Climbing the CN Tower

[Ruaidhri]

In mid-April I'm doing the CN Tower stairwell climb that World Wildlife Fund Canada sponsors every year in Toronto to raise money for their work. There are two climbs, one is a team climb (which I'm doing as a team captain with some of my reps from work), and there is also a public free climb.

I've been walking up and down the 9 flights of stairs in my apartment building to prepare, and I'm hoping I don't embarrass myself with a poor time. I've needed to exercise more, so this is making me disciplined enough to keep it up. The tower has 1776 stairs, so it also made me a little patriotic as an American.

Just wondering if any of the other Toronto area board members might be participating this year? My goal is to try and come in under 25 minutes.

 

[sidious618]

Wow, that's really cool. I need to get in on stuff like that but I live here in NY and it's a bit of a commute to Toronto so this one is out.

 

[JuanBolio]

Stairs? A real man climbs the CN Tower like King Kong climbed the Empire State Building.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Clutching onto Fay Wray?

 

[Ruaidhri]

I'd be happy to try that, and though I've got Kong's chest hair, I definitely don't have the physique to scale the outside!

 

[HighteeHeller]

I will be there. Looking forward to it.

 

[Tomato]

If you think it is going to take you 25 min. You should at least exercise for 25 mins. I did it a 5 years ago and came in at 17 min. I also took two steps at a time as my leg muscles could handle it. I don't think 9 flights of stairs is enough personally if you could do more, do more. Try to run or do some more cardio.

Also pace yourself, don't go gangbusters and sprint up the first couple of flights at the CN tower, go at a pace and keep it there. you will find the guys who sprint it are the ones taking a breather half way up.

 

[Daneel]

Interesting... I've never tried climbing the stairs of the CN Tower (I went up a few years ago, but I cheated... I took the elevator).

I did climb up the stairs of the Eiffel Tower once (as far as the stairs went, anyway, which was a little more than halfway up, IIRC), although I'm sure that's not quite comparable to climbing the CN Tower.

Good for you. Best of luck with the climb.

 

[Ruaidhri]

If you think it is going to take you 25 min. You should at least exercise for 25 mins. I did it a 5 years ago and came in at 17 min. I also took two steps at a time as my leg muscles could handle it. I don't think 9 flights of stairs is enough personally if you could do more, do more. Try to run or do some more cardio.

Also pace yourself, don't go gangbusters and sprint up the first couple of flights at the CN tower, go at a pace and keep it there. you will find the guys who sprint it are the ones taking a breather half way up.

Oh, I'm never doing less than 500 stairs up at a time. I wasn't too clear about my "regimen". From the ground floor to the roof of my building it's 128 stairs. I started at four repetitions for 512 stairs, and I'm ramping it upward from there.

I'm not going to try two stairs at a time, but I am definitelt going to set myself a steady pace rather than fits and spurts of energy.

 

[trampledamage]

Crikey! Good luck I went up the CN Tower in the elevator, that was enough for me!

 

[Starbreaker]

I wanted to climb the CN Tower when I was there about 8 years ago... but they wouldn't let me... oh well.