Monarch Pass and sunshine.

I am very vain.  I’m constantly concerned with maintaining my appearance and thus, this week, since I am a roadie, I am highly invested in upholding my appearance as a roadie.  I wear my bike shoes into coffee shops, obsess about hydration, the pros and cons of various nutritional aides, and ardently discuss wheelsets. I’m also highly concerned with my tan lines.  It is of vital importance that I wear my shorts and jerseys whenever the sun is shining and keep my gloves on for as long as possible, so as to preserve that pasty white hand look typical of those who spend hours in the saddle.

So, upon waking up this morning, I looked out the window, saw the sun shining, and immediately thought – “Oh! What a beautiful day to work on my tanlines.”  I dressed accordingly and set out on my bike, painfully unaware of the fact that the temperature was only barely 40 degrees…   As people passed my they commented, “My, you must be cold!”  I could only think to myself, “Yeah, but at least I’m tanner than you…”

Thankfully for me, the temperature matched my expectations by the time I reached the base of Monarch Pass, and the sky was without a cloud and the weather truly spectacular.  The climb up Monarch is a formidable 9 mile haul, flanked by aspens and evergreens, providing sweeping views of the surrounding 14ers and the Gunnison Valley. Riders chugged up the winding road like ants, made minuscule next to the picturesque mountains rising in the distance.

Fueled by a breakfast burrito and a pack of cliff blocks, I literally rocketed up the climb.  While my training (or lack there of) seemed woefully inept when it came to the flats and distances, my quick trips up the canyons had clearly paid off.  I felt incredible, passing at least 200 riders on my way up… only to get to the top of the pass, click out of my cleats, set my foot on the ground, and promptly slip and fall directly on top of a pile of safety cones.  Hey, I guess we can’t win them all.   But at least I’m tanner than you.