The long journey to the top of Mt Lemmon in Tucson, Arizona is part of my regular training regimen. I love doing my Wednesday morning ride with some of the best cyclists in town up Lemmon and we usually do some interval work. I hate turning around before I reach the summit of Mt. Lemmon. Every time I turn around early I feel like the Mountain got the best of me for the day. While I can't always find the time to make the 84 mile round trip ride (from where I live in Tucson), this past winter I never once started a climb I didn't finish. The actual climb of the mountain is about 25-27 miles depending if you go to Summer Haven or Ski Resort. It takes about 2 hours to make it to the top at a good pace depending on the wind. There is often snow at the top during the winter and spring. I prefer to do my intervals at the bottom of the mountain because the top is close to 8300 feet elevation so it gets tough to breathe up there. On the way up, I think about a variety of things, but one of the things I always think about is the food at the top of the mountain in Summerhaven. There are three food places in Summerhave: a General Store with Homemade Fudge, Mt. Lemmon Cafe with great pie, and the Cookie Cabin with huge cookies and homemade pizza. This year, I was stuck on the Cookie Cabin and fell in love with the Pumpkin Spice and Rachel (Oatmeal, Coconut, Macademia) Cookies washed down with some Sioux City Sarsaparilla. The thought of the scrumptious food at the top of the mountain is what fuels my desire to keep pedalling to the top. The journey is never the same unless you have some plan for something great along the way. These goals (like cookies) are what keeps me on track during my training. I allow myself to eat pretty much anything I want while I am training, so Mt. Lemmon is a great excuse for me to get in some great snacks. It is all about the journey and if you have ever climbed Mt. Lemmon you know what I am talking about. The views are amazing and you experience such vast and different climates and scenery as you climb. But what is a rainbow without the thought of the pot of gold at the end? So if you climb Mt. Lemmon you get to experience the rainbow and get the pot of gold at the top of the mountain. This actual fuel (cookies and root beer) is how I make it back down the mountain and if I am I feeling extra lucky on the rainbow ride back into town, I may even stop at the Gelato shoppe, Frost, for a peanut butter banana Gelato. Yes it is all about the journey, and make sure your journey is as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. There is always great fulfillment when you set out to accomplish something and actually finish it, but there is even more fulfillment if you can stop at the top of the mountain and get a cookie on the way. And who knows, maybe you can even get some Gelato at the bottom.