short. As of 12:40 pm, it looks like I needn’t have worried. Who knows, though. Bad weather might still be coming! Nature sure is an old tease. 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 Old Tease April 29, 2024 Time to Back Off! April 28, 2024 Don’t Drag Yourself Down April 27, 2024 Mister Finnegan April 26, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Capricious!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Capricious! 🐐 Is your weather as capricious as ours? I’m thinking specifically about wind!  Our barometric pressure isn’t low; but is it falling? Per the forecast, T-storms aren’t expected before next Monday. So why is the wind getting stronger? At 8 am today, the weather site I checked said the wind was 5 mph. I went out on the road bike just before 9:00; and by the time I turned around to come back home, it was blowing at 12 mph. And a headwind, of course!🙄 There were some pretty strong gusts, too. Wind sure is capricious! It hardly helped that I felt somewhat tired, after yesterday’s on-bike force development exercises. In general, I keep the day following such work short and easy; but tomorrow morning I have a doctor’s appointment, and might have less time to ride my miles. The wind will be quite strong all weekend; and I wanted to get some distance in now. I want to hit my target of 100 miles per week! Goals 🥅 Set goals, they say. I’m glad I’m not truly time crunched; or meeting goals might be much more difficult. I may have mentioned that my current goal is 100 miles per week. So far this week, I’ve put in 71.3 miles. But I don’t have to go to work! If I were still working, riding 100 miles a week would be harder; especially as my Sunday long-ride route currently has a two-mile segment that’s closed off (and it will be closed at least a year😬!) This closure begins barely 13 miles out; and when I do a long ride, I want and need to go farther than that! The only alternate to the closure that I can see, is to ride on a state highway that can be very busy; and I don’t feel safe doing that. My goals don’t include becoming roadkill! 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 Capricious!, April 25, 2024 Warming Trend April 24, 2024 Luna Moth? April 23, 2024 Keep It Neutral! April 22, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Warming Trend

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors /

Warming Trend 🔥 A warming trend is setting in; and I don’t mean these hand warmers. In fact, I’ve needed them less often this past season. That’s another advantage to not needing to ride at 5:00 am! It’s a bit warmer by 7:00; and the sunlight helps it to seem less frigid. For two or three nights, it’s gotten unusually cool for late April; but last night wasn’t as cool as the previous night. By 10:00 am today, it was 74 degrees; and tonight won’t be as cool as last night. So we’ve got a warming trend going. I went out early again this morning to see the moonlight on the river. It was cool enough then for leg warmers; but the temperature rose to the mid-70s. by 10 am. I got a terrific view of the moon; and it was worth having to drag myself out of bed so early. Maybe I should go back to pre-dawn rides all the time? Pink? 🌷 They’re calling this full moon the pink moon; but it doesn’t look that color. Unless, perhaps, you’re viewing it through rose-colored glasses! Whether the moon appears pink or not, a ride is a great way to enjoy it. We were lucky this morning, with ideal conditions for a ride: clear; calm; and the temperature was just about perfect. That’s about as rare as a blue moon! 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 Warming Trend April 24, 2024 Luna Moth? April 23, 2024 Keep It Neutral! April 22, 2024 Melting Point April 21, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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