Woke up at 5am this morning to ride. I texted my buddy late the night before so I didn't give much notice, but since I hadn't heard back I figured it was going to be a solo. Normally I pound the SNOOZE if I find out my option is solo... but I have another race on Saturday so I needed to get a good effort in.
I usually glance at temp and radar to know what to wear and what route best suits a return tailwind, but I skipped all that and just stepped out on the deck. 48°. A little haze over a half-moon waning. Dead calm. I could see two deer in the back field under a faint reflected city glow. Let's do this.
I headed out on the road and ramped up the effort pretty quick. Worked through the inevitable mile#4 gluteus tightening and then I was flying. Headed straight east to Lake Lotawana with only the 20+mph self-induced wind in my face. I looped down in and around the lake and attacked all our usual hills feeling good - but when I returned topside something had changed. For some odd reason I REALLY felt like I was flying back home, just knocking out each little rise like it was nothing. I could see w/o my lights at this point, but they remained on for safety. Looked unusually dark in front of my to the west, but I didn't think much of it since I'd ridden in the dark for 45 min already. Then I made a little jog back to the south and realized the source of my feelin-goodspeed. A whipping flag indicated at least a 10-15mph wind was at my back - now smacking me on the left. Turned out to be inflow from the fast approaching Tstorm to my west. She took a HUGE inhale that made my ride home sheer bliss! Not until I rolled home & cooled down a bit did I realize the storm - the front hit and her exhale switchymarooed to 45mph gusts from the west. Those COULD have been headwinds if I didn't time it just right.
It was a good ride.
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