12 Hour Stair Climb Training

Week #4 

Workout: 4 Hour Stair Climbing Session
Goal: Maintain what I think is my 12 hour pace for 4 hours. Stay under control and on a consistant pace.
Location: Springfield Hilton (32 floors)

Felt really good today. I stayed under control and had real even splits and was really consistant.  I had some support in the stairwell also; Karen Geminatti came out and did 4 hours in the stairwell as well, which helped in keeping me company.

I just took this workout an hour at a time and stayed as consistent as possible.  Once I got a couple climbs under my belt I found my rhythm and actually even hit 4:07 12 times in a row then I even dropped a few seconds each time and even got under 4 on some towards the end. I never crashed or felt overly tired or anything. If anything I felt strong and relaxed and confident as I went on. I know I still have some in me because even after 4 hours of climbing I was able to hit a 2:56. Next week I have 6 hours and that'll be another true test of what it takes to do 12 hours. I figure if I maintain the pace I did for the 4 hours and keep that for another 2, itll put me way ahead of record pace half way through. Then I'll have 6 hours to get in only 13,000 vertical feet. The last 6 Im expecting to get ugly especially by the last 3 hours, so I need to have a buffer for the times Im not feeling good and slowing down and taking maybe longer breaks. At least thats the plan. There is still a lot of unknowns when it comes to climbing stairs for 12 hours.
***Food intake seems to be working well also. Keep on keeping on.

Totals:
40 times in 4 hours (Average of 10 per hour)
13,300 vertical feet in 4 hours
21,280 steps in 4 hours


Splits:

4:13
4:08
4:08
4:08
4:08
4:07
4:07
4:07
4:07
4:07
----
4:07
4:07
4:07
4:07
4:07
4:07
4:07
4:04
4:06
4:06
----
4:05
4:07
4:03
4:04
4:05
4:05
4:04
4:03
4:03
4:02
----
4:02
4:00
4:00
4:03
3:58
4:01
3:59
4:00
3:58
2:54

12 Hour Stair Climb Training

Week #3

Workout: 3 Hour Stair Climb
Goal: Initially the goal was to ride 100 miles on the bike then finish with an hour of stairs. It was down pouring and lightning out so I decided to just do 3 hours of stairs.
Location: Springfield Hilton (32 floors)

Felt pretty good. I felt under control and never bonked which is a good sign at 3 hours. Got in 30 times in 3 hours today. Elevators werent to  bad either. Had a lady ask me if I was that crazy stair climber guy who wins here (Hilton) all the time. I replied Yes, lol. Kinda cool, Im making a name for myself, the crazy guy. Physically I went into this workout kind of feeling foggy from Friday nights festivities still messing with me. Mentally I stayed tough and never lost it. My splits were right on as well.  I stayed hydrated and ate a couple granola bars and 1 Gu, and Gatorade, and pieces of watermelon throughout the workout. Seemed to sit fine and help.  This workout puts me on pace to break the record and then some. I figured if I average 10 times up and hour that'll give me some room to spare for the times I use the restroom or use more time to eat or if I just crash. 

Totals:
30 times in 3 hours
9,975 vertical feet climbed in 3 hours
15, 960 steps


Splits:
*Goal was to stay consistant, and I believe I achieved that. I even had enough in the tank to go sub 3 on the last one.

Hour 1               Hour 2                Hour 3
1.) 4:20             11.) 4:06             21.) 3:59
2.) 4:11             12.) 4:00             22.) 4:01
3.) 4:07             13.) 4:06             23.) 4:06
4.) 4:09             14.) 4:06             24.) 4:04
5.) 4:05             15.) 4:05             25.) 4:00
6.) 4:07             16.) 4:02             26.) 4:04
7.) 4:09             17.) 4:05             27.) 4:04
8.) 4:09             18.) 4:07             28.) 4:04
9.) 4:08             19.) 4:05             29.) 4:04
10.) 4:04           20.) 4:04             30.) 2:58
10 x's                  10 x's                 10 x's

12 Hour Stair Climb World Record Attempt

Fundraising Page for my 12 Hour Stair Climb World Record Attempt is up and running.

If you would like to donate towards this event and great cause just follow this link. Every bit counts.

Thanks

Link:

http://action.lung.org/site/TR/Climb/ALAUM_Upper_Midwest?px=4367504&pg=personal&fr_id=8380

12 Hour Stair Climb Training

12 Hour Stair Climb Training 

Week #2

Workout: 2 Hour Stair Climb
Goal: Stay at a nice comfortable pace I think I can carry for 12 hours, for two hours. 
Location: Springfield Hilton (32 floors)

With only 12 weeks to go until the big event I put in a 2 hour stair climb workout to start increasing my long climb.  2 hours is the longest climb sessions Ive done and Ive only done that 3 times, once in San Diego for the Towerthon and the other two times at the Hilton as practice climbs. A 2 hour climbing sessions is tough both mentally and physically but Im to the point where I feel I can manage it pretty easily without and drastic fatigue. My next test will be a century bike ride (100miles) then following that up with an hour climb at the Hilton. I am doing this to fatigue the legs and then climb an hour on tired legs. Ive done numerous century rides in the past and there is no way around it, Im tired. In two weeks Ill up it to 4 hours and I feel that will be a true test of how Ill feel. Im curious how I am going to feel around 3 hours of effort once I start tapping into my reserves fuel wise. I equate it to the 22 mile mark in the marathon where you have used your bodies fuel sources up and the crash comes. Stairs are obviously different that running but thats why Im slowly increasing my long climb to where that wall is.

*** Elevators where pretty slow in the second hour, ran into a lot of people but it made for good conversation to break up the time and take my mind off of what I was doing. People always see me in the elevator sweating and catching my breath and leaning on a wall and always as me, "You just get done running?" No Im climbing the stairs. Which results in an always odd look like Im crazy. One lady who was heading down stairs to workout out in the hotel gym asked me where the gym was and she said Ill follow you. I told her I was climbing the stairs. You're doing what. I told her she should try it but she was a no go.

Again, I know I need average at least 9 x's an hour for 12 hours, 9x12=108 plus those few extra climbs that I squeeze in with the extra minutes at the end of every hour. If I can get 10-11 times in each of these hour sessions with a longer elevator I believe I can accomplish an average of 9 x's an hour because I know there will be some hours where I fall of pace from fatigue so I am planning for that. Ill be ready thought as best I can.

Anyway here are my splits for today:

Splits:  
Average splits for the 2nd hour where faster but the elevators were slower.
Hour #1            Hour #2     
1.)  4:10             12.)  3:56
2.)  4:06             13.)  3:54
3.)  4:03             14.)  3:56
4.)  4:03             15.)  3:58
5.)  4:01             16.)  3:48
6.)  4:02             17.)  3:49
7.)  4:01             18.)  3:49
8.)  3:52             19.)  3:50
9.)  3:50             20.)  3:47
10.)  3:54           21.)  3:37
11.)  3:52            10 x's
11 x's