Well, today's weather was nice and comfortable. In the mid to upper 50's. Winds from the South East. I wore arms, knees, and 1 layer. It was more than enough. I was considering removing my leg warmers, but decided to keep them on. I felt average from the start. Given that the winds were from the south, it felt like I was going uphill on WTR, on the outbound. My original plan was to head out towards SS. About 20 minutes before departing, I noticed the wind was from the north. When I got out, it was apparent that the wind changed directions. And it was a strong wind at that. About a few miles into the ride, I decided to go to Willow Springs. I was imagining the tailwind on the way back and how good it would feel. So that's what I did. I was sufficiently warmed up by the time I reached route 202. I held moderate tempo all the way out to WS. On the way back, I started moderate and kicked it up to good tempo after a mile or so. It was great. Just like drafting in a big pack. I made a dig over the last few kickers. From there, it was fun and games. I hit 40+ MPH on the downhill. I kept the tempo moderate for the remainder of the ride. My concentration was good. No gremlins today. Ailments were next to none, some soreness in the lower back. I stretched when I could and that seemed to help. Balance and form was good, especially considering the wind conditions. Gear is working well. There seems to be some creaking noises when I get out of the saddle. I tried tightening the bolts on the stem and crank arms, but that didn't fix the issue. I'll try re-seating the front and rear wheels to see if that helps. Other notes... Our pet cat is on her last leg, I'm trying to keep my moral steady. My mood seems to be ok. No other cyclists today. I want to buy a cycling jacket soon. I'm waiting for Peggy to give me a modest gift card so that I can combine it with my gift card I got a month ago.