Keeping My Head Down

Something’s up today.  I ride my motorcycle 46 miles to work each day on a winding road that skirts the peaceful inlets that populate the coast of Downeast Maine.  Normally the ride is a pleasant part of the day.  Not today.  The first 23 miles of this ride made me feel like my number might be up.

 

First, a truck from Louisiana passed me by surprise in a no passing zone.  A mile later as we approached the stop sign, he veered left and drove the wrong way up the “off ramp” (I don’t know what else to call it) surprising a truck coming down it.  Luckily the two trucks missed one another and he sped off.  I was thinking about this when a large delivery truck for Johnson Controls passed me going up a hill.  I was doing the speed limit so I’m not sure what was going on.  He pulled in front of me rather close but I suppose it was to avoid smashing into the car that crested said hill.  He sped off.  Around one more corner and a deer jumped out of the woods and came to halt at the edge of the tree line, fear in its eyes.  I had time to beep the horn and that is it.  Luckily, the horn scared it back into the woods.  All of these near misses were starting to concern me so I shouldn’t have been surprised when two minutes later an elderly guy decided to back his pickup truck out of his driveway and directly into my path.  I hit the brakes, I hit the horn and he darted out of the way just in time.  I was seriously considering calling it a day when a dump truck pulled out of side road just ahead.  No problem slowing for this one but he starting belching the blackest smoke out of the pipe and I had to hold my breath.  He then turned off at the next turn.  My head swiveled like crazed man the rest of the commute but I arrived in one piece.  Time to close the office door and avoid sharp objects.

 

So I guess it’s no big deal that my little toe hurt today on my run.  I’ll soak it tonight.

 

13.2 miles / 8:05 pace. Easy.