On Sunday, I woke up at 6 a.m. and headed to Riverside Park and 79th Street. Why? To watch a good friend take on her second triathalon. I was supporting her and 3,000 other participants. I hate getting up early for anything, but once the sun hit my face and I saw people of all shapes and sizes exit the Hudson River after their mile swim, I was wide awake. Our support group actually saw our friend speed by on her bike for the 40K ride. We then headed to Central Park to watch the last leg of the race and cheer on the runners. Somehow we missed our friend during the 10k race portion, but we cheered for the rest of the participants. What I enjoy about these types of events is the ability to see ordinary people do extraordinary things. We saw elite athletes go by, who were impeccable, but we saw regular people, too, complete a challenge for which they trained for months. We saw people running for charity, for personal goals and in memory of others. The disabled athletes inspired me the most, those missing a leg or arm. One gentleman was running on two prosthetic legs and with an amputated arm. It is my guess that some of the amputees in the triathalon were former military. To see them speed by made me shed a tear as I realized anything one puts their mind to, they can accomplish. In one word, awesome. It was great to feel part of someone else’s accomplishment, cheering them on to reach their goal. I have been on sports teams, and I know that having a cheering section makes the day for myself and the team. I hope our cheering helped others cross the finish line. One tip to anyone traveling — check out what sporting events are going on in the city. It’s a great way to know the terrain and get temporarily involved in a community. It will give you more than just a tourist’s point of view! — Alex Young, vice president and associate publisher