I Love a Good Action Shot!

There are professional photographers at many of the stair races I do. And I got my hands on the pictures from my most recent race, in San Francisco!

There are often photographers at the starting line or finish line, but my favorite is when they’re

My Race on Saturday Was a BIG Success… But It Marks an Absolutely ENORMOUS Milestone! (2017 Los Angeles Fight For Air Race Recap)

The 10th annual Los Angeles Fight For Air Climb was on Saturday, and I was ready to go. I even had my personal mantra written on my arm.

The ‘PR’ stands for personal record, and the ‘ER’ stands for emergency room. And since I had no intention of going to the ER, my only choice was to accomplish the personal record. And how would I do that? By climbing the third-tallest building in Los Angeles faster than I’ve ever climbed it before.

I’ve Signed Up For More Races… and Just Got Awesome Photos From Recent Ones!

The moment before I start a stair race, I’m calm, focused, and ready to go hard. Look – a professional photographer captured that moment!

Most of these races have an official photographer on hand, and a week or so afterward, you can

This Tiny City Has a Great Big Monster of a Stair Race! (Climb Wyndham Race Recap)

I take photos after all of my stair races, but this selfie, taken seconds after crossing the finish line and collapsing onto the carpet, really captures how thoroughly punishing and draining a stair race is. This is after one hour in the stairwell:

(A volunteer gave me the sponge, which had been soaking in ice water, and it really helped cool me down.)

The race was Climb Wyndham, the Fight For Air Climb put on by the American Lung Association of Illinois. You might think an Illinois-based stair climb would be in Chicago, which is quite literally the birthplace of the skyscraper. But you’d be wrong:

Sixty Minutes of Stairs (Minneapolis Fight For Air Climb Race Recap)

On Saturday morning, I raced up a 31-story stairwell SEVEN TIMES in one hour. That’s 217 stories in 60 minutes! Just typing those sentences summons twangs of disbelief, even though every syllable is true. The disbelief, though, is quickly overshadowed by more powerful feelings. Pride. Gratitude. Thrill. Come with me, I’ll walk you through that morning!

A Big Time Announcement: My Next Four Stair Races!

Stair race season is in full swing. I’ll probably compete in eight events between now and this summer. A few of those are up in the air at the moment, but I can definitely announce my first four races of 2017, and I’m pumped!

I love competing in new venues. I only added one new building to my list during the winter and spring months last year (Republic Plaza in Denver). This year, though, I’m doing as many new races as I can. In fact, every single one of the four races below is a new-to-me building or a new-to-me city… or both!

The Most Painful Race of my Stair Climbing Career (Los Angeles Fight For Air Climb Race Recap)

This weekend’s Fight For Air Climb in Los Angeles, benefiting the American Lung Association, was the single toughest stair race I’ve ever done. For the first time in my 34-race career, I questioned whether or not I could finish. It was challenging, yes, but also excruciatingly painful and downright frightening.

The morning began wonderfully. I arrived at the event when plenty of time to prepare, warm-up, and stretch. Even though the 63-story Aon Center in downtown Los Angeles is a tall, monolithic structure, I feel quite comfortable racing there. And I should: this was my fifth consecutive year doing this race.

The building and race has a special place in my memory, because