Another Crack Up

This morning it was in the mid 20s but clear. The winds were in my face this time so I didn't move at quite as brisk a pace as yesterday.

On the Green Bay Trail in Wilmette I spied a guy on a mountain bike a few blocks ahead. I figured him to be the same person I passed along this way a week or two ago. But he surprised me then by being right on my tail about a mile afterward on Isabella. But then I saw he was gone as I passed Ryan Field. He wore a Northwestern warm up suit so I figured him to be a coach or something. On this morning's ride he had a very quick pace and I came nowhere near catching him. Sure enough he turned off Isabella at Ashland and slowed as if he was heading into the arena.

As I approached Sheridan from Ardmore I saw a commuter on a road bike starting along the Lakefront Trail. His pace didn't seem to fast so I thought I'd try to catch up in case he was someone I knew. But just as I headed south the moderate winds slowed me some. The guy seemed to handle the wind much better than me and I realized there was no way I was going to catch up. So I just did my best to keep him in sight. The effort really wore me out. He increased the distance between us and it wasn't until he headed south from Ohio Street Beach that I eventually lost him.

I took it easy from then on in. But I had a major mishap just as I got into work. They have security barriers at our parking that require drivers to enter a code number to make it drop. The guards at the gate usually just wave me through because they recognize me and then I bike around the barrier. But today I waited as a car went through and for some reason I followed it over the barrier. Just as my wheel got to the barrier it started up and I ended up tumbling over it bike and all. I must have looked like a jockey and horse muffing a jump at a steeple chase. Other than coming down on my gimp wrist I didn't think I or my bike suffered any damage. The security guard came up and asked if I was ok. I said I was fine but my ego was a bit bruised. When I got to the bike rack I saw that my GPS now had a hole in it where part of it was broken off. The thing certainly has suffered a lot of abuse. Hopefully I can fix it somehow.

When I get to my work area my colleagues sometimes ask how my ride went. I didn't tell them about another crack up because they will think I'm a total klutz. But I especially didn't want them knowing the details of this one because some of them are the type that would get the security video and put it on YouTube.

Distance Traveled: 24.3 miles
Distance to date: 2408.3 miles
Price of gas: $3.07