Bike path safety

Did I mention the 70 year old woman who took me out on the bike path a month or so ago?

While training for this epic event I've sworn to not ride solo on the road and taken it back knowing that fitting this training in was simply not possible with a one or two hour commute to add to the training time each ride.

For two particularly long rides however, I did seek out a bike path in order to ensure safety, access to water, bathrooms, etc. On two of those two occasions- I crashed. Once in June all on my own on a wet road with a twig in an inopportune spot. No one to blame, just lots of bumps and bruises to see even still today.

Crash number two came as I was 35 miles into a hundred mile ride. A grey haired group traveling to breakfast perhaps in the next town was spread out on the path, not paying particular attention to oncoming traffic or "ride right" rules. As I said "hello" "hell-oo" she simply could not react and watched her bike collide with mine as I took to the shoulder- big rocks and all.

I yelled something I'm not sure which and then proceeded to get up and make sure she was alright. No helmet! More fragile bones than mine I'm sure! And not a clue that she was hogging the path?!
Though I'm sure she felt guilty for days- and I was only scraped and sore, I do hope she or her husband went immediately out to buy a helmet!!

I'm back to road riding. My percentages have been better there!