October 2015 – Dre Fitness

“Base 2 Space 2015,” is an event where over a thousand people completed the full ascent during Seattle’s inaugural Space Needle stairway climb.

A fine structure to climb. Truly Seattle. We ascended through the spire into the halo.

Up very close to the Space Needle

Benefits of Climbing Stairs

Here is a short list

Excellent cardiovascular workout
Full body strength and endurance
Is a life changing experience
Fat loss
Helps you live longer

Elite climbers would be comparable to a runner who can achieve a near five minute mile

I arrived by 6:45 and was good to go. The earliest start time was around 7AM and then there was a gap of 30 seconds in between each participant. Here is a pic of the first wave:

I was the odd one out

These guys realize benefits of cardio and vertical endurance. It seems like the successful climbers also train against the gravity of incline through sports such as uphill biking or mountain running. Tower climbing isn’t too far off — going up and ascending in multiple environments has many benefits.

Lessons learned from the incline environment

It felt amazing to give it my all. Looking forward to future climbs because each one you learn more about yourself. I noticed the experienced climbers have a mental edge with events like this and some people are truly talented.

View of the Puget Sound as the sun rises from the other direction

Hanging out at the top and looking over the Puget Sound at 7:30 AM early October

Here are the results:

Out of 1,080 finishers, I ranked 10 and first in my age group! This sport seems to be something that allows longevity and doesn’t hurt the joints much. I want to get better every time.

Wow, what an exciting event!

I do appreciate that events like this that show I’m a human being — raising money for quality charities that advance methods of health care for all.

Base 2 Space

Even more, I truly enjoyed the mental challenge. After the event was over, I fell asleep and had this wonderful dream. In this dream, I enjoyed just the positive parts of the climb with a very rewarding memory ascending the stairways and feeling bliss. I believe at that moment I was experiencing recovery in the physical and mental sense.