Jennifer Dilworth Hynes — mtbchk

So, first off, I’m BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN.  I finally got out on the road today.  It was slow and VERY windy, and I’m being ultra-cautious.  I rode Beatty Tuesday night, once around alone and then backwards with a few guys.  Last night was Per4mance Training.  Not as hard physically as it was last week, but we did the workout “blind”, so we didn’t know what the computrainer would throw at us next.  That was mentally tough.  I got pretty good at anticipating when something might happen, though, because I watched the time and anticipated each minute interval. 

So, anyway, tonight, I decide to go over to Beatty on the way home for a lap or two.  I put the light on, just in case it got dark and I wanted to do another lap.  I was six minutes into the ride, a couple hundred yards into the Valley (black diamond!) trail, and there was a group of people standing around.  It turns out that a woman walking (an elderly woman — 62 — just kidding, mom!) tripped over a root and smacked her arm.  When she tried to get up, she was feeling woozy and dizzy and really didn’t want to be moved.  We called 911, and I went out to the road to meet the first responders.  The first group to show up was (I swear) the ENTIRE fire house.  I tried to get them as close to the trails as I could, which would involve them either following me along the road, or me riding in the fire truck.  (It was even a ladder truck!  whoo hoo!)  So, in I went, bike and all.  That was pretty cool.  They were all checkin’ out the Misfit while I was saying how cool it was to be riding in the fire truck.  I felt like a little kid, but it really WAS fun.

ALL of the first responders (about 8 or so) came out into the woods and ended up carrying the lady out on a backboard because she still refused to walk.  While we’re standing in the woods, her husband starts to feel bad and sits down, and her friend feels woozy, too.  I gave them a granola bar, which they reluctantly took.  I don’t think they were having very much fun on their hike.  Maybe the elderlies should have stayed off the “black diamond trail”! ;)  (kidding again, dad).

So, I finished my ride in the dark.  I’m really glad I thought to bring the light.  Jim from THTB was there helping, too, and he rode the whole trail in the dark.  I offered him my “backup” commuting-type LED light, but he toughed it out and rode in the dark.  He’s braver than I am.