Updated: 02/18/2009 2:03 PM KSTP.com | Print Story
By: Tim Sherno

SHERNO: How tall is the IDS, and how do I know?

Pretty tall. That's the easy and obvious answer. For me, Saturday morning, a more accurate answer is 50 stories, 1,280 steps. That's what we'll climb as part of a fundraiser to help fight cycstic fibrosis.

Also climbing from the 5 Eyewitness News family are Tom Hauser, Colleen Mahoney, and Jennifer Griswold.

We were told to train for the event. I've been sweating on the StairMaster a few days each week for a few months. I've been going a little longer each time. A comprehensive training regiment that's guaranteed to ensure me a quick climb with relative ease. Actually, no.

This past Sunday they held a training run up the stairs. I felt pretty confident and flew up the first 3, 4, maybe 5 flights of steps when I noticed a strange sound; a raspy wheezing sound that seemed to be coming from an old wooden bellows. It was me. They warned us all not to sprint, they said pace. I didn't pace and paid the price. Having lost my breath between the 3rd and 5th floor, I spent the next 45 flights trying to catch it again. 

We're told that the fastest time up the stairs is just over 6 minutes. The "5" team has been comparing times...no question Tom Hauser is the fastest. He did the climb twice last weekend. Not me. When they were telling us about the climb at the training on Sunday someone mentioned something about 'the second time' and my hand shot up, 'Second time? What? You're kidding right?" There was a touch of desperation in my voice. Not quite panic. But close.

Anyway. We climb on Saturday. 8am. It's going to be fun but tough. We're going to give it everything we have... and hope to raise a few bucks while we're at it.

We're climbing with the St.Paul Firefighters Team.. a great group! Proud to be with them. When I agreed to be part of the team I had one question, "you guys are all EMT's, right? I'm just asking... "