Back and Forth.

Here in King Salmon, I have a total of 15 miles of pavement to play with. Here to Naknek and back is 30 miles. There's little dips and grindy gentle climbs, but the main feature of the route is the wind. The ever-present wind. Some days it's strong enough that I don't make it the full 15 miles before I turn around. I certainly could, but I don't. You go for a while, creeping along, until you've had enough, then marvel the whole way back how that wind that battered your face for so long doesn't have the same affinity for your back.

  

Usually the ride out has the headwind. Some of that has to do with the time of the day I'm riding. I'm still in the stage of dragging myself out onto the bike, instead of bounding out with the enthusiasm of a Labrador puppy. However, I think the majority has to do with the fact that the tiny trees and mild hills do little to block the winds coming off the water. There's not much you can do about it, so you just put your head down and start pedaling.

  

On the weekends I do two laps for a total of 60 miles. I used to do those sorts of rides on a whim, and then go out and do something else to burn off the excess energy. These days they wreck me. A lot of it has to do with my steady diet of trainer rides for the last year. I can't stand riding a trainer for more than 90 minutes, so my endurance is pretty much shot. Relatively short bursts of energy is what I'm trained for. When I get home from a two-lapper, I can barely make it through the door. A quick shower, some food, and then beer on the couch for the next five hours is pretty much all I'm capable of. That's not a huge loss, because there's really not all that much to do here in the best of times, and even less now.

  

Eventually that 15 miles is going to get really, really old. By the time I leave, I'll be in the ride compulsion phase, which will perhaps overcome the boredom inspired by the same old scenery. Then I'll go home and be able to find "new" roads to be bored with.