Lightning Crashes

The title to today's ride post is not only appropriate for the day, but it also happens to be the title of a song I really like from the 90's by a band called Live. "Lightning Crashes" is off their Throwing Copper CD if interested.

But today it was actual lightning that ended this ride.

Knowing there is severe weather in the forecast but having some major pent-up yearning to get back on the bike bubbling inside me, I decided to go out but stay close to home. By riding on my Elm Grove crit course I knew if conditions changed quickly I could get back home in about five minutes.

By the end of lap four I had to make a decision because I could see a line of dark nasty clouds coming. Should I pull off now to play it safe? But wait, writing down on my blog that I did FOUR laps seems very lame. For some reason FIVE laps is a nice round number. Go or turn off? Go or turn off? Make a decision Phil because this is the turn....

I went for it.

As it turned out I was able to complete lap five just fine. In fact on the turnaround I told myself that perhaps there was blue sky behind that line...keep going...take a chance.

I got about three blocks into lap number six and saw a bright bolt of lightning, followed by the bang of thunder. That's all it took. No sense being a hero. I turned around and headed for home.

I almost made it dry too. Five blocks from home the sky opened up. The rain actually felt good on me, but it's the slippery road that I worry about. You just see the areas of rainbow colors from the oil coming up on the road surface. That stuff can be like ice on road bike tires and I have no desire to put it down on my hip.

Safe and sound and wet, I parked it.

Clouds/rain
70's, muggy, lt. wind
Elm Grove crit, 5.3 laps! 16 miles

Then there's this note to anyone who ever drove past one of those roadside contraptions the cops put out to tell you YOUR speed...

Well the cops have a working machine set up at one the corners where I hang a right turn, so every time I came out of that turn it flashed my speed at me. (Kinda humbling actually) Anyway, I was doing 16's on the turn except for one lap where it told me I was going 27 MPH! Not. I wish.

So if they ever give you a ticket based on that thing, I'd question how accurate it actually was. There was no way in hell I was going 27 mph through a turn...not even on DRY pavement.

Oh, and as I write this on my porch....the sun is out. Can't win this season.

Season Miles: 992