I am such a jock!

[pooks]

Okay, here's a place to share your "I Am Such a Jock!" tales.

I'll go first.

Today I rode on the bike trail -- gorgeous, perfect. Temps in the low 60s, shady, just wonderful. I rode and rode and rode.

When I'd come up behind somebody I'd call out to let them know I was coming. A couple of old guys looked like they were doing well to stay on two legs and when I'd say, "Good morning!" they'd be startled and try to move farther to the right when they were already fine -- so I'd add, "You're okay, I just wanted to warn you!" and they'd nod and smile.

Sweet old geezers.

So then I started thinking how I'm not all that comfortable when somebody on a bike comes toward me, because even though the trail is wide, I'm used to riding on a street so I figure, I should try riding more to the right and get used to riding closer to the edge of the (paved) path so that when somebody is coming toward me, instead of feeling like I need to adjust, I'll know that I've already given them plenty of room!

So I'm cruising along, staying to the right when OUT OF NOWHERE a voice SAYS SOMETHING and startles me, and then the guy says, "You're okay, I'm just passing!"

And like a goony bird, I was so startled I fell off the edge of the bike path.

So as the front tire goes off the edge (which drops off a few inches) and there are trees and I don't want to hit one I (with masterful jock-like instincts) manage to leap free from the bike and land on my left thigh on the hard bike path.

The guy stops but I holler (from a graceful sprawl on the concrete) "I'm okay, I've fallen before!" and laugh. Ha-ha-ha!

And he says, "Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah, go on!"

And when he's gone, I hobble to my feet, wonder why, if I fell on my left side, my right wrist hurts and I've got a scrape on my right leg. Climb gingerly on the bike and decide (curses!!!) my ride is over before I wanted it to be because, hurt wrist, etc. Only as I ride a little I decide to see if it really hurts, and even though it does, it's not so bad I can't ride --

And I ride another ten miles.

I felt like such a jock!

Except. A jock doesn't fall off her bike like a goony bird just because somebody is passing her. (In fact, I could hear the guy thinking, "Sweet old geezer," as he rode off. Humph.)