How could I not get on my bike with weather like that? This would be one of those "epic" rides that would hurt, make people go "hmmm", and something I could brag about to anyone who should care but really do not.
The big decision I had to make was go into the wind at the start, or into the wind to finish. I chose going into the wind at the start, and have an easier, more enjoyable ride on the way back. I definitely made the correct choice.
The first half of the ride might have been one of the toughest I have ever done, and at one point I was excited when I hit 12.5 mph!. There were some times that I could barely hit 10 mph, due to the wind, and there are very few flat spots on the route. The temperature was also dropping as the storm quickly approached.
I was determined to log my miles, but Mother Nature had other ideas and turned against me. I started to feel little stabs of pain on my face, arms, and legs. With each pedal stroke, the stabs of pain occurred more frequently. The wind was picking up and even gusting hard enough to move me more than I felt comfortable with. Still, I pressed on...until the skis opened and I had to stop due to wind and rain.
I quickly turned around having completed only 11.69 miles in an eye popping 53 minutes. This might have been the slowest 11.69 miles...EVER! The ride home was unbelievably fast, and I completed the same 11.69 miles in 27 minutes. Again, there is nothing flat about the route. I was moving fast on the ups and downs.
The speeds I hit on the way back made all the pain on the way out worthwhile. It is always tough riding the Wishram area due to temperature, wind, and elevation profiles. This time was no different, and I look forward to another extreme weather ride (hot, cold, rain, wind...I do not care give me your best shot Mother Nature) in the area.
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