Today’s workout plan for SJV (friend, regular training partner, and stairclimb teammate) and me was to run and climb.  It was her first day on the stairs and based on my report from last week she was excited to climb; a little adrenalized.  We decided to skip the run, go right to the stairs so she could determine her base time. 

Floor 3, she started to hold the handrails.  Floor 8, her legs started to burn.  At floor 12 she announce that she was going to “try” to make it to 20.  She made the top.  I could hear her lungs screaming at me.  I was part thrilled that she felt as miserable as I did during my first climb, and part relieved that her asthma didn’t get the best of her.  Like me, I think she was a little awed that she was as sweaty, breathless, and uncomfortable.  Have we nothing to show for the years of distance training?

I felt as if I were having a better climb this week.  Although I tapped the rail early in the game, I spent the majority of the time with my hands by my side.  I was a little happier.  I actually spoke to the two people I encountered in the stairwell.  At floor 42 I checked my watch:  nine seconds faster than last week.  Nine seconds; not a ton of time, but an improvement.  Nine seconds; I’ll take it.  Nine seconds; about 6 more full breaths.  I stood at the top for exactly 72 breaths…I didn’t time it…until my heart rate went from 162 to 99…and then descended.  No knee pain, no dizziness from circling.   

Climb time:  10:11.  Descend time:  8:20 (a minute faster).  And then I immediately turned around and started climbing again.  I hit floor 10 and 2:30 (same pace), turned around, and came down again.  Note:  the extra 10 flights was in the plan, but was stirred on by the fact that a woman lay on the floor at the bottom while her friend re-ascended.  Wherever you go, the ego follows…

Nine seconds.  Not a whole lot of time, you know.  But did you ever stop to calculate how much happiness you can put into nine seconds?  Immeasurable…