Today's weather was fantastic. Although the winds were from the South-East, the ride was great. I had pretty good legs going out the door. I was more than warmed up by the time I reached OTR. Going out on Highline, there was a headwind. I didn't mind it, as I kept moderate tempo. I didn't burn too many matches as I wanted to save some for the return trip plus Banducci. I didn't have many ailments. My hands were numb on some part of the ride. My back may have had some hints of soreness. I stretched now and again to keep things in check. The return trip from Willow Springs was fantastic Just a real pleasing part of the ride. A nice tailwind, sunny skies, cool weather. Couldn't ask for more! I arrived at the Banducci climb with good legs and enough in reserve. It pushed me to my limit going over the summit. I was able to regain my steady tempo as I completed the last portion of the climb. When I reached the top of Banducci, I decided to have my bail-out bar. It was a welcome treat and proved to be somewhat of a motivator. Besides, I was feeling just a bit low on sustenance and the power bar did the trick. The ride back home was pleasant. I was going downhill most of the way until I reached the end of OTR as I always do. Given that the wind was from the South East, I had a little boost making my way through WTR and Weston. My concentration was pretty good today, very few lapses and in the zone for the most part. Ailments, like I already mentioned were numbness of the hands here and there, but not severe. Balance was good. Gear is working well, but that nagging clicks here and there seem to persist. My guess is that it's coming from the wheels. I've had these wheels for about 9 or 10 years now. They have served me well and I'm wondering if they have reached the end of their expectancy. Other notes, there were a bunch of sheep on the south side of Highline as I neared the turn-around point. I took some photos with my smartphone. I also saw some turkey vultures.