Tower of Babel: The Marathon Man Part 3
Just for kicks, I'm going to try for the vertical marathon at the Swissotel in November this year. No, this ain't the Tower of Babel and climbing all the way to the top won't be easy either. After running two marathons, this is something new to try.In all, there are seventy-three floors and fourteen hundred steps, about a hundred or so people participate in this short but gruelling burst to the top every year. The winner gets to compete in the Empire State Run-Up in New York the following year.
As it stands, the current record in Singapore is seven and a half minutes. Michael, who is a footballer, states that climbing stairs is very different to long-distance running. Stair climbing involves lots of leg power as opposed to the long-term endurance of a marathon.
He says that football would be the better equivalent as it involves short bursts of intensive physical exersion. As I have been working the stair-climber into my gym regimen, it certainly works wonders on your quads and gluts. I'll get a tighter ass and more muscular legs in the process.
I have no doubts that I can make it to the top. But I'd better make sure that I'm not the last guy up there. Judging from the yearly turn-out of participants, the chance of that happening looks rather remote. There's a guy who climbs up the stairs backwards.
posted by Teutoburg @ 3:02 PM
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