i want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle

harlem valley ride

july 29th, sunday. 5 in the AM. bright and early. well it wasnt that bright yet actually but there i was with some 20 others on 103rd street and amsterdam ave, equipped with our bikes, waiting to be loaded on a bus. by around 5:50 we were all aboard, headed to bike new york's harlem valley ride. along the route, my biggest fear was not so much not finishing the ride ahead coz i had been training and 2 weeks earlier i had covered the same long distance. instead, the main hope was finishing the ride accident-free (i had been having a quite upset stomach the past days and an that sort of accident was the last thing i had wanted to happen). i had popped some pills though so my mind (more like stomach actually) was a bit quieted already and i had was able to enjoy the thick fog that had covered most of the scenery on the way to the starting area.

movin along

by around 8:30 the bus had arrived. our bikes were unloaded. a few registration procedures with the rest of the other cyclists. a half a bagel, loads of energy drinks, and a preemptive potty stop and i was good to go. not being the best person at following maps and directions, i had buddied up with some 3 other participants tackling the 75 mile route. by 8:50, we were on our way.

cows along the road

some 3 miles into the ride, 2 of us in the group had developed a quicker pace than the other 2. and by the first stop, we had decided to tackle the distance ahead by ourselves. the route was absolutely beautiful. i had almost thought i was biking through holland and belgium with all the farms and fields and lakes. up til the first stop, the route was mostly flat. but after that, the flatlands had turned into rolling hills. but the fresh air and captivating scenery kept the thoughts of burning thighs and tired legs at bay.

a breather

we had biked through new york, connecticut. we were finally in massachusetts. and then there it was. mt. washington. one loooooooooong steeeeeeep climb. a climb i could not have prepared for with my trips through the steep short hills of prospect park. that mountain was one GIGANTIC challenge. the legs were burning and it felt as though that no matter how much i had pedalled, i was merely moving a centimeter at a time. the temptation to just walk the bike grew stronger as i had gone past some who did so. instead in my head an inner voice had pushed me forward. thoughts of "just do[ing] it" and digging deeper made me realize that it was really more mental than physical.

a medal for 120km over 3 states

with visions of a nike/adidas endorsement in my head, i had reached the top with just one stop for a quick drink and bite off my energy bar. and the downhill was an exhilirating one—a true test to my brake pads. i was riding some 55+kph downhill through winding roads filled with gravel and sand. my heart was racing, a rush of adrenaline unlike any other (which was quite deserved coz i later on found out that there was another cyclist who on his way down those roads got hit by a car).

a few rolling hills past that downhill, we had reached new york once again. we had made it to the final stages. ahead of us, a time trial and another downhill that runs all the way to the finish line. the time trial was 1.2 miles uphill stretch with an average grade of 7%. im obviously no pro in what grades meant but boy was that climb one of the hardest things ive ever done. i had never breathed as heavily and i had never known that my own sweat actually tasted that salty. the body was close to absolute exhaustion but the mind had prevailed once again. and the reward, a medal. sweetness! the greater reward of course, the thought of having once again tested and pushed one's own limits. and in crossing the finish line, an overwhelming sense of accomplishment coupled with an excitement in knowing that there's actually an even greater expanse of unchartered territory to be discovered. both within and without.

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NYC commuter nightmare

aug 8. today was an absolute commuters' nightmare. a terrible storm had struck the city the night before and had flooded all the subway stations. by the morning, all the trains weren't running. all the buses and cabs were packed. thankfully, i had my bike. while the rest of the officemates had stories of 5-hour commutes, i made it in the usual amount of time. was quite drenched in sweat though when i arrived but i brought an extra change of clothing. thank god for bicycles! (although, i must admit it still isnt the safest way to get around manhattan as i had witnessed a bike accident the other night. nothing really major thankfully but bloody annoying car driver tried to pull a hit and run.)