During our 16 miles and 6,000 vertical feet together, Gorgonio threw some good punches. First it tried to get me with an achy left hip flexor followed by my own tears as I pondered whether or not this was a result of my age. My present for my 31 ½ birthday is achy hips?

Then it threw another punch and hit my right hip flexor which almost immediately made the pain in the left hip flexor disappear, followed by more tears because dammit now it’s the right hip flexor! What the hell? Gorgonio didn’t stop there. Next it soaked my hiking boots and socks with snow that should have melted a month ago and then tried to knock me over with 40 mph winds at the summit. On the way down, it put some rocks and pine cones right in my path causing me to trip and took one last attempt at the right hip flexor. Sharp pains went shooting down my leg and up into my hip, taking my breath with it. The good news is, I didn’t let it stop me. I said, while limping down the remaining 2,000 feet “I am totally tougher than you Gorgonio. And guess what, my Mom says, ‘no pain, no gain’ so you throw out the pain and I will gain, gain, gain. Go on, is that all you got?”  It worked. I did it. I limped to the car laughing with a huge smile on my face and then ate about 1500 calories worth of Chipotle. Yes thank you, I would like to pay $2 for a scoop of guacamole.