I've always felt comfortable riding alone because I've always figured I am big enough that I don't look like a vulnerable target, and stronger than your average man, but something happened on my ride yesterday (but not to me)that really makes me doubt that I could even function in a situation of extreme stress.

It started as I was nearly right hooked by a police car, which swooped right into a trailer park after a pickup truck. Lights and sirens started AFTER the swoop and it was clear that he wanted the truck to stop. Truck would not stop and a super slow speed chase ensued through the park which ran parallel to the road I was on. I started feeling fearful that I was about to witness a murder after the driver ignored at least 4-5 commands to stop the car and even more so as the driver began waving his arms about inapproriately. (People have been shot around here for less) I guess there was also a strong concern that bullets could start flying about, willy nilly at any given moment now.

At this point I noticed a change in my breathing; even though the road was nearly flat ,I was gasping as if I were climbing the steepest grade. Then my arms turned to jelly. I felt like I could hardly hold my body up off the handle bars. It took all I had to make it to a trail head about a quarter mile away, where I encountered a long downhill. Breathing and arm strength returned somewhat to normal as I coasted. I had a chance to realize that if that had been a situation in which I had REALLY been in danger, I would have been toast. That was a stretch of road that I ride nearly every day, with the greatest of ease, just to get to the interurban trail, and I just barely made it there yesterday. I thought fear was supposed to give you the strength to get away (fight or flight). Is that just a myth? I was weak as a baby and I wasn't even in real danger!