Freewheeling Friday: Gone With the Wind!

     Okay, I'm just going to officially put it out there right now......I HATE WIND!!!!     Don't get me wrong, I think it's perfect for flying kites, especially if you're a big Mary Poppins fan:

  

     For those of you who formally followed my Connor's Army blog, you know I can take the heat.  On the particular day I wrote about on our cross country event I rode 109 miles on a day that eventually topped out at 126 degrees.
     You also know that I even ride in the cold.  Usually my drop off point is 15 degrees.  Yes, I know some of my Minnesota brethren and sistren might just call me a total wimp but I only have enough layering (right now) to handle 15 degrees comfortably.
     But what I really hate to ride in is the wind.  Now conventional wisdom would tell us that in the summers the wind generally tends to blow from West to East.  That's part of the reason we planned for the Connor's Army Ride Across America to leave from San Diego and end at Sunrise Day Camp.  That and it really made more sense to end it where it began.  And truthfully that was most often the case except for that one day in Kansas where the wind seemed to shift every three miles or so and I just wanted nothing more than to throw down my bike, get in the van and give it all up.  But, I made it through and although I do ride on windy days, I pretty much hate it.
     Until the ride this morning!!!!!  The weather report said wind gusts up to 30 mph with possible rain.  "Great," I thought, "this is just going to suck so hard!"  But as it came time to leave and it wasn't raining I counted myself lucky.  I might actually get to school completely dry today (of course as I sit here writing this, it is POURING outside!!!!!) but I would have to face the wind!  And then the realization kicked in ---- the wind was blowing from the east!!!!  I was going to have a tailwind of 20 mph with 30 mph gusts!  YEEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!  So I headed out on the road.......and then the drizzles began.  Dammit!
     And thus became this week's Freewheeling Friday epic saga!  I knew I wasn't going to be able to take the long road because I might get soaked.  Now don't get me wrong, I had all my rain gear packed in my trunk bag ready to go.  I just didn't want to stop on the side of the road and put it on.  Once I start I HATE stopping.  So the plan was to ride really fast and stay ahead of the rain.  Hey, if the wind is coming from the East that means the rain is too so if I ride fast enough I might be able to stay ahead of it, right?  And so began what I am now going to refer to as my "Gone With the Wind Ride".  Simply put, I had nature's turbo booster installed on my bike this morning.
     Now for those of you classic movie buffs you'll recognize it as the FOURTH longest Hollywood film ever made (beaten out by Kenneth Branaugh's Hamlet, Elizabeth Taylor in Cleopatra, and that great hit from 2014 Nymphomaniac.)  It was groundbreaking for it's time and garnered, I believe, 10 Oscars.  It brought nothing but accolades for it's stars although it somewhat contributed to the eventual breakup of Vivien Leigh and her husband Laurence Olivier, arguably the BEST Shakespearean actor of the 20th century.  However, as ground breaking as it was, I still enjoy Carol Burnett's version better:

     But I digress.  With said tail wind and with me time trialing for my skin (trying to keep it dry), I was pedaling as fast as I could.  I ended up looking down at my cycling computer at one point while cruising along Pulaski and realized I was going 30.6 mph!!!!!!  My average speed at that moment was creeping up on 18.6 and I wasn't even halfway there!  Although my original plan was to go as short a route as possible, I decided to do my normal route (at an extra 1 1/2 miles) because I was making great time.  It wasn't quite as fast as this;

But I was still going pretty fast!  As I hit the bottom of Stilwell I looked down at my computer and my average speed was 20.1!!!!!  And the drizzle was catching up again, time to crank it up Stilwell!!!!
     As I finally pulled up to my entrance at good old SHS I looked down at the computer - 19.2!  I lost almost one mph but it was faster than I've ever gone before.  And it was all on Pearl, my frankenbike, 30 pound steel framed bike with the wide tires and fenders!  My total time?  39.04 - I had broken the 40 minute mark!!!!  It might not happen again anytime soon, but for now?  I'm GONE WITH THE WIND!!!!!!!
     Of course, the weather forecast for my ride home today?

Wish me luck!  If I'm lucky I won't float away or go backwards like these guys;

And just to finish this Friday post off with some music to tantalize your ears, with any luck I won't be "Blown Away" (cover by Jess Moskaluke):

So please, Weather Gods, hear my plea and don't "Blow Me Away":

     That's all folks for this Freewheeling Friday.  I'm finally caught up and I'm heading out the door to go home.  The weather forecast is: Cloudy with showers. Thunder possible. Low 59F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 60%.  Here goes nothing.  Oh, and something else to look forward to on Fridays now, watching my progress as I try to lose these last ten pounds - down to 171 now!
    
Stay well and I'll see you on the road!