Okay, so it's Thursday evening and I'm out on a solo training ride south of town. Basically, I'm doing a few long intervals...the kind where you go hard for five minutes each time (10-minute rest inbetween) until you are riding pathetically slow in the last minute or so, but still pushing as hard as you can. And you're watching your heartrate zoom into the stratosphere during all this. It really gives you a good idea of how long it takes to get from one point to another since you're timing what you're doing and you can see what landmarks show up at those key starting and stopping times.
So I do my intervals and ride part of the remaining miles pretty vigorously until I get to Mayo Road where I drop the speed to the 18 mph range and take a long break. About midway down Mayo is an overpass that goes over Interstate 49, and I'm starting to cross over it. Then a small white pickup truck passes me on my left and pulls over in front of me, still going forward. My first thought is "oh, great, someone's going to give the bicyclist a hard time for riding on 'their' road." Just then a white car passes me and when I see the lights going on top I realize it's a Caddo Parish Deputy who's pulling the truck over. I had already slowed down enough and the deputy's car also pulls over in front of me. I'm about a couple of feet off his rear bumper but I was ready for this and I cruise around both him and the truck, which has stopped by now. As I passed the truck I looked at the driver and just shook my head. The guy could have just slowed to let me go on and then pull over. The deputy would have understood that, but he had to stay with the truck so I wouldn't get caught between them. I had no problem with that.
Anyway, I kept on going, leaving the scene for the driver of the truck to get his ticket for whatever he did. I get to the end of Mayo, turn right on Wallace Lake Road, and then a left onto Overton-Brooks Road.
I decided to give the old K2 a good final push on the flat part of O-B Road and I'm cruisin' around 24 mph when a deputies' car comes around me and pulls over to the side of the road. An arm sticks out the window and motions me to stop next to the vehicle which I do. The Deputy inside is smiling at me and says "Are you the cyclist who passed me over on Mayo?" I said yep, that was me. He raised up his sunglasses and said "Man, I'm sorry if I got in your way. I was trying my best to stay with that truck and not mess you up." I told him that I had no problem with what he was doing. I was more annoyed with the truck driver. We talked some more and laughed about the whole thing. I never asked why the truck was pulled over and I wish I had. Anyways, the Deputy wished me a good day and a good ride, and I told him to be safe out there. He drove off and I was rather pleased that he took the time to apologize for something he didn't have to apologize for.
That made for a most excellent ride.
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