Donna ran across a discount code for the MS bike tour, so Donna, Alisha, Jenny, and myself decided to sign up. There is a option of a 30, 55, or 100 mile ride. The other girls were keen to do the 55 mile ride. But I was scheduled to run the Baltimore marathon the following weekend so I convinced them to opt for the 30 mile. Also the appeal of this ride is that you get to ride around Manhattan. But they changed the routes so that the 50 and 100 mile rides do not go around Manhattan. Those riders exit the city through the Lincoln Tunnel and do all of their ride in NJ.
Packet Pick-up:
Packet pick-up is on the west side at Pier 92. We got half off our registration, but you still have to raise at least $150 to do the ride. You have to prove that you raised the money or they will not give you your packet. Not wanting to have to bother people for money, I decided to just make the donation myself. I went the day before the ride to get my stuff.
Morning of the ride:
The ride starts on the Westside Highway. I met up with the other girls. The race provides bananas and power bars for breakfast. We all got a bite to eat.
I brought Pro Oxygen tattoos. So we all put them on to ensure we had a great ride!
The course:
The 50 and 100 mile riders start first at 7:20. Ten minutes later the 30 milers start. The course is very scenic. It is a complete loop around Manhattan on traffic-free streets. You ride down the Westside Highway through the Battery Park Tunnel than up the FDR to the Harlem River Dr back over the Westside Highway back down to Pier 92. You get a nice view of the Brooklyn Bridge and George Washington Bridge.
Hmm, kind of wanted the bridge in the picture
We stopped to get a picture in front of the Brooklyn Bridge. When you ask someone to take a picture in front of a landmark you assume that they know that you want the landmark in picture. We hand a random guy Donna's camera and this is what he took. We thought it was funny that he did not bother to get the bridge in the picture. I guess some people just don't understand framing. He took one with my camera, too, and did a little better with that one. We figured it was the best we were going to get with him.
This one is a little better
We decided to just take our own pictures of the GWB in order to ensure we actually got the bridge in this one.
Coming down the Westside Highway on the way to the finish
We made it! I'm not a big biker. I have to admit that after 25-30 miles my shoulders and butt get sore. I know it is probably because I have horrible form.
Finish Festival:
Their finisher medals are cute with the little bike chain. When you finish they have racks for you to store your bike on so you can enjoy the finish festival. They provide everyone with a boxed lunched. Their are assorted booths to check out and a few of them were giving away freebies. I think they had beer, too.
After eating our lunch, we got our bikes and rode home.
No comments:
Post a Comment