Tonight I am racing in a stair climb challenge. According to the brocure, it’s 19 floors, 38 flights, 393 steps. The top male last year did it in 1 minute 42 seconds. The top female did it in 2 minutes 26 seconds. I am hoping to do it in under 2 minutes. But I have no reference point. I have never done anything like this. All my training has been long slow distance, marathon training. This will be a sprint. I am going to wear my heart rate monitor. I am guessing I will max out my heart rate. I may even get a new max heart rate number out of this. My current maximum heart rate is 193. I did that my running intervals on a hill. A couple of my younger co-workers are also running the stairs. I am hoping to keep up with the one, and beat the other. But who knows.
I figure it is only 2 minutes. I can force myself to go all out for 2 minutes. That’s where my karate training comes in. I have had to force myself to keep going maximum effort for longer periods of time than 2 minutes. Sel when I feel my legs begin to slow down, I will try to override them, and keep them going. When my brain is telling it’s okay to slow down, I will ignore it. I will keep going! I will tell myself that I will have the rest of my life to relax after I get to the top of the stairs! It’s only 2 minutes! Full bore! 2 minutes! 
It will be fun!
I just hope I don’t pull a muscle or something! I have been having a bit of tightness in my left leg. I will take some ibuprofen.
I bought a Precor 718e climber machine for $50 on ebay. I picked it yesterday, and got it set up. I used it for a little bit last night, and definately felt it in my lower quads. This machine, I will use at most every other day to give the muscles a chance to rebuild.
I ran some on the treadmill. I wasn’t able to go as long or as hard last night. Maybe because I had already done an hour long Aikido class, and then worked out on the stepper. Or maybe because I cranked the incline to 10. Don’t know.
I also ordered a heart rate monitor. On RMI’s website, under conditioning they say to “keep your training range at 65 to 85% of your maximum heart rate.” But on the treamill, I basically have to step off of the belt, and hold the bar to get a reading. I am not sure how accurate it is. So I ordered a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. This way I can maybe get a more accurate reading while I am actually running. According to the formula for max heart rate, my max heart rate is 177 (220 minus my age of 43). When I was running, the treadmill had my heart rate in the 170s, maybe even has high as 177 or 178. Another formula has my MHR at 180.45 (217 - (0.85 x 43)). So I can’t wait to get the heart rate monitor with the chest strap to see what is happening in there. I find it hard to believe that I was at or near max heart rate as I was able to talk and sing along with my mp3 player was I running on the treadmill. Maybe my max heart rate is higher than what the formula says. I am already in pretty good shape what martial arts classes five days a week. The monitor is supposed to come tomorrow.
I am also looking forward to getting my DVD of Train To Climb Mt Rainier!
I will have to taper off my training a bit until next week, as I am competing in a karate tournament this weekend. I don’t want to be too tired or sore.