Normally I love to sleep in on weekends and just go leisurely about my business. Even though the start of this message is pretty boring, I can assure you that riding 100 miles, aka the New York Century, was not at all.
This is the biggest fund raising event for Transportation Alternatives, the guys responsible for all the groovy bike lanes, longer car free hours in parks and all sorts of other good stuff. I was proud to be there at 6am to take off for my longest ride ever.
What a magnificent sunrise I saw from the Brooklyn Bridge, a great breezy ride along the Atlantic Ocean and truly refreshing rest stop at Canarsie Pier. This ride goes across 4 boroughs of New York, there are no street closures anywhere and so many people of all kinds partake in it. From Brooklyn we were heading to Alley Pond Park in Queens. By this time I was riding with the fixed group which made it a lot more fun, even though I cheated a little as I ended up riding single speed, my knees were telling me to do so and they were thanking me later for it. One of the highlights of the ride was riding at the Kissena Velodrome. Then a spiral descent to Van Cortland Park. By this time i was the most thrilled that i hadnt any cramps or major aching in my body. The rest stops were a welcome point to chill for awhile or hours if need be. I was still able to clock an average of 15 miles riding, so the balance was well kept. I made it to some places I would never have thought of going to, and it was rewarding to be part of a great New York ride. The most beautiful bike I saw was a tandem with a softride seat, that seemed just like a dream to be on, my love toward tandems has awaken from it's long sleep...
Big ups to Jeremy Jamis to have put your spokes right where it had to be to stop me from really hurting myself, I was getting tired and fell once and banged my leg another time. It was a pleasant surprise that my bike held up the entire ride and my body never gave me an indication to give up.
Needless to say I slept like a rock, wishing only to be able to sleep a little more in the morning. Also wishing that I wouldn't have been a sissy taking my scooter to work to find it vandalized. (this was the pit of my day, just so curious how my bike got all the damage, like a huge bang to the floor, loosened mirror and heavily dirtied seat and trunk with that PX standing right next to it having no sign of any damage - makes you wonder...)
It all ends well when the end is well, for me it was an Oshiatsu session with Silvani, my muscles are thanking you!
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