Weather Decision

I’ve been in the Army for 23 years, I’ve been a paratrooper for 22 of them. If I’ve learned anything from 22 years of jumping out of military aircraft, its that you don’t make the weather decision until the weather forces you to. I planned to knock out 30-ish miles yesterday, over a route that had been bouncing around in my head all week, and I was determined. THAT being said…this looked pretty ominous…

As I said though, I was determined. So I rolled, and took advantage of a not insignificant tailwind for the first few miles, as I stayed on the leading edge of the storm. The entire time I was receiving weather updates via twitter, and the occasional admonishment from the wife for being dumb enough to try to ride in this…

Right around here, the skies opened up on me, and all the rain in the heavens fell at once. Rain isn’t automatically a show stopper, but this was so heavy I couldn’t see ten feet. I pulled into a gas station and hid under the canopy while the wind whipped at 30 mph and the leading edge blew through. Once that passed I was able to get going again in not much more than a sprinkle, and I figured I could still squeeze in 20 or so. As I came up on Jollyville Road, I realized it was dark again, and I checked the radar to find that I was about be hammered. I kinda waffled on my decision, thinking “it can’t be THAT bad” til lightning struck close aboard, like 300 feet away, and discretion took the wind out of my dumbassery and I headed straight home with a quickness. All said, I got in a bout an hour of actual riding, and got through it without being fried by a million of watts of nature’s love. The weather is beautiful today though, with a predicted high of 83 and no wind to speak of, so perhaps it was serendipity.