Ascending the Chicago Spire.....kind of

In 2005 in Chicago, Illinois there were plans in place to build one of the world's highest and freestanding structures at 2000 ft and consisting of 150 floors, called the Chicago Spire. Primarily to be leased out to businesses and developed as high rise condominiums. Well today I climbed every single staircase in that building.....no lie I really did, and let me tell you what a view from the top.......Okay maybe I do lie.....the Chicago Spire is still in concept and is yet to be completed. However I did climb every single stair in the building...I just wasn't in that building, I was on a StairMaster.

For my cross training this morning, I climbed 150 floors of stairs in 35 minutes. This may sound sick but I thoroughly enjoy the stair climber......if there was a piece of workout equipment I would want to own, it would not be a treadmill, it would not be a hip shaker, probably wouldn't even be a Bowflex, I would be climbing Mt. Everest on the stair climber that's for sure.

I have learned that mixing up my cross training is crucial when training for a race. My first marathon I did I just primarily focused on running and I assumed that's what I needed to do. I had a running plan in place and I stuck to it, however I was not eating right or even eating the correct stuff and so I dropped weight tremendously which is actually not a good plan for running. Maintaining a healthy weight is what you want to do. With that being said you still need to do some weight training as well as cross training....and to be honest I think cross training can be defined in whatever terms you want to use. I like to do some low weight high repetition weight workouts, elliptical workouts, ride my road bike, do some swimming, and of course hop on the StairMaster.

There are many great cross training workouts out there, I recommend checking different ones out. Everyone is different and every one's body will react differently as well.

Today was day two for Megan and I to get up early and go workout, this will be a good pattern for us to get into. Tomorrow I plan to get in the pool, morning swims are my favorite.

Let me know if you have a favorite cross training workout.