Today, the weather had warmed and the rain had finally stopped falling. I was looking at a blue sky and 70 degree temps for the first time in what seemed like ages. Having recently finished rewrapping my handlebars, I was anxious to get on my bike and see how the new tape performed. I got my gear and told my wife I was going out and was going to ride until I was tired.
The ride started great. I rode from my house to the lake trail on the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain. In order for me to get to the lake, I have to ride on some busy streets. This is never my idea of fun, especially since there is no shoulder to the road. For some reason, everyone was in a good mood today. I rode as traffic, maintaining a presence that took up the entire lane. No one tailgated, no one honked, all was good in the world.
On the way to the lake, I swung by my in-law's house and checked in on my wife's project. She had left before me to go to her parent's house to work on a project she had her mind set on (repainting some furniture).
From there, I went straight to the lake. The ride is an out-and-back. Starting in Metairie, I ride to the edge of Kenner and then back (sometimes making multiple trips). This gives me a base of about 25km per ride and is something I know I can do if I only have an hour to spare. As I crossed the levee, I could feel the wind starting to pick up. Lucky for me, I had recently repositioned my handlebars so that I was once again able to make full use of the drops. Hunkering down into a slightly more aero position, I shifted my focus into just keeping my legs churning. The wind was not a head wind, but a strong cross wind. The gusts were only marginally stronger than the sustained winds, but the sustained winds were over 32 kph.
As I pedaled, I had to lean at just the right angle to keep from being knocked over by the wind but not so steep as to risk falling if the wind suddenly lessened. This continued for about the first 10 km of the ride. It slowed me a little but was still not to the point where the ride was unpleasant.
When I crossed the levee again, where Kenner meet the Bonnet Carrie Spillway, I turned left and rode towards the interstate. This put me directly in conflict with the wind. I spent the next 4 km riding as low as I could, straight into a 32 kph headwind. I struggled to maintain a meager 16 kph but I took solace in the knowledge that, if this wind kept up, the return trip would be something special!
After a while, I could smell the rotten smell of the sewerage treatment plant. For the first time in my life this made me smile. It came with it the knowledge that I was close to the end of the road and would soon be turning around and reaping the benefits of my struggle with the wind.
I am not a power rider, never have been. When I check Strava's list of segments, I am consistently around 100th. As I rode the return trip, I began to feel much stronger than I have even felt. I was riding in a higher gear that I ever had on flat terrain. I was having the time of my life! The return trip was 4 km with a heavenly tailwind. Later, when I checked Strava, I learned I was now in the top ten for that segment.
I crossed the levee and turned right, heading back to the lake side and continued on the path. The wind had shifted for the first time that day and was now more of a headwind than a cross wind. The return trip had turned into 14 km of more pain and struggle. I was hoping to get in more mileage but the wind was killing me and I knew that the return 14 km would be the end of the ride for me.
I made it back to my in-laws right as they were getting ready to sit down to lunch. Unfortunately, the efforts of the day had left me a little ripe. I borrowed my wife's car, threw the bike in the back and headed home for a shower and fresh clothes. After a quick freshening up, I returned to my in-law's ate some delicious food and marveled at my wife's excellent work with her project.
Overall, it was 35 km of challenge but it was well worth it. Each day I feel stronger and suffer less. My goal in the coming months is to continue to build my strength to the point where rides like this are nothing more than an inconvenience in a larger ride instead of an entire ride of struggle. I will keep you updated with my progress.
When I crossed the levee again, where Kenner meet the Bonnet Carrie Spillway, I turned left and rode towards the interstate. This put me directly in conflict with the wind. I spent the next 4 km riding as low as I could, straight into a 32 kph headwind. I struggled to maintain a meager 16 kph but I took solace in the knowledge that, if this wind kept up, the return trip would be something special!
After a while, I could smell the rotten smell of the sewerage treatment plant. For the first time in my life this made me smile. It came with it the knowledge that I was close to the end of the road and would soon be turning around and reaping the benefits of my struggle with the wind.
I am not a power rider, never have been. When I check Strava's list of segments, I am consistently around 100th. As I rode the return trip, I began to feel much stronger than I have even felt. I was riding in a higher gear that I ever had on flat terrain. I was having the time of my life! The return trip was 4 km with a heavenly tailwind. Later, when I checked Strava, I learned I was now in the top ten for that segment.
I crossed the levee and turned right, heading back to the lake side and continued on the path. The wind had shifted for the first time that day and was now more of a headwind than a cross wind. The return trip had turned into 14 km of more pain and struggle. I was hoping to get in more mileage but the wind was killing me and I knew that the return 14 km would be the end of the ride for me.
I made it back to my in-laws right as they were getting ready to sit down to lunch. Unfortunately, the efforts of the day had left me a little ripe. I borrowed my wife's car, threw the bike in the back and headed home for a shower and fresh clothes. After a quick freshening up, I returned to my in-law's ate some delicious food and marveled at my wife's excellent work with her project.
Overall, it was 35 km of challenge but it was well worth it. Each day I feel stronger and suffer less. My goal in the coming months is to continue to build my strength to the point where rides like this are nothing more than an inconvenience in a larger ride instead of an entire ride of struggle. I will keep you updated with my progress.
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