I Think My Oversized Ego Can Handle It

Claire and I went out to eat with some great friends last night...has some amazing french fries (it seemed like they were all crunchy and golden), good pot stickers, and a pretty sweet little Thai Ahi Salad...mmmm I love me some food.

Afterward, we headed over to Dick's sporting goods to get some running pants. While there, we spent a bit of time checking out their indoor climbing wall. We checked it out enough to actually give it a shot.

There are 3 levels of climbing, all based on difficulty. #1 is fairly easy, straight, and with good holds...#2 is awkward because at one point you have to jump off the bottom and swing up to the top. A "jump" that requires a pull-up of some sort...#3 is fairly straight, but the difficulty comes in the smaller hand/feet holds.

Claire decided to start with #1 and me, being the climbing expert with hands and feet that were made for climbing (do they make XXL gloves and size 14 climbing shoes?), decided to hit up #2.

My lovely compatriot killed #1...like some sort of spider monkey hyped up on Mountain Dew, she scaled that wall, hit the buzzer and triumphantly repelled down. I attacked #2 like a bat out of hell, cruising past the jump/pull-up portion and motoring towards the top. Sure, I got about 2/3rds of the way done and it felt like my forearms were being torn from my body, but I was determined. It was also about this time that I realized that I had forgotten to breathe. Now I had to hyperventilate to get any air. I got lightheaded, dizzy, and overly tired. How in the world did I forget to breathe? What does that say about the brilliance I think I posses?

Anyway, I ended up making it...it did take a little longer than I thought. They had to cart oxygen tanks up to me and I had to stop for a snack (Ho-ho's and a Dr. Pepper), but I made it, repelled down, and hi-fived the staff. I am, after all, a man of accomplishment...

Then Claire said she wanted to go again...#2 this time. After a slow start and a little bit of trouble with the jump/pull-up part, she looked like a lioness stalking her prey. Of course she made it...of course it was faster than me... Did I mention that it was her second climb of the night? (Of course, she is dating a ninja and those skills have worn off!)

Next time we might try level 3 and see how we do. In the meantime, I have to stop typing because my forearms are burning like fire.