A Defining Event

I am going to climb the Sears Tower.

I know, I know, it isn't called Sears Tower anymore, but I worried that opening with the startling announcement that I was going to climb to the top of the Willis Tower would leave you flummoxed, wondering what it was, where it was, and why you should care.  

There are 103 flights of stairs to the Sky Deck.  That's 2,109 steps.

I just got a little teary, thinking of maneuvering myself from the couch to the front door, every one of those 5 steps an exercise in mind over matter, in will over strength, in desire over capability.  

I found an appropriate 8 week training schedule on-line, after discarding those that included jogging and running up stadium steps.

I can do so much more today than I could six months ago, and that can be said for the last five years of six month intervals.  Deep tissue massage combined with Pilates got me here; strength training with weights in the gym combined with intervals on an inclined treadmill and stair climbing twice a week will get me to the Sky Deck.

I am tired of looking backward.  I need a new defining event.

I used to mark my life by where I lived; "We were on Buena."  "That was in the living room in 16.  That happened on Clark Street." Since January 8, 2011, I've marked the passage of time since I got shot.  That's a less than uplifting memory to revisit on a regular basis.

Brother and a Playgroup Mom and I are committed.  The link is here.  If enough of you want to do it, we can make a team.

I am NOT soliciting donations for this.  I'm doing it for myself.  I am accepting encouragement and smiles, though.