I went cycling with unwanted friends…
The other day, on my schedule, my coach called for a 20 x 2 workout on the bike. She requested that I try to do this outside. So I packed up the car and headed over to Jones Beach to ride the path to Tobay Beach.
I was pumped up for this workout. As usual, I get on the bike and it takes me a few moments to get going. Once I am going, I’m good. I travel under the bridge and to the start of the path. I ride for 7 minutes at a comfortable pace and then I put the timer on for 20 minutes at my VO2 level.
As I’m fighting the wind traveling toward Tobay Beach, I notice that there are a lot of flies. But they aren’t the typical fly, they are super big, almost the size of a pebble. At first, I tried to ignore them. They were all over the place. But then, they started to latch on to me.
One sat on my leg, another on my arm and yet another stationed himself inside my glasses. I could see a spot in my peripheral vision. I took off my glasses. My bike was swerving back and forth and I shook my glasses. The little guy wouldn’t come out. I continued to swerve and shake and finally, he flew away.
I was constantly battling these little creatures and they were biting me too! Some of them were hitting me in the face as I propelled forward while others flew into my arm, hand, legs. I felt as if I was in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, The Birds, except this movie would be called, The Flies.
It was a complete and utter nightmare. I found myself trying to focus on the timer yet dodging in and out of the bugs way.
I wonder, has anyone else experienced this?