Another great day for a ride. The weather was great and temperature around 70ish. The winds were from the north, so I was a little disappointed because I wanted to time-trial on the way out to Willow Springs. I ended up doing good tempo on the way out, not knowing how it would feel on the way back. My legs felt good today. By the time I got out of OTR I felt warmed up and ready to tackle highline. The way out resembled the plains of banducci. Straight to the turn around and the winds right in the face. The difficult part was the first couple of miles since there was a big riser on the first part. After that I was able to get into a pace and keep it locked down. I was surprised that I was only about 4 minutes slower on the way out than the previous times I've been out there. I was expecting more like 5-7 minutes, at least. The pace on the way back was a bit higher tempo. Like always in a tailwind, I can push it a bit further than going into a headwind. The speed that I held was pretty much what I expected. around 18-20mph, minus the rollers. I think today was one of the best day for ailments. Basically none. Just a hint of hand numbness that went away in a minute or two. It seemed like I was going faster than the average speed, but I have to remember the first part of the ride is mostly uphill which saps the average speed. Concentration was ok, not the greatest. I got out feeling, quite frankly, like a moron, but the ride proved to help a bit. Balance was good, this ride proves to be perfect for honing in, in the saddle form. Gear is working great, no complaints. Some clicks here and there. Other notes, I saw a swarm of crows riding the thermals over the farmlands somewhere on highline. The only drawback that I can see (besides being a desolate line on the way out), is the road debris. You have to continuously scan the road for rocks, glass, and other debris. There was one other cyclist going the opposite way on the way out. I ended up bridging up to him and slowly pulled away.