My Fastest 5k

At about mile 50 of my bike ride this morning the rain began to fall. I shook my fist and cursed the sky and that would be my first bad move of the day.

The rain, that wasn't predicted, was making the road slick. My training plan was to ride another twenty miles and then run for 90 minutes. But, because lightening was making it unsafe to ride around White Rock Lake in Dallas I cut the cycling short. I turned around and raced back to my car against a stiff headwind. It took me a few minutes to put the bike on the car and it looked like the rain was blowing over fast so I chose to run and salvage what was left of my workout. That would prove to be my second bad move of the day.

About an hour into the run more rain moved over the lake and lightening struck a transformer on a telephone pole directly above my head. I literally peed in my pants as I dove for cover! The metal box hissed and banged like Chinese firecrackers as sparks rained down around me. I cussed and prayed at the same time as I scurried on all fours into a ditch… an oily green, muddy, duck dung filled ditch. A few seconds passed and I looked around to find the mud on my chest smelled like bird poop and my shorts stunk of urine. I squatted in the ditch, trying not to get more muck on my clothes, and thought of ways to get out of the storm. Nothing brilliant came to mind so I cowered a little while longer before making a break for it and ran the fastest 5k in my life back to my car.


Fortunately, I had a towel and extra shirt stashed in the back seat. Grabbing them I made a beeline to a Port-A-Potty at the end of the parking lot to change clothes. Unfortunately, however, I didn't have an extra pair of shorts. So, on went the dry shirt and off came the shorts and I wrapped the towel around my waist. Soon, I was in my car headed home butt naked sitting on the towel. You never really know how cold an air conditioner can blow until you drive sans britches, if you know what I mean.

Happily, I made it home in once piece.

I can't say that I hope for another day like this one but I am looking forward to buying a new pair of triathlon shorts. Maybe a pair with a lightening bolt on the sides?

Man, I love this sport!

Stay tuned...