I'm here...sigh.
I'm 58, female (or feline whatever you prefer). I am currently training for a ride called the "Tour de Phoenix". There are 2 rides--the 72 and 26. I have done both and neither are easy. Why,you say? Well, the roads are primarily that stoney-tar stuff that sticks to your wheel and makes you feel like you're riding in mush (never mind the hills around the lake in the desert, because that's just a given). Secondly, the wind; it is worse in the spring and never lets up from any direction,never under 10 mph, especially in the Usery Pass area...the worse false flat I have ever riden. I have observed grown men walk parts of that evil 3.7 mile, winding 5% grade, average wind 15+ on any given day...I do this ride like the salmon swim up stream every year. I really want to go faster but, I don't know...call it age...I am currently training 125+ a week, doing 40-45 mile rides a couple times (will soon start to up the mileage), when it rains, the 3 hour Spinerval DVD, and yet, I can't seem to get my average speed up no matter what technique I use, what I eat or how much I rest. So, my question is based around riding in wind better/faster. I get the heebie-geebies every year that the wind is going to knock me over or I'm going to bonk!