Walking Up Stairs...

“The struggle itself toward the highest is enough to fill a person’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” Albert Camus, “Myth of Sisyphus”

It was Tuesday night Happy Hour at a lovely hotel bar. Three stair flights up to the third floor to arrive at an elegant, dimly-lit dining space with refined eats and drinks, and soul-soothing live music. After the first few steps up from the hotel lobby, I got out of breath. Before the third set of stairs, I had to stop and catch my breath.

’I gotta change my life,’ I thought.

About one week later, I noticed the stairs up to Solano Hall at Sac State. It’s not that there are a lot of levels of stairs, but the stairs are fairly steep. Students walk up and down these stairs every day. I decided, since I hate walking up stairs so much, since I got so out of breath walking less than three flights of stairs, walking up stairs is exactly what I need to do!

Solano Hall Stairs, Sac State

I began with the stairs at Solano Hall, and noted at what point in the going-up I lost my air. As I continued to walk up stairs, I noticed I got out of breath later and later in the process, though still getting winded. For example, at first I had to stop before the second flight of stairs to catch my air again, then again at the top. As I continued to walk up stairs, I noted the out-of-breath comes later, and I noticed once I do get out of breath, I regain my breath more easily than before.

The successes are small and only perceptive to me. Now, when stairs enter the picture, I’m ready for them. I’m learning to keep a long flowing breath like what I use in Yoga, in order maintain my air longer.

My energy generally has been better, and I now see the campus at Sac State as one giant gym. I’m finding stairs on campus and monitoring how to keep steady breathing. The goal is not focusing on weightloss, or even getting fit, but to be less unfit. The goal is to face the thing I dislike the most head on.

Consistency is the biggest struggle for me. Even if I don't walk up stairs every day, every time I do walk up and down stairs, is another time I'm preparing for stairs in other situations, like third floor hotel bars.

I suppose my point in writing this is to express the notion that I started doing the thing I had previously hated in order to not only get in a healthier state, but to challenge myself. Discomfort brings growth. I honestly enjoy the challenge of walking up stairs now. At the base of a set of stairs, I look up those stairs, breathe deep, exhale, and say, let's go!

Thank you for reading,

Michelle