Stairclimb dress rehearsal number one...

Well, stairclimb dress rehearsal one is in the books. The real climb is 1,311 steps over 69 floors--our house is only 16 steps, so I have to climb 82 floors to do the same thing. I count down and up as "one", so I actually move my legs 2,624 times. Since half of those are down, I figure it works out about the same--climbing non-stop up is harder, but also only half as many stairs.

Today I climbed in full bunker gear, including my air mask, and carried a backpack with 24 cans of soda in it--this approximates the weight of an airpack. In reality, it is easier to breathe on air, because the SCBA is positive pressure.

The main thought I had about it all (as with last year) was, "Whose bright idea was this anyway?"

What you just can't remember from year to year is how blasted HOT it is in all that gear--the weight and the stairs really aren't the big deal--it's the heat... Today I only wore shorts and t-shirt underneath, and everything was still completely soaked through. The other variable on climb day is the chaos of the stairwell--air alarm bells, cheering, etc. and people passing and being passed.

Anyway, I survived, even though I drank margaritas with Kathryn last night and still have a mild chest cold, so I should be OK for climb day at this rate. Perhaps next year I'll be at a more ideal weight for my height (185#, 20# less than I weigh now), and the airpack will be a freebie.

Madness. Two weeks to go.