Cooked beyond well done

Very tough gravel grinder today. Paul and I headed south from Apple Valley down to Sogn Valley. 20+ mph headwind and rain for the first two hours made it slow going but with Almanzo two weeks away, we forged ahead. Finally crossed the Cannon river into Sogn Valley GG territory, rain stopped but the wind seemed to pick up a bit. We worked our way over to Sogn Valley Trail and climbed that long, awesome gravel hill. Started making our way back with a nice tailwind that seemed to last about 5 miles. How did the wind shift from the SE to the WSW so quickly? The ride back was going to be hard. The rain had soaked the gravel roads, and there were some that were pretty much sand. Riding these stretches was a battle where just keeping the bike moving forward. There were moments when the pedals barely moved, the wind forced you sideways, the rain didn't let up, and the mind eventually wandered toward the deep void. Reaching some faster gravel roads improved spirits but the last 15 miles felt like a death march. Paul's coca-cola he had purchased in Dennison was kicking in and he was chatty! I noticed the pace pick up and Paul seemed to be pedaling with ease. I may need to pack a coke for Almanzo. Rolling back to Paul's pad, the body was not happy. Paul's garage was our base camp and I had to laugh at how long it took to get my wool socks on. Pull halfway up the foot, take a break, continue on. Paul graciously pulled out some Surly Furious and I was in such a stupor that I couldn't even finish it. Wow, that has to be a first.

Total 85 miles on the SS. Nice route Paul!

Here's the route.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/32936454/