News Release

Todays training:  Speed work, 4 sets of 20 floors @80 steps/min  18:18.  Max HR 122  Max R 27


Below, an advanced look at a PR story coming soon to a newspaper, or TV station near you.  Pass the word, ask your friends to sponsor us!

Local NE PA Firefighters to ascend Seattle skyscraper climb for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Two local firefighters are training to Join 1500 firefighters from around the world on Sunday, March 11, 2012 to compete in the timed race up 69 floors to the top of the Columbia Center tower in Seattle, WA. The building at 788 feet of vertical elevation stands as the second tallest building west of the Mississippi and will take firefighters 1311 steps to reach the top. Firefighters will race to the top wearing full firefighting gear and a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) with the combined weight of all the equipment being an average of 70 pounds.

Assistant Fire Chief John Yonkin of the Dushore Fire Department and Firefighter Paramedic Brian Yonkin of the Montoursville Fire Department will participate in the 21st annual Scott Firefighter Stair climb benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Joining the father and son team of racers in a support role is Tom Yonkin, Assistant Fire Chief of Sayre PA.  Tom will be responsible to quickly and safely change the used air bottles of the racers for full bottles at the 40^th floor of the tower.   A former State Fire Instructor with over 40 years of firefighting experience, Tom is clearly qualified for this very critical role on the team.

Training for an event that requires climbing 69 floors in a geographical area where the tallest building is 10 floors does present a unique challenge.

In preparation, each has been using a specific workout regimen to train daily for the grueling event.   Both firefighters are using weight training to build overall core strength and improve balance.  Brian trains using the flight of stairs from the basement at the Montoursville Fire Station.  In full gear he walks up the stairs and then back down until his total step count equals the steps in Seattle, 1,311.  John utilizes a combination of stationary bike and a stair mill machine to train for the event.  At 52 years of age he expects this to be one of the toughest “adventures” he taken on.  

“I have my good days and not so good days training” the senior Yonkin says.  “My goal is to get to the top and I have no illusion about setting any records.  At 26 years old Brian has a good shot of finishing under twenty minutes and that would be an excellent time,” Yonkin adds.

This will be the first time each has competed in the event, and to date the two have raised over $6000 from their sponsors.  Their goal is to raise over $10,000 for the event.  All the donations go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.   

The Yonkins will take some personal motivation with them for the climb in Seattle.  John and Tom’s sister Kathy was diagnosed several years ago with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia.  Additionally, Robbie Shenk, a firefighter with the Dushore Fire Department was recently diagnosed with Leukemia. It is a tradition during the event that climbers carry a picture of the persons they are honoring on their helmet during the event.  John will carry photos of Kathy as well as FF Shenk on his helmet.   Brian will carry a photo of Ruth Johns of Montoursville who lost her battle with Leukemia on November 18, 2010.  The team will also carry a list of their supporters with them to symbolically allow their sponsors to climb to the top of the Columbia Tower.

Recognized as the world’s largest individual firefighting competition in the world, the Scott Firefighter Stair climb is sponsored by Scott Health & Safety and attracts Firefighters to Seattle from as far away as Newfoundland, New Zealand, and Germany. In 2011, over 1500 firefighters representing over 281 departments from around the world competed in the Seattle climb that raised a record $930,000 for the Society.   For more information about the climb you can visit the LLS website at http://www.llswa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=FF_homepage

To become a sponsor please visit these websites.  Your donation may be tax deductible.

Brian: http://www.llswa.org/site/TR/Events/General?px=1513360&pg=personal&fr_id=1220

John: http://www.llswa.org/site/TR/Events/General?px=1514329&pg=personal&fr_id=1220

You can also following the training preparation and how the team does during the event at John’s blog; “See you at the Top.” http://jyonkin-seeyouatthetop.blogspot.com/

Speed Work

Training yesterday and today went well.

Yesterday was a long stationary bike workout.  45 min hill course, level 12.  Max Hr 109 Max R 22

Today was speed work on the Stair Mill.  Try this sometime if you really want to see if you have been making progress in your workouts.   Add a weight vest with 65lbs for good measure.

4 sets of 20 floors at a 80 step/min pace.  Rest one minute between sets.  Max HR 122, Max R 28   20 minutes cool down.

I plan to over hydrate a bit today in an effort to avoid an issue later in the week.

See you at the Top

John

Get back on the horse

It is true... you just gotta get back on that horse.   When things don't go your way you just have to keep at it.

That doesn't mean you keep beating your head bloody against the same locked door.  Take a little time and review the situation and make some modifications, an adjustment, or improvement to what you have been trying and give it another go.  If you quit will have zero.

After a week of pain and a very clear memory of the past Sunday training debacle I decided to just get back on the Stair Mill once again.  All this week I focused on controlled workouts on the stationary bike.  I also made sure I did a better job of hydrating and paid a bit more attention to my diet.  I am not absolutely sure what happened; but today was a great workout!

Warm up:  15 minutes stationary bike  level 5-12
Steps:  69 Floors  18:57!  Max HR 109  Max R 22
Cool down:  walking and stretching 20 min

I was feeling so good today I had to keep holding back from increasing the pace.  What a difference from earlier in the week.  While I still have some pain in the ankle it is much better.

See you at the Top!

John

Thomas Glover

I wish that sometime someone would find a cure for the arthritis I have had for 15 years.  I am a bit tired of the pain.

The good news is that the pain didn't wake me up at 3am like yesterday.  It woke me up at 5am.  Once again the Witch Doctor turned the screw into my ankle via the voodoo doll of my likeness.  I am sure the good doctor was smiling.

Being awake I decided to at least give a work out a try.  Sitting on the stationary bike at 6am suddenly brought back the memory of participating in Physical Training when I was in the Army as a young Lieutenant.

As a young officer I was lucky to be placed under the care and supervision of a very experienced and professional Platoon Sergeant.  Platoon Sergeant Thomas Glover was a career Non-Commissioned Officer of the highest caliber.  A former Drill Sergeant, SFC Glover stood  6' 4" and tipped the scales at over 260 pounds.  In a good mood he was an imposing figure.  When upset his small brown eyes could look through you like x-rays, his nose, broken once or twice during a brief stint as a professional football player expanded and contracted with his deep breathing.  I have no doubt he could put fear into God if the situation required it. 

SFC Glover loved Physical Training.  He loved to run the Platoon as the Sun rose in the morning.  Glover walked with a funny gate.  Not a limp but more like a half step walk.  It looked like he was walking a bit sideways but in fact he wasn't.  This was the result of a hip injury years before in combat.  It never slowed him down a step; especially when it came to running.  Well he didn't really run; it was more like a shuffle at a quick pace, a really quick pace.  He could run forever at his pace and his pace was the pace his Platoon would run.

If SFC Glover liked to run in the morning he Loved to sing the Jodie calls... and he was among the best at singing Jodie's.  Jodie's are the glue that keeps military units together as they run or march.  They bring the team together with a focus, and practically they help members breath correctly as they run.

Glover could run and sing forever.  His low melodic voice could be heard to echo for over a mile.  " I could run to New York just this, all the way to New York  just like this."  The Platoon would echo his call and the Jodie would go on and on as we ran as group.  Glover would pick cities and towns representative of the members of our platoon.  This focused the individuals.  Our Platoon would start each day as a team.  He was a genius as a leader and a great mentor.

SFC Glover would never quit and he would never let me quit as the Platoon Leader.  "Sir, I ain't gonna quit and you can never quit, cause if you do the men will quit", he told me once.  " There is just no quitting" he would say.

So this morning the words of SFC Glover came rushing back.  No quitting.  Once again I got through a workout and it hurt.  Glover would have smiled just a bit and offered a slight nod of approval.

45 minutes on the stationary bike, hill course, level 12.  Max HR 95 MR 22

Not great but a workout w pain and no quitting.  Thank you Thomas Glover.

See you at the Top!

John

Pain in the A@$%&

Ankle.  I have a pain in my ankle.  It woke me up at 3am more effectively than a Big Ben alarm clock!  This isn't the first time this has happened.

My youth started catching up with me several years ago by reminding me of the injuries I inflicted on myself in the days when I thought I was invincible.  Every now and then for atmospheric or physical reasons my ankles or knees will hurt like there is a hidden Witch Doctor slowly turning a screw into a voodoo doll with my likeness.  Yeow!

This morning it was my right ankle.  The throbbing started as dull throb and worked its way up to a 8 or 9 on the Fujida scale. (fyi the Fujida scale only goes to 6)   I have learned to react quickly when this type of pain appears.  I took some anti-inflammatory meds,  added a warm heat pack and then tried to get some sleep.

This was not what I needed following the training issues of Sunday.  I can't afford many more days off so at 7am I was sitting on the stationary bike hoping it wouldn't hurt too much.  It hurt, but not enough to make me quit.  Focus and concentration.   I got a good, not great, 45 min ride in.  Hill course, Level 12, Max HR 95, MR 26.

Not bad considering I was prepared to amputate the ankle to get the workout in.  Perhaps I have become obsessed with this stair climb.

In any case while my ankle still has some pain after cool down.   It isn't as bad as it was early this morning.  I will continue with the meds and heat and hope I can control it.

See you at the Top!

John

Good, Bad and Ugly

Well I decided today to go for 69 floors with full gear and breathing on the SCBA.   I took yesterday off and felt this would be a good workout.

I didn't feel great this AM so I waited until the afternoon to give it a go.  Not sick, just didn't feel 100%, tired and a little weak.

Right from the first step things didn't feel good.  I couldn't get a good rhythm going.  I was breathing much harder earlier in the session than I had ever done before.  I tried several times to concentrate and control my breathing.  This would work for a minute or so and then I was back to sucking the mask off my face.  I was using air much faster than previous training sessions. 

As I went past floor 30 my low air alarm went off. (way too early)  I kept going and struggled to control my breathing and save the little air left in the first bottle.  As I reached 39 the low alarm stopped which is not an indication that you have extra air.  It means there isn't enough air left in the bottle to even set off the low air alarm.  As I made the 40th floor the air was gone and I was sucking the inside out of the bottle.  I was barely able to step off the machine to change bottles.  I was still struggling to control my breathing while I changed the bottle.  It took me a minute or two longer than normal to make the connections and check everything.

I was back on the stair mill and once again on air.  I was still breathing too hard and spent the next ten floors concentrating on slowing down my steps and breathing.  My legs were now becoming the problem.  They were getting weak, likely from lack of oxygen.  I struggled again to stay focused and in control.  I kept the pace down and my head up. 

My heart rate was 135 and respiration's around 55.  As I got to 65 I could almost see the top.  (and I am on a stair mill)  I might have been seeing things by then.  My legs were now jello and it took all my concentration to finish.

As I hit 69 it was all I could do to not fall off the machine.  All I could think of was; God this was an ugly workout.   I got my helmet and pack off and felt like a 200lb weight was off my back.  I was sweating like it was July.  I was soaked, legs weak, and felt like crap.   I took the next 30 minutes to walk around and cool down. 

I am not sure why today went so poorly, but I guess that happens sometimes.  It was an ugly training session that I hope doesn't get repeated soon.  If anyone has any idea what might be behind this please email me, don't be shy. 

Just like many things the path to success is not always easy and comfortable but you just can't quit.

See you at the Top!

John



  

Change of Plans

Ever notice how life doesn't always go the way you planned?  You get out of bed in the AM with a pretty good idea of how things should go and bingo!   Things change without any warning or pre-announcement.

Some people don't deal with change very well.  They become frustrated and stressed when their plans go sideways or things change.  Some people don't preform well at all in changing environments.  Others excel when chaos occurs.

So this past year I have seen alot of change.  Some of the change was very hard to deal with.  On the positive side I did have some change late in the year that has truly changed my life for the better.  So some change can be really good.

Today I had planned to get in 69 floors in full gear and air.  That plan changed as we went out early this morning for a motor vehicle accident.  When I returned I had changed the plan and got in a long slow bike ride. 

I will try the full gear climb Sunday I think.  At least that is the current plan.

See you at the Top!

John

Get it done

I have found that sometimes you just have to get it done.  What ever "it" may be; just stop thinking and get it done.

Today I just got focused and went for it.

Warm up:  15 minutes, stationary bike.

Workout:  69 floors w/65Lbs weight vest   time 16:44      Max HR 107  Max R 42

Cool down:  15 minutes on bike.

Little winded at the end but overall this was a good training session.

See you at the Top!

John

Training, training, training

Recent training

Yesterday:

Speed work
30 minutes stationary bike level 12.
3 sets:  20 floors @ 75 steps/min (each set less than 5 min)

Today:

Long and slow
45 minutes, stationary bike, hill course, level 12
15 minute cool down ride

See you at the Top!

John

Stairs

The Fire Fighter Stair Climb in Seattle is 1,311 steps.  As far as steps are concerned did you know ....

Stairs are a series of steps or flights of steps for passing from one level to another —often used in plural but singular or plural in construction

The step is composed of the tread and riser.

The Tread is the part of the stairway that is stepped on. It is constructed to the same specifications (thickness) as any other flooring. The tread "depth" is measured from the outer edge of the step to the vertical "riser" between steps. The "width" is measured from one side to the other.


The Riser is the vertical portion between each tread on the stair. This may be missing for an "open" stair effect. 

There are several other parts of a step/stair.....Nosing, Starting step or Bullnose, Stringer, Stringer board or sometimes just String,  and Winders.

The balustrade is the system of railings and balusters that prevents people from falling over the edge.

Terms you should understand about rail systems include; Bannister, Railing or Handrail, Volute, Turnout, Gooseneck, Rosette, Easings, Core rail, Baluster, Newel, Baserail or Shoerail, 

Other part of the stair system include:  Balcony, Fillet Flight Landing or Platform Runner, Staircase, Stairway, and Stairwell.

The measurements of a stair, in particular the rise height and going of the steps, should remain the same along the stairs. 

When designing or building a stair,  plan and consider the following: rise height or rise, tread depth, and going of a step

The number of steps in a set of stairs is always the number of risers, not the number of treads.  Plan and calculate the total run or total going total rise, the slope or pitch, rake of the stairs, the pitch line and the headroom and walkline.

So now I know way too much about stairs.  I had no idea that so much went into a step.  Funny thing is most people hate steps.  They take the elevator and skip the steps.  It is also funny how we walk right over or by things everyday and fail to recognize just what we are missing.

Before I started this training I hated steps.  I was often a bit winded after just one or two flights.  Now, as the training goes on I see them as a true challenge.   And it takes 69 Flights to get me winded.  Nice.

See you at the Top!

John 

(Wiki was used as a reference for this blog)  

Box 57-3

Up very early this morning for a possible structure fire, Box 57-3.   There is nothing like getting a wake up call at 5:30 am for a Box alarm.  Your body goes from zero to 60 in less than 3 seconds.  Your brain can take a few seconds longer to catch up.  Add in a temperature of minus 2 degrees and you are providing your system with quite a shock.  No wonder one of the leading causes of line of duty deaths of firefighters is sudden cardiac arrest.

This morning I caught the officer's seat on Ladder 57 for the Box.  On arrival we had no fire or smoke showing.  After a few minutes we determined the problem was a partially plugged flue pipe from the wood stove.  Problem solved in a few minutes.  We were back at the 57 house in less than an hour.

When I returned home I decided to get in my training for today.  35 minutes on the stationary bike, hill program at level 12.  I am not sure I was fully awake but I got the work in.

Tomorrow is another day.

See you at the Top!

John

Don't stand still

Sometimes you just have to get on with things.  You know, just stop thinking and analyzing and just do it.  We all get ourselves into situations where we are not sure what the next step should be.  Well if you keep standing still you are getting no where.  So stop standing and start moving.

Warm up today was 10 minutes on the stationary bike.

Then on to the Stairmill.  40 floors, full gear and on air.  12:44  Max HR 112 Max R 44.  This is the first time I have tried full gear and air.  Brian was correct the weight is distributed more evenly than the weight vest and was much easier than I expected.  I felt very good.  During cool down I could feel my quads were a bit weak.   I think the pace (57 steps/min) was a bit too fast as I felt my breathing was slightly faster than I wanted. 

Despite some continued pain it was good to just get on with it and step up with full gear and air.

See you at the Top!

Things remain the same

Today was the same as yesterday.  Foot pain giving me an additional challenge.  Arthritis/Tendonitis has once again struck. 

The workout today was 45 minutes on the stationary bike, hill climb, level 12.  A good but not great training session.  I will take what I can get at this point.

Pain, Pain go away, come again some other day....after March 11.

See you at the Top!

John

Play with Pain

After two day off training I was able to get a 30 minute session on the stationary bike this morning.  My left foot still hurts but I felt I had little choice.  The clock keeps ticking and I really can't afford to miss many training days between now and March 11th.

So as we all do at times I just ignored the pain and got the workout in.  I remember getting training in focus techniques years ago and it once again came in handy this morning.

I can feel that my foot is swollen when I put my boot on but the good news is that tonight the pain is better than last night.   It also appears tonight that the swelling is down a bit.  Arthritis/Tendonitis is just something I have gotten used to.  All those years of catching in baseball, soccer, and the adventures in the U.S. Army are catching up to me. 

While you get used to the idea of Arthritis/Tendonitis you really don't get used to the pain.  It is time to focus and push this last pain out so I can return to the training schedule.

See you at the Top!

John

When it rains it pours.

I am sure you have heard the saying "when it rains it pours".   Well I can tell you this is true.  Yesterday I took a day off training due to a back injury.   Well the back felt better today

Now it "rains"...

I woke up with tendonitis in my left foot.   I have become familiar with this type of injury over the years and have learned that quick intervention can limit the length and level of pain.  I have no clue what I might have done and it might be the result of wearing boots yesterday that are old and worn out.

I use alternating ice and heat on the injury.  Additionally a steroid helps to reduce any swelling and normally knocks the pain out in a day or two.  The downside is that I develop a voracious appetite like I was back in college for a few days.  So this is a second unscheduled day off from training.  The pain tonight is a bit less and I am hopeful I caught it quickly.  I will not be doing my first test climb with full gear and air pack tomorrow.

I took the day off and visited my brother Tom today at his home.  Tom agreed weeks ago to travel with Brian and I to Seattle for the Fire Fighters Stair Climb.  He will be our air bottle changer on the 40th floor of the Columbia Center.   The bottle changer is responsible to change the air bottle on our Air Pack quickly and safely.  This change over is done without removing our air packs or equipment.  Done correctly the switch can be completed in less than a minute.  Done incorrectly and you have multiple possible issues to deal with; the worst is you have no air.   Tom has been in the fire service over 40 years and is currently the Assistant Chief in Sayre Pa.  He was also a State Fire Instructor for many years.  He is well qualified to change our air bottles.   

And now the "pours" part...

Well it turns our that Tom has suffered a stress fracture of his heel.  He said he woke up Sunday with tremendous pain with no recall of doing anything that might have caused the injury.(sound familiar?)  The Dr told him today it might be simple aging.  I don't believe that for a minute.  In any case he will be wearing a boot for four weeks and then get reevaluated.  His spirits were good and it is likely he will be 100% for the March 9th trip to Seattle.  Just in case it was clear he had a plan.  I could tell he had already thought about practicing changing a bottle while standing with his crutches.  That is just how we Yonkins' are... always thinking of plan B.  I don't think anything will keep Tom from helping Brian and I with our climb in Seattle.  Tom will be there on the 40th floor even if he is changing our air bottles from a wheelchair!

See you at the Top!

Time out

Today I took a time out from training.   This decision came as the result of my schedule today and because my back is still a bit sore.

First I took Rescue 57 to Station 20 today to have the air cascade system on the Rescue topped off.  Station 20 has a large air compressor and has helped us before and this time was no different.  I even backed up up the crew from Ladder 20 while I was there.  Ladder 20 was covering for Tower 1(City of Williamsport) which was out of service today.  My youngest son Brian was assigned as OVM (outside vent man) on Ladder 20 for the day tour.  It was good to see him for a bit.  The Station 20 crew were great hosts and even invited me to join them for breakfast.  There are few things better than sharing a meal with fellow fire fighters at a fire station.  Thank you to the Station 20 day tour crew.

Secondly, not long after I got back to my own fire house. (Station 57) we were dispatched for a fire.  I had the honor of getting the pipe on the job.  This means I operated the nozzle and got to put water on the fire.   Additionally as we were a bit short handed it also means I got to drag most of the 150 feet hose.  Honestly it was good work and I enjoyed the physical test.  The fire was small and resulted in little damage.

I must say I could really feel the positive results from training I have been doing.  I was not winded at all and felt very good as we picked up equipment.  What a difference a few steps have made.

Tomorrow it's back to training.

See you at the Top!

John

Ouch

The workout today was 45 mins on the stationary bike level 10 hill climb.  Then 4 sets of 20 floors at
a 75 step pace.   Max HR 143 R 42.   This was not pleasant. 

The real issue is that later in the day I was doing some work around the house and was moving some heavy items.  Now my back is killing me.  My upper back, just under the shoulder blades.    Clearly I over did it a bit on the lifting.  I can only hope tomorrow is a bit better.

Brian is back training after taking a couple days off due to a wicked cold and traveling to take a firefighter employment exam.

My oldest son Stephen who is in NYC has also started trying the step machine in his workouts.  I hope he enjoys the challenge as much as I do.

See you at the Top!

John

Slow Monday

Slow and steady finishes the race.  My goal is to finish.  Finishing is winning for this adventure.

Today I warmed up for 10 minutes on the stationary bike.  Then I added 65lbs with the weight vest and
slowly climbed 69 floors on the stepmill.  Max HR 143  R 43.   28:23   I cannot begin to describe how
boring this was.  It seemed as if the steps would go on forever.  I don't understand how hamsters can enjoy this type of continous exercise.

I felt very good but now my quads are a bit warm.  I will need to walk this one off for a bit longer.

I intend to give the full gear a test run on Friday. 

My donations from sponsors continue to come in and I am greatful for all the support I have received.  Thank you for your support.

See you at the Top!

John

No rest on Sunday

I started out today intending to get an easy workout ride in on the stationary bike due to the fact it was Sunday (a day of rest).

However, somewhere in the haze of not being quite awake I made it a tough Sunday workout instead.

First, 45 minutes of hill climb on the bike (level 10).  Then 3 sets "sprints" on the stepmill.  These are 20 floors at a 75 step pace.  Or 3 sets of 20 floors in less than 5 minutes each with a 3 min rest between sets.   I can state for a fact that this will get the blood flowing.   Max HR 124, R 34.   Cool down time 30 minutes.

Ankles, knees, and legs all felt good.

Monday, a long slow climb with 65lbs.

See you at the Top!

John

Step right up...

The "step right up" stepmill is the training tool of choice for fire fighters training for their annual
CPAT (physical fitness test)   This stepmill closely mimics actual stairs.  The entire step rotates down  and back up in a loop.  Once the machine is started you must step down completely to move the steps around the loop.  The system is not motorized so there is no cheating.  Each step is yours not the machine.  You must pay attention and keep your balance centered as the step is pushed down.  In full disclosure I traded for my stepmill.  They are a bit pricy but a great training tool.

There are no real bells and whistles, just steps.  A simple display indicates your step pace, heart rate, calorie burn,  floors completed and total time.  I prefer to keep an eye on the step pace and heart rate.  My goal is to find a good pace that keeps my respiration's reasonable.  Hopefully then avoiding oxygen debt.

Today it was back to the stepmill after a 15 min warm up on the stationary bike.  I put 65lbs in the weight vest and got started.   Once again it took me a few minutes to compensate for the added weight.  Brian tells me that wearing full gear is easier then using the weight vest.  He feels the weight is distributed around your body and is not just making you a top heavy with the vest.  I hope he is right about that because 65lbs was pretty tough.

I completed 40 floors in 12:17.   Max heart rate was 143, respiration was 48.   Both returned to normal in about 10 min.   I felt good but my legs were getting a bit heavy.  I need to work on my pace and breathing a bit more being sure to stay in control. 

All in all a good solid work out after being on the road with limited equipment. 

See you at the Top!

John

On the road

Once again I am on the road traveling.  Over the years I have traveled around the globe on business thus spending a significant amount of time in hotels and on airplanes.

Trying to get a workout in while traveling is very difficult.  There are many more reasons to not walk down to the health club or exercise room than you can even imagine.   If you ignore all of these very good reasons ad go to the "gym" in the hotel you will quickly find that there is no standardization in the size of the workout room and the equipment you might find.  I have seen rooms not much larger than a closet that are marketed as a modern health club.  At one hotel in Shanghai the health club facilities looked suspiciously like a duplicate of a Golds Gym. 

I have been successful the past two days on the road by getting in a training session both days.  While it was only on a stationary bike it was good to get the workouts in.  As I said previously I can't afford to miss many training days as time keeps clicking by.

My left knee feels good today with no lasting pain from twisting it earlier in the week.  I think I ate something yesterday that seems to be bothering me a bit.  Diet is the other issue that can be a problem when you are on the road.  I have learned that boring is better than exotic when it comes to food and traveling.  If you insist on exotic then be sure to pack some Imodium in your bag.

This time of year the hotel gyms are often busy with travelers keeping their new year resolution to loose weight by hitting the machines.  They weed themselves out fairly quickly over the next few weeks.  Usually about the time their new diet for the year gets dropped.

The stationary bike is OK but it gets boring after 30 minutes.   I can't believe I am looking forward to getting back on the stair machine when I get home this weekend.

See you at the Top!

John

Why

I have had many friends and family ask me why I am interested in climbing 69 flights of stairs and participate in the Scott Fire Fighter Stair Climb in Seattle WA.

Honestly, at first I felt it would be another great adventure and I would be supporting a good charity.

Things became a little more focused yesterday.

Yesterday I traveled to Hartford CT to help my Sister Kathy around her house.  She has had a tough year.  Early in 2011 her husband Gene passed away after a long courageous battle against Parkinson's.  In the fall a perfect storm combined heavy snow and wind to topple many trees and power lines on and near her house.  She was without power for over a week.   Her yard still had many trees and limbs to remove.

I delivered a generator for Kathy to use in the future if needed.  While her sons Eric and Ethan wired the generator into the house I took my chain saw and began to work on the downed trees.  Kathy's daughter Emily, and daughter in law Melinda pitched in to help move branches and logs as I kept the chain saw moving.

It was much harder work than I had expected to do yesterday.  I twisted my knee again but kept working.  I was concerned that it would again swell and hinder my training.

At the end of the day the trees were cut and the generator was working and tested out fine.

We all sat down for a simple meal and some family conversation.  Eric and Ethan have become fine young gentlemen.  Emily is studying with a goal of earning a PhD, perhaps the first in the family I think.  Melinda is married to Ethan and I learned they recently bought their first house.  You can tell she is busy putting her mark on it.  Sitting at the table with them you could feel the strength of family.  The trust and love they have for each other and the group.  I felt very humble.

Kathy tells me that when she was diagnosed with Leukemia she was given few options.  She had to be her own advocate to find and seek out better treatment options.  It is a shame but our health system has created the need for patients to be their own best advocate in order to get the best treatment.  My sister is tough as nails don't let her subtle appearance fool you.  She once threw me through a wall when I was a teenager.  (I deserved it and I had forgotten she studied Judo).   As her own advocate she searched and found a treatment that allows her to be with her family today.

Yesterday I figured out why I am going to climb those stairs.   So my sister and others who are fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters can have an advocate and better treatment and even a cure for their Leukemia.  So they can have dinner with their family too.

See you at the Top!

John

2012... Don't waste time

2012 has arrived.  Time didn't stop,  it just kept marching on and 2012 clicked on the clock.   Time is constant and relentless at the same time.

Time tracks the seconds, minutes, hours and days of our lives.  I would love to have some of those seconds back from the past.  Time also allows us to recall the past with unique clarity.  "I remember ..." is a phrase we have all used.

I remember when I could run like the wind.  I remember when I wanted to play professional baseball.  I remember when I thought I was invincible.  I remember very clearly when I learned I wasn't.

My training continues for the FF Stair Climb.  Today, yes even on a holiday, I got in a 35 min hill course on the stationary bike.  Why train today?  Why, because time is marching on and I only have 69 more days to prepare to climb 69 flights of stairs to help a great cause.

When I was in the Army and was a Aide de Camp for General Richard Cardillo he taught me a very valuable lesson about time.  The General told me one day, "Lieutenant,  we can waste food, fuel, and money, but we can't waste time....and right now you are wasting my time!"

Happy new year to all.  Best of luck and prosperity in 2012.  Don't waste time this year, make the most of it.

On March 11 when I am climbing the stairs in Seattle I do not want to look back and say I should have trained everyday.  Today I tried to make sure that doesn't happen.

See you at the Top!

John