Well when you put it that way...

I have been receiving a lot of flack for my absurd tan-lines, specifically those on my legs. Late-summer, an intervention was set to get me into more "feminine" shorts, in the attempt to make me not look like a "Fit Boy." Cute. I purchased a slew of 5" inseam shorts from Marshalls and Ross (Under $7 a piece FYI) and by my calculations, that inseam is about 0.5" ABOVE my Champ Sys cycling shorts.

It has gotten to the point that if another person scoffs at my tan by saying something witty like "Hey, can't you get shorts to match your tan?" or "Did the tanning bed mess up?" Or "Nice tan lines" i may just have to pop them in the jaw or better yet comment on their "Nice Muffin Top." But that wouldn't be nice.

Upon lamenting my persecution, I received this poignant email from BMc, just another reason why I keep him close by:

It's like this; some people get tattoos because it means something special to them, some people have scars that reveal traumatic experiences they've been through. We have pale kit covered skin and borderline obscene tan lines from spending as much of our time in the saddle as possible. It's a sign of our commitment and shows our perseverance. Other folks just won't and can't understand. Don't take it to heart, wear it like a badge of pride because to those that understand, they know what those tan-lines mean and what it takes to earn'em.