"And so these stairs shall now seem short to me..."

Made it to the Top!

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:57:41 GMT

39 minutes some odd seconds---faster than 40 minutes...

Pictures coming soon....

http://results.racecenter.com/2007/ffsc07.html

Dante' --On Climbing Stairs

Wed, 24 Jan 2007 08:51:57 GMT

The breath was so pumped out of my lungs
When I climbed aloft, I could not go onward,
And as soon as I’d come up there I sat down.

"Now you must shake off all your laziness,"
My master said, "for loungers and slugabeds
Will never reach the heights of lasting fame:

"Without fame a man wears away his life,
Leaving such traces of himself on earth
As smoke on air or foam upon the water.

"Straighten up! Conquer your fatigue
With the spirit that wins every battle
Unless it sink under the body’s weight.

"Longer stairs than these wait to be climbed!
It is not enough to leave these souls behind:
If you have understood my words, act on them!"

I stood up then, showing that I was better
Supplied with wind than I had been before,
And said, "Go on, for I am strong and ready."

Ande's Training Journal

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 07:25:55 GMT

I can think of no more stirring symbol of man's humanity to man than a fire engine. ~Kurt Vonnegut

Being a Record of 63 Days of Training for the

Firefighter Stair Climb

About the Event
At 788 feet of vertical elevation, the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle is the second tallest building west of the Mississippi. It takes 69 flights of stairs and 1,311 steps to reach the observation deck overlooking the city. On Sunday, March 4th firefighters will race up the stairs in full fire gear and SCBA to help raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Over 1,400 firefighters from 180 departments are expected to compete in the event, making the Scott Firefighter Stairclimb the largest single firefighting competition in the world. Please support me in this endeavour by making a pledge on my donation page.

Where I Train
I train at Fort Worden State Park, in Port Townsend, WA, on a set of solid wooden steps built and maintained by volunteers(read a story about the stairs in the PT Leader). The view from the stairs includes Mt. Rainier, the Cascade Mtns, Mt. Baker, Port Townsend Bay, Admiralty Inlet and shipping lanes, sailboats, submarines, Indian and Marrowstone Islands, the Coast Guard lighthouse at Pt. Wilson, a perfect crescent beach, driftwood, neighbours walking dogs and playing with children. There is a small group of dedicated firefighters who train at Fort Worden. I couldn't begin to commit to this challenge without their support. There are four flights of 19 steps + five "bonus stairs" (The Columbia Centre stairs are also 19 steps to a flight).

Training Goals
I will be posting a weekly training goals post. I haven't trained for an event like this since I was in school with coaches and scheduled practices. Goals may be as simple and specific as the number of flights of stairs to be run in a period of time, or exercises to be completed, fundraising, logistics or more lofty. I am looking for support, advice, encouragement, words of wisdom and motivation. LiveJournal allows comments--please please post (if you are not registered your posts will be marked anonymous, include your name in the text if you want me to know who you are.) This Challenge has become the intersection of many important vectors in my life: a desire to understand and support the work of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, love of the Fire Service, East Jefferson Fire Rescue, volunteerism, service, community, sense of place, fitness and health, middle-age, patterns in nature...Expect poetry, pictures, and random thoughts.

Training Journal
I will also post a weekly exercise log: number of stairs run, miles, weights lifted, water drunk, etc. Again, please feel free to comment. Make suggestions. Ask questions. I will try to post pictures as we train. I have been getting excellent advice from East Jefferson Fire Rescue FF/PM Ryan Tillmann and FF Pat McNerthney who competed in the Challenge last year. FF/EMT 's M'el Christensen and Max Plattner have been instrumental in encouraging me to get out on the stairs. FF/EMT Mike Kennedy has been an inspiration.

Thank you all for your support, encouragement and friendship.

Ande Grahn

My Fundraising Page

East Jefferson Fire Rescue Team Fundraising Page

Me'l Christiansen, Christi Gelder, Ande Grahn, Pat McNerthney, Max Plattner, Brian Stokke

More Information about East Jefferson Fire Rescue and Marine 81

click for more information

Training Goals WEEK 1 of 9

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 04:35:28 GMT

STAIR CLIMB March 4 2007 9 weeks

1,311 stairs 69 flights 19 steps per flight Target Time: 30 minutes

This week my goals are fairly simple:

1. Do something every day

2. Work up to 40 minutes every day @ peak heart rate

3. Work up to 18 sets/Fort Worden stairs

4. One day of extended activity--2-3 hour hike, bike ride, etc

5. Start a training journal

6. Get registered at Scott Stair Climb
[http://www.active.com/donate/ff07/AGrahn]

Donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Training Record WEEK 1 of 9

Sun, 07 Jan 2007 04:28:42 GMT

STAIR CLIMB    March 4 2007       63days

1,311 stairs        69 flights       19 steps per flight                 Target Time: 30 minutes

DATE        TRAINING ACTIVITY                   DAYS REMAINING
Jan 1           60 minutes walk/sprint 4m                      62
                         Blue Heron Track

Jan 2           STAIRS 20 minutes/10 flights                 61
                        (w/ structure boots/ pants)

Jan 3             40 minute walk/sprint 3m                     60
                            Blue Heron Track

Jan 4            STAIRS 30 minutes/15 flights                59

Jan 5             60 minutes-Abs/                                        58
                        Upper BodyTraining

Jan 6             STAIRS 40 minutes/18 flights                57
                           40 min flexability /balance exer.

Jan 7            BIKE RIDE 2 hrs                                         56

Donate to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society