2007 3-Day Walk!

The 3Day!!!!!
It was Amazing! Incredible! The amount of kindness and goodwill I experienced in 3 days is probably more than most of us see in a year! I’m in awe of the experience and still trying to take it all in. Truly, an experience I will undoubtedly not do justice to in mere words. I know this post is long, but it still barely scratches the surface of the actual experience! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the play-by-play…..and at the end click to see the pictures of the people and things I write about!

Friday morning we met in Framingham for Opening Ceremonies. I was expecting a pep rally, but it was far more emotional. Why didn’t I have the tissues ready?! The ceremony was quick, but it talked about how breast cancer touches our lives and the important journey we were to embark on. There were survivors carrying flags with inspirational words which would later travel between walkers during the 60 mile route.

The route officially opened and the crowd broke out in cheers! To start you pass through a walkway of fellow walkers cheering, high-fiving, and clapping. We were scanned out – just like at the grocery store we each had a bar code on our credential (worn around our neck during the entire event) and they scanned us in and out every day!

Then I had my 1st of many encounters with Men with Heart. What a truly inspirational group! They are an all guy group, ranging in age from 20’s – 70’s, who not only walk all 60 miles, but they also cheer on every other walker. They wear distinctive yellow shirts, and in addition to the normal fanny pack all walkers carry, Men with Heart carry backpacks filled with supplies to give fellow walkers should they need them. The list of items in the backpack is attached on the outside and it contains everything from sunscreen & bugspray to candy and tampons. Truly 1 stop shopping!!! They are always looking for new amazing men to join their ranks, so I suggest you check out their website Men with Heart. Ok, so back to the walk. After I was scanned out, who do I see? The Men with Heart guys – they’ve formed a tunnel for us to walk through, they’re cheering us on, and handing out buttons. Have I mentioned how impressed I am with these guys?!

Now we’re off and walking with about 2000 other walkers! My training buddies Cecelia and Laura were with me virtually all 60 miles. I’m a slow walker, so there were lots of folks “passing on the left” as you would hear walkers call out. That’s ok, it’s an experience, not a timed race!

On Day 1 we saw “sweep” vans for the first time. Sweep is a vital part of the 3Day. They travel back and forth on the route all day and they’re there to pick up walkers who can’t continue and bring them to camp or one of the many Pit Stops along the road. On top of the official job, they come up with themes for their vans, decorate the vehicles, wear costumes, and blast music as they drive by while beeping the horn and cheering us from the road! My favorite theme was “The Big Support” which had the largest pink bras you’ve ever seen attached to the outside. Not to mention the 2 women driving were a hoot and full of energy all day! Although I didn’t need to sweep during the walk, it sure was reassuring knowing they were close by!

I can’t believe I haven’t mentioned the weather yet….
It was extremely humid and reached 100 degrees on Friday. Can you imagine walking 21.5 miles in this kind of weather?! It didn’t hurt that we had strangers supporting us in amazing fashions. Cars driving by would beep or cheer out their windows. We started the day waving back to all of them, but as the heat and miles took it’s toll the wave turned more to a limp raised hand. We appreciated it though! In fact, if we walked for a while without anyone beeping we’d actually comment on how nice it would be to get a beep!

There were also tons of people standing in yards or on street corners cheering us on. Some of these people had put a lot of time, energy and money into being supporters. They had water, ice, popsicles, and candy all being handed out free! Not to mention the great signs they made to really encourage us. And EVERYONE kept thanking us for walking. They would write it on signs, they would yell thanks from their cars, they would say it in person to every walker that crossed their path. It was all very inspiring!

My favorite type of supporter was one with a water feature. I could spot water blocks away and would tell Laura & Cecelia if I saw one coming up. What’s a water feature? Any chance for us to cool down! A sprinkler someone left running at the edge of their lawn for us. Folks with spray bottles misting walkers as we went by. And the biggest water feature – the Natick Fire Department setting up a ladder and resting a hose on the top for us to walk through! It was 100 degrees on Friday, 93 on Sat, and we had very little shade on the route ~ these water features were pure heaven!!!!


The Youth Corps was also a fun group of kids 10-16 yrs old cheering us on! They're a special part of the Boston 3Day and these kids camp out with us for 3 days, help set up tents, hand out stickers, cheer us on throughout the route, and even baked fresh chocolate chip cookies to hand out to walkers. In order to join this group, the kids have to write an essay about why they want to participate, go through an interview process, and then commit to raising $400 at such a young age. I LOVE seeing kids involved in Charity work and seeing their sweet smiling faces every day was a highlight of every walker!!!


Although the walk is 60 miles long, it’s best to tackle it as a bunch of 3 miles walks. Each morning as you start walking you’re handed a Route card. It slips in the plastic credential which you wear around your neck. It’s not a map, but it lists how many miles you walk until hitting a Pit Stop, Lunch or Cheering Station. Pit Stops are about every 3 miles and have water, Gatorade, snacks and port-o-janes! So, on Friday when you start walking you don’t think – 21.5 miles to go – you look at the route card and say “only 2.8 miles until Pit Stop 1”. Nice way to trick the brain into walking almost 22 miles, huh?!

As a 1st timer it was all trial & error. For example, I broke out in Road Rash. Red, raised bumps that start right above the sock line and then spread up the calf. Cute, huh? It’s a heat rash resulting from long periods of exercise in the sun. About ½ of the walkers ended up with it. I was lucky mine didn’t itch, but it did begin to burn on Sat so we improvised and tied wet bandana’s to our legs to shade it from more sun.

The other think I learned was “I don’t like nature.” Yup, that’s exactly what I said Friday during our Lunch stop. You look forward to lunch b/c it’s the only time you sit down. Not to mention you take off your shoes, let your feet breathe and eventually change into clean socks before continuing walking. Here I am looking forward to all this feet cleaning and lunch is held at an elementary school outside, so everyone just finds a spot and sits on the ground. We’re sweaty and gross, and sitting on ½ grass ½ dirt (not exactly well manicured lawns at the public school), so the dirt and twigs are kind enough to stick to our road rash. Again, I don’t like nature. Lesson learned? Use one of the emergency mylar blankets I had to sit on during lunch for Sat & Sun. Far more enjoyable, and no part of nature stuck to my body!

The rest of the walk was more cheering, more water, more Gatorade! I saw my parents at the cheering station and they made a great sign from “the Flamingo Trainers”!!! J Another group of fun supporters were the “Pink Posse.” The Pink Angels is a team of close to 100 walkers, many of whom wear angel wings during the walk. The Posse, or the Boy Angels as I like to call them, are about 4 of their husbands who dress up as women wearing huge angel wings. They didn’t participate in the walk, but were along the route all day every day cheering us on and entertaining us with their getups!

At the end of day 1 as we walked into the last rest area to be bused to camp which was a few miles away, it was a true sense of accomplishment. We had started at 7:15am and took a little more than 11 HOURS to complete the route, but we made it!!!! And to top it off, the Men with Heart group was all gathered cheering on every walker that finished. Can you believe they had the energy to do that after walking all day in the heat?!

Oh yeah, I might have the order wrong, but here are the towns we walked through on Friday: Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Needham, Milton, Hyde Park, Dedham (got a delicious homemade Mint Chip ice cream in Dedham center!), Canton.

OK, what you’ve all been waiting for. My 1st camping experience. Laura & I got back to camp (Blue Hills High School), got our bags, grabbed a tent and went to our assigned tent location. I may not have camped before, but I can read, and there were directions printed on the tent pkg. So, we took out the pieces, I read step 1 and Laura and I did that. Then I read step 2 and we started doing that. About this time a woman a few tents down came over and said “First Walk?” Guess most people don’t read the directions to assemble the tent so we stood out! Didn’t matter though because we got the tent up quickly and with no problems. Once I had my air mattress in there it felt just like home!

After grabbing dinner, we went to the 3Day Post Office. I was THRILLED with all my letters!!!! Thank you so much!!!! We went off to the shower trucks with letters in hand. Good thing. The shower lines were out of control. A staff member said he’d never seen it like that before. We waited an hour – gave me plenty of time to read my letters! – and then as we were close to the front of the line the entire camp was evacuated due to severe lightening. It was about 9pm when this happened so most people were in their tents asleep or getting ready for bed. The showers were located close to the high school where we evacuated so I was able to get there quickly and find a piece of floor to lie down on close to the door. Can you imagine how crowded a HS gym & cafeteria are when 2000+ people filter in? I was lucky I had a place to lie down and rest! There was a lot of grumbling in the gym about losing our spots in line at the showers. They made an announcement to use the “honor system” to get back in line at the showers. About 10pm we were allowed to go back to camp. This was a funny site – women who just walked 20+ miles actually started RUNNING so they could get to the front of the shower lines. I didn’t have the energy to run, but I was most definitely speed walking! Turns out it wasn’t needed as most people chose to skip the shower because it was so late. You couldn’t have paid me to go to bed without a shower that night!!!

Although the tent and air mattress was comfy I just couldn’t sleep. I slept less than 2 hours the entire night. Not good when you’re walking another 22 miles in the morning.

Off we went on Saturday morning! As usual, the 3 of us were walking at a pretty good pace, but we tended to spend a lot of time at the Pit Stops so in the end it was another 11 hour day! We walked on some trails, and looped all around Milton with perhaps a few dips into Hyde Park during the day. We don’t have a map while we’re walking, so I wasn’t exactly sure where I was at all times. I just kept following the black arrow signs and all the people walking in front of me!

Remember those sweep vans? Well, not only do they pick you up if you need it, they also “sweep” you to the next pit stop if you’re walking too slow. Pit Stops have an opening and closing time. If you don’t leave the Pit Stop before the closing time they “sweep” (drive) you to the next Pit Stop. Time was not on my side on Saturday. At one point I left a Pit Stop only 3 minutes before it was closing and was so afraid I wouldn’t make it to the next one in time. There’s nothing wrong with taking the van, but my fear all along had been I don’t want to take the van because I’m slow. Not it was about to happen! About this same time I saw my parents at the Cheering Station. Between the lack of sleep, running from the sweep van, and the crowds of cheering people, I was highly emotional. I don’t think the tears were good for my mother to see ~ just gave her something else to worry about! Oh yeah, this was also all happening only 8 miles into Day 2, so I was having serious doubts about how I would make it 21.5 miles. But, the body perseveres. I kept walking and making up time, and never needed to be swept.

I saw more amazing people cheering us on, more of the spray bottles and sprinklers which were a huge help in the 93 degree heat on Saturday, and some great signs! I also saw “my girl” as I dubbed her. There was a family which spent 3 entire days cheering us on. They would be in 1 location, and then a few hours later we’d see them again in a new location. Part of the family was a girl about 10-12 who had a spray bottle of water in her hands the entire weekend and kept us cool in the heat. I loved her! Even took a picture with her on Sunday!

Due to the lack of sleep and struggle I had walking Saturday I wasn’t exactly a Chatty Cathy for my walking partners. Especially the last few hours when I swear the 3Day folks were playing a joke. The last 3 miles on Saturday were all trails in the Blue Hills. And by trails I mean tons of up and down hills, 100% rocky terrain with a few tree roots and twigs thrown in for good measure. The route was so treacherous the staff was announcing it at the last Pit Stop before the trails so that people could get on the buses and go back to camp. Not me though. I’m a glutton for punishment! So Cecelia and I took off for the trails (Laura took the bus due to ongoing knee and heel problems. Honestly was amazed at how far she did walk with those ailments!) Due to the terrain I swear I didn’t utter 1 word for 3 miles. I just kept my head down and focused on where the best place to put my next foot was going to be. But what a sense of accomplishment when we made it out of the woods! It was only about a mile at that point to camp and it was a piece of cake!

And who was there waiting for us? Men with Heart, of course. But this time they sang the “Pretty Woman” theme for Cecelia and I as we walked in. We couldn’t have looked more gross, but it sure warmed the heart to hear them signing! It’s an all male group, so as I told 1 member, “You’re the only group that discriminates against women that I like!”

Saturday night was the opposite of Friday. Everything went smoothly. The tent was already set up, so we just grabbed dinner, went to the showers and only had about 4 people waiting before us and then passed out from shear exhaustion at 9pm!

Although it was 93 degrees during the day, it dropped down to the low 60’s at night. I was wearing a tank top and PJ bottoms, but when I got up around 10pm to go to the bathroom, my teeth were chattering like crazy from the cold. Good thing I had a fleece to throw on, and then I snuggled up in my sleeping bag and had no trouble sleeping right through the night!

Sunday we packed up our gear and the tent, and dropped it off to be transported to Closing Ceremonies. After breakfast the 3 of us were scanned out of camp at 7:29 am. The latest you could leave camp that day without being bused directly to lunch was 7:30 am. We made it by the skin of our teeth!

Sunday was beautiful – low 80’s, no humidity, and only about 16 miles to walk. What more could a girl ask for?! After a good nights sleep and good weather, my spirits were soaring again. You could feel the excitement in the air and the sense of accomplishment everyone was feeing as we began Day 3. I also had a chance to talk with a couple of walkers on Sunday as I was more talkative than the previous day!

I met a 16 year old girl who decided to do the 3Day and then convinced her 4 Aunts to sign up with her! I walked a few miles, and had lunch, with Trish, who was also a 1st time walker. She was walking with her friend Christine and the 2 of them had walked 8 miles on each Friday & Sat. Chris has Stage IV Breast Cancer and is currently undergoing Chemo. Although my entire body was aching at this point from over 50 miles of walking, Chris’ story put it all into perspective. If she could walk 16 miles with her health issues and walked probably 12 miles on Sunday alone, who am I to complain about a little foot and knee pain? These ladies are in my thoughts and prayers. I also met Kathy Giller, a familiar name I had seen on the 3Day Message Board for months. She and her husband Lee were walking in 3 cities this year. Her husband is a Breast Cancer survivor. The back of their shirts read: “Male Breast Cancer. Rare…….But very Real.” Their local paper just wrote a story about Lee which is wonderful for raising awareness of this disease among men.

At the cheering station on Sunday I was in far better spirits! I saw my parents, sister, brother-in-law and nieces, all holding signs, cheering and handing out popsicles and spraying folks with water. I chatted with them for a few minutes and took pictures and then kept on trekking!

In the end, it was Cecelia, Laura and I walking by the cheering crowds of strangers at the Expo Center, our last cheers by Men with Heart, and then I saw my family right before I went inside to the holding area for the walkers. It was so emotional seeing my Mom and family, and then my friend Missy was also there! The cheering didn’t end there though! All of the family and friends were outside cheering, but when we walked into the building full of walkers is when the cheering really started! All the walkers who finished ahead of me were clapping and cheering as we finished. What a great way to end this 60 mile journey with all of our fellow walkers!!!

Closing Ceremonies was touching as well. The walkers headed in first and formed a big circle as our friends and family cheered us on. Then the amazing Crew (350+ volunteers who did everything from serve dinner, to hand out shower towels, to drive sweep vans or rode on bike security, or staffed a Pit Stop, to countless other tasks behind the scenes) formed an inner circle. Finally the Breast Cancer Survivors who participated in the event walked in. It was very emotional, and the walkers all bent down on 1 knee to pay homage to their achievements. Truly my favorite part of Closing Ceremonies.

Afterwards I met up with my family and the Sneider’s who are dear old family friends that came out to cheer me on! I recapped all the stories above, and maybe even a few more, and then told them the most shocking news of all. Thanks to ALL OF YOU, we raised over $11,500+ which made me the 9th biggest fundraiser for the entire Boston walk! I truly couldn’t have done it without you!!! And no, there’s no prize for this….remember the point is to donate money for cancer funding and research not to buy gifts for participants! Overall, the Boston walkers raised over $5 million dollars!!!

I’m putting together my plans for the 2008 3Day walk….want to join me?! The schedule of dates hasn’t been announced yet, but I’m hoping to double my efforts next year- walk in Boston and then another 60 miles in different participating city! I would love to have you on my team as a walker or crew member! For anyone who may be thinking about doing this event I say “don’t think about it – Do it.” I promise you’ll get far more out of the experience than you could ever imagine!

After all the miles, the extreme heat, and camping what stands out most from this experience is the people. The walkers who push themselves day after day. To keep going after your feet are blistered and swollen and not longer fit in your sneakers, they would wear flip flops to keep going. Or one woman cut off the front of her sneaker so her swollen blistered foot would have some room. And the thousands of people who cheered us on during the 3 days. It was hard to dwell on your physical condition when people were constantly thanking you for walking, or you'd come across signs like "Thanks from a 10 year Survivor" or "My Mom is proof that your fundraising works!" This was truly an unforgettable experience!

Thanks for going on this amazing 60 mile journey with me!!!

PS. Click to see the Pictures!
PPS. Did I mention I walked 60 miles and have zero blisters?!

Water Party

I thought I was done posting until after the walk, but I have to tell you about this morning. I was putting my gear in my car so I used the elevator in my building and got stuck in it for close to 40 minutes!!! Most common asked question about this event? "What happened?" Are you kidding? Here's what happened ~ the doors didn't open! So a neighbor heard me and called the landlord for help. In the end, I had 2 wonderful neighbors chatting with me through the door while 4 other folks (2 from the elevator company) were able to pry the doors open. The entire time I was DYING from the heat inside the elevator! I swear it was as hot as walking 10 miles in the heat. Except I was dressed for work, not exercise. Once they got the door open I invited everyone in for a Water Party and some air conditioning - both of which were lacking in the elevator and in the hall where they were working to rescue me. Needless to say we were all sweating and I actually had to change clothes before I could go to work. When I was ready (again) for work, I found out the elevatory repairman was stuck. Didn't he learn anything from my experience? Here's hoping the next 3 days go a heck of a lot better!

1 Day left!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you tell I'm excited?! OK, just have to make it through work and somehow fall asleep tonight with all of this excitement and then I'll be walking!

As I'm typing the weatherman just said tomorrow is "not looking like a pleasant day at all." Guess that has something to do with her forecast of low 90's and high humidity coupled with a chance of severe thunderstorms in the afternoon. What does she know? It's going to be a great day! Followed by 2 other great days!!!!! :-)

Thank you again to EVERYONE for all of your support and enthusiam! Talk to you all after the 60 miles (and probably a few days of constant sleep!)

Webcam

There's going to be a live webcam at the 3Day! From 1pm - 9pm on both Friday and Saturday live video (no audio) will be streaming of the actual event! This is the 1st year they're doing it, so I don't have any inside tips from the message board or veteran walkers.

Here's the info I do have:

"The link can be found at www.The3Day.org. Then go to Information and then to Supporters"

Pedicure

After 100's of miles training you can imagine I don't have the cutest feet these days! Luckily I haven't had problems with blisters, or lost a toenail (yuck!) like many walkers. However I do have well earned callouses on my previously nice feet. One of the 1st things you learn during training is that callouses are good. They give your feet a tough layer of skin. Under NO circumstances do you allow someone to rub it all away during a pedicure! Needless to say, the pedicurist is making out like a bandit b/c I pay the full price but only ask for the nails to be trimmed and the polish changed. Today I went 3-Day with my pedicure. I chose a BRIGHT pink polish and had her paint a hot pink, Pink Ribbon symbol on each big toe!

Only 2 full days left until the event!!!

Last Weekend!

I can't believe that 6 months of prep is winding down and the event is only 5 days away!!! Busy weekend for me. Sat I walked 10 miles with my college friend Marisa who was visiting from CA. We walked down Boylston, Beacon, Harvard Ave, Comm Ave - pretty much a "remember when" tour of our college days! Today I walked 8 miles w/ Lena, a fellow 3Day walker who I've chatted with online, but our schedules just finally synced up this weekend. It's great to know another familiar face before the 3Day. And also thanks to Kim C. who came across my blog while searching the internet, and sent me an email to let me know she's also a 1st time walker. Guess the old blog is really reaching out to folks!!!

Today I officially packed my gear bag! Somehow having everything in the bag makes it all real! I feel the same way I did when I was 4 yrs old going to Disney for the 1st time. Even back then I was a planner and had my suitcase packed and ready well in advance. I was afraid I would forget my blankie, so I packed that too. Only problem was I couldn't sleep w/out my blankie, so every night I'd have to go into my suitcase and take it out. Then I'd put it back in the suitcase each morning so I wouldn't forget to bring it with me to FL. Well, this time I didn't pack blankie, and I'm pretty sure I won't need any of my camping gear this week, so I think the bag will stay closed until Friday.....when I set up my tent & air matress!

How does one pack for the 3 day? In ziploc bags, then pack it all inside a giant trash bag - just to protect everything from the dreaded rain! Like my luggage tag? As you may remember, I'm walking in honor of my Grandmother who's a breast cancer survivor, so I made a copy of her High School graduation photo (class of 1932!) and laminated it with my name, etc on the other side. Should make it easy to spot my back among the 3000 other bags.....I hope!

18 down.....60 to go!

Saturday I walked my final 18 mile walk! This is the longest distance on the training schedule, and I've done it 3 times in the last few weeks. My body held up pretty well, no major ailments except I was really tired. Luckily I only had to walk 8 miles on Sunday, so I slept late (6:30 instead of 5:00am!) and it was easy to finish the 8. For the next week, the schedule slides off in mileage so we can rest up for the big 6-0!

Cheering Stations

Want to come out and support 2500+ walkers? Want to show your kids what charity looks like up close and personal? Want to laugh at me in spandex and a fanny pack? Whatever the reason, I'd love to see you! Click here for times and locations of Cheering Stations! Each day I'll have an idea of my pace and probably a shorter 1 hour window when I'll hit each mark. Give me a call and I'll let you know the time. Or go anytime and cheer on my fellow walkers!!!

Also:
* If you want, bring a chair to Closing Ceremonies and Cheering Stations!
* Here's the Boston staff: on the left my coach Aimee, the other coach Meredith, and the walker recruiter. Sorry can't remember her name, but she's very friendly!

Questions, Questions, Questions

There are many questions about the 3Day, so I thought I'd try and answer some of them here. If you any others, just shoot me an email! aimee432@comcast.net

Who's doing the walk?

Technically I'm doing it "alone." Meaning, I didn't sign up with anyone I already know. However, I've met a ton of people during Training Walks and through the Message Board so I'm definitely not alone in this journey! Not to mention there are 2500+ other walkers participating (primarily women, but many men as well), so I'm sure there will be plenty of people for me to chat with!

How far is 60 miles?

If I started in Boston and walked to the Cape (Sandwich specifically) I would have walked 60 miles. So, next time you're driving down the Cape imagine you can see me walking alongside the car!

Where do you walk?

We'll walk on sidewalks and trail paths. Unlike the marathon, no roads are closed for us so you could see us walking as you're running errands! The route changes every year to keep it interesting for the folks who participate in the event annually. This year we start in Framingham and walk about 20 miles to Camp. In the morning we leave camp and walk another 20 miles in a figure 8 pattern. This way, we have new scenery the entire way and we end up back at Camp at the end of Day 2. Big bonus to this is we only have to set up the tent on Friday and it's all ready for us on Sat!

Why don't you know EXACTLY where you'll be walking?

The actual route is never released for safety reasons. Safety? Yes. Imagine if all the supporters of the 3Day decide to drive along the route to cheer us on. Sounds wonderful, but the extra traffic, and the rubber-necking, is likely to cause an accident. Definitely not something we need when we're only walking inches from where the cars are driving!!! There will be designated places for people to cheer on the walkers. More on that in another post!

Where are you camping?

Similar to the route, the actual Camp location is never released. We find out when we get there on Day 1! Why? For safety again, and also because one year the location was released and some "concerned citizens" of the town didn't want us there based on traffic, etc, so they forced the camp location to change their mind and not allow us to stay. Can you imagine the poor 3Day staff trying to find space for 2500+ people in the 11th hour? Better to keep it a secret!

What is Camp like?

Typically we stay at a big sports field rather than a campground. The 3Day brings in everything we need. Two people share a tent, so between the walkers and all the Crew there are over 1500 TENTS set up in row upon row. When we arrive at Camp on Friday afternoon we'll pick up our gear bag (luggage) and the tent provided by the 3Day. We have a Tent Assignment detailing the row and actual space to set up our tent. They also bring in a giant dining tent (with hot catered breakfast and dinner - lunch is a sandwich during the walk). There are Shower Trucks with hot showers in the back of big tractor trailers. My least favorite aspect: a zillion port-o-potties. Enough on that subject. Every night they have entertainment in the main tent. More on what Camp has after I walk and experience it for myself!

WHY are you doing this?

Good question! I'm out of shape, don't exercise (at least not when I started this journey) and have never camped b/c it's not my thing. But all of that is irrelevant. I've thought about participating for several years. Also, my grandmother is a Breast Cancer Survivor. This year I started researching the event and the more I learned, the more convinced I was to walk in the 3Day. Scarily, 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with Breast Cancer in her lifetime. There are far more than 8 women in my life I care about and I don't want to see this effect any of them. It's time to make a difference. Watch this very moving video about why people participate: Video. I bet you'll be ready to sign up with me next year!

Back-to-Back

This past weekend was the biggest "Back-to-Back" before the event. Back-to-Backs are 2 long distance walks on consecutive days. Sat I walked 18 miles and 16 miles on Sunday!!! A total of about 14-15 hours of walking in a 30 hour timeframe.

Sat I walked with one other 3-Dayer and really enjoyed it. We walk the same pace, have the same break motto - few & quick breaks - and the 18 miles *flew* by. Not to mention, she pushed me on for the last few miles when my feet were simply hurting! In total we finished in 7 hours 15 minutes. So pretty much close to an entire day of work! Only problem was I got my 1st Blister. It's on my heel, and it's my fault. I used moleskin (an adhesive padding to PREVENT blisters) on my heels for protection. I've been doing this for months w/ great results. Sat I didn't apply it well and the creases I created in the moleskin gave me blisters on my heels. They're pretty mild and should heel soon.

Sunday I walked with another group of 6 which was fun to chat with. It reached 91 degrees in the city. Special thanks to the bank (about mile 12) which had a sprinkler running in their recently paved parking lot to keep it from cracking. We had fun cooling down in the sprinkler for a few minutes! Due to the heat, the rest of the group decided to skip a BIG hill and only walk about 13.5 miles. But not me. I went on my own up Summit Ave (1/2 mile long hill straight up) huffing and puffing the whole way. But what a great sense of accomplishment when I got to the top! Then walked the last few miles solo to hit the 16 mile mark!!! :-)

Betty Crocker...

has officially retired! Saturday was the 3rd and final Bake Sale and it was the most successful one yet! Spent Friday baking brownies and making popcorn and then headed to Norwell Super Stop & Shop to hawk my goods. My Mom was kind enough to man a table so we had both entrances covered, and in total we raised $715!!!

I spoke with a woman who is in the midst of 3rd re-occurrence with Breast Cancer and it has metastasized. She's going into this with a positive attitude and was a joy to talk to. She's in my thoughts. My hope is that by participating in this event and doing this fundraising it will help find a cure soon for her and all the other women and men in the same situation. Stay strong!

You've Got Mail

The 3Day will have a "post office" in the campground where I can get letters during the actual event. I've been so lucky to have received many wonderful cards, notes and emails during my training and they have truly inspired to keep walking on some of the longer walks. I'd love to have some more inspiration during the 60 mile walk!!! So if you want to send a letter/card/yellow sticky/quick note, I'd love to hear from you! No packages will be accepted, so an actual Bed delivery or other modern conveniences is out of the question!

Here are the details:

* All mail must be postmarked by July 20th.

* Only letters, no packages, will be accepted.

Mail to:

3-Day Camp Post Office

Aimee Floyd

PMB 232

203 Washington Street

Salem, MA 01970-3680

31 Miles

That's right! I walked 31 miles this weekend - 18 miles Sat and 13 Sunday. I tried out the actual 3 Day schedule on Sat, and did I ever pay the price. For the 1st time I stopped during the walk and took a lunch break for about 25 minutes. This is what will happen on the actual event so I thought I'd better see how my body reacted. For the record - my body HATED stopping. The actual sitting down and relaxing was enjoyable, but my muscles just got cold and then tensed up. Both calves were killing when I had to walk the last 4.5 miles home after lunch. But I learned a good lessons - I MUST stretch VERY thoroughly before my lunch break to avoid a repeat of that pain.

After the 18 miles I showered and headed out to find a dress for a wedding later this summer. I didn't exactly have a spring in my step, so I went dress shopping in sneakers (which I kept on while trying on dresses) with the aroma of the Icy Hot slathered on both legs following me everywhere. Here's hoping I look (and smell) a lot better when I wear the dress to Stephen & Robin's wedding!

Camping Gear

I went to the Wrentham Outlet to pick up a few things...

I've been there a million times and know where the stores are and usually just pop in and out of Banana Republic, J Crew, Ann Taylor, etc. Not this time. This round I had to print the map of store locations and highlight the athletic & camping stores so I'd have a clue of where to go! I know so much about wicking materials, I had no problem buying clothes to walk in, but the camping gear is another story. I went to the Coleman outlet and came out with all sorts of "goodies." As will be no suprise to most of you, I've never been inside a camping store! I nice saleperson guided me through the process and found a cheap sleeping bag which is also light and rolls up small to fit in my bag. I was thinking of getting a self-inflated camp pad but couldn't do it. It's only about 1.5 inches thick when inflated, which as I told the guy is about the same thickness as the sole of my flip flop. I can't imagine sleeping on my flip flop. Let alone after walking 20 miles! So, I bought an air mattress w/ battery operated pump. Also picked up the 3-Day recommended head-lamp (to give some light in the port-o-potty at night, and inside your gear bag). I'm sure there will be a bidding war to get the rights to the pic of me wearing the headlamp!

Bake Sale, part deux

Yup, I had another bake sale this weekend! The weather cooperated more than last time when it was 45 degrees, so I was able to sell cold Pink Lemonade! New dilemma this time was caused by the sun. The platter of brownies was baking in their plastic bags sitting out in the sun! So, I left the majority of the brownies under the table and had a few "display brownies" to let people know they existed. Even when I told customers I had fresh ones underneath, you'd be amazed how many people wanted to take the ones baking in the heat with little water droplets forming inside the baggie!!! Those brownis were gross....I know b/c I tasted one. Here's my total take for the 5 1/2 hours outside of Stop & Shop! Not exactly sure how much because I'm so tired I keep getting a different result when I count the money - but it's about $500!!!

Tentmate

I have a tentmate.....here's hoping she's an expert tent putter-upper! Laura and I met during a training walk, and we're both first time walkers. Her first comment to me was "you look familiar." Hmm.....that's what I was thinking. Turns out we went to high school together, graduating 2 years apart! Who knew my days at L-S would come in handy 15+ years later!

Marathon

I walked a Marathon for training ~ 15 miles on Sat, 11 miles on Sunday! Saturday was a group training walk from ChestnutHill down Beacon St thru Kenmore Sq to Boylston, Public Gardens, Parker House Hotel and then back again. It was cloudy w/ a light mist and some humidity. My left calf felt like a charlie horse was going to kick in for the last 6-7 miles, but thankfully the pain went away with a good nights sleep! Sunday was a breeze (down my normal route) sun shining, 65 degrees, no humidity ~ pretty much my perfect walking weather!

Closing Ceremonies
The starting and ending points of the walk have been announced! On Friday, Aug 3rd Opening Ceremonies will begin at 6:30 am at Farm Pond Park in Framingham. After 3 Days, and 60 miles, Closing Ceremonies will occur in Boston at The Bayside Expo Center on Sunday, August 5th at 4:30 pm. I'd love to see you at Closing Ceremonies ~ so save the date!!!

A note regarding Closing Ceremonies from the 3-Day:
Your friends, family and supporters should arrive at the Closing Ceremonies site at least one hour early to enjoy the special activities at the Spectator Café, and to secure a space by the stage that will give them the best view of the program.

Bayside Expo Center
200 Mount Vernon Street
Boston, MA

Driving Directions:
The Bayside Expo Center is located off of 1-93.
If coming from the south, take exit 14. Stay in the right hand lane and follow Morrissey Boulevard. At the third set of lights, take a right onto Mount Vernon Street. Follow the signs to Bayside Expo Center. Take your third left into the Bayside Expo Center Main Entrance.

If coming from the North on 1-93 and/or West via 1-90/Massachusetts Turnpike to I-93 North, take Exit 15/Columbia Road. Take a right onto Columbia Road. Enter the next roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto William J Day Blvd. Turn right to stay on William J Day Blvd. Turn left onto Mt. Vernon Street. The entrance to the Bayside Expo Center will be on your left.

Jinxed!

Sunday was not my best walk....

Set out to do 14 miles and pretty much everything that could go wrong did.

Mile 7 - legs start tingling and weighing a million pounds. Not sure why b/c from the waist up felt fine, not dehydrated, etc. I sat down gulped some Gatorade, ate a Power Bar and then started walking again. Weird sensation went away quickly so I guess a just needed a little food & drink.

Mile 8 - Now that I have the legs under control I thought I was all set. Oh no. Stopped at Dunkin to replace the Gatorade. After filling up my water bottle, put the infamous fanny pack on (weighs at least 5 lbs) but I didn't snap it shut correctly. So, from the weight, it fell off my waist, hit another customer in the leg, AND the clasp broke. SO, I thought it was embarassing walking around w/ a huge fanny pack strapped around my waist, but now I needed to walk 6 more miles CARRYING the fanny pack. Not exactly fun having a dead 5 lb weight alternating between hands for the next 2 hours.

Miles 9, 10, 11 - Still carrying the Fanny Pack and it decides to rain. For an hour. Although I have a ton of essentials in the pack, I've yet to buy the recommended Rain poncho, so I'm pretty much just getting rained on, dragging my pack w/ me. You can imagine what the people think driving by!

The Good News? I walked all 14 miles!!!!!

You never know what type of weather we'll have or what will happen on the actual 3-day event, so it's important to train through everything. Guess yesterday was a great training ground!

Side notes:

* Went to the Expo - learned a bunch - but NO tent demo! I'm still clueless about how to build shelter on the 3-Day. Hope I have an expert tentmate!

* Thanks to Rob from Marathon Sports who gave me inserts for my heel pain at the Expo. Walked in them yesterday and definitely felt an improvement!

*Went on my 1st Training Walk w/ other 3-Dayers on Saturday. It was great having people to talk to. Only concern? 3-Day walkers need to follow all rules at crosswalks. For a girl who went to college in the city and would cross 2 lanes of traffic on Comm Ave, 2 "T" tracks, and 2 more lanes of traffic on Comm Ave just to get to class everyday this is difficult. You can imagine jaywalking was a daily activity....now we wait for the little walk figure before crossing the road. Tough adjustment!

Opportunity

The pink rubber bracelet for today:

"Sat AM- Opportunity is one's turn to make a difference."

I actually wore this bracelet last Saturday as well....but forgot how much I like this quote. Today I'm off for a *quick* 10 mile group training walk ending at Watertown HS. There's a 3-Day Expo there today where I can learn not only how "easy" it is to put up the tent but also a ton of other things. Here's hoping I'm a smarter 3-Dayer by the end of today!

Courage
Sorry for the delay w/ the post....the 14 miles on Saturday wiped me out! Sunday I woke up knowing I was supposed to walk 10 miles. I didn't think it was possible. Not on my aching legs. Then I decided to put on the "Sun AM" pink rubber bracelet I just received and it put everything into perspective. When I bought a 6 pack of socks from Thorlo, a 3Day sponsor, each pair was wrapped in a bracelet labeled either Fri AM, Fri PM, Sat AM, Sat PM, Sun AM or Sun PM. It's important to change your socks at the midpoint of each day of long distance walking, so the bracelets go along w/ the sock changing schedule. And they each contain a different quote. I decided not to read the messages all at once and just wait until I wore them. So, Sunday morning I woke up and every muscle, joint, bone, etc was hurting. I doubted it was possible for me to walk 10 miles with such pain. I put on the "Sunday AM" bracelet and read the inspiration:

"Courage stands in the face of doubt and stares it down."

That was all I needed to get my butt in gear! I started stretching, eating breakfast, etc, and next thing you know I was hitting the pavement....and the 10 miles flew by (or at least as fast as 3+ hours can fly by!). Can't wait to see what the rest of the messages have to say!

Faith Charm Bracelets

Here's another Fundraiser I've been up to...selling these Charm bracelets! They have a heart charm, the word F A I T H and then a Pink Ribbon charm at the end. Cute little bracelet! These were a big hit during the Bake Sale, especially for the folks who didn't want anything "edible" - glad I could accomodate! I even had a bunch gift wrapped (hot pink tissue paper and pale pink grossgrain ribbon of course!) and was marketing them as Mother's Day gifts! TOo bad that holiday passed ~ I'll need a new marketing tool for the next bake sale!

Pink Flamingo's!!!

You probably don't think of me as the Lawn Ornament type, but I've fallen in LOVE with plastic Pink Flamingo's! These lovely birds are migrating through my parents neighborhood raising money for the 3-Day.

Here's how it works....
The Flamingo Trainers (ie: my-ever-supportive parents!) plant 6 of these Flamingo's in a neighbors yard after dark (or as late as my Dad can stay up, so about 8pm). A note attached to one of the birds explains it's a 3-Day FUNdraiser. For a donation, the Flamingo Trainers will remove the birds and migrate them to any neighbor of your choice (after dark of course!). And for any donation over $25 you also get Flamingo Insurance ensuring the flock doesn't show up in your yard again! Of course, I had to take it 1 step further and bought my parents silly get-ups to wear when they collect the donations! Check out the separate Flamingo Blog to see the outfits and read more about it! And be on the lookout.....you never know when I might decide to come to your house!

12 Miles

Today I hit the 12 mile mark in my training!!! The weather was perfect, warm - but, not too warm - and my hip held out until mile 10. The last 2 miles were a little tougher, but this is a big improvement ~ it used to hurt at mile 5!!! You gotta love Physical Therapy. :-)

Not to mention I LOVE this #12 picture I found online made out of Socks & Sneakers.....could it be any more perfect for this Blog?!?!

Aim HIGH!!!
Thank you to everyone who helped me reach my $3500 donation goal!!!! The support I've received, both financial & emotional, has been truly overwhelming, and your kindness and generousity motivate me to aim even higher!

SO, I'll let you in on my little secret. All along, I've really hoped to raise $10,000 for the 3-Day! (you don't think I'm baking 10 pans of brownies and standing outside for 5 hours in 45 degree weather for the heck of it, do you?!) :-)

Thanks to all of the folks who have donated early, I feel confident we can reach this milestone!! Thanks again for all of your support.....now it's time to reach for the sky!!!

Brownies by the DOZENS!!!

Yesterday I held a Bake Sale at WalMart ~ what an amazing experience!!! I talked to folks about the 3-Day and met a few survivors. Everyone was so kind and generous. After 5 hours, we had $500 in donations!!! What a great outcome after walking 10 miles Sat, then baking 10 (TEN!) pans of brownies, popping 17 bags of popcorn, and making 6 gallons of Pink Lemonade! And you know I'm all about the presentation, so each bag was decorated with a pink ribbon! Even had scratch-n-sniff stickers for all of the kiddies! The weather didn't cooperate at all ~ it never got out of the 40's all day! I may have had lemonade for sale (couldn't give it away due to the weather), but I was drinking Hot Chocolate to try and stay warm. Even got a donation from our waiter at Friday's after the Bake Sale ~ Thanks Eddie!!!

ps. Special thanks to my "fundraising committee" for all of their help!!!

Love Thy Neighbor

Last night I decorated my door with a pink ribbon and a poster about the 3-Day. I also left notes under all of my neighbors doors telling them about my journey and asking for their support. Not even 24 hours later I came home and there was a donation under my door!!!

Love Thy Neighbor! :-)

Random Act of Kindness
Today a co-worker came by and handed me a donation check out of the clear blue! We pass in the halls and chat in the break room while getting our lunch, but we don't actually work on any projects together. I was so shocked and grateful I could barely speak. After she left, my eyes got a little damp by this random act of kindness. It was truly unexpected and appreciated! THANK YOU!!! :-)

Double Digits
My niece Haley is turning 10 next month and she's very excited about hitting "double digits." I know exactly how she feels....yesterday was my 1st double digit training walk! At 8 am sharp I left my place complete with fanny pack and supplies adn exactly 3 1/2 hours later, I was back home with a 10 mile walk under my belt!! Woo-hoo!!! :-)

I went my usual route down Day Blvd in Southie to Morrissey Blvd thru Dorchester. The whole route is on sidewalks with a total of 4 lanes of traffic going by, except for about a second on the Neposet Bridge where I have to take my life into my own hands. Picture this: I've walked 5 miles, and then the sidewalk ends. I'm literally on top of a Bridge and have to run across a lane of traffic which is an off-ramp, and then walk another block on a thin walkway about 12 inches wide. Not exactly the safest part of the walk, but I look at it as practicing my balancing skills!

Luckily, the walk really went by quickly and no blisters! :-)

PS - THANK YOU to all my early supporters....I love seeing the thermometer rise!!!

City Mouse, Country Mouse

Normally I walk on cement sidewalks through the city with views of gas stations, grocery stores, and Tstations. I've even had the rare pleasure of a crazy person shouting crazy things at me....wonder why someone else had already called the cops on her and they came to round her up?! On Sunday I was in Plymouth visiting my parents, and had the pleasure of walking on actual walking paths through the trees. Very peaceful. Guess I'm more of a country mouse at heart...

Bionic Woman

Tonight was my 1st night of actual physical therapy. I started with strengthening & balancing exercises -try playing catch while standing on a trampoline with one foot in the air. Not so easy!

Then they whipped out the electronics. I had seen other people lying around w/ heating packs thinking how easy their PT was while I'm working my butt off. Oh was I ever wrong. Said heating pack is HOT HOT HOT and what I didn't notice was that in addition to the heat pack they were hooked up to a machine. It had small disks attached to the machine which were then put on my back (sort of like an EKG or something). Through some form of electro-shock therapy (at least as far as I'm concerned that's what it is!) this thing constricts your muscles while you're lying there. It's an odd sensation and a little, not quite painful exactly, but definitely uncomfortable. Guess all those folks sitting around with their heat packs didn't have it so easy after all!

But I did learn some trivia....
1. There's a big tendon in the hip that's made up of 3 muscles. But 1/3 of the total population is missing 1 of the muscles and it's no big deal. Who knew?!
2. Animal Planet was on TV at PT. After watching enough about snakes to ensure I will have nightmares reminiscent of the Snake Pit scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, they did a story on Lions. Direct quote from the expert "while they're bachelors the men lions hunt for themselves, but once they're attached to a lioness it's her job to hunt for all the food. And then let the man eat first after she makes the kill" Ladies, make any similarities to other species as you feel necessary. ;-)

It's Official...
I'm walking!!! After the trip to the doctor I registered for the walk so now I really know it's happening! 1st sign I should walk- it starts on my birthday, 2nd sign- the coach I was assigned to is named "Aimee" - literally the same spelling - the signs keep coming!

Hip Replacement
I must be old if I'm having hip problems. In Feb my right hip started hurting when I walked more than 4 miles. Not a good sign when I'm training to walk 60 miles. After a quick trip to the doctor I've been assured that it's not Arthritis (that should be comforting, except for the fact that at 34 it NEVER occurred to me it might be arthritic!) and with a little physical therapy I should have no problem. The PT says I have a "weak trunk." Now I may not know ANYTHING about music, but I do know about "junk in the trunk" so I immediatey say "what's the trunk? my bumm?" HAHA Except I was serious!
(If anyone clueless like me, the trunk is the middle of your body - abs, back, etc.)

Hot & Cold
March was a month of extreme training. So far all (except 1 disaster on the treadmill) of my walks have been outside in Boston. In the months of Jan & Feb that means wearing long underwear, sweatpants, wool socks, and between 1 & 2 fleeces depending on if we're in the single digits with the windchill. March started out pretty much the same way....until I went to Grand Cayman! Instead of being 9 degrees outside, it was 90 degrees. I LOVED being outside w/ a little warmth, but I wasn't ready for the 6 mile training walks on the beach in the heat. After a rough 1st day (almost passed out from the heat towards the end) I figured out just how much water to drink before, during and after.

Cayman also marked the debut of the FANNY PACK!!! That's right, I admit it, I bought a fanny pack! This is considered necessary equipment for the 3 Day so I know I'll fit in there - but not exactly normal gear for beach walking on vacation! Not to mention I think my friends Kristin & Gustavo whom I was visiting were horrified to see me leaving their beautiful home in such a get-up! At least they had a good chuckle before work that 1st day! :-) Thanks again to K&G for their hospitality!!!

Training
The 1st walk was Brutal! It may have only been 3 miles, but when you factor in this walk was OUTSIDE in January in Boston at 5:30 AM you get the picture!!! It was literally pitch black outside, walking along the ocean in South Boston, looking over my shoulder to make sure there weren't any crazies lurking!
Jan & Feb walks were tough, but 3 miles ended up seeming easy when I jumped up to 6 miles....
So, the training calendar is built around gradually increasing your mileage. On the 1st day I was supposed to walk 4 miles (after about a month of 3 mile walks) I was feeling SO good, I ended up going for a 6 mile walk!! The walk itself was OK, but my body revolted when I got home! After some stretching and a shower, the back of my legs were killing! I sat on the couch and immediately gave up any plans of moving for the rest of the day! Maybe this is why they don't suggest you jump from a 3 mile to 6 mile walk?!

January
I've been thinking about walking in the 3 Day for a few years...
It seems as though I hear about the event every year just as it's about to happen.....which is a little late to commit to walking 60 miles and raising at least $2200! In January I kept hearing radio ads for the event and thought this is the year. When I found out the event began on Aug 3rd (my 34th birthday) I definitely thought it was a sign! Only 1 problem....I'm not in shape to walk 6 miles, let alone 60!!! But, when there's a will, there's a way. Especially when you have over 6 months to train! I decided to start training and wait a few months before deciding if I'd actually register...