I'll take the stairs

Every year Seattle holds Big Climb. Participants climb 69 stories to get to the top of the Columbia Tower, the tallest building in the city. I've wanted to do this event for years, but I have this strange knack of finding out about it the week after it happens. This year, I planned ahead and put a reminder on my calendar.

It was an interesting event. In most ways, it is ran like a 5k. A local radio station was there, free samples of health food was given away, and we got race numbers. But once the event got started it was a completely different experience. First, you are indoors. Second the stairwell is dark and very narrow with just enough space for faster climbers to pass. Third, your pacing is different. With running, you can run slower to catch you breath, but with stairs, even just walking up them can get draining very quickly. It was funny to see so many people jog past me in the beginning, but finish after me because I never stopped. Supposedly firefighters train to run the distance in full protective gear. That's impressive!