brrrr! grrrr!

i left the house around 4:30 this morning. it was 59 degrees. felt like 39. brrr! i turned when i reached the highway and head east. less than two miles down the road i cross a bridge, glance at a grease spot on the shoulder and think, "racoon." i'm startled. i've been riding this same road so much that i know what the grease spots used to be. less than a half mile later, "armadillo." this is ridiculous. i decide then and there that today i'm taking a new route.

when i get to highway 49, i turn north toward conway springs intending to ride through town and on to viola or maybe highway 42. the wind is in my face going north and it is none too pleasant. remember, it's cold. i'm almost shivering wishing i'd grabbed my jacket before heading out.

i cruise through conway and up to viola. i'm there before 5:30, so i push on. i cross highway 42 and continue northward. if i had more time, i could stop in at beautiful lake afton. i don't have the time, so i turn around at 87th street and head back home.

at 6:00, i glance at my mileage. 26 miles. that's crazy! 26 miles before 6:00.

i ride on south. i'm still cold, but don't feel quite as bad with the wind at my back. as i ride through viola a long line of cars approaches. everyone off to work in wichita i suppose. i meet 30 or 40 vehicles between viola and conway springs. i never see this kind of traffic on 160.

well, i finally make it back to 160 and head west away from the just peaking over the horizon sun. i've ridden 44 miles before the sunrise! going west is slow. the wind is not helpful. my legs are seizing up a bit from the cold. why did i not go back and put my tights on?

i somehow manage to roll home over the last few miles, trying vainly to maintain my 17.9mph average. at the last second, just a few yards from home it drops to 17.8mph. grrrr! now i'm cold - temp dropped to 56 while i was out - and mad and tempted to round up to 17.9mph on my log. i think i will. (50.44 miles @ 17.9mph)