I am on my taper for Steelhead, so my workout activity has been pretty light all week. Today was just an hour on the bike at an easy pace. I had a couple errands to run, so I incorporated them into the route.
Occasionally on my rides, especially when on a trail, I will get pelted by insects. You would think that the tiny insects would see a giant object 1000 times their size coming at them at 20 mph and move out the way, but sometimes I think they are on a suicide mission and just plow ahead. Usually it isn’t a big deal if they bounce off my arm or shoulder, but occasionally they aim for the face or eyes (which is why I wear sunglasses even when it isn’t sunny). The other day, on the White Pine Trail, I was assaulted by a Monarch butterfly that decided to fly in front of me. It makes me wonder how many bike-insect injuries occur each year. Someone should keep track of that.
On that theme, I was wrapping up the ride around Reeds Lake when I felt something bounce off my neck. I brushed my neck thinking it was just a fly. At that moment, I felt a sharp stinging feeling in my chest. I reached down and realized I had been stung by a bee. I was stung in the upper left chest region (the left breasticle if you will). So there I was, hand clutching my jersey with the bee pinched between a fold in the fabric, clipped into my pedals, wondering how I was going to come to stop with only one hand to brake and balance. It is only by luck that I managed to stop without crashing and get the bee out. I can only guess that the bee was what hit my neck and subsequently bounced down my shirt and then in a fit of anger decided to sting me.
My bee sting.
After that, the ride went very smoothly with no other run-ins with insect life. It was nice to do a quick easy ride without worrying about pushing a certain pace or meeting a specific goal.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy day with packet pickup and last minute preparation for Steelhead. Less than 36 hours and it will all be over.
I found this image online and couldn’t resist including it.
A representation of what the bee looked like. It is a prime
example of why you should never talk on the phone and
fly at the same time.
1 comment
Tricia
July 31, 2009 at 9:42 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
yay for supportive spouses ! boo for bees ! yikes, kevin !