Big Climb

69 flights of stairs.  I did it!  Time was 13 minutes and 12 seconds.   My lungs were burning by the time I reached the top.  I coughed for about a week after the race.  Apparently, intense cardiovascular activity (notably of the vertical kind) may induce coughing, known amongst athletes as 'track hack.'   Yep, I got the hack.   Aside from the atypical physical exertion that day, I felt incredibly touched during the event by the people who showed up in t-shirts with loved ones' faces, cancer afflicted and survivors.  Over three thousand people participated in the climb.  The energy in the crowd was a mixture between excitement, duty, joy, and purpose.  I plan to do it again next year.