From Flight To Floor

On Sunday, February 22nd, I climbed 56 flights of stairs to benefit the American Lung Association. It was my 5th year participating in the Fight For Air Climb Denver. Practice climbs were offered, but I did not take advantage of them, nor did I do any other training. My motivation for doing such a crazy thing? My mama. She passed away on October 3, 2013 from heart and lung complications. She couldn't even climb 1/2 a flight of stairs from her front door to the living room of her split level home without being out of breath or stopping half way to catch her breath. Our team, Breathe In Peace, raised over $1,300 this year for the American Lung Association. 

After the climb, I felt like my lungs were bleeding. My thighs were a little sore, my calves a little sore and I felt like something in my hip needed to pop. I should have trained. 

Later that day I fell. Not just a little fall, but a big slip down the stairs fall. The fall was partly due to my clumsiness but mostly due to the snow and slick conditions on a hard surfaced stair case. I landed right on my bum and hit a few odd ball spots along the way...my elbow...the top of my right hip. The force of landing on my bum shot jolted a pain straight to my head. I took some ibuprofen (cause my mama always said that would make me feel better). 

By the end of the day I couldn't decide if my aches and pains were a result of climbing 56 flights of stairs or falling down the stairs. I am getting older...33 years old to be exact, but I am also out of shape and heavier than I have been in the past three years. I think it's time for a change.