Left around 1:30 this afternoon for a planned one way solo ride to Big Rapids. What wasn't planned was the 15-25 mph wind out of the West (periodically changing to the WSW and WNW) for the whole ride. That was brutal with nowhere to hide. Even on many of the downhills I had to pedal to keep from losing speed. To top it off, this was the hilly route with some steeper climbs to contend with. Needless to say, between the strong wind and the extra distance, this wasn't one of my faster rides. However, every ride is a good ride--in hindsight! This one definitely fits that description. Had two pickup trucks blow their horn along side of me--one on Pickard at the start of the ride and one on 165th when heading into Big Rapids. Super annoying. Also, ran across two dogs on 23 Mile Road that worked together to bring me to a stop--one was a Great Pyrenees and the other a Jack Russel. The bigger one ended up nipping my knee as I was stopped and yelling at him (didn't break the skin). The owners watched from their driveway without comment, then "thanked me" when I got going again. Another frustration. Otherwise the wind was the big story on this ride, but I stuck to my mantra: pain is temporary but quitting is forever. I'm glad I made the effort and was grateful that Lisa shadowed me at various places along the route and picked me up for the ride home after almost 4 hours on the road.