#BWPSelfie of the Week: This Girl Runs 48 Flights of Stairs Every Week


selfie of the week

Tory Mather, our #BWPSelfie of the Week!

Welcome to our new Monday feature, the #BWPSelfie of the Week! Read about why we’re celebrating selfies—and the sweaty Philadelphians who take them—below. 

Name: Tory Mather

Day job: Business Analyst in the Risk Analytics department at Independence Blue Cross.

Where she snapped this: 48th floor of the Independence Blue Cross building stairwell.

What she was doing: Using my lunch break to run stairs to re-energize my brain.

How long it takes to run 48 flights of steps: A lot shorter than you would think—it’s less than 20 minutes up and down, which is why stairs are a great lunchtime workout. Maximum amount of sweat for a minimum investment of time.

How her legs feel after running 48 flights of steps: Not too bad anymore because the muscles have gotten used to it. The first time was a little rough and I couldn’t run all of them. I’ve been working to run more and more floors each time, and alternate walking and running a flight when I can’t run anymore. Last week I ran from 1 to 30 straight through, alternated walking and running 31 to 40, and ran the last eight!

Why she does it again week after week: I started at IBC on June 2nd and wanted to meet people. I found out that there was a group that ran stairs on Wednesdays at lunch and figured I’d jump in. It’s great meeting different people in the company that I otherwise wouldn’t interact with on a daily basis. People from all different departments and all levels of fitness do the Wednesday Stair Climb. As soon as I make it through the workout, I know I’m halfway through the week.

How she stays motivated to sweat: I rowed competitively for a long time and just recently stopped. The day I decided to hang up my oars, I signed up for the Philadelphia Marathon and a half Ironman triathlon. My life had been so focused on training for rowing that I wanted to do something that really took me out of my comfort zone. These definitely accomplish that goal! A workout like the stair climb isn’t specific to that type of event, but helps me push myself both mentally and physically.

Editor’s note:  In the spirit of bringing our community together and helping you guys inspire each other, we wanted to carve out a place on the blog to feature you, our readers, and celebrate all the ways you stay healthy and fit. This is our way to give a virtual high-five to Be Wellers who are sweating up a storm, making deliciously healthy meals, trying new adventures, and having all kinds of fun in and around Philly. So we want you to send us your healthiest, happiest selfies—tag ’em #BWPSelfie on Instagram and Twitter, or email them—and we could feature you in an upcoming edition. To see our previous selfies, go here.

Like what you’re reading? Stay in touch with Be Well Philly—here’s how: