Here’s the funny thing about cycling: I go out of my way to find the biggest and hardest hills I can, and I start to talk excitedly about how “good” the climbs are. “Good” in this application is taken to mean hard, steep, and long. Then, when I actually ride these “good” climbs, I suffer like a pig and find all I can do is try to keep my lungs from popping out through my eye sockets. I am increasingly certain this can in fact happen.

I found a site called MapMyRide. When I say, “found” what I really mean is “VeloNews posted a Site of the Day which happened to be MapMyRide and I clicked on the link and when the web site loaded, I saw it was cool.” I used a similar technique to “find” the Google on the Internets.

Anyhoochiemama, I played with this site, and it is awesome. I highly recommend that you sign up (free) and use the site even if you don’t ride, but partake in any activity which involves a route, such as walking, hiking, or Embrioing.

Naturally, I mapped the regular training route that Michelle, Jim, and I have painstakingly put together. Since I have obsessive-compulsive disorder, this took about an hour and a half. (I was really freaked out about doubling back on the route since the little green line looked wavy when doubled up, so I redid all the parts of the route that had doubled up sections and made sure the little green line stays neatly on opposite sides of the street in those areas. That was another solid 35 minutes.)

Here’s a screen shot (no, Paris, that is not the same as a money shot):

Coolest part of this tool: there is an elevation option which shows the elevation of the route and displays a neat little profile along the bottom of the map. To my delight and surprise, the little elevation tool told me I’m not a ninny and that the 36km route has a total elevation gain of 1500m (that’s almost a mile, for you Americans out there).

Check the route out here: MapMyRide.com