My last day off the bike was June 10th. I want to make it till the end of July without a day off.

With rain in the forecast, it wasn’t looking good. By the time I got home it was only a 30% chance of rain, diminishing as the evening wore on.

I wasn’t going to ride late so I suited up, prepped the Trek, and rolled out.

The real reason for the ride wasn’t so sinister as keeping a streak going. The group ride tonight will be tough. Windy and fast. I needed to get the long weekend miles spun out of my legs before the ride tonight. If I’d taken the day off, the ride tonight would have been considerably harder.

That’s just how it works.

So I rolled out at an easy pace. 18 with a crosswind, 15 into the headwind… just spinning with a smile on my face, following my normal weekday route.

Then it started spitting on me. I was five miles out and would need to manufacture one to get an even ten. I rolled toward home, thinking about where to add the extra. I found my spot and made my turn. I figured I was close to home so if the sky opened up… the raindrops intensified but it never opened up.

I pulled into the driveway just as that last increase before the big rain hit… the drops were getting big.

Three minutes. That’s all I was in the door when it opened up. I beat the rain by a mile and got ten wonderful miles in.

My legs will thank me for it tonight.