Century Training - Week 5; Day 6

Week: 5
Day: 6
Ride: Pace
Route: Combination of hills and flats
Scheduled Mileage: 47
Actual Mileage: 47.90
Average Speed: 13.5 mph*
Max Speed: 25.3 mph
*Includes city street speed average

Average BPM: 143
Max BPM: 183
Calories: 1555

Random Notes to Self:

• Go me! I completed my 47-mile ride without breaking my back after four consecutive days off the bicycle this week due to responsibilities associated with job #1.

I started my long ride by cycling north along the Hudson River, straight into some aggitating head winds, but curiosity of what existed beyond the George Washington Bridge drove me northward to Inwood, and I discovered a Manhattan like I had never imagined. As I passed The Cloisters, you could have told me that I was in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, and I would not have doubted you. It was almost unbelieveable to look down at my CATEYE V3 cycling computer and read that I had pedaled less than 10 miles. It was even more incredible to realize that I was still on the same island with the Empire State Building, Wall Street, Times Square and Alicia Keys.

When the Hudson River bicycle lane ended in Inwood Hill Park, I retraced my pedal strokes back to Midtown Manhattan and continued south to Tribeca, where I took a break to eat a Cliff Bar energy bar at approximately 23 miles. Cycling back into the head winds on the Hudson River bicycle lanes, I exited through Riverside Park in the West 80s and crossed town at 110th Street to Central Park, where I biked the park's perimeter until I had completed a total of 47 miles for the day.

I didn't make it a point to stop for many pictures of what I now call "Rural Manhattan" as it was a dull, dreary day with heavily overcast skies, but I'm eager to photo document the significant contrast of the northern end of the island. After my next beautiful day of cycling, I'll show you what I mean.

Potential photo submission for Ripley's Believe It Or Not:

There was a woman that I noticed on the rocky shore of the Hudson River, while I was headed both north and southbound along the Upper West Side. She was patiently - and successfully - standing large rocks on their ends. If I hadn't seen it myself, I would have assumed they had been bolted upright, but these rocks are, indeed, balanced.

Time for a nap before my 9pm shift at job #2!