Climbing to the Top!

Sunday morning I participated in Climb to the Top at Rockefeller Center!  Climb to the Top is a charity event which raises money for Multiple Sclerosis.  MS affects the central nervous system of the body.  The symptoms can range from mild to paralysis, and it affects everyone differently.  There is currently no cure for it, which is why the National MS Society is working hard to raise funds for research and to provide programs to help individuals living with MS.  Participants in this race had to raise at least $250 by event day.  To be honest, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to raise the money.  Surprisingly, I raised almost $500!  I wasn’t aware that many of my friends and family members know people affected by MS. 

Rockefeller Center

My wave time was scheduled for 6:55am, so I had to head toward Rockefeller Center bright and early.  Sunday morning (when everyone else is still asleep) is my favorite time to walk around the city.  It’s so quiet and peaceful.

No crowds or honking taxis!

Once at Rockefeller Center, I left my bag in bag check and waited a couple minutes for my wave time to be called.  They took about 100 people each wave.  Because each participant had to enter the stairwell via a single door, we had to be spread out by about 10 seconds each.  I was surprised by how empty the stairwell was when I entered!  Other than volunteers who were stationed on each floor landing, I only saw about 10-15 people on the stairs the entire race!  Around the 30th floor/halfway point, there was a floor open for construction.  They set up a table with water, Gatorade, crackers, and candy.  The Gatorade caught my attention, but what really interested me was the amazing skyline view.  It was breathtaking (or maybe that was the 600 steps I just climbed…)

How amazing would it be to see this everyday while working?

I stopped for a photo op around the halfway mark. 33 more flights of stairs to go!

Not only was this my first real fundraising event, but it was also a new type of physical challenge for me.  I’ve done lots of horizontal running, but this was my first vertical race.

 

photo from here.

 

I ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon the Sunday before this race, but nothing makes you feel like less of an athlete than climbing stairs!  My legs weren’t too bad, but my lungs and heart felt like they were going to explode out of my chest!  I was actually surprised how well my legs held up.  Post-race I walked about 5.75 miles around the city and took a SoulCycle class.  That might sound crazy, but it was actually a really fun Sunday Funday!  To top off this wonderful day, I heard the 1,318 Climb to the Top participants raised over $700,000 during this event!  How neat?!  

Do you enjoy mixing fitness with a good cause?  Let me know your favorite organization and thier fitness-related fundraising events in the comments below!