It was a beautiful, sunny day in New York City as I rode my bike into Central Park. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, pumping my legs hard to work up speed, excited to join the flow of other cyclists I expected to see on the six-mile loop road.

But when I arrived, my mood plummeted. The road was filled with runners in a race while the cyclists were relegated to a single lane. I slowed down, annoyed, as I made my way onto the bike lane.

Soon, though, my mood lifted: the cycling wasn't as slow as I had feared. I picked up my pace and got back into a rhythm, feeling my pedal strokes and paying attention to my breath.

"Anyone who wants a high five, just let me know," yelled one of several race volunteers who were standing along the boundary between the runners and the cyclists. Their job was to protect and cheer on the racers. I couldn't help but smile, thinking what organizations would be like if there were designated cheerers offering high fives to anyone who asked.

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