It both sucked and blew

So, 'member that post a few days ago where I may have mentioned that spring in New Mexico is not particularly pleasant (I was 20 years old and living in DC before I learned that spring can actually be beautiful)? Well let me tell you about today to illustrate my point.

I knew even yesterday that I wanted to go for another long bike ride today. Went out to get the paper (yeah, I'm one of the six people in America that still gets a paper paper), and the morning could not be better for a ride: slightly overcast, temps in the mid- to high-50's and dead calm. So of course I decide to saddle up and go run a bunch of errands (in my partial defense, one of the stops I had to make was for a new inner tube so I didn't spend 20 minutes refilling my front tire, twice, like I did on my last ride). Finally got home about 2, had a late lunch, watched some of the Madness, and then decided to get on the bike and see if I could fix it up, go for a ride and be back in time for Amazing Race.

Tube change took a little longer that it should have because I spent a lot of time pulling goathead bits out of the tire, but got it up and running and was off a little before 5:30pm. By then, the clouds had long since burned off, the temps were in the low- to mid-70's...and the wind was blowing out of the south at 25mph, gusting at up to 38mph. Yeah, that's right.

So you can imagine the blessing and the curse this turned out to be. Unfortunately, it was blowing out of the south, and I, of course, was going to the northbound leg first. (You know, I'm quite the idiot where this is concerned; the same trail goes quite a distance to south of me too, but I always end up going north and then riding back into the wind which always blows from the south. Of course, my choice may have something to do with the fact that the trail doesn't go through the nicest of neighborhoods when I get that far south of home.) Anyway, I positively FLEW for the first half of the ride. Seriously, averaged 3-3:30 minute miles (approx 20mph...on a mountain bike) headed up. And then I had to turn around. It was like I was trying to cycle through a brick wall. For 9 miles. Lovely.

Next time, do the pinche ride first thing. You'd think 30+ springs would've taught me that by now.

The damages:
Small (1pkt) of instant oatmeal
cup of chai
5 crackers w/jelly
slice Costco pepperoni pizza
Lg Dr Pepper
G2
Corned beef
Boiled veggies
Lg skim milk
Grapes
5 crackers
2 baby carrot sticks

The benefits (cycling):
18.47miles/1h24m/1552C