Going Forward Before I Go Back

I have a ton of stuff to blather about in the coming days due to my trip to the U.P., but for now I will just pick up where I left off.

I had every intention of riding today, and prepared for the morning as such. Coffee, bagel and eggs, dump out(s), etc., Then I check the weather and see the storms coming. EPH! Then it got REAL dark here in MP. EPHHHH!! Then nothing. Sweet! Another check of the radar shows that the storms just missed us. There was more coming from the West, but I was pretty sure I had time to squeeze in a quick 35 to 40 mile ride.

I was pretty pumped to get out after I thought I wouldn't be able to, so soon after I chamoised up it was on the bike and on my way... About 4 blocks from my house I was cruising up Franklin, I saw a car coming from my right, but it knew they had a stop sign and I did not. Hmmm... Well it seems that the young co-ed and he friend did NOT see the stop sign and blew right through it. I swerved, they swerved and I truly thought I was done for. I have not come this close to TRULY being hit in a LONG time and it happened just 4 blocks from my house. All I could get out of my mouth was "STOP SIGN! YOU HAD A STOP SIGN!!" But that was it. My heart rate was out of control. I wanted to be so mad, but I couldn't... not yet. I just thanked God to be still upright and NOT road kill or another statistic. Breath... breath... breath... relax. OK, just ride.

A couple miles later when I hit the dirt roads I completely forgot about her and almost... what's the word for it?.... Getting FREAKING KILLED!!! After a week of doing nothing but riding my hardtail mountain bike on the climbs of the U.P. it was nice to ballz out hammer on the pubescent lumps we call hills here in central Michigan. The legs felt good and the air was amazingly still, it is NEVER still here. There is ALWAYS at least a moderate to strong breeze. But today there was not. This can't be good.

A few miles later the sky started to get dark again "oh boy" I thought. Better giddy up. Nose down, hands in the drops, keep the pace strong! The legs burned, the lungs were filled with dust and my mind thought back to the dunce that almost ran me over. PUSH!! RACE PACE!! I was shocked to look down and see speeds of 24 to 25 mph on the flats, on gravel! On a CX bike! Strange. It's getting darker. Shit.

I imagined the clouds as a chase group in the Tour. An elite group of strong riders that also happen to be mythical gods of thunder, lightning, rain and wind. "I can do it, I know I can! Keep pedaling, shove this impending storm up their mythical asses!! Shove it in the face of the stupid idiot that almost crushed you on Franklin!!" I was sure I had them beat. Mile 22... mile 28... "KEEP PUSHING IT FAT ASS! PUT YOUR BELLY INTO IT!!!!!" mile 30.... Then mile 33. The catch. Damn it. Beaten.

The rain started, lighting struck in the distance, low rumbles of thunder and the winds picked up. I sat up and enjoyed the light drizzle as I crept back close to town where I was less concerned that I would be struck by lighting and fried.

Mile 37.6: Home. I pulled in the driveway, un-clipped and got the bike inside. Then things got much darker, much windier and the rain started coming down hard. But I was home. I take the weather holding off as a sign of respect from the chase group, a passing tap on the back if you will. Well done Thor, Perkūnas, Aeolus and Tlaloc.... well done.

It's nice to be home.

Later.

P.S. I can be angry now: To the chick that almost killed me: LICK MY SOILED CHAMOIS!! DUNCE!!