The Birthday Bike Ride of The Century

As a birthday gift to myself (my birthday is today), I decided to take on the NYC Century yesterday-- it's the cyclist's version of a marathon. 100 miles of pure bliss and blisters.

That day, we rode a total of 108 miles, which spanned four marvelous Burroughs of New York City: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, and The Bronx. From start to finish, our total ride took 12 hours-- including time for breaks and hydration-- thanks to a two-bottle hydration belt (below) I wore that enabled me to go for long periods without stopping. We rode along the ocean, through various parks, and across concrete bridges.

Before the race, I told friends, coworkers, and colleagues about the century, and I got mixed reactions: "How is that possible?" "Good for you!" "Are you sure you want to do that?" "I couldn't possibly do that myself." "You must have huge legs!" They focused on the idea of riding such a great distance.

However, I prided myself on choosing a goal and sticking with it until the end. It all started in June. I had dinner with a friend from church to celebrate his buying a brand new bike, at which I near-jokingly suggested that we ride 100 miles. Neither of us had done something like this before. We were both trying to get back into shape and lose weight. When we found out about the Century Bike Tour, we set our goal.

Then we trained. and trained. and trained. During our first bike trip around Manhattan, we covered an astonishing 33 miles, followed by a 45-mile trip up to Mount Kisko the following week. Our group grew. Another guy used an iPhone app to track our mileage and speed. I bought my first pair of  bike shorts, which left a stark tan line on my thighs a few weeks before the race. During my lunch break, I sneaked over to the gym for afternoon spin classes to strengthen my legs and keep up my endurance. 

After months of prep, I made it across the finish line at 110th street and Lenox Avenue-- and I wasn't last!

It forces me to reflect on other goals in progress: losing 20 pounds by Christmas, reading 10 books before the New Year, become a doctor. Yes, that medical journey is still in progress and doesn't show signs of stopping. I intend to cross that finish line soon.

"Spring Fever"

I’ve never typed on a plane before...

I’m en route to New York City, after visiting my significant other back in Ann Arbor, Michigan, my former residence. I also visited a few friends, canoed, and copied a few opera CD’s.

My return evoked thoughts and settled uncertainties. In April, when I needed to decide between multiple medical school acceptances, I had the option to stay in Ann Arbor for medical school (and stay with my friends and family), yet I made a difficult decision to leave everything I knew for my current medical school for one overarching reason: New York City. To elucidate this desire, I will share what my friend showed me, a passage from Tom Sawyer Detective that describes “spring fever:”

“It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you've got it, you want--oh, you don't quite know what it is you DO want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so! It seems to you that mainly what you want is to get away; get away from the same old tedious things you're so used to seeing and so tired of, and set something new. That is the idea; you want to go and be a wanderer; you want to go wandering far away to strange countries where everything is mysterious and wonderful and romantic.”

When I first read this, I recognized the symptoms of this “fever” immediately and realized that my move to New York alleviated such ailments. I needed this. Soon, I stopped regretting my move and started to embrace the uncertainty of change.

Speaking of change, it’s time to refocus my attention on the changing confirmations of proteins within the influenza virus before I land and face a long train ride back to Manhattan from Newark.

"vissi d'arte et di medicina"

In 12 hours, I will have survived my first week of medical school!

Most medical schools are infamous for throwing textbooks, journal articles, and exams at first years until they forget about the existence of daylight. Our school, however, deliberately gives us first years an easier first semester in order to allow us to adjust to and enjoy New York City.

Hence, this week, I've taken full advantage of the Metropolitan Opera's Summer in HD festival at the Lincoln Center. They broadcast (in HD) previously recorded productions of world-class quality operas for free at Lincoln Center! I've gone four days in a row and seen Eugene Onegin (by Tchaikovsky), Macbeth (by Verdi), Il Barbiere di Siviglia (by Rossini), and Peter Grimes (by Britton). I've never seen a full opera before this week, and now I've seen four operas in a row. After the first opera I saw on Monday, I went to youtube and watched more opera scenes. I've been smitten. I've found another art form to appreciate and enjoy!

However, the time spent watching operas equals time spent not studying. I thought about tonight when a classmate texted me on my way to see Peter Grimes, "did you do the problem set...," which happened to be due tomorrow. I hadn't, so I'm working on it at 2:30 in the morning. Yes, I sacrificed sleep, but how often does one get to see the opera in high definition for free in New York? For that matter, who gets anything for free in New York?

Biochemistry can wait for culture, especially if it doesn't require money.

Now I must return to the aforementioned problem set, while listening to Leontyne Price's performance of "Vissi d'Arte" from Tosca.