Early to bed would have served me well last night. I was so tired that I didn\’t get up this morning until 6:45. Six forty-five might sound early to some folks; but not for me on a Sunday, when I plan to take a long ride. Especially when the overnight low temperature is 80 degrees or so.

It was 7:48 by the time I got going; nearly two hours later than I like to start. Had I gotten up earlier, I may well have been spared the problems I had with the wind on the way back home.

My legs felt rather sore, yet I had a lot of trouble slowing my cadence. I had to stop for a breather about four extra times. That always makes me feel like a wimp.

After my ride, I checked NOAA for today\’s wind history. Earlier this morning, it was only 6-7 mph. By the time I was on the return leg of today\’s ride, it was 12-14 mph! That\’s a major difference. On the way home, I averaged less than 9 mph.

Wind wasn\’t my only concern. As I pedaled back home, I was keeping a wary eye on the sky. To the South and East, more and more clouds were gathering. The sky looked darker and darker. At one of my stops, I looked behind me and saw clouds all around. Naturally the possibility of lightning was a worry.

I\’m glad I got home when I did. An hour later it was starting to drizzle, and the wind had risen to 21 mph.

When Saturday night rolls around again, I\’d better remember early to bed. Ben Franklin did well to give us that bit of advice.