Skyscraper run 2009
CONGRATULATIONS MAUREEN!
The Skyscraper Vertical Mile
I wanted to send a
thank you to all of
you that sponsored
me for the Vertical
Mile. I raised just
under $11,000 for
Hope With Heart and
the American Lung
Association. 19
people stepped up to
the 16,380 step
challenge. (10
times up and down 45
flights plus 8
flights and 6 steps
up and down to make
it exactly one mile
up and one mile
down.) 16 of us
finished. I
finished in three
hours and four
minutes. It was
tough. Once I got to
the 7th flight I
knew I could make
it. Based on my
training I would
have bet against me
finishing so I was
thrilled to complete
the whole distance.
They started us at
6:45 am 1 minute
apart and did the 8
flights, 6 steps
first so we passed
each other quite a
bit during the
event. Everyone was
on the stairs 2 1/2
to 3 hours. There
was a lot of
camaraderie
throughout the
event…words of
encouragement from
the folks coming
down (when you could
breath) not so
much talking going
up… just a lot of
grunts, groans and
breathing
hard. Since there
were so few of us we
introduced ourselves
at the start. There
were two firemen,
personal trainers,
several long
distance bikers and
a few marathoners.
Only two had done
the event before
(and they came in
first and second).
In many ways this
was harder than
a marathon for me.
You never get into a
rhythm because of
the “corkscrew” like
stairs and the fact
you are anaerobic
from the 5th floor
on going up. In a
marathon you can at
least breath
normally the whole
distance. (By the
time I reached the
top I couldn’t get
the image from the
movie Alien out of
my head, you know,
when the creature
busts out of the
person. I thought
for sure my heart
was going to leap
right out of my
chest). But your breathing
is completely back
to normal about 10
flights on the way
down. What a thrill
when you make it to
the top the last
time and you
just have to race
down to the bottom
and out the
stairwell! I was
down two minutes
faster than every
other flight.
There is still time
to donate if you are
so inclined:
Make A Donation
Again, a BIG THANK YOU to all that helped send 10 kids to camp this year that would never have had this opportunity without your generosity.
Maureen Gallagher
