Preparation for the Bankwest stair climb

I nominated for the Bankwest stair climb yesterday. The event is on October 5 and I'm in the middle of my preparation in the hope of posting a reasonable time.

I've been doing drills on Jacob's Ladder. 3 laps, 2 steps, walking; 3 laps, 2 steps, 24 kilos dumbells; 3 laps, 3 steps, running; 3 laps, steps, running; 3 laps, 2 steps, walking. I've also been doing some 5 lap sprints. My best time is 12:08 for 5 laps. Yesterday I did 10 laps in 29:05. The weather was hot and I left a fair bit in the tank, particularly on the last lap when I avoided the temptation of running the last couple of flights. This morning I experimented with using the hand rails to help pull me up. It definitely provides a surge and brings another part of the body into play.

Speaking to Pippa on the ladder this morning reinforced the importance of taking it easy for the first 8-10 laps. What I might do is break the climb into 4 stages (12, 25, 40, 50) and cruise slowly through the first and look to build momentum over the last 25 laps. Good in theory but it'll be a matter of keeping my head on when everyone else wants to sprint to the first flight and then start running.