Training to Cross the Canyon

The Goal

On September 27th of this year, Alison will be part of a small team that will hike from the North Rim to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, covering more than 25 miles and 10,000 feet of altitude change in a single, 14-hour day. Joining Alison on this hike, sponsored by 3000 Miles To A Cure to raise money for brain cancer research, will be three of her cousins, two of which have crossed the canyon previously.

To that end, Alison has been preparing for the hike by stair climbing.  Every Saturday, Sunday and Monday, she finds a long staircase (say, 100 steps or so) and climbs it 7-8 times in a row. A couple of weekends ago, she chose the staircase at Libbie Hill Park, a picturesque spot overlooking the James River in Richmond's Church Hill neighborhood. While she and our friend Suzanne walked the steps, I wandered around Libbie Hill Park and took pictures of the homes and the view.

Afterward, we walked a few blocks to have lunch at a nearby restaurant. Alison and Suzanne had earned their hearty lunch, while I, on the other hand, had not. I'm ok with that, because if I were in better shape, Alison would try to lure me to the canyon, which would clearly become a one-way trip for me.