The Fight for Air Climb

So a little background on "12 Races in 12 Weeks" - I had taken a look at my schedule and noticed that I had tentatively planned 12 races back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back in 12 weeks, one scheduled after the other. It was overly ambitious normally and especially so because I'm currently going through physical therapy to repair my sprained bottom and my lower left leg from old injuries. My physical therapist laughed when I told him what I wanted to do, and gave me the green light (although... to be fair, he gave me the green light to 4 races in a row. haha)

The Fight for Air Climb  was a vertical race up 51 flights of stairs in one of the tallest buildings in downtown Atlanta - 191 Peachtree Tower. It was a fundraiser for the American Lung Association and each participant had to raise $100 to be able to join. I came across it while looking for more races. It was unusual, unique and sounded like quite a challenge.

I'm not going to lie - it intimidated me greatly and every time I'd see that building, I swore I saw it mocking me, taunting me. I had dinner at the Sundial next to it and every time we'd pass around to see it eye-to-eye, it would just loom before me, bathed in an ominous blue light, almost challenging me. "You can't survive climbing me", it would say.

However, race day came and 600 of us lined up at the bottom, waiting to take on the building - one at a time. It was unusually cold and rainy and we shivered outside. We weren't in a hurry to start the climb, but wanted to get inside to warm up. My friend Jennifer signed up to climb with me and I was thankful to have someone with me.

They let us start 10 seconds between each runner. I let her go first and caught up to her. The first water stop was on level 8 and we were already huffing and puffing by then. She unfortunately started feeling a little sick and needed to stop, although told me to finish for her. 

After the EMT came to escort her back down, I continued. There were 3 more water stops along the way and I stopped at all of them. They had volunteers on random levels to cheer you on and help you keep going. I was wearing my Ironman shirt and they all seemed to like it.

I also made sure to stop on random levels when I felt my breathing and my heart rate speed up. Just 5 to 10 seconds and then I was off again. I saw too many people nearly collapsing in the stairwell, unable to take another step because they kept going and didn't take breaks to regulate their breathing or heart rate. It was musty in there and the air quality wasn't all that great.

The floor seemed to have 4 sets of stairs in between each and then only had two sets of stairs between each the higher I got. They passed quickly, but it was in no way easy.

Finally, we have two more to go. I even said breathlessly to the volunteer, "Only two more?". My legs were screaming, I was running low. They served Powerade at the water stations below and I took one, thinking the sugar would help me. It did not and I felt nauseous for some of the climb after that. So my body was set on two more floors and not a step more.

I hit the 49th floor and there was a time clock and lots of people and cheering. I blinked and imagine I look quite perplexed in the picture they just snapped of me. But....we're at 49... not 51? Two of the floors were in the basement, they explained. That's great... but where are my 51? I was geared up for 51 and ready for 2 more!!! 

Regardless, I had finished - 29 minutes, which included the time waiting for the EMT to come help my friend.  I took a break at the top to enjoy the view... or at least all the view I could see. It was pretty foggy up there and at the top, the taunts and intimidation I had felt from the building faded away into the mist down below. Now when I see the building, I can't help but smile at the sight of my new friend.

Many, many thanks go towards the people who donated to help me accomplish this and to the people who cheered me on. :)

Cheating - It's wrong.

In life, in races - there's no place for it. Period.

My old high school track coach used to say "If you cheat on running corners, you will cheat on your taxes, you will cheat on your wife, you will cheat in life". The smart ass I am, I used to say "What if I don't have a wife?" with a smirk and then he'd go on to say "cheat on your husband, cat, fish...". Humor aside, he had a point and his words have always stayed with me.

During my last Spartan race, I even saw a couple of people taking short cuts through the woods, so even though the people in the picture got caught, it's not a new thing... to any race.A picture was released this week from a Spartan race catching a few someones in the act... and is caused a fire storm. Racers were upset and rightfully so. But then, people got upset at them - saying they had no right to judge, that we don't know their story, that they aren't elite racers so it doesn't matter, mind your own business, at least they got off the couch, and so on ad nauseum.

I was appalled. Fortunately, someone else was too and wrote about it. He captured my sentiments exactly.

If you want a participation medal for getting off the couch, make your own. Have our standards dropped so low that we think we need to applaud people for just standing up and getting off their rear ends? Shame on us that we've become such a lazy society that getting out of a seat needs to be celebrated. Let's not stop there! What about waking up on time without hitting the snooze button too many times? (I'd NEVER get that medal). Or going to the bathroom? Or putting food in your mouth? (I'd miss out on this one too -I'm a messy eater). Geezus criminy.Wussification of America indeed. I think the cheaters need their medals taken away from them and I think it's sad most will consider this a controversial statement. Cheaters should stay on the couch, IMO.

Don't get me wrong. I applaud and respect the Spartan race and all of these other OCRs for getting usually sedentary people out and doing something they never thought they could do. People that don't think they are athletic are out there climbing 8 foot walls. That's freaking fantastic! Kudos all the way. Spartans and other OCRs are there to stretch your limits and challenge you in ways you never thought possible. Getting off the couch is the first step and only the first step. By no means do they mean stop there. You also have to have the courage to start and the determination to finish. Get up off the couch and go challenge yourself. Do something you never thought you could do. Their slogan is "Sign up. Show up" - and that doesn't mean to stop at "show up" and expect a medal. "Well... at least he showed up".  No, no, no, NO.

Then today, someone wrote this piece about it and it made me fume. Yet another one of the "how dare you judge cheaters" crowd, but this one hit a special nerve. The author went further to say that the people calling the cheaters out were the true bad guys and that it doesn't affect us at all.

Point taken. It doesn't affect me - you are right. My t-shirt and medal have value because of what I placed on them and no one can ever take that away. They are receiving the same t-shirt and medal, however, they have to live with themselves and look at themselves in the mirror every morning. Why does this upset me and others then?

I think because the athletes of the Spartan and other OCRs are, on the whole, extraordinary. It takes something special (and maybe a little crazy... Or okay, a lot crazy) to want to challenge yourself to those types of extremes. It takes a certain kind of courage to stand at that start line even though you are afraid. Everyday people from all walks of life are trying to make their lives better, improve themselves, and challenge themselves beyond their limits. That's not easy to do - that takes a really special person to be able to do that. These are the nicest people I have met and they are readily (and excitingly) willing to welcome you into their newfound OCR family. Strangers help people over walls, they encourage each other, they volunteer their time - they are extraordinary. Amazing stories come out of OCR - people overcoming personal tragedy, people who don't let "disabilities" stop them, people wanting more out of life...

So ask me again why cheating bothers me so much when it doesn't really affect me. I hold my fellow Spartans to a higher standard than most people because I know they ARE extraordinary and those people in that picture didn't meet that standard. I'm a member of GORMR (Georgia Obstacle Course Racers and Mud Runners) and our team is made out of elite racers, racers that have lost 100 lbs or more, racers that run in pain, racers without full use of their limbs, racers without legs and even more inspirational people who encourage me to hold myself to a higher standard. Maybe I'm spoiled by such an awesome team that doesn't represent the OCR community on a whole and if that's the case, then that's sad. Cheating bothers the people who worked hard and completed the task(s) with everything they had... or in some cases, completed without anything left.

It's not only cheating in OCR that's a problem. I've heard of people getting on transit during the Atlanta Peachtree 10k Road Race just after the start and riding to the finish. When I first started running it, they didn't have enough t-shirts for everyone and you had to finish under a certain time to obtain one. They were very coveted and people would stop at nothing to get one.

The writer in the article that made me so mad said that elite runners need to give everyone a break because we're not all elites and basically, that we've all cheated at one time or another. I'm an average runner and far from being elite and not running for points, however, I give 110% out there. I may not be "elite", but don't mistake that and think I'm not "competitive" (even if I am only competing with myself). I may not be able to complete all of the obstacles on my own and do more than my fair share of burpees, but I do every single one of them. The last Spartan I participated in, I was so out of it that I lost count of how many burpees I did, so in order to not skimp, I did extra.  I run races in the rain and even in freezing rain. I've been pushed to my most uncomfortable and wanted to stop but did not. When I couldn't drag a 100+ lb tire by myself, I asked for help. I've run half-marathons in excruciating pain - broken tailbones, sprained bottoms, IT band problems during the whole 13.1 miles. "Just Enough" is never enough for me. Of course it's not easy; it's not meant to be. Yes, it hurts. Yes, it's hard. OCRs and other races have literally taken my blood, sweat and tears. However, I don't think I'd have the sense of pride that I have in my accomplishments if I hadn't sacrificed what I have or did not give 110%. And for the record, you do not speak for me - I have not and will never cheat.

So, yes... I may be a "Spartan Kool-Aid Drinker". It changed my life, introduced me to my OCR family, caused me to face my fears, challenged me in ways I never thought possible, expanded my comfort zone, pushed my limits and I'd never trade that for the world. Doing all the obstacles and all the burpees helped shaped me into who I am and continue to help me with life lessons. I owe a lot to it.

Coddle the cheaters. Give them passes/excuses/what have you. Judge me for calling them out, but I will NOT apologize for holding racers to a higher standard and expecting more from them. Anything less would be an insult to the racers that give everything and don't cut corners, no matter how hard it gets.

We're Spartans. Act like it.