One of my most favorite things about riding my bike by myself is the alone time. How it's just me, myself, and I alone with everything that is going on around me. I don't have to worry about trying to keep up with anyone, or waiting on anyone. I can just pedal my bike at my speed for how ever long I want. I can stop to smell the roses, I can stop at a bakery and eat cookies galore. I can do anything I want when I ride my bike alone. It gives me a lot of time to think about my life, what I am doing, what can I change, how I can make it better? I can clear my head of anything that is bothering me, I can push myself to get stronger, faster. But it also means that if I'm not smart (ie. bringing a tube and pump with me) I could get stranded.
This week was...weird, to put it bluntly. I received the phone call on Monday that my job at the hospital is no longer. Peacehealth decided to close the LifeQuest department and I was officially "layed off" I suppose. Not too big of a deal for me because it wasn't my main job and I didn't work too many hours. Just here and there contract type hours. At the gym I had a lot of clients cancel or reschedule and at my new job, 2 clients where scheduled on Wednesday! So I was given the afternoon off and decided it was the perfect opportunity to ride my bike in the daylight and not go to cross practice that night.
Being the lazy person I am, I contemplated bringing a tube and pump with me on my cross ride out the Interurban. I decided not to, my pockets where full, and there isn't much you can flat on out there. As I am bombing down the hill into Arroyo park from Old Samish I hit a rock and hear the rock hit the rim of my front wheel and I knew instantly I had a flat. CRAP! 15 minutes into my ride and I flat. I did the best thing I could possibly do and turned around to walk home. How disappointing! Then I began to realize how long it was going to take for me to walk home, crap this sucks! What a waste of my day! 30 minutes into my walk home an angel drove past me (think awesome), picked me up and took me home!! YAY!
The following day I found it pertinent to complete my ride out the interurban (Thursday). After working in the morning I arrive home, got dressed and hopped back onto my cyclocross bike, this time with a pump and tube! I was not going to be unprepared. I made way towards the Interurban and down into Arroyo park and out towards Larabee singing in my head and smiling at the people. On the way back I see two men off to the side of trail looking helpless staring at their bikes, so I offer my help. They needed a pump, and I just happen to have one! To make a brief stop even more brief, I help these two men fix the flat, get the tire on the wheel and pump it up. I introduce myself, they say thank yous, I say you are welcome, and I hop back onto my bike feeling really good about myself. I couldn't help but smile thinking about my selfless act for these two men. I'm heading back towards Arroyo park singing to the tunes in my head, feeling confident in my bike handling skills down the trail, having a grand ole' time thinking "there is a switch back coming up soon, I should be prepared to stop". Well, I wasn't too prepared to stop, when all of the sudden I pick my head up and I see a flash of color, next thing I know I'm on the ground with my feet above my head. In my head I was thinking "oh please dear, oh please let this be someone I know. OH please, oh dear" and then I heard it "that was your fault!!!!" and I just busted out laughing. Thank goodness to the whole entire world I knew who it was. Yes people, I bull dozed into this innocent guy riding his bike up the trail and it was just my luck that I have met him...twice.
It was entirely my fault, I sent him off the trail into the abyss, tumbling. I couldn't stop laughing because I couldn't believe it happened. I was in total shock and I was absolutely humiliated, probably because I was feeling so confident on the way down...that shows me. So I learned my lesson..slow down in the park, don't sing songs in your head, and keep your head up when on the trails.
Just another trail lesson for Courtenay.
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