Stairs

Stairs
(and then some)


Anybody who’s been to a gym has seen a medieval contraption called a stair master. This is a machine that simulates climbing stairs. They are a great workout, and a lot of fun, depending on your opinion.

If you’ve ever lived in an old apartment building in New York City, Paris, or any old world metropolitan region, then you probably had real stairs to climb. A lot of apartment buildings were built before elevators.

Stair climbing works your legs, gluteus maximus, (butt), heart, and just about every muscle and joint in your whole body.
I’ve only been climbing stairs now for two days and believe you me, I’m feelin’ it!
I’m on a cruise ship, which has plenty of elevators, but I have vowed never to use them! It’s vital to get your exercise while cruising because the primary activity is consumption! I have pledged to walk and climb stairs daily. There is a large, well-equipped gym on board, which I briefly toured and will probably never use. I will however swim and soak, but that’s not much exercise compared to climbing stairs.

The cabin is on deck 14, while most of the activities take place at least 6 decks below, so I’m doing plenty of stair climbing. I feel it everywhere! I feel it in places I didn’t even know I had feeling! My knees, hips, heart, arms, shoulders, feet, ankles, glutes, neck, fingers, toenails, eyebrows, and nose are all screaming:
“HEY! WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?!”

At the moment the all-you-can-eat buffet is calling me. I will have to walk a bit to get there even though it’s on the same deck as the cabin.

After breakfast I’ll walk a mile, which is three times around the ship. She’s a big ship. Walking around the ship is wonderful. You meet your fellow passengers, feel that sea breeze in your face, breath the pure ocean air, and generally feel as though you are the first person to see this large expanse of salt water, which covers about 85% of Planet Earth. We’re in the middle of the Pacific, about half way between Los Angeles and Hawaii. No land is in sight. An occasional seagull flies overhead in hopes of a snack. We’re bound for Hilo, Hawaii.

We’ll sail about 2,200 nautical miles at about 19 knots (approximately 23 miles per hour). In my opinion, this is the only way to travel.

Stay tuned. To be continued. Bingo starts in 20 minutes!

Frank Landfield
December 22, 2009
From the Pacific Ocean