Max and I were practicing our game faces before the stair climb.
Overview
This past Saturday I drove down to Hartford, CT for a stair climb hosted by the American Lung Association. I placed 14th with a time of 4:50 for 35 flights. The winning time was 3:17 by Alex Workman, with Sproule Love close behind at 3:19. I hope to soon be closer to their level of performance.
Learning the Pace
This was my 4th stair climb and the 2nd that I’ve trained for. While my last serious stair climb, Boston, was marked by starting too fast, the Hartford climb was marked by playing it too safe.
My climb started at the pace of a brisk walk. Within 5 stories, I was really able to get into a groove. My lungs and legs hurt, but the pain was steady – I knew I wasn’t risking a burnout. At the 30th floor I continued to play it safe and stick to my pace. Soon after the 30th floor I was surprised to hear a volunteer yell, “One more floor!” When I started sprinting at 100% effort, my body switched its fuel source from aerobic to anaerobic and my shortness of breath completely disappeared. My anaerobic system had been well preserved by my conservative pace and I was able to run up the stairs 3 at a time with power to spare.
Lesson learned: I should have started sprinting sooner – probably around the 30th floor. This race was a learning experience for me. Racing up 35 stories is a unique challenge and I’m at the early stages of learning how my body responds to that challenge.
Training and Stair Climb Proxies
Since training on actual stairs isn’t convenient for me, I’ve been searching for a simple exercise that is an accurate proxy for stair climbing.
So far I’ve experimented with 1) running fast – with specific focus on the 200m, 400m, 600m, and mile – and 2) bodyweight squat jumps – doing the most in 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, and 4:00. For their convenience, running and squats can’t be beat, though I haven’t found them to be an effective proxy for stair climbing.
One week before the Hartford climb, I had a great workout. It represents my current level of fitness at ~90% effort. Less than 5 minutes rest between sets.
- Warm up mile
- 5:29 mile
- 5:00 inclined walk/jog (2:00 at 4.8 mph on max. incline)
- 5:00 step-ups on 16″ platform holding two 20lbs dumbbells
- 4:00 squats with 60lbs barbell (80 reps)
While this workout is impressive in its own right, it never simulated the aerobic demands of a stair climb. Since I never felt the total body weakness and oxygen debt that stair climbs are known for, this workout couldn’t have been a good proxy for stair climb fitness. So my search for a good proxy workout continues.