I'm in the middle of my sixth week of training for a triathlon and I'm exhausted, as is the dog, as is my boyfriend. They're not training, but the alarm clock going off at 6am a few mornings during the week is taking its toll on all of us. This morning, it was 6:15am for a 15 mile bike ride. This isn't a long bike ride but it seems that every ride in the city winds up being a frustrating one. Cycling has to be my favorite sport in the triathlon, at least the one I have the most experience with, but New York is an incredibly unfriendly city to bike in.
Potholes, cab drivers who either don't use their mirrors or intentionally cut you off at the last minute, traffic lights, exhaust fumes, construction debris. The "greenways" that are the perimeter of Manhattan offer stunning views and even at 7am, enough pedestrians, roller bladers and joggers to make anything above 10mph a reckless speed. (10mph is not an adequate training pace.)
After four miles, we finally hit what is the West Side greenway, supposedly one of the best places in Manhattan for a continuous, fast-paced ride. There is a narrow lane set aside for cyclists and joggers, enough to fit two bicycles side by side in some sections. Heaven? Hardly.
At the entry to the path is a thicket of Wall Street workers who have just departed from the commuter ferry. Slow bicycle to a crawl. Once we make it through that crowd, a maintenance vehicle pulls in front of us, one of those bubble vehicles that move park workers around. There's a sign on back that says "bicycles must yield." I think this means, "be patient, you're not going to be stuck behind this thing forever." I have lost my patience at this point, but I'm pretending.
We manage to get about 8 miles of the ride at a decent pace, gritting away our road rage and preparing for the lights, taxis and potholes that we'll face crossing town on our way home. Still, my legs are tired, my stomach is grumbling and my muscles are in need of a good stretch.
My training partner has sworn off outdoor rides during the week. I can't stand the wide-saddled machine at the gym so for me, the road is a lesser of two evils. But it may not be the lesser after another week.
