wind in the west

connect.garmin.com/activity/77525045

i looked at the clock. i blinked. it still said 4:37. my body said, "go back to sleep." my mind said, "get your lazy butt out of bed!" my mind won. i only had a little over an hour to get my workout in before my on call time began at 6:00, so i dressed quickly and got out the door. after a couple of trips back into the house to grab stuff i'd forgotten, i hit the road just before 5:00. it was windy today. the roar of the gale was in my ears for the whole hour. the force of it was in my face all the way out to danville and briefly toward the end of the ride when i was riding on the southeasterly angle. my legs weren't sure what was going on for the first few minutes of the ride. they didn't have a lot of pop in them. they half-heartedly did what they've done for years. turn the cranks. turn the cranks. turn the cranks. i can ride on autopilot for hours. finally, i slapped them and they woke up. i put them through their paces a few times, pushing my effort to see what was there. i need to have a little something by the end of the month when i plan to ride the gyp hills between coldwater and medicine lodge with doug and eric. if today's ride was any indication, i've got some work to do. as i rode back into town, i heard someone yell my name. couldn't see them in the dark, so i just rode on. i found them as i rode past the high school weight building. they said something, but i couldn't make it out with the wind blowing directly in my face. i waved and rode home. wish i'd had more time to ride. i need miles! (16.05 miles @ 16.3mph)