Stair Challenge!

Richmond Beach Park steps - Shoreline, WA

How is it almost June?!  That mean's it's time for the Shoreline Million Stair Challenge!  The purpose of this event is to have the community collectively climb one million stairs to increase fitness competing with neighbors. According to the site, last June I completed 11,444 steps!  The challenge was started in 2012 for community awareness of health as well as to bring more people out to the park near my house where there is a long stair case (188 steps) that can be broken down into portions as well as a smaller set of stairs nearby.  I use these when I train for my March stair climb for Multiple Sclerosis which I've previously written about here!

This year my goal is to complete 15,000 steps in the month of June.  That's an average of 500 steps per day or 3500 stairs per week.  I don't work out 7 days per week, so this seems like a lofty goal, but I'm excited to work towards it and spend more time outside.  Additionally, on the side of this blog, I've been tracking my miles walked and stairs climbed all year... and I'm a bit behind in my 75,000 stairs goal, so this should really help get me more on track!  Fortunately, the sun stays out a lot longer in June so post-work stairs will be in order!

I urge others to join me in this challenge and climb some extra stairs this June.  It might help you start a new exercise routine or change your daily habits.  Since I started training for stair climbs, I definitely notice myself taking stairs more than alternatives... and I've gotten stuck in a few stair wells for doing it! You can climb stairs anywhere and still participate in the challenge. We can motivate each other to train and get stronger and more fit!  I want to see photos of the stairs you climb - so if you sign up to join, I'll match your stair count (up to 1000 additional stairs!).  Seattle area friends, if you want to head to a local stairwell - there's a whole network of them listed on this website - let me know and I'll climb some stairs elsewhere! I won't race you - because it's not about doing them quickly.  It's about being active... and I'm slow!

Happy Summer and Happy Climbing!