Lessons learned...the hard way

When you only have one eye make sure your head lights are fully charged before you head out for some off roading. I headed out tonight with a light that did not have a full charge on it, and I knew it. I paid the price.
1/2 way through the 3rd section of trail called the Wagon Wheel my light went out....shit. It was dark. In the past before the loss of the eye, what I affectingly dubbed B.E., I would ride the BuRP trial system all the time with no lights. Not too much any more.
I hopped on my bike at home about 730 and was in the woods on single track before dark. I rode for some time with out turning my light on. I figured that if I was going to treat this as a training ride why not make it an eye training ride as well. How long can I ride with out the light? I was on my second loop of the East Side before I turned it on, pretty good I thought. As I dumped out of the East Side I considered heading home since I knew (I knew!!) that my light was not fully charged. Oh no, couldn't do that. This was a training ride for the big race this weekend which meant get in as much riding as possible. Bad idea zeke. I hit the Wagon Wheel and was going good. Then lights went out. Whoa....its dark. Suddenly a trial the I have ridden for years is completely forgien. It wasn't so much that I couldn't see, it was the things that my brain kept trying to make me believe were there. My depth perception is pretty bad with the lights on, turn the lights out and suddenly everything (including the things that aren't really there) are right in front of you. Everything on the sides of the trail look as if its reaching out for you. The lighter part of the darkness, the trail itself, keeps disappearing. My stress level was through the roof, I ended up getting off the bike and walking it in fear that I would crash at my incredibly slow pace. Even walking was hard in the dark. I was going so S-L-O-W, I couldn't even be sure of where I was putting my feet. I was getting paranoid and I was not likening it. Finally after a stressful 1/2 hour of incredibly slow rolling on the bike and walking I popped out of the woods at the road. Wheew...I hopped up on the street lamp lit road, pulled my rear blinky out of my jersey pocket, turned it on and mounted it in its holder on the back of my helmet. Jumped on the pedals and powered it down the road to the bar at the trail head. I was hoping that since it was Taco Tuesday that there might still be some riders hanging at the bar and maybe some one could be convinced to give me a lift home. I rolled up at the bar and the first person I saw that I thought would go for the idea was Ronk...he has a big truck so I knew there would be room for my bike. He agreed to give a lift and bonus he was about ready to leave, sweet. We chit chatted about riding and stuff on the 15 minute drive to my pad. He dropped me off and off he went. Wheew...home. Time to wash off the cobwebs and put something besides GU and Extran in my belly. Mac and cheese sounds delicious. Oh and put the lights on the charger for tomorrow nights adventure.