Beastly Incline

Colorado summers are some of the most spectacular summers in the world and also happen to be a large part of why I continue to live in Colorado Springs. That said, I'm thrilled that summer finally decided to show up. With summer comes outdoor adventure, prolonged daylight, warmth and open windows. It means breaking up with the treadmill for a few months and taking to the trail. It also means hoisting oneself up the Incline.

I wrote about the Incline last January, so I'll spare some of the details this time around. I climbed it Monday for the first time this season, and to my bewilderment, the Incline has become a wildly popular activity. A crossfit group from Denver drove over an hour -- on a holiday -- just to do the Incline. I suppose I should be happy for this, because it means people are challenging themselves to the point of excruciating pain instead of lazying around the pool. Does the word 'masochist' come to mind?

I don't truly hate many things. I hate the Incline. To be fair, I only hate a small section that is between the halfway point and the top. It's that part where you've exhausted your legs and your lungs, and it's just as painful to stop and rest as it is to keep going. Didn't know that was possible. It's irritating because on either side of the railroad ties is thick forest, loose gravel and an impossibly steep slope. No pleasant rest stop with a Gatorade stand. You look up and see railroad ties, you look down and see railroad ties, and that's when you make the decision: you're either going to sit down right there until you die, or you're going to put one foot in front of the other and keep climbing because you know you can. And that's the fun part. The sick, sick, fun part.

After the last step, I turn around and look at what I've just climbed and can almost only see the bottom where the cars are. It's that steep. Then I look around for someone to kiss and celebrate with. No I don't. To get back down, you have two options: back down the Incline, or four miles down Barr Trail. I usually take Barr Trail. It is so exhilarating that I often think my heart will burst if I don't jump off the side of the mountain and sprout wings.

About halfway up when asking myself why we do this to ourselves, the lesson from this video came to mind. This motivational speaker is so motivational that you have to watch to the end to learn the lesson in whole. {warning: i was laughing out loud to myself the entire day following my first viewing}. Inspiration at its finest.

You Can Do Anything