Getting old is scary

Had some great rides over the weekend. Went 46 on both days and felt pretty good. Decent workouts carrying most of the load on each ride. Feels good to be able to take care of others.

Speaking of taking care of others, today we had a scare or at least I did. Joe, whom is exceptional for his age, something like 75, gave us a glimpse of what is to come of us who are not at this stage in their life. The morning was nice and cool, but pretty windy. I knew it would take some work to get home. Tailwind going out and everyone was taking it easy. Today is normally an easy ride, we kept at 19-20 just soft pedalling.

The ride home we picked it up some, some of us need to go to work. When we got to Florida Ave. I turned to ask if Joe was still with us. Turns out he wasn't. So I turned around and went back for him. He came around the pumping station soon after I turned and he jumped on. I asked him if he was ok. He said yes and he would stick right on my wheel. We caught back up to Bob and Richard and began to pick it up again. We seemed to have a little bit of a tailwind at this point so it was pretty easy riding. As we turned into the wind at the golf course I just held the speed we were doing and pulled these guys. We reached the road for the sand trucks and I asked if Joe was with us. Nope, he had fallen off again. I said I am going back for him.

When I turned around, I got a bad feeling, I didn't see him right away. Then I saw him in the distance, hunched over on his left, slowly pedaling toward us. I got up to him and asked if he was all right. He stubbornly said Yes. Then I informed him of how he looked. He didn't even realize he was hunched over and was having a hard time supporting himself with his left arm. I made him downshift and he swerved, clipped my rear wheel and went into the grass. He didn't fall, got back on the path and we decided to ride very slow. I kept asking if he was ok. I started going over CPR and first aid stuff in my mind, wondering if he was having a heart attack or something else. I made him stop. We stood around for a while as I kept asking about his arm, if he had pain or any strength left. Well it turns out his back was bothering him and I think it had been for a while. His arm was so tired from supporting his weight he had nothing left.

I felt relieved but we still had to get back. He kept going eventhough we were going about 10. Bob and Richard stayed with us and we made it back safely to the Zoo. I don't know if Joe made it all the way home, but I assume he did. Scared me, but I am glad I was there. Everyone else would have left him.