Every winter while i have the time i like to ride to NYC to visit my childhood best friend,Jamie, once or twice. In the past i've done it on a schwinn fixie, a mtn bike, but this year my bike of choice was my Cyclocross rig. I packed my Hydropak borracho with 17lbs of supplies including dress cloths since the plan was to have a dinner out with his folks at a fancy vegan gourmet place, then ride in the palisades area the next morning. This was Thurs morning and the ride was already going to be a challenge with 50mph gusts as mostly a tail wind but sometimes a non helpful crosswind. i made it about 1 mile and got a flat thanks to the slobs that work for hains and kibblehouse leaving the shoulder a wreck along 248. The rest of the ride was uneventful only having to cyclocross through one persons yard to avoid down wires and a tree. I was to the other side by the time the cop got out of his car to stop me. Who new those barriers in cross racing would pay off. I was making great time and got to newark in under 4 hours. Did a Time trial through there and up Jersey City, crossing the G.W.bridge making it into Harlem in just over 5 hours. Now the story gets interesting. I called Jamie to ask where to meet and he said he was still in brooklyn puking but would be leaving soon. so i took the greenway along the hudson down to 14th and started to track him down. It took 1.5 hour from the time i crossed the g.w. bridge to find him due to him being a little flakey on his directions giving me intersection names that never intersect , only parallel. what a db! At this point i have 120+ miles and getting real hungry since i was saving my appitite for dinner and only had a clif bar and gu's for the ride. I finally find the Whole Foods store where he was waiting and made the call to say i'm here only to have a security guard answer his phone to tell me Jamie is passed out on aisle four. I went up to check out the scene and sure enough he was out of it and barely knew where he was. This is what happens when your sick, dont eat right, don't sleep enough , and try to train for a triathalon at the same time. His blood pressure was way down, and blood suger was down, and couldnt stand on his own. Finally an ambulance had to take him away and i had to get food before i was next to hit the floor. I pretended my best friend was fine and left him for a while to fill my belly at VP2(vegetain Paridise 2) with a seeweed salad and mock soul chicken. ( i would be so fat if i lived in that city) So after dinner i rode to the hospital and hung out in the ER with his family for an hour or so while he got blood work and IV's. This is the most creative way to date that somebody was to avoid riding with me. After finding out he was gonna be released soon I left St Vincent hospital and got to the port authority to catch the 1130pm and last bus back to easton. (BTW avoid a NYC ER at all costs, gross) Got back to easton at 125am and rode home for a 2am arrival time. What a day. DISCLAIMER-- It is not a wise idea to do what i do. My IQ is low, my energy level is high, my pepper spray is full ,my spandex are tight, and best of all my knife is sharp.
