I must’ve been mesmerized by the 83 degrees when I started the bike ride on the “May Park Community Center – Huffman” route today. Maybe for the first time this year I didn’t wear a long sleeve jersey or jacket and I forgot to put sunscreen on my arms although I put it on my face. Today’s bike ride displaced yesterday’s as the second longest coming in at 39.5 miles. I saw one other bicyclist along the ride today so I wasn’t alone taking in the great biking weather.
The warm temperatures have triggered the azalea plants to start blooming. I saw several plants in full bloom which is about a month early. It looks like the warm weather will be hanging around for awhile. According to Space City Weather commentary today: “After Houston reached 81 degrees on Monday (tying a record high set in 1911), the city has now recorded 12 days with high temperatures of 80 degrees, or warmer, this winter. According to the National Weather Service, the record for total number of 80-degree days in “winter,†defined here as December through February, is 17, which has happened three times (1995-96, 1956-57, & 1910-11). We’re likely to pick up at least two more 80-degree days this week, so that will put us at 14. I’d give us even odds of breaking the overall mark.” Great for biking but unusual for February.
Wind was my big problem on today’s ride. The wind was from the W at 7 mph but my legs pedaled like it was 25 mph. I rode okay as long as it wasn’t into the wind. The worst section started when I reached the May Community Center and left onto Wolf Road. The legs bogged down like a truck starting out in 4th gear. My average speed went from 15 mph to 13.4 mph when I took a short break at the Huffman Chevron. This was the first rest stop there this year. I ate a Clif bar hoping for some magical energy to power me west on FM 1960 into the wind. The magical power must’ve been somewhere else because leaving the Chevron station the max speed my legs produced was 16 or 17 mph for short bursts.
Relief should have come turning onto Atascocita Shores Drive biking north to northwest but the wind moved too, or so it felt. It was a struggle all the way home getting there at 2:53 with very tired legs. The ride started at 11:54 with more promise from the warm weather. Maybe biking three days in a row this early in the year is asking too much for average speeds higher than that.
Even with the maxed out legs I am at 42% of February’s mileage goal of 345 miles. 21 days remain though I probably won’t ride every one so the goal is within reach. The weather continues tomorrow (Wednesday) and I plan on bicycling.
Links to RideWithGPS.com and Strava.com.
