Cardio Max 750

This is the view from the bottom of the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Step 0 of 750.

I've lived in this area for almost a year now, and it wasn't until a week ago that I finally took the time to stop and see what the fuss was about. On mornings and weekends I see people walking around this hill, that seems like nothing more than big mound of dirt in the middle of the Culver City industrial section. Looks can be deceiving! What I discovered instead is a great trail that zig zags a mile up the mountain accompanied by several sets of gigantic stone steps leading up to a gorgeous view of the Los Angeles basin.

The first time I decided to hike up the trail, you know get a lay of the land. I saw people taking on the stairs with purpose and vigor--each person on her own personal mission of conquest. "Some day soon, I too will take the stairs" I thought to myself. That some day was this past Sunday friends.
I came prepared, with my iPod, bottle of water, and my kick ass lulu lemon yoga pants. Your average gym stairmaster has nothing on the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook incline. If you decide to take on these stairs, do not be fooled by the droves of senior citizens and small children ascending and descending with few breaks. Trust me, they've probably been doing this for a while. About a quarter of the way up I realized that the genius of this kind of exercise activity is that there's no way I can quit in the middle. Take a break yes, but to actually stop, I have to either finish going up to the top to the resting point, or make my way back down to the car, which is just embarrassing (and no easy feat either, since the steps are about 1-1.5 feet high). Damn it. That means I have to keep climbing. At the last segment I thought about how painful and demoralizing it would be if I fell down those 700 steps behind me. Meanwhile a sprightly man with an infant strapped in on his chest doubled past me. WTF? I'm in good shape too! Finally it was my pride that drove me to the top--to complete the task. Total time to climb the stairs, including breaks? 12 minutes and 53 seconds. I was so high on my sense of accomplishment of making it to the top at all, I didn't have the heart to do it again. I went down on the trail with my legs wobbling. All in all it was a great challenge. And I will be back, to try for two reps.