So, yesterday I participated in the 5 Borough Bike tour, a 42-mile bike ride through all 5 boroughs of Manhattan! Last year was the first time I did it and it didn't seem TOO difficult...this year was WAY harder!
This is owed mostly to the pouring rain the entire time, but also to the fact that this time, we got a good head start and so missed all the bottlenecked walking bits. These I thought I hated last year, but now realise it's the main reason it felt so much easier! This time, I only had to walk about 5 minutes, the rest was spent constantly pedaling. Felt more like I accomplished something, sure, but also KILLED me. Those bridges man...woof! I actually had to chant to myself "you can do this, you can do this" the entire uphill battle of the Verrezanno Bridge!
All in all, though, I'm so glad I did it...and did it in the rain! I would have much rather have been riding on a nice sunny day, getting a little colour in the process, but I absolutely feel like much more of a badass having completed it in that miserable weather. (I was completely soaked through from only a half hour in, squishy shoes and all!)
Nice though, that this is one of those few times that it's actually helpful to live on Staten Island. After the festival at Fort Wadsworth, I was able to just bike to my house not that far away in 15 minutes. Fantastic!
Needless to say, it was too rainy and crappy to have taken any pictures, but here's our route!
AND next up for me as far as big NYC adventures is the AIDS Walk! 6.2 miles in Manhattan. Seems like cake now after what I've just been through, but I remember being more tired after this last year (though, like I say, the bike tour was easier last year). The worst part about the walk is how many people there are, so you can never really take full-size strides, which make your legs hurt more and makes the walk take much longer than it should. BUT it's for a VERY IMPORTANT cause, so no complaining from me!! :)
The AIDS Walk in two weeks so anyone who would still like to donate, should do it now! Thanks so much for all your support! :)
Here's the link to my donation page:
www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=295208&lis=1&kntae295208=55F62ECFB7E04E2284B7B6613A3E0FCA&supId=220681501
Thanks again!
The End.
This is owed mostly to the pouring rain the entire time, but also to the fact that this time, we got a good head start and so missed all the bottlenecked walking bits. These I thought I hated last year, but now realise it's the main reason it felt so much easier! This time, I only had to walk about 5 minutes, the rest was spent constantly pedaling. Felt more like I accomplished something, sure, but also KILLED me. Those bridges man...woof! I actually had to chant to myself "you can do this, you can do this" the entire uphill battle of the Verrezanno Bridge!
All in all, though, I'm so glad I did it...and did it in the rain! I would have much rather have been riding on a nice sunny day, getting a little colour in the process, but I absolutely feel like much more of a badass having completed it in that miserable weather. (I was completely soaked through from only a half hour in, squishy shoes and all!)
Nice though, that this is one of those few times that it's actually helpful to live on Staten Island. After the festival at Fort Wadsworth, I was able to just bike to my house not that far away in 15 minutes. Fantastic!
Needless to say, it was too rainy and crappy to have taken any pictures, but here's our route!
AND next up for me as far as big NYC adventures is the AIDS Walk! 6.2 miles in Manhattan. Seems like cake now after what I've just been through, but I remember being more tired after this last year (though, like I say, the bike tour was easier last year). The worst part about the walk is how many people there are, so you can never really take full-size strides, which make your legs hurt more and makes the walk take much longer than it should. BUT it's for a VERY IMPORTANT cause, so no complaining from me!! :)
The AIDS Walk in two weeks so anyone who would still like to donate, should do it now! Thanks so much for all your support! :)Here's the link to my donation page:
www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=295208&lis=1&kntae295208=55F62ECFB7E04E2284B7B6613A3E0FCA&supId=220681501
Thanks again!
The End.
1 comment:
Hi! I'm curious: which time did you get into the starting lineup to be in front of the pack? (or did you have another "trick" to get a head start??).
For me, first year doing the 5 boro, and it kinda suck to walk. Some walking is OK, but being in the middle of the pack, we walked a lot more than I would have liked. Especially on the gowanus highway, were we walked almost 30 mins in pouring rain and cold because of a jam due to 4 lanes->2 lanes squeeze. I think that part could have been planned a bit better.
Thanks!
-mathieu
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