It's Not the Boom That Kills You

I woke up to the sound of the rain on the roof.

Then there was a roll of thunder off in the distance.

Then there was the nervous padding of my parents' large yellow lab, who happens to be afraid of thunder.

I kitted up anyway, and ate my pre-ride sandwich while contemplating the folly of my intended actions. The rain slacked, and I loaded up the bike and started to drive out to the Parkway.

That's when I noticed the lightning. The clouds and fog made it more of a glow than a flash, but counting the time between the lightning and thunder made it clear the storm was pretty much over my head. I waited for 30 minutes, then turned around for home when it didn't look like it would end. 

Halfway home, it stopped.

I drove to the Parkway again.

Lightning lit up the sky around me.

I threw in the towel.

As much as I enjoy riding, dodging lightning on the crest of the Blue Ridge is not my idea of fun. So, a day that I intended to get in some miles became a rest day. Not the end of the world. 

There will be other days.

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