I’ve been preparing for the Empire State Ride for a couple of months now, and if I’m being honest, this ride is way outside my comfort zone.
The Empire State Ride is a seven-day cycling event from Staten Island to Niagara Falls, all to raise money for cancer research at Roswell Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. It’s a big ride. A really big ride. And while I love being active and taking on endurance challenges, cycling has never been the sport in which I feel strongest.
I’m more of a cruiser.
I’m happiest riding at a comfortable pace between 13 – 15 miles per hour, taking in the scenery and settling into a rhythm that feels steady and manageable. So signing up for this event was not about doing something easy. It was about doing something that would push me, excite me, and force me to grow.
And that’s exactly what it’s doing.
Why I Signed Up for the Empire State Ride
Sometimes, we need to say yes to things that scare us a little.
That’s what this ride felt like from the start. I knew it would challenge me physically and mentally. I knew it would require commitment. I also knew that training for a seven-day ride would demand far more from me than just showing up with a bike and hoping for the best.
But I also knew this: the cause matters.
The money raised through the Empire State Ride goes directly toward cancer research at Roswell Comprehensive Cancer Center. That gave this whole experience a deeper meaning. This wasn’t just about seeing whether I could do a long-distance cycling event. It was about being part of something bigger than myself.
To participate, I needed to raise $3,500. I put in about $500 of my own money, and the rest came from generous friends, family members, and business associates. I am truly grateful for every donation, every message of support, and every person who believed in me enough to help me get to the starting line.
That kind of support stays with you. It reminds you that even when an event feels personal, you’re not doing it alone. (I have a list of people I will be riding for!)
How I’ve Been Training for the Empire State Ride
Training has been an interesting mix of structure and improvisation.
The Empire State Ride provides a training plan, which is helpful, especially for an event of this size. At the same time, I also use TriDot, so I’ve been trying to balance both and create a training schedule that works for me. Some days feel smooth. Other days, it feels like I’m piecing together a puzzle.
Still, I’ve been showing up.
I’ve been signing up for organized rides, building mileage, and trying to get more comfortable spending long hours in the saddle. For me, this process isn’t just about fitness. It’s also about confidence. It’s about proving to myself that I can handle more than I think I can.
One of those training rides was the Orient Point North Fork ride out east. I signed up for the 70-mile route, not the full century, and it turned out to be one of the most eye-opening training days I’ve had so far.
The Orient Point North Fork 70-Mile Ride
I was fully prepared to do this ride alone.
I sent the information to two of my training buddies. One was overseas, and the other, Ray, was on the fence. He finally decided to do it, and I am so glad he did. The roads were marked, but not especially well, and if I hadn’t downloaded and paid for Ride with GPS, we definitely would have gotten lost.
We left Merrick at 5:30 in the morning. The drive should have taken about an hour and a half, but with bathroom and coffee stops, it was closer to two hours by the time we got there. We parked in the Orient Point parking lot, checked in, got our wristbands and bike bands, and were told to follow the pink markers.
That was the plan, anyway.
We also programmed the app, which turned out to be a very smart move.
At the start, we followed two other riders for a bit, but they broke away pretty quickly. We saw them again at a few of the rest stops, but for most of the day, it felt like Ray and I were out there on our own.
The Rest Stops Deserve Their Own Section
I have to say it: the rest stops were fantastic.
They were set up at miles 15, 30, and 45, give or take, and each one felt like a reward. There were plenty of people there, the volunteers were great, and everything was organized really well.
One stop had pie. Actual pie.
I had a little apple pie and some chocolate milk, and the apple pie was incredible. That was not what I expected on a ride like this, but I was not complaining.
The second stop had Oreos, fruit, and chips. They also had two big bottles of Gatorade. Here’s where things got interesting. I poured some into a cup and took a big swig, not realizing it was concentrate.
It was so sweet I thought I was going to throw up.
The people around the woman behind the table all looked at me and said, “Oh my God, that’s concentrate! You have to mix it with water.”
Oops.
So yes, I accidentally drank straight Gatorade concentrate. Not recommended.
The last stop had pizza, which was another pleasant surprise. Also worth mentioning: the bathrooms, including the porta-potties, were clean. If you’ve done enough endurance events, you know that matters. I was really impressed with the organization, the food, and the overall setup.
Beautiful Views, Tough Roads
The ride itself was beautiful.
We rode past vineyards, farms, little towns, and villages. There were stretches where the water was so clear and so beautifully colored that it looked almost like the Caribbean. That part was breathtaking. It reminded me why I love endurance sports in the first place. You get to see places in such a different way when you move through them mile by mile.
But it wasn’t all peaceful views and picture-perfect roads.
At times, we were on main roads with cars flying by at 60 miles per hour, which was more than a little unnerving. There was also a lot of debris on the road. Pebbles were popping up, things were getting into my eyes, and I had to stay alert the whole time. The route had nearly 1,500 feet of elevation, and while the hills weren’t steep, they were constant enough at times to wear you down.
They were the kind of rolling hills that quietly chip away at your energy.
Mile 50: Where the Mental Game Kicked In
By mile 50, I started to feel it.
Actually, I really started to feel it.
I was lagging behind Ray. I was tired. My butt hurt me. My legs were fatigued. And then, like clockwork, my brain started going into all the dark places.
How am I going to do this for seven days?
Am I going to be riding mostly alone?
What if I get a flat tire?
What if my phone dies and I don’t know where I’m supposed to go?
That’s the thing about endurance training. It’s never just about your body. At some point, it becomes a conversation with your mind. And sometimes that conversation is not especially kind.
That stretch reminded me that self-doubt can show up fast when you’re already physically drained. It doesn’t take much. A few hard miles, a little isolation, some fatigue, and suddenly you’re questioning the whole plan.
But the thoughts are not the truth.
They’re just thoughts.
The Final Miles and the Headwind
The last few miles were tough.
When we were about three miles away from the finish, we hit a section with a brutal headwind. I was riding around 9 miles per hour into it. If I drafted behind Ray, I could get up to 12, but I couldn’t hold that pace for long. I was cooked.
In the end, I averaged just over 13 miles per hour, which some might find slow.
I don’t.
That was my ride. That was my effort. And I’m proud of it. Plus, between the traffic, the bumpy and cut-up roads, and the traffic signs, it was very slow going at times.
Although the ride was hard, I still enjoyed it. I took in the scenery. I appreciated the beauty around me. I stayed in it, even when it got uncomfortable. And maybe that’s the real point of all this training.
What This Ride Taught Me About Empire State Ride Training
This 70-mile ride taught me a lot.
First, I can do hard things, even when I don’t feel especially strong. Second, preparation matters. Having Ray there mattered. Having GPS mattered. Choosing these training rides matters. And third, the mental side of training may be the biggest challenge of all.
The Empire State Ride is still a huge undertaking. I still have moments where I wonder how I’m going to handle seven straight days on the bike. I still know I’m not the fastest rider out there. But I also know this: I signed up for this because it would stretch me.
And it is.
That doesn’t mean every mile feels great. It means I’m learning how to keep going anyway.
Final Thoughts
If I had to sum up this part of my Empire State Ride training journey, here’s what I’d say:
- I signed up because I wanted to step outside my comfort zone.
- I’m deeply grateful to everyone who helped me reach my fundraising goal.
- The 70-mile Orient Point ride tested me physically and mentally.
- The doubts showed up, but so did the beauty, the support, and the joy of simply being out there.
- I’m not trying to be the fastest cyclist. I’m trying to become a stronger one.
And right now, that feels like enough.
Next up: more training, more miles, and more chances to remind myself why I said yes in the first place.