If the cars don't get you, the birds will...

I must share this because it is both frightening and hilarious at the same time...

Dylan is participating in a friendly cycling competition that involves 3 Canyon Ranch employees and 3 employees from the developer (Related Midwest) in Chicago. The jist of the competition is to see who can ride the most miles between January and the El Tour in November. There are prizes (beer, yellow jersey, pride) and many more rules than are laid out here...you get the idea.

So far, all three of the CR team members have had bike accidents. Dylan was forced off the road and wiped out on a drainage culvert (no major injuries to D or bike), Larry was hit by a truck (no major injuries to Larry, bike was runover) and Ek, well, Ek had the best experience yet...

You see, Ek was riding along with his girlfriend AND talking on the phone. I'm pretty sure that talking while you ride is as dangerous and talking while you drive...but I digress...
Suddenly two Morning Doves flew out toward him. One passed right in front of him - very close. The second flew into the hand holding his cellphone! The bird hit him so hard that it died on impact. As he put it, "if I hadn't been on the phone it would have buried it's beak in my cheek!" Apparently his girlfriend, who was riding behind him, almost fell off her bike because she was laughing so hard.

I will now be on the lookout for birds while I ride ;)