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Training

Dry Up Already!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Dry Up Already! 🌵 “Dry up already!” is what I want to tell our weather. Although we actually need some rain, constant rain and T-storms make real riding difficult.  It does look like the rain chances will be greatest in the afternoons, except for tomorrow. That’s a good thing; RAGBRAI is less than three weeks away; and I need to keep training. If the weather won’t dry up already, I must drag out the trainer. It looks like there might be a weather window between 9:00 am and 11:00 am tomorrow; but I can’t count on it.  Weather Window 🪟 Even a weather window might not mean it’s a good idea to go out. Who knows how fast stormy conditions might return? If I take the chance on it, I might find myself wishing for a boot dryer!  I think I’d better not do intense work this coming week. The climbs on RAGBRAI aren’t worrying me as much as they did. That will let me have the following week for force work; I do still need to keep up some of it. The week after that, it’s time to taper. I hope I get a daily weather window for my riding! And in Iowa, I hope I won’t be saying, Dry up already! 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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Discouraging Word

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Discouraging Word 🗣️ Never is heard a discouraging word? Maybe that’s true on the range; but the weather forecast for the coming days is a discouraging word, all right! Maybe more than one word. Showers! T-storms! When will it change for the better? I definitely do not need to curtail my riding for the next week or so; the final week before I head to RAGBRAI is the time to taper. I don’t need to lose a lot of fitness because the weather forces me not to ride. Today, at least, I got in a few hard efforts; each two minutes long. The last one felt tough! I got another break from the wind this morning, which helped a lot. Taper ⌲ By all I’ve read, you need to taper during the last week before a big event; whether it’s a race or a long recreational ride. The trick, they say, is reducing mileage while maintaining some intensity. Of couse, don’t go out the day before your event and do a workout packed with lots of hard intervals; but a few short, hard bursts keep your muscles sharp. I’ve even read that it’s better to be slightly undertrained than to be overtrained. The latter is apt to mean you go into your event tired; and that means you probably can’t give your best performance. So don’t forget to taper. And the weather for event day? I just hope your forecast isn’t a discouraging word. 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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Trial to Avoid Error

BACK ISSUES, equipment, Training /

Trial to Avoid Error ⚖️ It’s time for some trial to avoid error. We all know that 1 + 1 ≠ 3; and I didn’t want to discover halfway through RAGBRAI that a 3-oz bottle of body wash wasn’t enough. Or that a similar amount of shampoo wouldn’t last a week. So I tried out a  travel-size bottle filled with body wash to see if it would last a week; and it checked out. I did the same thing for shampoo. It helps that I have short hair! The same applies to, say, electrolyte drinks. I’ve been using Gatorade Zero quite a lot; or Nuun tablets. Day before yesterday someone suggested LMNT; and I got a sample pack to try. LMNT is higher in sodium than many electrolyte drinks. I mixed one packet with a pint of water; and the first sip told me that LMNT will take some getting used to!  It was too strong; and I diluted it with another half-pint of water. I still find that too strong. I’m not going to try LMNT on the bike until I can see how my body handles it at home. It’s trial to avoid error; I’m worried that an unaccustomed, salty, and strongly-flavored drink during rides might trigger GI issues! Time Is Short ⌛️  Time is short now for RAGBRAI prep. I can’t believe it’s getting so close! I hope there’s still time for training to help; I’m just easing back into the miles following a cold. I need to fit in at least one ride of 50 miles or more; and I hope the weather cooperates! Tomorrow I plan to do a short, intense ride; and the next day it’s time for a ride to the salvage store. Maybe I can push for 50 miles on Sunday; but I’ll have to ride early. We’ve got another forecast for T-storms from early afternoon. I hope I have everything I need. I’ve already done some practice packing; when time is short, it’s no time to be frantically trying to get things sorted out. It’s the old “trial to avoid error”! I’ve got two duffle bags; one for camping things and items that I can’t take onto a plane; and one for my other stuff. I admit that it will be good to get them packed, so I can free up the floor space! But I don’t think it will be good for my sleeping bag to be crammed into a compression stuff sack for several weeks! 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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First Time Jitters

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment, Training /

First Time Jitters 😰 I”m getting first time jitters as a new RAGBRAI rider. Much of it centers around registrations and deadlines. I guess these first time jitters are normal. All the questions: Have I done everything I need to, in order to ship my bicycle via Bikeflights? Did I miss paying for something vital? Am I training enough? That last is quite a worry at present. Last week, forecasts for early-afternoon T-storms had me curtailing my rides; and last Thursday, I came down with a cold! For three days I had to ride short and easy; and I still feel a little dragged down. I really noticed it during today’s ride. I tried out my new handlebar bag. The phone and memo pad fit just fine; but there’s always something more. Always Something More! 🍴 Every time I think I’ve thought of everything, there’s always something more! Tale the handlebar bag I got for the road bike. I figured it would do for carrying my cell phone; a small memo pad; and two pens. Today I remembered that I want to keep a spork handy for those roadside foods. I hope I don’t remember anything else that I want to keep easily accessible; that handlebar bag is pretty crammed with the spork added to it. Maybe I don’t really need to keep the spork in the padded bag that came with it. For that matter, I haven’t quite decided how I’ll keep track of my keys. More first time jitters, I guess! My merino tees don’t have pockets; so I’ll have to keep keys elsewhere. Maybe in the Travelon? There’s always something more! 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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Rare Day

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Rare Day 🌞 What a rare day this was! When I rode this morning, the wind was calm! I was able to cruise at 12 mph or more for 11-12 miles; and that doesn’t happen very often. I didn’t try for big distance today; I’m still feeling sort of pulled down from having a cold. But I felt pretty good; and tomorrow maybe I can add an extra mile or two. When I first began riding, it was a rare day when I skipped the ride; but now I know that a rest day once a week is actually a good idea. And of course you need to back off your efforts if you’ve got a cold; or otherwise don’t feel so hot. Riding is great; but we don’t need to let it make us sick! Or too tired to cook. Good Idea 🤔 I always thought it was a good idea to train with my loaded Camel-Bak; and today I found out just what a good idea it is! For three days, I rode short and easy; and didn’t have that load on my back. Today I did ride with the load; and could I ever tell the difference! If you’ll be doing an event that requires a lot of hydration, e.g. RAGBRAI, practice riding with that hydration pack on your back. In fact, if possible, find a way to make the load a little heavier than it will be during the event.  The wind won’t be so quiet tomorrow, showing just what a rare day today was. But the main thing is that the T-storms wait for afternoon! 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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Intensity over Miles?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Intensity over Miles? 😬 How about intensnity over miles? There are times when I just ride; but lately I think I should apply the time-crunched principle to my day-to-day cycling routine — shorter but harder rides. I’ve been getting frustrated by stormy-looking weather forecasts that have me cutting my mileage; and now is when I really need to step it up! So this morning I did a much shorter ride; but threw in some extra-hard efforts. I think I might need to do that twice a week; not once. Intensity over miles when time is short; and let’s hope I don’t encounter a roadblock. Roadblock? 🚧 And in fact, I may be facing a roadblock right now. It might be allergy; but I feel like I’m getting a cold! My head is stuffy; and my throat feels a bit sore. That’s been an extreme rarity since I began cycling. With COVID fears still lingering, I got out the home test that I had; and the results were negative. If I do have a cold, I’ll need to cut back on both distance and intensity for a few days. A roadblock like that is annoying; but pushing too hard while you’ve got a cold (or other illness)  isn’t wise. I hope the heat doesn’t present a roadblock. When I went out at 7:45 this morning, it was 80 degrees; about normal. But I noticed that the sun felt more intense than usual, even though I was wearing my cool rag. Later this morning, a heat advisory was posted; and there’s another one for tomorrow! It starts at 11:00 am; so I want to be home by then. And maybe I’d better just ride. This blog/page may contain affiliate links. “We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” ABOUT ME I began this website primarily as a way to present the story of how I accomplished a century ride on an adult tricycle. Other riders of adult trikes might want to know whether it’s possible. It sure is! You can read all about it in My Story. I live in New Orleans; and  retired in January 2023. More time for cycling! Website designed by Cecile Levert © This website is the property of its author. DISCLAIMER I am not a cycling coach; nor a health professional. This site is based on my own experiences, opinions, etc. If you need help, please consult the appropriate professional.   FRESH FROM MY JOURNAL No Layout Found TRANSLATOR

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Calm Down!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Calm Down! 😌 I sure want to tell our weather to calm down. The forecasts all week have predicted T-storms by early afternoon; and I don’t want to get caught out in them! I’ve tried to finish my rides by late morning, so I’ll be home when the weather gets bad; and this is making it almost impossible to put in the miles that I want. It’s most annoying. Maybe I need to calm down? Or find massage balls for my mind? Today I put in almost 26 miles on the road bike. The bike path is still closed about 13 miles from home; and I can’t wait for it to be re-opened, so I can ride farther out. After a break at home, I took the hybrid for a ride. I wanted to have the trunk, so I could take along the poncho. It got cloudier and cloudier; so I went home a little early. And as it turned out, I needn’t have! No End in Sight 🥅 It seems there’s no end in sight to this rainy weather pattern — whether in the rearview mirror or otherwise. I wish the weather would calm down! Several times we’ve gotten Special Weather Statements about strong T-storms; and the storms don’t arrive! This “boy who cried wolf” might end with me getting caught in a fierce T-storm when I’m miles from home; and that’s not fun. It’s happened once or twice; and it always seemed that there was no end in sight! Just try to calm down when you feel like you might get struck by lightning at any moment! 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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Take a Break

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Outdoors, Training /

Take a Break 😴 I decided to take a break from riding today. For one thing, I was a little concerned over the weather; and for another, my head felt all stuffed up. But why does the weather have to get so iffy just when it’s time to push for rides of 60 miles? RAGBRAI is looming ever closer; and I don’t need to let my training lapse now. Even when the forecast says T-storms are most likely from early afternoon, I feel uneasy about them — even when I ride at 7:00 am! I wish I could take a break from bad weather. Weekend Rides 🚲 I hope I won’t have to resort to a chair workout for my weekend rides. Or the trainer; or other off-bike fitness measures, either. For a workout, there’s nothing like an outdoor ride! It looks like tomorrow’s ride to the salvage store will be OK; and perhaps Sunday’s long ride. If storms prevent my doing a long ride on Sunday, I can do it another day. It’s still hard for me to break away from the pre-retirement mindset of doing the week’s long ride on Sunday! I can move weekend rides to mid-week rides if I have to. That’s a huge perk of not having to go to work. It makes me wonder how I managed in my pre-retirement days. 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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Better Fitness?

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Better Fitness? ❤️ Is this better fitness? Or am I stuck in the same place? Yesterday I did a ride of 19.9 miles; averaged 10.61 miles per hour overall (that includes the warm-up early section of the ride; and the last half mile or so on the way home); and my heart rate ranged from 128 to 148 beats per minute. I looked back over my notes; and just under a year ago, I did a comparable ride: 19.7 miles; average speed, 10.04 mph; and heart rate range 141/141. So, do I have better fitness now? All I can do is to keep at it. I still haven’t gotten much faster; but I see that my average heart rate was lower during yesterday’s ride, even though I was riding at a slightly faster speed. Maybe that answers my question? Keep at It 🚲 I’ll keep at it. I’m not gaining speed the way I wish I would; but any improvement is better than none, even if it’s not as much progress as I’d like. And I tend to hold to a moderate pace on most rides. Maybe I worry too much that I’ll burn myself out when I’m miles from home. Better fitness includes improved ability to hold a prone plank. At first, three seconds was hard; now I can manage 15 seconds. I’ll keep at it, so I can hold the position for longer. Core strength is very important for cycling! 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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Watch Those Liners!

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Training /

Watch Those Liners! 🛞 It would be easier to watch those liners if they weren’t hiding inside the tires. A worn tire liner proved to be the cause of my recent flat; and I’d better replace the front tire liner before I head for RAGBRAI. I can’t watch those liners, or the tires, if it’s raining. Yesterday we got some heavy downpour for a while; and this evening we might get more of the same. I’m glad the weather didn’t ruin my plans for today’s ride; but it looks like the rest of the week will be rainy. Plans 📝 Any plans I had for moon viewing probably would not have worked out. The forecast said it would be overcast; and I was too tired to get up at 4:30 am, anyhow. I decided to work on my pace this morning: seven minutes of pushing for 13-15 mph; three minutes of riding easily; then another hard effort. On the way out, I did about five of these efforts. The final effort didn’t work out too well; I kept slowing down.  Coming back home, I had a bit of a headwind; and I shortened my efforts to two minutes. It makes me feel like a wimp; but how do I know for sure when I’m really overdoing it? Maybe I’d better not think about it too much; or I might become a basket case! 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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