Casual followers of the THW site and Instagram feed may have begun to notice that the NYC racing scene has a certain rhythm to it, a predictable pattern involving several rites of passage. There are the Tuesday- and Thursday-night race series' at Floyd, the weekend Central Park and Prospect Park races that require inhumane wake-up times of 3:30 or 4:00am. There's also Thursday nights at Rockleigh, a crit series held just over the George Washington Bridge in Rockleigh, NJ.

After four long days at the office, you can unwind by facing off against your friends (and cycling-specific 'frenemies'). My work schedule is hectic and it's generally difficult for me to make this mid-week race, but here I was, kitted-up and ready to ride, excited about finally having my first opportunity to make it across the bridge.

As I was heading out, the rain started coming in sheets and I was certain the race was in jeopardy. Or at least, I wasn't really up for racing a fast crit in the rain and risking a crash, especially with bigger season goals like Cascade and Green Mountain on the horizon.

So I met up with Daghan at the GWB, and even though racing was out of the question, he and I decided to make the most out of the night and get some training in along 9W. We headed north toward Piermont. Furiously trading pulls, we crossed the State line at record pace.

Even though we didn't make it to Rockleigh, soaked in rain and sweat all the same, we certainly had our own race. Toward the end of the ride, after the onslaught of rain and thunder, the sun appeared, as if Mother Nature was smiling upon our effort approvingly. Perfect conditions to finish things off with a few laps in Central Park with some teammates.

Photos from THW's Daghan Perker: