My scariest ride ever (so far!)...

Just returned from what can only be called my scariest ride ever (so far)!  


The sky was overcast, but the sun was shining through here and there.  And, my hubby had stuff to do, so I only had a small window of opportunity to ride.  I figured I'd get in a quick 10 miler.  


I started with my usual route and then cut over toward where I work just to get a few more miles in.  I wanted to have a direct route home, instead of getting stuck for a mess of traffic lights holding me up.  I spoke to a few folks at work and filled up my water bottle.  The sky got a bit darker and I decided I'd better head back.  As I turned west, I noticed the sky was much darker there.  And that was where I needed to go.  The faster I pedaled, the more black and ominous the sky became!  I started getting nervous.  I've lived in Florida long enough to know how dangerous the weather can turn in the blink of an eye.  Rain sucks, but lightning and tornadoes kill.  


When the road that would be my final home stretch (pun intended!) came into sight, the wind suddenly whipped up.  But, it didn't just get windy.  These were spinning circular winds, and I immediately looked up to the sky to see if a tornado was forming.  The trees next to me were bending and twisting.  All the leaves and small branches that were being torn off were flying around in the spinning circles of wind and, quite frankly, it was freaking me out.  I mentally flashed back to my time in the TV news business many years ago.  Whenever a tornado hit, there was always that soundbite from the local yokel.  The eyewitness' description was always the same, "It sounded like a freight train!"    


For a split second I thought, do I have any options for shelter?  There was an overpass to my left, and maybe I should have rushed over there and taken cover.  I don't know why I thought I could make it home in one piece.  That could have been a really, really bad decision.  But I made it, ignored the overpass, turned onto the straightaway, and started pedaling.  I pushed into a higher gear, got in the drops as low as I could to combat the crazy winds, and hammered as hard as I could.  I was cursing out loud and begging the sky to hold up for a few more minutes so I could make it home.  


As the words, and profanities, came flying out of my mouth, my mind wandered to the possibilities.  Struck by lightning?  Pushed over by the wind, into the canal, and drowned?  Carried away by a tornado, never to be seen or heard from again?  Yeah, I know it sounds nuts, but it was getting really heinous out there.  I could hear beeps coming from my phone, which was tucked away in my fanny pack.  I knew those beeps were weather alerts, and I kept thinking to myself... no shit!  


Big raindrops were coming down here and there.  In my experience, that usually precedes torrential rain and sometimes hail.  I hammered harder.  I honestly think a few cars passing by slowed down to see if they could offer me a ride, but I didn't even look at them.  I was totally focused on getting home in one piece and then writing on this blog how I'd cheated death.  As I came off the bike path, I barely paused before crossing the road and entering my neighborhood.  I was so close to safety.  I made a few turns and then was facing my place.  My hubby was outside in our courtyard looking a bit freaked out, and as soon as he saw me he helped me get inside.  That's exactly when the sky opened up and the torrential rain started pouring down.  I mean, if my timing had been off by even a matter of seconds, I would have been caught out in it.  In a heartbeat, it was raining heavily and the winds pushed it at an angle sideways.  It was lightning all over the place, followed by tremendous claps of thunder.  I'm not saying this storm was any worse than other bad storms we have in South Florida.  I'm just saying it was unbelievably scary to almost be caught out in it,  defenseless, just me and my bike.  


I feel really lucky that I got home okay.  And I'm so thankful that my bike didn't get all soggy or fucked up or anything.  C'mon, I've got my priorities straight... me and then the bike.  But, the bike is in a really close second place.  ;-P