(I thought this sign about engine brake use was appropriate)
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| Jazzy & Jim |
It was a bit spotty weather-wise this morning but not raining or blowing much at all so I had little excuse for wimping out.
Even though it had been a week since I rode as of yesterday, I am continually amazed at how even an hour or so of riding dramatically changes my metabolism.
Since being laid off from full time work I have gained a couple of inches in pants-waist sizes. When I started riding at least 14 miles yo so many years ago usually 5 times a week ( since I had a regular destination and a good excuse to ride ) I had shrunk from a size 34 waist to size 32. I had a great stock of jeans and cargo pants in that size that have had to go by the wayside since I stopped working and riding daily. If I ever get to that size again I'm sure it will take more than just a few weeks of steady riding.
Howsomever, even with spotty riding, it has dramatic effects. Of course, while riding, my insulin pump has to work much less, and actually has to be set to a lower rate to compensate for the increased calorie and carb-burning going on while riding. My background or basal rate usually is set back to 25% of its normal rate while riding.... and even after the ride is over, for around 12 to 15 hours, I must set the pump to 70% or less to avoid low blood sugar incidents. Also, of course, the increased sense of well-being that settles in after I get back and cooled off.
Jazzy and I had initially planned to do a loop ride around our East Mountain area. The cloudiness kept the weather from being warm, but it was just cool enough to be mild and enjoyable. As we got about an hour into the ride it got so dark and threatening that I decided it wasn't worth the risk of getting soaked and cut the planned route and turned around instead. (Of course, almost an hour after we arrived home, it still hasn't rained.... sigh.)
Jazzy rides in our belly-puppy-pouch and keeps me slightly warmer from her tiny body heat. Most passers-by do double-takes when going past us and Jazzy normally looks up, cranes her neck around my arm, and watches the cars pass when she hears them approaching. When not looking at passers-by, she has the delightful habit of laying her head across the crook of my arm holding the handlebars. She certainly learned early how to manipulate her humans.
Her cuteness, however, almost caused a serious problem for one distracted rubber-necker. We were climbing the hill southbound on Mountain Valley Road and a car pulled up on a driveway entrance to enter the main road. The driver stopped and waited and waited and waited as we climbed toward her, and she only began to pull out and proceed as we passed her and Jazzy was no longer in the driver's field of view. Trouble is, an oncoming car was approaching, HEAD ON toward our hapless puppy-admirer, who evidently was not watching the road at all, since she pulled out slowly right in front of the oncoming car, who hit the brakes and barely missed a collision by only a few feet.
DON'T let ME or Jazzy be your excuse for a dangerous car crash!
Ride Started: 2:02 PM Ride Ended: 3:51 PM
Starting Battery Voltage: 13.8 Ending Voltage: 13.0
Lowest Temp 45 F Highest Temp: 55 F
Stats from the GPS: Total Miles: 12.25
Overall average speed Moving Avg Max Speed
4.9 MPH 7.8 MPH 27.7 MPH
Total Trip time Moving Time Stopped Time
2 hours 31 minutes 1 hour 34 mins 33 mins 4 secs
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