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Diminishing Returns

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Uncategorized /

Diminishing Returns? This week seemed like diminishing returns – every morning I’ve biked fewer miles than the morning before! Today I rode less than five miles, which is next to nothing. I didn’t ride to work, either, because I had to get downtown for an appointment; and I didn’t want to drag my helmet with me. So I rode public transit; and noticed that many passengers were not wearing masks. This, right when the news is reporting another COVID spike! Incidentally, is all this business about vaccination and boosting a case of diminishing returns? Seems like they keep saying that it is; or am I getting it wrong? As cyclists, we have to guard against the diminishing returns of going too hard, too often. Training seems to be a double-edged sword: no structure in your daily rides, and you probably won’t make much progress (if any); but train too hard and you risk burnout; injury; and even loss of interest in cycling! We don’t want that, do we? I’ve been watching the weather, of course. It looks like tomorrow’s chances for T-storms are mainly in after 11:00 am; so I should be able to ride to the salvage store. I just hope it doesn’t turn into an inconvenience store, the way it did one time! Sunday looks like it might be a different story. The forecast says, scattered T-storms; starting at 4:00 am. Not fun.☹  Maybe I can take a Sunday off for a change. Or, if I’m lucky, I can get in some miles on the road bike after I get home from the salvage store tomorrow. I’ll have to play it by ear, I guess.

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Time Trial

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Time Trial This year’s Tour de France began with a time trial in Copenhagen, Denmark. But I have another kind of time trial on my mind. I hope to retire early next year; and I haven’t ruled out relocation. I wish I could take the advice given to retirees who want to relocate: to give a “new spot” a time trial (aka trial run). As long as I’m still working I can’t take the time for a proper trial run; and I don’t have the means for such experimenting. In effect, relocation for me is grabbing blind. Visiting a place is not the same as living there; and it can take a while before you’re sure whether you really like any location. It might take a full cycle of seasons before you know whether the local climate is a good fit. You might love hot weather; but how long is the hot season in “Newplace”? Is it suffocatingly humid; or so arid that your skin shrivels up? Do you love snow; but hate shoveling it? Even if you don’t mind the shoveling, are you physically capable of doing it throughout your golden years? In New Orleans, we spend at least six months out of the year worrying about hurricanes. I wouldn’t mind being out of their immediate reach; but suppose the Newplace I have in mind is tornado prone? That’s no improvement at all! With hurricanes we have several days’ warning, or even more; but with tornadoes it can be mere minutes. I don’t think a blizzard-prone area is a good fit for me, either. Is my Newplace bicycle friendly? Can I get around easily without a car? Is there a good public transit system? Of course I have to factor in the cost of rent; and the cost of essential goods such as groceries. What about the crime rate? And much more.

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Calm for Once

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Calm for Once! Today the wind was calm for once! I wish we had calm winds much more often. I’m working to lengthen my Sunday long ride. After two weeks of doing only 28-29 miles, I knew I’d better not shoot for 50 miles; but I extended my distance to 37.90 miles. It helped a great deal that I didn’t have to fight a headwind.  According to the forecast, rain and T-storms were possible from 10:00 am; and as I rode back home, I watched the clouds building up. I got home ahead of any bad weather; and within the next hour, I decided to ride the hybrid to the drug store. By then the sky looked more threatening; but I took the chance. It paid off; and now I have ice cream for the Fourth of July. About 45 minutes after I got home, I began to hear thunder. As long as I’m home, it may storm; and it might even cool us off a bit.  The problem with rain is that the streets around here are in a mess. A little rain results in quagmires that clog bicycle tires with mud; and for now, I have to detour several blocks to get to and from the bike path. It looks like tomorrow morning will be OK for riding; and I’d better get in some miles while I can. I’m almost to 2900 miles for this year; and my goal is 5000 miles by December 30.  While today it was calm for once, there will be some wind tomorrow. Of course I don’t like that; but you’d think I would be used to it by now! The main thing is that any T-storms wait to break out until I’m back home.

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Great Strides

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Great Stides Let your youngster make great strides towards the enjoyment of cycling! The Strider Balance Bike helps a child to learn how to balance on two wheels; and she doesn’t have to worry about pedaling. Or he can start to explore his world; and the puncture-proof tires eliminate worries about flats. Back when I was about to “graduate” from the tricycle to two wheels, I googled around for advice; and I found this. It gave me the idea to temporarily remove the pedals from my new hybrid bike; and do glide biking. No, it didn’t make me feel silly; because I made up my mind that it wouldn’t! I’m not sure you can say I made great strides; but I did get the hang of two wheels after a while.  The Strider Balance Bike has a sturdy, easy-to-maintain steel frame; and can be adjusted to a child’s growth. The handlebars are especially designed for small hands; and the Strider can be used by youngsters ages 18 months to five years. Of course, don’t forget to equip the little one with a helmet. The Joovy Noodle X-small is for kids ages 1-4; and meets CPSP standards. Comes in assorted colors; so you might not have to settle for pink! I don’t much care what color my helmet is, although a light or bright color is a good idea. I’ve never had a pink one, though!

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Wishful Thinking II

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Wishful Thinking II One of these might satisfy my curiosity! Here’s  wishful thinking II for my wanting a power meter. More than once I was on the point of  buying one; and up came the need for expensive oral surgery! Sometimes I wonder how much wattage I’m able to generate; and a power meter would tell me that. But to be really  useful, a power meter must be properly set up; and that means doing an FTP test. This test doesn’t like fun; and in fact, by all accounts, it isn’t fun. Without it, however, a power meter is no more than “an expensive toy”. To be honest with myself, I don’t want to put myself through an FTP test; so I’ll skip the power meter. It’s not as though I’m in training for racing; and for some months I haven’t done any work to improve my force. Therefore ideas of my using a power meter are wishful thinking II. But I can still think about riding for the pleasure of it. Today’s ride wasn’t as hot as many a recent jaunt; but I turned back home some five miles sooner than I had planned. The sky wasn’t completely overcast, but the sun was covered; and something about the look of it made me decide to go home early. As I rode, I kept a wary eye on the eastern part of the sky. The clouds became darker and darker; and it even looked like it was raining somewhere. I got home shortly after 9:00 am; and about 20 minutes later I heard the first grumble of thunder. Shortly afterwards, I smelled rain. We’ve got a wet forecast for the coming week; and I hope I can still ride!

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Let It Snow

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Let It Snow Can you believe that I am saying, Let it snow? It’s so hot that I almost wish it would snow; and cool us off. Then maybe we can go for a ride on a fat-tire bike; and have fun making tracks. This SAIGULA Fat-Tire bicycle’s four-inch tires are great for snow — or, when it’s as hot as this, try it on the beach! Right now a heat advisory is in effect; and there’s an excessive heat warning posted for tomorrow. They’re saying to stay indoors in the air conditioning if at all possible. Somebody tell me how I’m supposed to avoid going out into such an oven. I have to go to work; and of course I have to get back home. To complicate matters, I need to visit the bank; and the bank must be about a mile and a half from work. Maybe I’ll go to the bank in the morning, before the worst of the heat sets in; and maybe I’ll walk instead of using a bicycle. That’s a bit of a toss-up. Riding creates a certain amount of breeze; but of course that stops the moment I stop riding. At the same time, walking will be very hot work tomorrow! So, should I let it snow? That would relieve the heat; but snowy weather brings its own problems: icy surfaces; multiple layers to wear; and that danged runny nose!  

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It’s Official

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It’s Official! It’s official! Summer has begun; at least, according to the calendar. But things don’t always go according to our way of thinking of time. It feels like the dog days already; and has for a couple of weeks. Last week I was on vacation; and didn’t get in the extra mileage that I wanted to.  Of course when I’m on vacation I want (and need!) to sleep a little later; and when I don’t start a ride until 8:00 am these days, it’s already well into the 80s. In fact, overnight it gets little or none below 80. The cat-sitting was a complication. I didn’t want to leave the poor kitty hungry until late morning; and when I went to feed him in the evening, the heat index was often 100+! I wonder what the temperature in France is now. The Tour de France starts in a few days; and don’t stages typically begin around 1:00 pm? Thinking of riding in that heat makes me wilt! How do you keep cool during hot rides? The answer for me is that I don’t! Workday mornings I typically ride before sunup; but Sunday long rides are another story. Even if I start at 6:00 am, it’s very hot by the time I put in 35-40 miles; and I’m considering starting at 5:30 am! Unfortunately that means getting even less sleep; and it makes me long for Fall, when it might not be so sweltering. But it’s Summer now; it’s official.

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Like an Arrow

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, Uncategorized /

Like an Arrow I wish I could ride this fast! Time flies like an arrow, so they say. Last week certainly flew past; and I feel like I got nothing done. I was badly distracted by the prospect of having to move; and soon. Long story short, that’s on hold for at least a few days. I hope it can stay on hold for at least six more months. But the upshot was that I didn’t get to work nearly as much on my dot net site as I had planned; and today I had to go back to work. Oh, how I want to retire! I also didn’t get any too much time to relax and rest; and by Sunday night I was exhausted. Yesterday morning I didn’t even try to ride because I was so worn out. I won’t be able to fly like an arrow down the bike path if I’m tired all the time. The unrelenting heat doesn’t help matters. Summer has barely begun; and it feels like the dog days. The overnight low temperature is hovering at around 80 degrees! It isn’t fun riding home from work in this heat; and I’m glad I have less than three miles to go. Some people have a much farther commute; and I don’t know how they manage it. If I had to ride far to and from  work, how would I fill my Camel-Bak before the trip home? I guess all I could do is fill it at home in the morning; and hope it doesn’t leak during the day if it doesn’t stay upright. Keep hydrated!

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Sit and Stay Fit

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Sit and Stay Fit? Helpful for desk-bound folks who want some action. Is it possible to sit and stay fit? The FitDesk Folding Exercise Bike is a possible solution to this problem. FitDesk can hold your tablet; and can adjust to users from 4’10” to 6′ plus/147.3 cm to 182.9 cm and over.  The FitDesk weighs 45 lb/20.4 kg; and can accommodate users up to 300 lb/136.1 kg. Folds for easy storage. I’ve seen several co-workers use other under-desk pedaling devices; but I’m not sure I can pedal with any energy AND use a keyboard (or write manually!) at the same time. The action of my legs would take too much of my concentration; and honestly, I’d far rather be outdoors on a real bicycle! But today I didn’t ride. This past week has been very stressful; and I’m glad today is a holiday! I have much more leisure to work at editing stuff in my dot net web site; and I can spend more time indoors, trying to keep halfway cool. Today is another scorcher; and by 8 am it was already 87 degrees! The predicted high temperature is a blazing 95 degrees; and I expect the heat index will rise over 100. At 10:25 am, said heat index was already 98. Unfortunately staying indoors has me in “park mode”; and I can’t sit and stay fit at the same time!  I’m trying to weed out some of the stuff I’ve got in here; but tiring as it is, it really doesn’t burn off many calories. I hope I get to ride tomorrow morning!

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FOMO

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FOMO We hear a lot about FOMO these days; that is, Fear of Missing Out. I’m beginning to see what that means. To make a long story short, I’m looking around for another place to live. Not much is available in my price range; and to make matters worse, my old email stopped working! I wasn’t getting notices that I should have gotten about places for rent. I haven’t been able to enjoy my vacation because of this; and it’s causing a lot of upheaval in my life. It’s no wonder I’m developing FOMO! Finding a place to rent is only half the problem. I might have to move to a smaller place; and then I  have to be prepared to sell/give away quite a lot of things. Not to mention the stash of canned goods that I have! I couldn’t find out anything about what’s going to happen to this place: whether the buyer will want to keep renting to the tenants already here; or whether s/he wants to tear the place down and build something else. If I can only stay here one more year — or even just six months — it will make a huge difference. If I have to move, I might be far away from the levee bike path; and riding to work might be far longer and/or more difficult. There’s street construction going on all over the place; and some streets are nigh well impassible. If I must move, a delay of 6-12  months will let me use up my store of non-perishable foods; and I can sort through a lot of things and see what I need to keep; and what I can discard. Or could I even hold a garage sale?

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