Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Morning and Afternoon Winds

The wind was blowing from the south at around 20 mph both this morning and this afternoon.
Since I live north of Mount Mercy, that meant the morning commute was a bit more challenging than the evening one. Add to that the fact I was running behind this morning and the stress didn’t enhance my commuting experience.

But, I typically don’t mind wind too much. It was gusty today, but not so windy that it was much of a factor in my timing or comfort.

And wind has its rewards, too. As a big guy (circa 250 lbs, 6 feet tall) I produce a lot of heat when I use the large muscles of my body, and there is a fairly thick layer of insulation around all that muscle-generated heat.

Which, of course, means my body works to cool itself when I ride, a reality that does have unpleasant side effects. Effects that are mitigated by the morning cool, much to the relief (I’m sure) of everybody I work with or teach at Mount Mercy.

Wind also helps keep it cool. It was above 80 degrees, according to the bank thermometer at the corner of C Avenue and Blair’s Ferry Road, this afternoon. Even though I think that was not accurate—I’ve noticed before that this particular thermometer is rather entertainingly random in its guestimate of air temperature—it was warm.

Still, nice. Due to wind. Blow on, wind—just don’t blow from the south in the morning, please.

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