Suffering in warm weather beats suffering in cold weather every time.

I went to Los Angeles a couple weeks ago to escape the bitter cold that has enveloped the east coast for what can only be described as one of the coldest winters I can ever remember. Last year was my first year racing bicycles, and I used that fact that I had not competed in anything other than drinking and binge eating for almost two decades prior to account for middling performance. You can't use that excuse in year two, so while I was in LA with my friend Chris we jumped at the chance to have Kyle Kelley from Golden Saddle Cyclery take us on a ride of the hills around Griffith Park and the Hollywood sign. While the photos taken were awe inspiring and the camaraderie unbeatable, one thing remains clear: I cannot climb worth a damn. Having only owned a track bike the past few years before building up my Cyclocross bike, it is clear that I have some major work ahead of me. There's not really much you can do when your HR hits 180, the lactate in your blood thickens to a thick sludge and you simply have to stop and get off the bike. "Just switch to an easier gear" they will say. I was already there. My limits are my limits, and they are simply not good enough at the moment.