In the Blink of an Eye

We had reached Fork Shoals, eaten, peed, taken on water and picked up April.  The charge was attack the hills and regroup into a pace line.  After a right turn out of the parking lot, it heated up immediately at the bottom of the two hills on McKelvey.  Sam attacked.  Bird, Brandon and Bobby responded.   The rest of us took a more steady approach if you call climbing at 400+ watts steady.

After regrouping at the fire station, we were back in a rotating pace line.  Bake says, "Let 'em know when it green light to go."  Soon, I announced several times that when Brandon came to the front in the rotation (just behind me), it would be 'game on'.  We were only a half mile from the climbs on Hillside Church when the heat turned up.

When I pulled off, Brandon accelerated.  Bird and Teenie held his wheel.   I eased as everybody but  April passed.  Already at the max, she had wisely fallen off.

As I accelerated to stay connected, Sam came around Brian on his left.  They were 10 feet in front of me.  They crossed wheels and it was a 'yard sale' as 2 bodies and two bikes catapulted across the road.   I turned around quickly.  Brian was on his back in about 4 foot deep ditch and Sam was laying at the edge of the road.   The  bikes were intertwined.

We rallied as Kendyle came and picked up Brian back at the school.   Yes, he and his bike could go back the 8 miles.   Major RR on the butt!  Other scrapes.

April and Bobby went back for her car, picked up Sam and Steve and made their way to 'Doc in the Box'.   Later, we would get the news that there were no broken bones.

Emily, Teenie, Larry, Bobby and I rode back to SCTAC as Bird and Brandon finished he ride route.

This was a 30 mph crash and we are so fortunate.   Two great bike handlers were caught up.  It could have been 4-5 of us and the injuries much more serious.  

It was interesting the effects of this on me emotionally.   I was not the only one feeling serious emotional stress.   Had I set the ride up and put people in danger??  Was I to blame?

Then there is the 'girl thing'.   I always feel I am an enlightened thinker when it comes to women.  I DON"T think women are the weaker sex.......hey I direct a coed team.  But there still is this protective thing in me.   Sure, I was damn concerned about Brian but with Sam, I was hurtin' inside really bad.   I was thinking, "I wish I could take her place, take her pain."   The Sam that tore my legs off on the climb minutes earlier looked so small and so vulnerable setting injured.

It felt triumphant when we got to the 'Doc in the Box' and found out the good news......nothing broken.  Smiles abounded.

These guys are gonna be real sore tomorrow, the next day and the next week.   Just glad it was not worse!

Best line of the day from Bobby went something like this, "It takes a lot more to keep a TEAM headstrong racer down, but let's don't try to find where the line is."