Bring It On, Stone Mountain!

It was one week ago today that I climbed up Petit Piton.  

I am still feeling the aches and pains of that climb.  When I reached the top, I remember I had no regrets.  Except for how sub-par my cardiovascular status was.  Ever since that Sunday, I've doing an hour of exercise per day.  Stone Mountain is not Petit Piton.  But it does contain the word mountain.  I've climbed this mountain before, several times in fact, during residency.  It's a great hike with a great view.  It's not too strenuous, if you take it easy.  If you choose to attack it with a brisk pace, it gets challenging towards the top, as the grade steepens dramatically.  It may not be steep enough to warrant rope climbs, but it's steep enough.  

I made my way over and attacked the mountain at 10 AM.  I decided to time myself.  Motivated by The Academy Is ...'s Fast Times at Barrington High (one of my go-to albums when I need to pick up my tempo), I started the hike.  I picked a reasonable pace and kept it.  Time to the top: 21 minutes and 50 seconds.   And without stopping.  This may be the fastest I've made it to the top.  It's not a world record, sure.  But it's certainly the best I've felt once I've made it to the top.  I still have memories of my first hike up Stone Mountain  years ago; during the time I made it to the top and back, someone had run up and down the same distance three times.  Three times!  I'm nowhere near there.  But who is?  I was quite content with my pace.  Once 11:30 AM hit, my friend Jason met me at the base of the trail.  By 12 PM, I had made it to the top a second time.  Booyah!

I bought a yearly pass to Stone Mountain.  To Petit Piton, thank you for getting my ass back into gear.  As for you, Stone Mountain, bring it on!