Riding Into the Wind

We went for a bike ride on a new trail today - out and back.  The ride out was good - we worked hard and kept up a good pace.

Then we reached the turn-around and headed back.  We felt, immediately, a stiff breeze in our face.  Steady, and strong enough to make level stretches feel like a hill, the wind flowed past.

I hadn't noticed there was a wind at all when it was at our backs, though it no doubt contributed to the buoyant feeling of the ride.  But, in our face, there was no ignoring it.

Suddenly, the wind was the biggest factor in the ride.  It made the ride feel laborious and slow.  Coming halfway into the ride as we were starting to tire, the feeling doubtless exceeded the true force of the wind.

My reaction was to not fight it, but to back off, find a shape to ride in that was least buffeted by the wind, and move through the flowing air with as much ease as possible.

I didn't want to ride into the wind, but I had to accept conditions as they were, and adjust to give myself the best possible experience.