My Nemesis: The Sun

As I learned with Coetzee and Jeanne in the rainforest just outside Rio, I don't mind being wet, so long as I'm not cold. And I don't even mind being a little bit cold. But I can't stand being too hot. After several weeks at altitude in July, I know why: the sun is trying to kill me. Steep climbs and endless switchbacks are no problem--unless the sun is blazing down, in which case I'm pretty much pulp in less than two hours. I'm much happier tramping along in the cool rain for 6 hours than being in the midday sun for 20 minutes. Not sure how to account for it genetically, since I'm pretty sure my ancestors spent plenty of time in the sun and heat--but my mom is definitely more of a penguin and I think she passed that on to me.

The clouds, wind, and rain are my allies. The sun is my nemesis.