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Derailed Again

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Derailed Again 🛤️  Today’s Featured Product! 💥 Ziploc Snack Bags New!! Jocauto Folding Step Stool For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! My plans got derailed again; but not because of weather this time. To put it briefly, I had to go to pay a bill in person at a brick-and-mortar store; and didn’t get to ride. It’s still hot; so I didn’t want to go to the salvage store first. The store I needed to visit doesn’t open until nine o’clock; and by the time I got home, it was getting too hot to ride. So my ride plans were derailed again. Clear but Hot 🌞 Tomorrow it should be clear; but hot. Gotta keep that cool rag handy; but I hope that it isn’t long before mornings are more like 70 degrees. Then I can sleep a bit later; and still not get broiled alive when I ride. And the coatings on my protein bars won’t get half-melted. I think tomorrow I’ll push for 20 miles; but omit the big-ring work. It looks like there won’t be much wind; 😌 and that’s always good. So it should be a good 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Heimkehr

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Add Your Heading Text Here Heimkehr 🚪 I know; today isn’t Xmas. But hey — it’s a house! Today’s Featured Product! 💥 365 Vegan Smoothiets New!! Swiftwick For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! Yesterday was Heimkehr — I’m back from a visit to my sister. While there, I took a break from pretty much everything. I gave my legs a break from the bike; and I gave my hands a break from the keyboard. But now that Heimkehr is past, I’m ready to get back to riding. Early in the day, of course; extreme heat warnings are posted for the next three or four days. 🥵 A trip to the salvage store — not quite 11 miles round trip — was a nice way to get started cycling again. I decided to go today, because it looks like it might be raining Saturday. And do we need it! What about the Tropics? 🌀 OK, but what about the tropics? Inland Washington State doesn’t have hurricanes; but my last few days there, I began to watch the NHC site again. I’m glad to say, the tropics are quiet for now. Everyone hopes they stay that way! After about a week, I must begin doing hard efforts again. I don’t want to push intense woek too much, too soon; but it’s not as though I were off the bike for several months. 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 © 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 ✍🏻 Facebook Twitter Youtube INTERPRETER Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as Cecile Levert. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ

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Round Five?

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Round Five? 🥊 Today’s Featured Product! 🌠 Ibera Bicycle Wall Hanger New!! Copper Cow Coffee For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store!  It seems like the weather is delivering Round Five. Here comes yet more rain! Luckily I beat it this morning; and it looks like rain is unlikely for the next few days. But tonight we might get a good downpour. Round Five isn’t over yet. With a respite from rain, I can go out there and turn up the steam — and I don’t only mean heat and high humidity. Turn up the Steam ♨️ I’ve been too lazy about hard efforts for a while; and I need to turn up the steam again. I can begin with efforts 2-3 minutes long; and go from there. Or, I could also try riding 1 mph faster than usual; and keeping it up for my entire ride. That sounds like very little; but I’m riding the hybrid, after all. It’s considerably heavier than my road bike was; and I often have to work against a headwind. I’ll be glad when I have a road bike again. I hope my body hasn’t forgotten how to ride one! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Ahead of the Weather

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Ahead of the Weather 💨 Today’s Featured Product! Nicewell Food Scale New!! Santic Cycling Jersey Women’s For our full list of products, visit the SpokEasy Store! As usual, I wanted to finish my ride ahead of the weather. The forecast last night said the wind would rise to 10-15 mph by late morning or early afternoon; and from the East. I didn’t want to fight that headwind for ten miles; so I rode early. I guess I got a weather window this morning. Even at that, I looked towards downtown on the way home. It looked like it was raining there; and I’m glad I got ahead of the weather. Waiting 🥱 And now I’m waiting for the weather to act up. That’s rather tedious; and I can get sleepy from all this waiting around. It looks like our weather could be stormy as the week goes on; not good news for the Love to Ride challenge! It doesn’t help that I have doctor’s appointments on both April 1 and April 2. Maybe I’ll be lucky; and get home in time to put in some miles ahead of the weather. During a bike challenge month, I try to ride every single day; and a T-storm doesn’t help with that! Leave a Reply Cancel Reply Logged in as CAL. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Δ 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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Get Braced

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Get Braced 😬 We’ve got to get braced: we have freezing weather on the way. Sunday night it’s expected to drop to 33 degrees! As far as I’m concerned, that is cold. I must double-check the wrappings on the pipes under the kitchen sink and the bathroom basin. Maybe I’ll drag in my old 30-gallon rubber trash can; and put some water in it, just in case. I can have some hot chocolate; and I think I’ll sleep in Monday morning! Meanwhile, is this Indian Summer? It doesn’t feel like December. Indian Summer? 🏕️ If this is Indian Summer, I’m not too sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it’s nice to not be shivering; on the other, it doesn’t feel seasonable. When it does turn cold, though, I’ll be glad that I don’t have to live in a tent! Monday night will be cold, too; and I have to hike a mile to physical therapy the next morning! At least there won’t be much wind. Sunday night/Monday they’re predicting gusts up to 30 mph. That will make it miserably chilly outdoors.  But I hear it’s supposed to be warm again for Christmas. How can we really get braced for the weather when we never know what’s coming, when?   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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The Wolf Returns

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The Wolf Returns ? The wolf returns, to plague us cyclists — including me — with his windy habits. Maybe strewing some Epic Snack Strips in my wake will distract him, and make the wind ease up? I’m none too happy with the forecast for the coming week. I guess the unusually warm weather has spoiled me, because temperatures down to freezing are a very unpleasant prospect. For a few days it will be windy, with gusts as strong as 30 mph. So it seems that the wolf returns. Sleet? ? Is there sleet on the way? I hope not; but tomorrow night it will fall to 37 degrees; and rain is in the forecast. I’m not sure that’s cold enough for sleet; but I think I’d better not risk going for an outdoor ride, just in case. Neither of my bicycles has tires designed for riding in icy conditions; especially not the road bike. Add strong wind gusts, and it’s a recipe for an unpleasant ride. Tomorrow will be another Spring-like day; but with a chance of showers. The wind will be pretty strong, too. It’s a good day for riding in the park, where I won’t have a headwind mile after mile on the way home! I got quite a headwind on the way home from the salvage store this morning; and I’m not in a hurry for more of it.  My usual plan for a ride in the park is to use the hybrid, so I can have the bike trunk. The trunk can hold my cell phone; poncho; and ride food. The catch is that I have to stop every time I want a bite to eat! 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 ✍? The Wolf Returns January 4, 2025 Have a Blast! January 3, 2025 Tabula Rasa January 2, 2025 2025 Already? January 1, 2025 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Heat Drill

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Heat Drill? ? I got a bit of a heat drill today. The only way I’ll develop any conditioning is if I look hot rides in the eye! But more than anything, I wanted to get outdoors and get moving. This morning I had a doctor’s appointment, and I didn’t want to arrive there hot; sweaty; and stinking. So I didn’t ride beforehand; and by the time I got back home afterwards, the sky was starting to look threatening. And in fact, it did rain. By mid-afternoon the rain seemed to be over for the time being; and I was getting antsy from sitting around indoors. The heat index was only 94 degrees, far lower than it was a few days ago. There was still a good bit of cloud cover to help keep things cooler; so I kitted up; grabbed my cooling rag; and took off for a short heat drill. Stay Hydrated! ? Naturally I need to stay hydrated; even on a very short ride. It’s cooler today than it was two or three days ago; but still hot. Thus I had my Camel-Bak along for the ride. (Query: why isn’t that thing called a PIGGY-Bak? That’s what it does, after all; it rides piggy-back!) I decided I could skip the electrolyte drink for this jaunt; but I must be sure to take some along tomorrow. I’m thinking of shooting for 18-20 miles; and I’ve got to stay hydrated. Depending on what the weather does, I might get my hydration direct from the sky! I kept the ride short this afternoon, because it looked like it might storm again; and I also wanted to detour to the store. ?? And with the hottest part of the year still to come, I’m sure I’ll have more opportunities for the heat drill! 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 Heat Drill July 11, 2024 Respite July 10, 2024 Dodge the Bullet July 9, 2024 Shoo In July 8, 2024 Load More TRANSLATOR

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Out with a Bang

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Out with a Bang 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.” A lot of folks like to send the old year out with a bang. I started hearing firecrackers by 3:20 pm; and it was still broad daylight! Cycling-wise I’m not exactly seeing 2023 out with a bang; but I can steadily increase my distance. Today I rode almost 9 miles; and that’s a big improvement from several weeks ago. Back then I couldn’t do more than two or three miles! I need to get back to my usual distances; my legs are turning to mush. I also need to burn off those holiday goodies! I’m not setting up big plans for 2024; my foot has to be my guide for a while yet. But something that I can plan for right now is improving my diet. While I’m not vegan, I know only too well that my eating habits need correcting! I’m working to curb my intake of sweets, which for me is the hardest part. How about a New Year’s ride? The overnight low temperature will be around 50 degrees; and not much wind. That isn’t bad for riding; but there’s a 40% chance of showers. Play it by ear, I guess. Like, maybe, 12th Street Rag?    

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Not Much Prep

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Not Much Prep There was not much prep for today’s ride. The road bike is in the shop for a tune-up; and the weather forecast wasn’t so great. Thus there wasn’t much to get ready. I didn’t get out until at least 9:00 am; and it was quite hot by then. I knew that T-storms were possible from 10:00 am onwards; so I didn’t want to go too far from home. Indeed, as I rode I could see dark clouds in my rearview mirror. They seemed to be getting darker; and I turned around a few miles early. As I rode homewards, I kept an eye on those clouds. I could see that somebody was getting rain; and I was glad to be home before my neighborhood was in the line of fire. I expected it to rain hard; but as of 1:30 pm, all we’ve gotten is a little drizzle. The sky is still overcast, though; and we still might get rain. I actually hope we do; we need it! It’s hard for me to remember that this is Labor Day weekend. That’s what happens when you’re no longer in the workforce! Typically this is a weekend for outdoor barbecues; but the Governor of Louisiana has asked that people not use any outdoor fires. That’s how freakishly dry the state is; and the risk of wildfires is too great. Maybe I can do a longer ride tomorrow. The greatest chance for rain is after 1:00 pm. But I suppose there will be not much prep; I’m not back up to 40-mile Sunday rides yet!

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Labeling Pics 2

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