Sunday July 2nd
The sweat dripped steadily and burned my eyes ,lips and legs, the heat flogged me as if to whip me forward to find an end to today's ride. The ride out along the lake bike path was uneventful and maybe boring to a small degree. Legs were good, little or no wind, smooth payment, I expected 30 to 45 miles as each Saturday or Sunday of late produced.
On Lakeshore Drive I turned around at 17 miles, the thunder rumbling across the lake and the darkening sky called me home. Across Causeway the first drops pelted me , I stopped and waterproofed my camera, phone, mp3 player, and GPS module. Another 100 yards and the downpour ensued, felt good , cool and wet, except for the mud flying up from the levee construction, my back tire slipped a few times but my balance prevailed.
Suddenly like a shot, a lightening flash forced my eyes shut for a second, the thunder clap
pushed my shoulders back, I laid low on my bike to lessen my profile and sought shelter.
The rain poured harder and harder, another flash and clap of thunder, no shelter in sight.
Kept moving, if lighting is going to slam me down, it'll have to catch me. Another flash,
seemed closer than the last, a loud demanding clap of thunder still no shelter insight.
I'm drenched , teetering on water and mud, surrounded by lightening and thinking this may
be how it'll be, but then , what a dramatic way to go . Suddenly ! as I near the Suburban Canal
I blink enough to focus on an old shelter , the roof is rickety and the mud floor is about 4 inches deep but it takes the lightening target off my back. I pull in and dismount , I sink to my ankles in mud, but it's ok, I'm safe, I stand on the bench and find a spot where the roof is leaking the least. A chill comes over me, but there's no relief, I'm still getting rained on but relieved I'm not getting bolted by lightening strikes. The booms continue, the rain teems down.
I bid my time watching the runoff flow into the small lagoon between myself and the lake,
I keep scanning around but I am alone, alone except for the terror attacking me.
The wind and the rain grow louder, I am pelted with raindrops hurling at me sideways.
The air is instantly cold and biting, I look toward the lake and all I see is white, no lake ,no sky,
no clouds, just white. My bike is slammed onto the muddy ground, the same gust pushes me back about 3 feet, I move toward the corner of the shelter and clutched the metal post, I protected my face by shielding it behind the 8 inch square metal post and once again I felt , this may be it. The next 3 minutes seemed like hours, cold, pelting, driving rain, gusting, treacherous wind,I tried to hide my girth behind the small post but all I could do was protect my face.
The torrent swirled around me for about 3 minutes and eased off at the same pace it came.
The rain down to a drizzle, the lightening stopped, I'm soaked, laced with mud and cold, I re-mounted and continued my ride like nothing had happened. It wasn't just another ride, it was an adventure. Another 35 miles in the bag. What a ride.
