Small victories = big steps (part 1)

I hate climbing.

No., I don't hate climbing. I love climbing. Climbing shows me how much better I've gotten. Climbing is my ultimate test because it's the biggest challenge I've got. Climbing is my meter, because I get to see how good I am compared to others who don't train or who don't get out very often.

I hate training.

No damn way. I love training. A wise cycling philosopher, whose name is Bobby Julich, pointed out that even a bad day on the bike was still a helluva lot better than being stuck inside on a good day.

I hate cold weather.

There's nobody out here today, just me and Buje. No clubs, few cars, just lots of cows and sheep and patches of green which have been slightly frosted by the snow. The Cerro de San Pedro is partially shrouded by clouds which have left long, thick streaks of white in the breaks of the granite. The climb is not that big, really; it's a Cat 3 climb, 204 metres over 8 kilometres, just enough to give us a lovely view of the Guadalix River valley - a view that would be spectacular if we could see the sierra, to boot. A singular landscape, as the Spanish would say. I cleared that climb in just over half an hour, and I know that I can do better. I look forward to doing so.