STAIRS!!!!
Yup, no miles...none :) Today's challenge was a new one. Rossy talked me into participating in the Fight for Air Climb at the Wells-Fargo building on his team. I guess it was a team of people that worked for Wells Fargo...I got in on a technicality that I am a Wells Fargo CUSTOMER and pay their salaries! :)
Either way, Rossy just called me "The Ringer". When he first mentioned it, I thought "HA! I can barely walk up my stairs without getting winded and my legs burning, no way could I do 24 flights multiple times!" But, then Rossy knew exactly what to say to me "The women's record is 30 ascents, with all the running you've been doing you could easily challenge that." How can I resist a challenge like that?!? I mean really...have you met me? :) So, I signed up and decided to give it a whirl! Why not? What do I have to lose? It will give me killer climbing legs for hills and since that is all the Newton's run lately, I'm in!
We had 6 hours....6 hours. I haven't even run for 6 hours straight before, how was I going to climb that long? I played a lot of head games with myself, but figured I'd put up a high goal and then just go get it! So, I set my sights on 33 ascents for my 33rd year! Breaking the record and getting a nice round number. Rossy said each trip was a quarter mile...straight up. That put it into perspective for me :) Someday, I might even figure out the amount of vert I got in!
We started just after 6AM and my first trip up I got locked IN the stairwell :) We get to take the elevator down, but the guys who had busted a move to the top the first time didn't leave the door open. One other girl and myself were stuck. We went down to about 15 before we saw the guys on their way back up. I decided to head back up at that point, but she continued down. After that one snafu (which I didn't count in my 'official' total), it was nothing up climb UP the stairs, walk to the elevator, ride down, go outside for the 15 foot walk to the stairwell entrance (oh, how I cherished that quick cool down!) and then climb back up. For six straight hours. I never took a break. I was set on that goal! Plus, the ride down gives you a chance to refuel and to recover cardio enough that you think it was fun and you want to do it again! Crazy!!
The volunteers were amazing! The first hour it was just us 10ish people climbing the stairwell, but by 7 or 8 there were more and more people. The volunteers were on the landing every 5-10 floors and so I started being their entertainment. I had gotten used to signing with my ipod (yes, tacky...I know!) while I was ALONE, but then they kept just popping up all over. So, I made a quick bond with them and would sing and dance for them :) They loved it and cheered me on every time! I mean...breathless, off-key singing?!? I AM almost as good as Beyonce :) I just need a little more shake to my dance moves. I looked forward to seeing each of them! They really kept me going.
The guys at the door on the outside of the stairwell were amazing too! Each time I'd come by I'd say some clever thing them "....one more time!" Toward the end (11ish) they finally weren't sure whether to really believe me or not :) I just never stopped! One time I grabbed a coke out of my bag (I am NOT a soda drinker, but when I'm on a long run, there is nothing more I like than a shot of flat coke! So, I brought one here as my alternate fuel :) ), and said "can you hold this for me?" "sure!" "okay, I'll be right back!" and I ran off up the stairs. I left the chuckling and laughing at that door more times than I can count. Totally made each trip worth it! I've never been in a race with such amazing volunteers! They seriously made this race for me.
There was a group of 3 guys that had Wasatch 100 shirts on and they were killer climbers! They did 2 stairs every step (I told them they were cheating, because they were missing half the stairs so they had to do double!) and were just machines! I always looked forward to them lapping me. I know that sounds dumb, but I knew that we all shared the same crazy! They are just more so :) One time I was at 21ish when I saw/heard them coming. I picked it up! They nearly caught me at 23 and I said "I can't be demoralized ONE more time and let you pass me!" Then I ran up the last flight. Of course we all took the same elevator down, but we all got a good laugh out of it.
The morning started dark and clear and the view from the top was breath taking! A few short hours later there was zero visibility and the view was gone. I felt bad for all my running peeps out in the blizzard and was happy to have an excuse to stay inside :)
I DID finally accomplish my goal and hit 33!! Everyone cheered me on when I got to 30 to tie the record, then I took a few victory laps :) Only problem was...I still had over an hour left to climb! So, I kept on climbing. I made it to 40 ascents. Taking the women's record and obliterating it! Felt good to come through as The Ringer! :) I climbed till the bitter end and actually my 40th trip up they had just unplugged the bottom counter, but the top one was still on! So, I don't know if it was official or not, but I figured with the snafu at the first I get those extra few minutes.
It was amazing to see ALL the people, young, old, fit, working on it...all climbing for a cause! Some were fast climbers and others just stuck to it! I got a few ascents never being passed, but I also got passed quite a few times too. Rossy was killing it! He always seemed to get 3 or 4 climbs in for each time I saw him. Met some really neat people and watched those 3 Wasatch 100 guys blow the men's record of 42! They hit 47 (I think) ascents. Wow. I'm telling you...I might just have to train for this one next year :) Now, I finally have a title to defend!!!
I went past lots of cameras, but never got my debut :( I checked all the stations that ran stories on the climb and I didn't make any of their cuts. Stink. So, I have no pictures. I know there was a lady from Rossy's team taking pics, so I might get one of those to post. Overall, this was amazing. I feel great! My hip hurts from turning right over and over and over again! But, other than that it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. Next year, I think we should organize a FRB team and show these people what athletes can do!!!
40 ascents in 6:00:00 and with Rossy's calculation of .25/ascent I put the race as 10 miles. Too much vert to compute :)
