As of today, it’s been seven weeks since my surgery. I continue to do well in my recovery. Three weeks after surgery, I was able to resume walking two miles at a time. Two weeks after that, I needed to do more, so I incorporated working out at home with my set of five-pound dumbbells. From there, a week later, I was back in the Pilates studio doing the majority of the moves the instructor led us through. Now, I need more.
My body, being trained to push itself hard on a daily basis in order that I can remain active due to several serious injuries I’ve had, is now craving more of a workout. Usually, I’d run four days a week, but I can’t do so right now, and likely won’t be able to take the jarring of running for a bit. Enter my friend and a suggestion that was made to me today.
We were working together to help educate another on how best to begin training to run their first marathon. Ideas were offered as well as personal accountings. Then my friend threw me an unexpected bone by suggesting that I consider competitive stair racing, something they’ve done for two years now.
Competitive stair racing? I’d never heard of it but was oh, so eager to learn more. I sent an email to my friend asking for anything they could enlighten me with. While I waited for a response, I did my own research. And what I found was encouraging.
Since the competitors only run up the stairs, it’s considered a no to low-impact sport. I like this, since I can’t do impact sports right now. And, if the runner trains by placing down their heel first versus their toes, their knees are spared undue stress. This is good, for both my knees have problems. In addition, the time necessary to train for a race is relatively little. Also good, since time is of a premium with me.
Since as long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed going up stairs two at a time, increasing my speed and challenging myself to get to the top without having increased my breathing—at all. You might call it a little challenge I like to offer myself whenever faced with a flight or more of stairs. A year and a half ago, my family and I were in Laguna where I challenged myself to see how many times I could run up and down a set of winding staircases the climbed up the side of a mighty cliff. For fun, I did this for over twenty minutes without stopping. My family thought I was crazy. Me? I felt invigorated, like I could do it all day. Of course, the following day, I was sore, really sore, but with the proper training, what I did that day would equate to the number of stories the big stair climbing competitions take place in. And…in the competitions, all the steps are of equal height, while the ones I did on the cliff were of varying heights and made out of different materials.
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