*WARNING, The following post is being written under the influence of prescription narcotic pain medication*
And this explains why when the traveling TX road show pulled into Jtgyk's driveway around 9:00AM there was no one to be found. I already had around 20 miles behind me and about 16 or so to go before I would get home. It was also probably 90 degrees already, or near it.
I was beginning to experience some discomfort under my right knee cap and figured some nice A/C and rest would be a good idea before resuming the ride. Hence the side trip.
It seems about the time I was leaving Jtgyk a voice mail from the shade in his driveway he was executing a flying dismount to do hand to snake combat with the indigenous Diamond Back Anacondasin Mamba, a deadly species unique to North Texas that lays in wait along well traveled paths waiting to strike unsuspecting cyclists in order to snare their water bottles. This explains why he was unable to take my call.
I headed back out from his House and found a nice shaded bench at a nearby school and proceeded to take in mondo fluids and a banana. The rest stop ended up being a bit longer than I had panned and when I got up to resume the ride my discomfort had turned to outright pain. Did I mention that I was a good ways from home?
I slowly meandered my way toward home intentionally soft pedaling and coasting where I could until after about 6 miles I came to an intersection that is a very nasty incline as it meets the cross street. I had to turn left and had to cross a couple of lanes to get to the turn lane. As I hammered up the slope to catch the light I felt and heard a pop on the outside of my right knee. I coasted up to the curb and staggered over under some trees and laid there while it felt like I was getting shot repeatedly in the right knee.
Well, I was maybe 8 miles from home and things were looking bad. I decided to drop down the granny gear and soft pedal my way home. The problem with this strategy was that it meant going slooooooooowwwwwwwwwww and the temp was steadily climbing. According to my vision things were going swimmingly until I had to make my way through another left hand turn at a major intersection. As those of us who live in a metro area know, intersections should be cleared quickly. The decision to take the interaction at speed proved to be a bad choice.
As the light changed and I took off, the last straw for the right knee gave up the fight. I actually screamed as I entered the intersection and grabbed my right knee. I then one foot pedaled over to pedestrian sidewalk entrance and grabbed the light pole. About 6 feet from me was a member of a local race team in full kit waiting for the light to change. As I'm hugging the pole I actually heard the guy laughing. I looked up at him and he just shook his head and pedaled off. A real AKC registered Road Nazi.
I hobbled over to the pharmacy and got out of the sun and tried to walk it off. This was complicated by my knee not wanting to support weight. I figured with the two hills I was facing in the next 8 miles my ride was done. Out with the cell phone and time for the medivac.
After I got home and downed some fluids and self medicated I looked at my phone and saw the missed call from Jtgyk at right about the time I was deciding to start stalking a particular team kit. I called him up and learned his ride had also gone just ducky as well.
Tomorrow is now a TdF watching day and possible wrenching session for the N.Texas chapter of Disaster Clydes. Our ride is summarily canceled.