Not a lot of riding in last week, just 2 days.  Between Best Wife being laid out by some monstrous flu bug and my inability to set a morning alarm Friday, I managed to ride just Monday and Thursday.  A large disappointment I must admit, and a far cry from my stated goal of 175km per week.

But Thursday…what a ride!  When I walked out of the house I could hear – but not feel – the wind blowing all around.  You knew the wind was going to be a factor and it was going to be a serious one at that.  I shrugged my shoulders and resigned myself to further “training” as I strapped on my helmet and opened the gate.

I headed east towards Centre street in the morning darkness, senses on high alert as the possibility of getting run over was high on my mind.  It was dark, cold and windy – not the scenario you entertain riding in when you’re driving to work all bleary eyed with a coffee in one hand and doughnut in the other.  I was feeling pretty good after two days sitting at home tending a sick wife and 3 rowdy monsters and was happy to be out.  The wind, for all its noise at the house was forgotten for the moment.  I made good time down to the 32^nd Ave connector and headed for the path.  The last couple of times I’d opted to ride the skinny trail between 32^nd and the barrier, it had been littered with city-owned road construction signs laying across the path making for treacherous obstacle avoidance in the omnipresent threat of being squished by the heavy traffic on my left.

I picked my way through the dark path, my MEC headlight providing enough illumination to stave off complete darkness yet not allowing my eyes to adjust completely.  It was the first point I noticed the wind again as it was, for the first time in week working with me instead of against me and I sailed along seemingly effortlessly.  It was when I was riding south along Deerfoot that I turned my attention to the beauty that is a wind at your back.  Pedaling along at a nice clip and the air was dead still – no wind flapping my jacket, no air rushing past my ears, no tears from my eyes – it was like riding in a pocket of stillness.  Effortless, quiet, perfect.

Not being one for effortless, quiet and perfect, I shifted up two gears and put some heat on it.  It was a thing of speed (relative admittedly) and beauty, eminently satisfying and most rewarding.  It’s the biggest smile I’ve had riding in a few weeks.  I was punished for this crime of glee, of uninhibited joy.  On the ride home the wind was howling as strong as it had been in the morning, changing only from north north west to north north east.  Or just north.  “Training” I sighed and put my head down to fight my way home.