It's been a long time. Life has taken over and I have neglected you, my undervalued BLOG. So much so that a story from two years ago hasn't even made it to you, despite the fact that it is ripe for your pages and could only happen to me.
It was the first day of my new promotion and I was determined to make a good impression. I was cycling to work for my inaugural staff briefing with the team and was mentally preparing all through the ten mile trundle. As I turned the final corner in Southsea I slowed on the final road. Just as I did so a squirrel came hurtling from the gardens to my left followed closely by a large, ginger cat. The pair flew across the road, underneath a parked car and doubled back directly towards me.
Now the squirrel was faced by a lycra clad man on a, fortunately, slow moving road bike. In its wisdom it decided to throw the cat off the scent by leaping through the spokes of my front wheel. My only thought is that it couldn't see the spokes as they were turning and had blurred.
Whatever the motivation the squirrel, predictably, failed to fit through the wheel and came into contact with a clang. It became entangled in my brakes which made the bike stop from the front end, pitching my in a reasonably slow motion fashion over the handlebars. Luckily my shoes unclipped and I managed to roll out with only a few bumps and grazes.
The squirrel was less fortunate. I will spare you too many more details but he didn't suffer and his death was instantaneous. It is very difficult to extricate a squirrel from your front brakes, they are amazingly bendy.
Let's just say that it wasn't the greatest briefing I have ever given.
Triathlon Muppet
