It's not in my head

[SadieKate]

Eden, out and backs on the same course, especially in any type of valley, always do that. It's the adabatic winds (I think that's the right term). As the air heats up and the pressure changes, the winds will come up a valley when they were going down the valley in the morning. The Napa Valley is notorious for this. So many of the century rides in that area end by going south and downhill down the Valley but it's brutal because of the headwind. Same on Mt. Hamilton. You shouldn't have to work that hard on a descent.