On May 3rd I completed the 40 mile Five Boro Bike Tour and had the time of my life! I was all sorts of worried about being able to finish after only 2 months of training (I lost a month to migraines and unseasonably cold weather), but I worried for naught, yet again.

We rode through the streets of Manhattan, the tip of the Bronx, over the Queensboro Bridge, through Brooklyn, and finally over the dreaded (so steep!) Verrazzano Bridge onto Staten Island. It was one of the top 20 experiences in a life that has included birthing three amazing girls, safaris in Africa, and flying in an F-15! As I pedaled, I had a lot of time to process the experience as it was happening, and a few things stood out:

• Don’t sweat the small stuff: When I registered, I was intent on being in the First Wave (riders who start at the beginning of the 27,000 people), so I paid the extra money to have the privilege. Then I yammered on and on about how important it was to get to the port-a-potties, food and water stations first–I was REALLY concerned with the potty situation, because I have an alarmingly low ick tolerance. 
  
  When I got the Wave assignment e-mail, I was in the last wave! I laughed so hard that all of my white knuckled planning was for naught, that I didn’t fight it–I figured the Universe had a lesson for me. It turns out that the last wave and the port-a-potties were just fine. Moreover, there was plenty of food, water and staff to make the event smooth and enjoyable from beginning to end.
• Appreciation is a practice: Since there was no way I was competing in this race (not a race, just a tour), I was able to just slow down and bask in the view of a city I had been visiting regularly for almost 20 years. And what a view it was! I’ve included a few pics that don’t do it justice. The fact that a city normally choked with traffic was now without ANY cars along the route was quite frankly breathtaking!
• Kindness still counts: And my favorite part was all the goodwill along the way! There were squads with pom-poms cheering us along. And normal citizens hanging out apartment windows and on balconies hooting and hollering as we rode by. My favorite encounter was two workmen in their candy cone vests at the very end yelling, “You’ve got this! Keep going, you’re almost there!!” I was awash in the kindness of strangers!

And most importantly, I was able to witness this juggernaut of beauty with my best friend and her family. The first time I visited New York City was when we were in boarding school together at age 16, and our friendship endures and strengthens with time and care. Thank you, Johannah, for inviting me to see a different side of the city that has featured in so many epic memories!

XO
Terri