Transportation Alternatives New York Century Bicycle Tour

On Sunday September 8th, 2013, I will be riding in the New York Century Bicycle Tour for the 5th consecutive year. There are different routes available: 15, 35, 55, 75, or 100 miles. I completed the 55 mile route twice, and attempted the 75 mile and 100 mile routes. My longest ride to date is 86 miles.
For my first ride in 2009, I chose the 55 mile route to ride with my friend Ira Cogan. I remember riding over bridges and doing laps in Central Park all summer long. I rode my bike practically everywhere. I built a summer wardrobe that was not only day-to-night, but also appropriate for the streets of Williamsburg and the wine bars of Chelsea. My training paid off. The ride was difficult, but we finished, and was probably the biggest bonding moment Ira and I have had in the 10 years that I've known him.

In May of 2010 I rode in the Five Burroughs Bicycle Tour, which is 42 miles plus additional miles biked to and from the event. In 2010 and 2011, I attempted the 75 mile and 100 mile routes of the New York Century. Both valiant attempts were cut short by weather and technical difficulties. I made new friends along the way, and I still enjoyed a victory beer or two. My body did not ache as much as you would think, but the run down feeling and recovery can last for DAYS.
Last year (2012), I decided that I had lost sight of why I was really doing this. To be honest, I was not putting in as much mileage regularly because bicycling did not fit into my life with the same ease that it once had. Izzy and I bought our first scooter, so I was having fun learning to ride and it was something that we enjoyed together. So I opted for the 55 mile bicycle route, so I could ride with friends, stop at Nathan's in Coney Island, have a beer if i feel like it, and relax a bit.
In less than 2 weeks I will be riding the 55 mile route once again. I did very little bicycle riding this year, BUT I am happy to report that I ran my first half marathon this year. This past year was my break out year for running, I really fell in love and I broke past my 5 mile wall. And now when I ride a bike, I can tell how my muscles have changed and become even stronger from running.
And one day I will ride 100 miles. I think I probably only need to do it once in my life, but who knows. For me, it's not just about that 1 day when I get to ride all day long. It's about the training that goes into it, and the learning process. Setting a goal and accomplishing said goal takes a lot of effort, but the pay-off of finishing feels good. Setting a goal, investing large amounts of time and money, then having to admit defeat is a learning process and a valuable lesson. Finishing despite all costs is not always the best choice, this I definitely did not know in my 20s, but learned later in my 30s.
One of the best parts of living in NYC is having alternate methods of transportation available. I would not feel the same level of affection for this city had I not rode my bike over all of the bridges countless times. And now our Vespa provides a faster (and less sweaty) method of getting around on 2 wheels. I also have the option to take the bus, the subway, the ferry or even a Citibike. And of course, my own two feet!

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THE LIST

As of today, I have 795 days until my 40th birthday.  Here are my goals thus far, surely to be added to:

1. Get married to Izzy probably in September of 2015.
2. Run my first marathon: the New York City Marathon 2014.  I have earned guaranteed entry for next year by joining New York Road Runners, running in 9 qualifying events this year, and volunteering at 1 event.  For 2013 the cost of the marathon is $216 for NYRR members, plus an $11 processing fee.  Annual NYRR membership costs $40 and most running events cost $18 and up.  This is a huge time AND financial commitment, and this doesn't include the cost of running gear or a buttload of energy gels.
3. Do real push-ups and real chaturangas.  I have much more natural leg strength than upper body strength.
4. Learn to speak Spanish conversationally.  I plan to have a bilingual wedding and to say my vows in Spanish and English.
5. Increase my salary. I have set a specific monetary goal that I will not post publicly.  This will certainly help with the wedding budget.
6. Ride my bicycle in the 100 mile version of the New York Century Bicycle Tour.  Longest ride to date is 86 miles.
   
7. Complete a tri sprint (.475 mi swim, 12.5 mi bicycle, 3.1 mi run) and an Olympic tri (.93 mi swim, 25 mi bicycle, 6.2 mi run).  I could easily do either distance right now, except for the swimming.  I just sort of freestyle swim, so I probably need lessons.  And I have no gauge whatsoever as to how far I can swim currently.
8. Start a business with Izzy.  He has 2 dream businesses: a hot sauce company, and a bar.  Maybe we'll do both, you never know!
9. Find a more permanent place to live.  Home ownership is the goal eventually, but don't see how this is possible until after the wedding.  The reality is that we might get priced out of our neighborhood in the next couple of years, so in the meantime I've been applying for affordable housing for middle income, which is selected through a lottery system.
10. Here's one for Izzy: he really needs his motorcycle, I think that one is coming next summer.

I would like to point out that my countdown to 40 is not coming from negativity.  I think 40 is fab!  When I set quantifiable goals for myself, I usually find that I at least come pretty damned close.  And I remember that I made a lot of important life decisions around the time that I turned 30, so I'm really looking forward to another round of that.  And finally, since I work in fashion design, I am always researching, planning, and designing 1 year ahead.  So I'm just a smidge early on this, but not really if you consider that there is a wedding to be planned as well.

Countdown to 40: Saturday, October 24, 2015

In 802 days I will turn 40.  This realization hit me this weekend as my mind was wondering during a long run.  I recently got engaged (to my best friend, YAY!) and the tentative time frame for the wedding as of now is September 2015.  NYC summer is too hot, September is beautiful.  October is always jammed packed socially because everyone I know seems to have an October birthday, including me, my fiancé (Izzy), and my mom.  Then there's Halloween, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas, then New Years.  It goes by very quickly.

This got me thinking about resolutions and goals.  I keep saying to Izzy how happy I am that we were able to accomplish so many goals in the first half of this year:

• I started a new job this year.  It started out very rocky, but then I was thrown into a sink or swim situation and I rocked it.
• I saw my original textile designs on my new favorite show Orange is the New Black.  On episode 6 Spanish mom's boyfriend visits her in jail wearing a flocked shirt that I designed for Jhane Barnes.  Earlier this year I also saw a print that I designed in the movie "Lay the Favorite".
  
• I got my motorcycle license.
• We got a Vespa!  Meet the family: That's Rocco (Vespa GT 300 Super) on the right with Luna (Kymco People 50cc) on the left.
  
• Izzy started bartending again on Thursday nights (He does it mostly for fun, and it makes him really happy when he does it just once a week).  To say that he is an extrovert and high-energy is actually an understatement.  He waited on Jimmy Fallon for the 2nd time, and Jimmy gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
• We got engaged and picked out a custom ring that we love and reflects both of our style.
  
• Finally getting renter's insurance.
• We hired a house cleaner.  Izzy fired the last house cleaner a year ago, promising that he could and would do a better job.  He didn't.  But it's ok, he's a hard worker, he shouldn't have to.  I didn't need to be convinced, he did.
• We now have a real guest room.
• I ran in the Brooklyn Half Marathon, which was my first 1/2.  I got my first running medal and came really damned close to my goal of 2 hours and 30 minutes.
  
  
• I joined New York Road Runners and have guaranteed entry to the 2014 New York City Marathon.  I earned my spot by running in 9 qualifying NYRR events and volunteering at the New York City Half Marathon (which earned me a guaranteed space in next year's half as well).
• I raised $1315 for the National Kidney Foundation and ran the Healthy Kidney 10k in Central Park on May 11th, 2013.  My run was dedicated to my brother who was a double transplant recipient (kidney AND a pancreas!) last winter after having kidney failure.
  
  
  

By 40 I will have run a marathon and be married!  I've been making a list in my head of some other things that I would like to accomplish - personally, professionally, and fitness-oriented.  I am going to list my goals on this blog and document my trials and tribulations.