A STRONG TAILWIND can make you glad you’re alive. In place of a recovery run today, I did a 25-mile ride toChelseaand back. The first leg was west, directly into a strong wind. The temptation was there to push harder into the wind, but this was a recovery day – just gear down and relax, boy. Turning back east was heaven. I didn’t feel the tail wind pushing me so much, but the effects were obvious. I was moving faster with much less effort, and heading up the inclines was easy. I felt like I could go along like that all day.

It reminded me of last fall’s trip from Empire to Manistee; 60 miles of pushing into a strong south wind, up and down the hills along the shoreline on M-22. I’d been convinced something was wrong with the bike and my quads had nearly shut down. The trip back north after lunch had restored my faith in life, the universe, and everything.