Fitness Adventures: The 30 Mile Bike Challenge

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day in NYC- it was sunny and hit 70 degrees. I knew it would be the perfect weather for my 30 mile bike ride. My only main objective was to visit my Dad, but I knew I had to go much further north than that and do a lot of circular riding to reach 30 miles. I consulted this website and had a basic idea what I would do, but most of it I just winged.

First, I took the Pulaski bridge from Brooklyn to Queens. Look @ this amazing view of midtown:

Then I rode through Long Island City and headed for the 59th Street Bridge. This was my maiden voyage on this East River crossing:

I landed in Manhattan, and then headed West after I took this shot:

I entered Central Park @ 60th Street:

And got pretty lost circling around the bike paths in Central Park. It's much hillier than I anticipated and surprisingly curvy in there (which is why I got lost), but it was a beautiful day and I needed to ride as much as possible, so I didn't mind.

I passed the Guggenheim while I was lost on the east side (trying to find a west side exit):

I eventually found an exit on the West side and came out at 100th Street. From there, I rode further west to Broadway, then headed south to visit my Dad at work.

I took photos of some of my favorite neon in the city- Broadway, around 89th Street:

And I rode further north to 112th & Broadway to photograph the famous "Tom's Restaurant" (this is the outside shot of the coffee shop that Seinfeld and gang frequent)

I continued further west, riding along side Riverside Drive. I am fairly certain this is Grant's tomb:

I continued further north, making it as far as Riverside Drive and 140th Street:

I drove south through Riverside Park. Being in this park makes you forget you're in Manhattan. It's stunning!

I continued south on the West Side Highway. Here's the Intrepid, parked in the Hudson River:

As I rode past the tow pound, I found some of NY's finest. NYPD horses, that is, parked outside:

I decided to take a tour of the meat packing district where I photographed more incredible neon:

I cut through the West Village and captured more of my favorite neon:

I headed south on 5th Ave so I could see the amazing arch @ Washington Square Park:

I made my way further south, then headed east on Houston. There, I photographed one of my favorite neon signs in all of NYC:

Since I was on Houston, I stopped to photograph the famous Katz's Deli- something I had on my list of things to do this spring:

More glorious neon awaited me inside:

But the best thing in there by far is this spectacular deco water fountain:

After that, I headed for Delancey and made my way over the Williamsburg Bridge to return to Brooklyn. When I got to the Brooklyn side and looked west towards Manhattan, I saw one of the most stunning sunsets I've seen in a while:

I rode around Williamsburg a bit more, to enjoy the sunset before heading home.

At home, I did my best to backtrack my exact route and figure out my mileage. Here's a snapshot of my route:

It came out to 28 miles! I was just shy of 30. The best part was I felt fine last night after the trip. I thought it might hit me today, but it hasn't. I'm not at all sore like I was after the 20 mile trip a few weeks ago. I think it may be because I was careful to stay hydrated yesterday. I drank all 3 bottles of water while I was out and I had my healthy snacks with me, just like I said I would after my last long bike ride.

Next weekend, I plan to do 35 miles because the weekend after that is the big 42 mile tour. I can't believe it, but it's almost here. And even more amazing than that is that I am ready for it!


(My entire set of photos from yesterday's ride can be seen here)