oddly inattentive...

one day last week I had a gap in the day between drop off and pick up of the boys at school to go for a ride...
I suited up in my DCMTB kit and threw my leg over my Trek road bike
hustled down into Rock Creek Park and hammered fast and hard out to Garret Park Road and back
it is not an epic... but the epic is not really my style


the body felt good... the bike has some weird drag going on in the back end
not sure what is causing that drag... it could be my fat ass... it could be lack of fitness... or it could actually be something that needs fixing
either way... the bike is dragging... which I chalk up as RESISTANCE TRAINING





either way I was feeling pretty spry
hammered out pretty hard and was hammer back even harder
as I hit the stretch past the Park Police station that Tour de France fantasy began
heart, legs, and lung pumping... the bike was rocking pretty hard
it helps that the road is a slight grade downhill at this point
and the wind may have even been at my back


it was mid day and the traffic was pretty light
my pace was such that it was difficult for cars to pass
not sure of my speed... but my guestimation is that I was going 25-27MPH
not having a computer on the bike I have no real measure of my speed


so... I am hammering pretty good
the road is twisting and turning
I can feel a car behind me
they are not following that close
there is no chance for them to pass safely.... I am riding just right of center to help the following driver understand that it is not a good place to pass


so...
after the twists and turn I cross that old stone bridge and fade to the right side of the road as things straighten out
the car makes a respectful pass
as the car passes I glance at the car and its occupants


it is my neighbor and his older son!
I look at the boy in the front seat...  he is faced forward not giving me a glance
this is one of my kids' best friends
this is an opportunity for this kid to see me and get a different impression
maybe he could think that wow... not only is my friend's dad a total asshole... but he is also a solid cyclist


well... the car accelerated ahead and everybody went on with their day
there was not a nod or a honk from the driver
not a glance or a wave from the kid passenger
somehow I went unnoticed 


later that day I hit the dad driver on FACEBOOK asking if he recognized me and got a measure of my speed
to which he responded... "I pass so many cyclists on drop off and pick up that I don't even notice them"
literally


but really...
in this out and back I was passed by 75-100 cars each way
my guess... this driver passed 7-10 cyclists each way
how is it that I noticed and recognized him but he did not notice or recognize me
oh... because I am aware of my surroundings


but really... I AM HUGE!
I am huge with this sliver beard
and I was FLYING!
if I am behind a cyclist I usually make note of their behavior and it I am behind them for any time I usually glance at the speedometer


but really...
it amazes me not so much that he did not recognize me
but that making a pass is such a nonchalant sort of thing
I would think if someone is passing a cyclist that their attention should be on the biker until they have made the pass and that they are free and clear