stairs

at 6:45 AM, when i typically get to work, i have to FORCE myself to take the stairs from the 3rd floor to the 8th floor. honestly, the elevator takes longer. but the stairs are such an effort that early in the morning (and i typically arrive on my unit hot and out of breath). the elevator is pure convenience and utter laziness.

this morning though, i took the stairs - no problem. you should know, i am already sore beyond belief. i have been working out with a local crossfit gym in preparation for my mount rainier climb. but i decided, if i am about to summit a 14,411 foot mountain, a few sets of stairs really shouldn't scare me. so, despite the lactic acid in my muscles, i did EXTRA sets of stairs throughout the day.

from the 1st floor to the 8th floor - what we will call a complete set - is 140 steps. the stairwell is small, narrow, cement, and ugly; there are no windows and no respite from the stale hospital air circulating on the rest of the unit. but today, during my 12.5 hour shift, i did 7 full sets... that's 980 stairs (not including the semi-set (from 3rd to 8th) i completed at 6:45 to get myself up here. and not including the last full set i should go do right now).

see, sometimes nursing isn't really nursing at all. today was a nice, easy holiday weekend day. i'm making extra money AND training to summit a mountain (the mountain that i could not see from the 8th floor "penthouse" because of horribly cloudy, icky, seattle weather).