Last year I was filming some scenes for a movie for ESPN. I was outside at a baseball stadium for three straight days, 12 hours a day. It was 100 to 106 degrees every day and we were in the sun for most of the shots (between shots I would go to the dugout for some shade but I swear it felt hotter in the dugout).

I did ride to the shoot (I live 250 miles away) and it was a great ride up. Coming home was a different story. I was wrapped on a Sunday about 1:00, it was already 102 out and my scenes started filming at 6:30AM so it was a long day already. I'm finally on my way home, I didn't shower or even take off my makeup as I just wanted to get home.

So here I am riding home, it was one of those days where the wind in your face just felt like a hot hair dryer blasting you, and I had 250 miles to go and I am just plain exhausted.

The bike needed gas (I was on a V-Rod and it is hard to make long trips as you have to stop for gas so much). I figured I could just make one more stop for gas and then I could make it the rest of the way (I'm about 120 miles in to the trip now). Well, I pushed it to the "next" gas station, I am in the middle of the country in South Carolina and yep, I ran out of gas. I'm on a country road with zero cell phone reception and I have no idea where the next gas station is.

I pushed the bike for about 3/4 of a mile before I came upon a house. I was a little nervous to go to the house but I had to see if someone could help, I was extremely dehydrated and just plain exhausted by now and I am just stuck out here on a Sunday. I went to the door and knocked and knocked, then finally a nice couple came to the door (mind you, at first I was afraid of going to a strangers house in the middle of nowhere but then I forget that I am near 6'5" and a rather large guy, I'm sure they were a little hesitant to answer the door). I asked where the nearest station was and they told me it was at least 10 miles away and "hopefully" it was open on a Sunday. I sort of cringed, asked if I could use their phone to call AAA to bring me some gas (I didn't want to impose upon them). The husband said he could do one better than that, he went to the garage and got a gas can and offered me some gas. I took about a gallon, offered him some money, he would not take it. I thanked him, rode about 9 miles and found a gas station, filled up, literally drank two bottles of water, and was on my way.

Ok, I figure I am home free now, right? Nope. I get about 40 miles from home and all I see is huge lines of cars, everything was at a halt. So now I'm stopped on the highway, dead still, just sitting there. There must have been some huge accident up ahead. The last clock/thermometer I passed had said 105 degrees and it was every bit of it. I just sat there for a half hour then decided to do a U-turn and try to figure out another way home (where I live on the coast, there are only a couple roads in). So I snake back and start taking different country roads, some I knew and some I didn't. I finally got to a place that I was familiar with, maybe 20 miles from home, and all of a sudden the bike starts to sputter. No freaking way. Even though the V-Rod is water cooled, the bike was very hot, I've been on the road a good 6 hours now, well over 100 degrees and 100% humidity. Well, the bike stalled a couple times home but I did eventually make it.

I walk in the house and my wife looked at me and couldn't believe what I looked like. I'm sure I was beat red, the makeup was all over the place, I'm probably close to heat exhaustion. I jumped in the shower and I'll tell you, that was the best shower I have ever taken in my life.

I made it home, that's all that matters.