All this was an email I sent a few moments ago...if moved please join me.
All I was checking out Kim West’s Blog and found that another cyclist was killed on Sunday afternoon in Atlantic, Iowa-while most of us were enjoying father’s day, or recovering from Hy-Vee Tri. If you don’t know who Kim West is, I can briefly explain that he is a good hearted cycling nut! Some of you that did the Hy-Vee Tri may remember him as he was the dude dressed as El Diablo(of Le Tour fame)at the top of Grand yelling and giving you encouragement:
This piece on his blog hit me hard and I feel like I need to ride with Kim on Friday morning:
Universal Laws
1--like the yin and the yang,
the ebbs and flows of life are constant, unpredictable,
inevitable, unstoppable, undesirable, envied,
good and bad, plus and minus,
for better or worse, more or less.
2--you can't have what you don't know,
and you can't know what you don't have.
3--sometimes things happen that just aren't right,
but they sometimes lead to just the right thing to do.
. . . . .
so, i'm riding my bike to this funeral friday in atlantic,
for yet another unknown cyclist,
run down,
killed by a 77 year-old motorist mid-day sunday,
a bright sunny day.
going the same direction,
run over from behind.
i've mentioned how i feel about this:
"investigation continues."
80 miles out, 80 back.
2:00 pm funeral.
sunrise 540 am; sunset 850 pm.
funny thing is that this is the longest day of the year.
somewhere i had noted that it will be celebrated
as "the happiest day of the year."
i had thus noted on my kitchen calendar for the blog topic du jour.
instead, i'll spend it riding by myself (this is where we come in)
to the funeral of someone i don't know
who was killed like seven or eight of my friends,
and i'll remember them,
and be happy for having known them.
i'll think of the many friends
--too many in just the past year--
who were struck and somehow survived.
and i'll be happy for knowing them,
and for having them around--alive.
i'll be riding alone, thinking of my many, many friends
who joined me on a whim, as a lark,
on sunday, on a hill in front of a stranger's house.
and of how we laughed, heckled, cajoled, encouraged friends
and strangers,
and made some feel like pros,
and made others feel full of energy,
and happy,
when moments before they were tired and drained.
we made them smile.
and i'll be happy for my many many friends,
and for the joy that they have given me,
and for the joy that they have helped me give to others.
as i ride to atlantic, and back, for this stranger's funeral,
i'll think of my pregnant daughter,
of her second child that is due hopefully after ragbrai
--this is the second time she's done this--
and i'll think of my little granddaughter, nyla,
and of my son-in-law, dwight,
and of all the joy they have given me over the years.
and i'll be happy.
happy as hell, actually.
i'll think of my dogs, boris and amelia,
and of the third one--shut up!--dmitri
that i'll have at the end of the month,
and i'll be happy.
. . . . .
and if i never have to do this again,
then it will have been the happiest day of my life.
. . . . .
by the way, i know that there is a group of cyclists
that leaves bike world west sometime early on fridays.
i know, because often i have cursed that they leave so damned early.
wanna ride west with me?
supposed to be wind out of the southwest,
and i could sure use a little help...
maybe you could meet me coming back in late friday, too.
I have spoken with Kim already today and told him that there was a good chance he could count on several of us tri guys joining him at Bike World West early Friday(he mentioned we would have light ~5 or 515) for the ride out(partially). I figure if the wind is from the SW we can do the pulls so Kim can set it and have enough juice in the legs to get home. I think this will be a very reasonable pace as Kim has said it has been a long time since he has done 160 miles.
If you feel as though this is something you can do please join me-I am not sure why but I am tugged to do this ride. I understand if you aren’t motivated in the same way it is something I need to do. I often feel my own mortality when riding and want to do something, and if pulling together with other cyclists to make a safe trip to a funeral for a fellow cyclist is what I am “lead” to do-I got’s to do it.
Feel free to forward to anyone interested in cyclist safety, and let them know they are welcome for 5 miles, 50, or the entire thing.
All I was checking out Kim West’s Blog and found that another cyclist was killed on Sunday afternoon in Atlantic, Iowa-while most of us were enjoying father’s day, or recovering from Hy-Vee Tri. If you don’t know who Kim West is, I can briefly explain that he is a good hearted cycling nut! Some of you that did the Hy-Vee Tri may remember him as he was the dude dressed as El Diablo(of Le Tour fame)at the top of Grand yelling and giving you encouragement:
This piece on his blog hit me hard and I feel like I need to ride with Kim on Friday morning:
Universal Laws
1--like the yin and the yang,
the ebbs and flows of life are constant, unpredictable,
inevitable, unstoppable, undesirable, envied,
good and bad, plus and minus,
for better or worse, more or less.
2--you can't have what you don't know,
and you can't know what you don't have.
3--sometimes things happen that just aren't right,
but they sometimes lead to just the right thing to do.
. . . . .
so, i'm riding my bike to this funeral friday in atlantic,
for yet another unknown cyclist,
run down,
killed by a 77 year-old motorist mid-day sunday,
a bright sunny day.
going the same direction,
run over from behind.
i've mentioned how i feel about this:
"investigation continues."
80 miles out, 80 back.
2:00 pm funeral.
sunrise 540 am; sunset 850 pm.
funny thing is that this is the longest day of the year.
somewhere i had noted that it will be celebrated
as "the happiest day of the year."
i had thus noted on my kitchen calendar for the blog topic du jour.
instead, i'll spend it riding by myself (this is where we come in)
to the funeral of someone i don't know
who was killed like seven or eight of my friends,
and i'll remember them,
and be happy for having known them.
i'll think of the many friends
--too many in just the past year--
who were struck and somehow survived.
and i'll be happy for knowing them,
and for having them around--alive.
i'll be riding alone, thinking of my many, many friends
who joined me on a whim, as a lark,
on sunday, on a hill in front of a stranger's house.
and of how we laughed, heckled, cajoled, encouraged friends
and strangers,
and made some feel like pros,
and made others feel full of energy,
and happy,
when moments before they were tired and drained.
we made them smile.
and i'll be happy for my many many friends,
and for the joy that they have given me,
and for the joy that they have helped me give to others.
as i ride to atlantic, and back, for this stranger's funeral,
i'll think of my pregnant daughter,
of her second child that is due hopefully after ragbrai
--this is the second time she's done this--
and i'll think of my little granddaughter, nyla,
and of my son-in-law, dwight,
and of all the joy they have given me over the years.
and i'll be happy.
happy as hell, actually.
i'll think of my dogs, boris and amelia,
and of the third one--shut up!--dmitri
that i'll have at the end of the month,
and i'll be happy.
. . . . .
and if i never have to do this again,
then it will have been the happiest day of my life.
. . . . .
by the way, i know that there is a group of cyclists
that leaves bike world west sometime early on fridays.
i know, because often i have cursed that they leave so damned early.
wanna ride west with me?
supposed to be wind out of the southwest,
and i could sure use a little help...
maybe you could meet me coming back in late friday, too.
I have spoken with Kim already today and told him that there was a good chance he could count on several of us tri guys joining him at Bike World West early Friday(he mentioned we would have light ~5 or 515) for the ride out(partially). I figure if the wind is from the SW we can do the pulls so Kim can set it and have enough juice in the legs to get home. I think this will be a very reasonable pace as Kim has said it has been a long time since he has done 160 miles.
If you feel as though this is something you can do please join me-I am not sure why but I am tugged to do this ride. I understand if you aren’t motivated in the same way it is something I need to do. I often feel my own mortality when riding and want to do something, and if pulling together with other cyclists to make a safe trip to a funeral for a fellow cyclist is what I am “lead” to do-I got’s to do it.
Feel free to forward to anyone interested in cyclist safety, and let them know they are welcome for 5 miles, 50, or the entire thing.
