I was all set to run today – was going to take baby to the park at the river and watch her swing and slide, then my wife would meet me there and I could do an hour of running / walking.

The thunderclouds had other plans and started dumping on us heavily an hour before we were to go. It ruins slides and swings, but the mountain steps are always great to climb in the rain because otherwise it’s like working out in a sauna – it’s so hot there.

The mountain staircase is different than what most people train on for stair climbing. Climbing down the stairs – some of them 20+ inch drops each, take a toll on the knees and other joints if you don’t do it just right. Doing it just right requires going down rather quickly with legs tensed – like shocks, and absorbing the step.

I’ve climbed down the steps like this – over 1,100,000 steps – and my knees are still in good shape. So, I know this is the way to do it.

I wanted to see if I could do two times up quickly today in succession with only a very small rest at the top and bottom of the hill before continuing. I did it well.

First time up took 13:57. I rested about a minute and started down. I went down in about 9 minutes. I rested about a minute and a half at the bottom – mainly to find a good puddle to wash my feet, bathed in rain and sweat – and then started back up.

Climb number 2 took 15:05, so I made it up twice in just over 29 minutes (of climbing up – not counting climbing down).

It was a hard effort on the second one. The first one was fairly quick, and then to have another one, almost as quick behind it – hurt, but right now sitting at home on the computer – feels SO GREAT.

I love the feeling after a hard workout. So much… It means I won the game again.

Did you have any good workouts lately?

What websites do you read regularly? I’m looking for some good fitness sites to start keeping up with besides all the stair climbing sites I read.

Cheers,

Vern