Red Rocks represents a variety of experiences for Coloradans and tourists. For some it’s a venue for concerts. For others, a hiking paradise. For others, like me, it’s a boot camp. While I don’t partake of the seriously challenging boot camps that are run by ex drill sergeants on weekends (but highly recommend them), I take to the stairs regularly to keep legs and lungs in fighting shape.
Sunday was a case in point. By 11 am, most of the boot camps were done and the crowds of seriously athletic folk had dissipated to their brunch spots or the next challenge. The rest of us had hit the stairs and bleachers to do our thing, albeit a bit more slowly. Many are long time regulars.
What I so love about Red Rocks is that it is a community. I joined it last September, a couple of months after knee surgery. Like many others, I got a little winded a few times on the way up those 190 stairs. After several more visits and many more laps, I was hooked. By late September I was doing 2200 steps a day, five to six days a week, rain or shine. And I was part of the community.
People offer WordFood of encouragement to those who are having a tough time. We love on each others’ dogs. There are regulars whose dogs know that I offer the Dreaded Butt Scratch and they drag their owners down the steps to collect their affection. We get a quick break and I get precious puppy love. For months one man gave me the high five every time we passed on the stairs. I don’t know who he is, but the times my knee wanted me to quit, those high fives kept me going. And my knee rehabbed quickly.
Red Rocks regulars range from elite athletes to the obese, struggling to master one flight at a time. We stop and talk to each other, and share stories that encourage people to keep going. Women, in particular, stop and compliment each other on their progress, on the shape they’re in, on coming out consistently. I hear it all the time. It’s music to the soul. That’s my Red Rocks concert.
For most of us who aren’t boot camp aficionados, making it to the top a few times is effort enough. For many others, it’s taking this on day after day, building our strength and stamina in a place of unworldly beauty. Where else but in Colorado do we get to exercise in such stunning beauty?
If you’ve never considered taking on Red Rocks as a place to exercise, come on out. There’s plenty of parking, and plenty of room. People are welcoming and it’s a dog heaven. Very early in the morning, firemen in their bunkers are pushing themselves to the limits. It’s an environment of encouragement, and you get back what you give.
Come on out and create your own concert of WordFood. Bring friends. Make it a party, make it playful. Have fun. That’s what exercise is supposed to be.