Early this chilly February morning, I joined hundreds of my peers for one of the most exciting biking events that can be experienced in New England. Everything had gone according to plan in the days and nights before: a carefully crafted training regimen with rest days judiciously placed between efforts, healthy servings of carbohydrate-rich pasta for dinner, good hydration, plenty of sleep. I had laid out my plan of attack and reviewed it many times over in my mind's eye. Now it was show time. I rolled up to the line full of nervous anticipation, my heart primed and pumping, my finger on the trigger. At exactly 6:00 am, we were off! It was a mass start and there was much confusion. I got stuck in the middle of a slow moving pack. The lucky few who had managed to jump to the front in the first few seconds could break away at any second. I started having doubts about my chances. I told myself to wait patiently for the right moment. Finally, when things were looking bleak, I saw an opening and gave it everything I had. My training paid off. I was flying and was able to open up a gap. As the line came into sight, I could feel the pack gaining on me. It was going to be close. I shut my eyes for a second, focused on the final effort. When I opened my eyes again, a beautiful sight greeted me on my computer screen: "Approved - Confirmation #..." I had successfully registered for the Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb! By the way, the 600 available spots for this classic August uphill time trial sold out in just over half an hour.

I haven't always been a bike stud (ok, geek). Couch spud would have more accurately described me for most of my adult life. If someone had told me two or three years ago that I would be signing up to do the Mount Washington Hillclimb, I would have referred them to a good medicine man specializing in matters of the head. The fact that, after three short years, I find myself in the cold of February craving a difficult hillclimb more than quality time on the La-Z-Boy is testimony to the Monsters. The club has provided a comfortable social setting that has motivated me to develop my cycling skills. We Spinsters, some of the faster Monsters, share a friendly competitive spirit. We encourage and challenge one another. I look forward to every one of our rides. Ok, so it's not all good. Some of these guys are nuts. Vermont Six-Gap Ride? I don't think so! Well, maybe next year...