Climbing at Coors Field

I had been eager to take in a baseball game at Coors Field. The Colorado Rockies have gone through mixed fortunes, and recent actions have largely turned their fanbase against management. So tickets can be had. That game will come later this summer when friends come to town. 

My first crack at Coors Field came on a sunny spring morning, when the stadium sat silent. For the sixth time – second in Denver – I joined the climbers/athletes in the American Lung Association’s Fight for Air Climb. 

Obligatory team photo

I wavered at first, given how public events had gone away for a year. As my favorite charitable event, I soon relented, but had concerns. 

The 2020 climb marked my final big public event prior to the shutdown. Two weeks later, and the event would have not happened. That the Climb went ahead with the state about to shut down seems miraculous now. 

The 2021 Climb brought a different solution – a socially distanced course through the lower bowl of Coors Field, the first Climb to adopt this social distancing-friendly approach. The course couldn’t have been different from the somewhat chilly stairwell of Colorado’s tallest building. The route went up, across and down the lower seating. 

The ballpark seemed ready for a game at any moment. Aside from the music and a small groundskeeping crew, it was just the climbers and volunteers. 

This was a different year in other ways - I reached $585 in a few social media messages, my amount good enough for 31st overall (albeit a long way from the top fundraisers, one of whom exceeded $13,000).

 But I have friends who have suffered some severe post-COVID-19 complications, and the pandemic demonstrated the need for lung disease research, especially since COVID-19 has not gone away. 

There was also a record lack of training. I have not back to a gym since late February 2020. I walked and hiked when I could in the early spring, but mostly I winged this one. I could not get a good stride going. For that I thank the wide steps in most of the lower bowl outside the outfield bleachers. 

The chance to fall and tumble down seemed too great for me. The chance to fall and break or tear something seemed greater. So I ran up where I could, walked down most others. I was one of the last competitors, so I was not an obstacle for anyone. 

I didn’t bother to check my time. This year, finishing was enough. I gulped water at the staging area outside Coors Field, where runners congregated after receiving their finisher medals. 

Thanks to a persuasive volunteer and a $15 application fee, I already committed to the 2022 Climb. One Climbs ends, then it’s already time to pivot to the next.