#219 Bike Day

I don’t know what else to call this day, as I was consumed with all things bicycle. My day began at 9 a.m. on a 67-mile ride that started downtown and headed southwest to Brooklyn. (We did not get any bagels.) I rode with my friend Steve and his wife Susie. About 15 miles in I noticed a small group of cyclists on the side of the road – one of them was Steve & Susie’s daughter, Abby. We immediately pulled over – Abby had an accident and was pretty banged up. Luckily, no broken bones. There was a 3” drop off on the side of the road. Her tire went off the side and the bike fell to the left into the road. So thankful she wasn’t seriously hurt and no car was behind her. Her husband was with her so after they loaded them in the SAG car we three set out again. Steve made a comment about how fragile life is. Life can change in an instant. That was a foreboding of more to come later in the evening. We had three big climbs, one that was really steep – Observatory Hill. We finished up around 2:30.

I showered at the YMCA a couple blocks away, and then checked in at the Mass Ave Criterium race volunteer tent. Had a quick lunch at Yat’s (Yum!) and then Julie and I took our places on the corners of Mass/Michigan/New Jersey to be course marshals. Our shift was 4:30 to 7 p.m. I wasn’t sure how I would feel standing in the heat after riding so far. I actually felt pretty good. I think Yat’s and me having an umbrella to block the sun saved me. After our shift, Julie had her Yat’s (she didn’t bike in the morning) and we settled in to watch the pro race at 7:50 p.m. The race was going well, but we noticed a large, dark cloud coming our way from the west. I happened to be on the phone with Paul (they took Megan to Purdue today!) and he told me to get out of there because a storm was coming. All red on the radar. With about six laps left, I decided to take off to the car, which was four blocks away. I carried a camp chair on my back and had my bike with me. I made it to the car right before the downpour. After I dropped Julie off at her house, she texted me that the stage had collapsed at the State Fair. I couldn’t believe what I saw on the news when I got home. Who would expect something like that to happen at a concert? One minute you’re excited to see a band; the next your world is falling apart. Another big reminder of how fragile life is.