Third Times a Charm!

It's official.....I'm registered for the 2009 3Day Walk!!!

OK, so it's probably not a big suprise to anyone, but it's still exciting! And there's still plenty of time for anyone out there to join me (hint, hint). Make it your New Year's resolution! :-)

Woohoo!

The walk may be over, but the final donations were still clearing.....and now I finally hit the $10,000 mark! Somehow that seems like SOOOOO much more than $9999, doesn't it? :-)

Other than finishing all the 2008 fundraising, I haven't been up to much 3Day related. Since it ended I participated in the 5K Race for the Cure. It was an easy 3 mile walk I did with Mandy and we tacked on another 4 miles to make it worth our while to get out of bed early on a Sunday! Another weekend I met up with Cecelia and walked another 7-8 miles. Other than that, NO long distance walking. Maybe the fact I was so exhausted after both of those walks I ended up taking a nap in the afternoon, is the reason I have ventured out for any more big walks!

Crab Apple

This weekend I took my 11 year old niece for her belated Birthday present - a day of White Water rafting! Her birthday was in May but with my busy walking schedule I hadn't had a chance earlier to go.....not to mention I was a teeny bit afraid that I would manage to hurt myself right before the 3Day and then what would I do?! Of course, I didn't tell her parents, or the grandparents, this thought as that would have caused needless worry for Haley's safety....and I knew we'd both be safe! Turns out I was correct as we both came back in 1 piece and had a GREAT time.....not in small part to the amazing rafting company!

We went for a full day of rafting out in western Mass complete with a picnic lunch. Haley REALLY enjoyed the homemade brownies and the roast beef sandwiches (in that order). She was also like a fish in water and a little dare-devil on the raft, sitting up front the entire time, loving the rapids, and a real pro throwing her bucket of water during the water fight!

Crab Apple is a family owned business and it was truly one of the best customer service experiences I've encountered in years. From the parking attendants in the small lot giving us all the info we needed before even exiting our cars to the amazing Guides on the trip, every person we encountered was friendly, knowledgeable and went out of their way to make sure each customer was having a great time. On the school bus ride to the starting point of the trip, each of the guides sought out the people from their boat and spent their time chatting with us. This continued during lunch, and throughout the entire raft trip. Ben, our wonderful guide, was full of fun stories and historical facts about the area and rafting. He entertained us (and especially the kids) with riddles and magic tricks. When you looked at other rafts in our group you could see the all of the Guides were engaging their group to the same degree. Clearly Crab Apple works hard to hire a First Class staff.

Since Friday I've been thinking all of those wonderful thoughts about our experience with Crab Apple, and especially our guide Ben. I didn't think my opinion could get any higher of this amazing company when I was blown away today with what happened....

Crab Apple sent a thank you note for going on the trip this weekend. When I opened it I was shocked to see there was a hand written note from our Guide Ben addressed to Haley and I. The note clearly wasn't a "form" letter as it made specific references to our day. Honestly, I don't think my personal Thank You notes are as well written and thoughtful as our note from the now-infamous Ben. SO, if you're thinking of going on a rafting trip in Mass, Vermont or Maine I HIGHLY recommend you check out Crab Apple!!!

Race for the Cure

OK, so I'm not done with my walking season. But this one is only 5K (3.1 miles) - easy, right?! And no fundraising required, so your wallets are safe from me! :-) The Race for the Cure 5K walk/run series is held throughout the year all over the US. This year it's on Sunday, Sept 7th at UMass Boston (the sight of the 3Day Closing Ceremony). It's also a chance for me to see some familiar 3Day faces, like the guys from Men With Heart. I'm walking with a few of my 3Day friends, aka the "Commando Queens" as we came to call ourselves during our 60 miles together. We're die-hard walkers so 3.1 miles isn't enough to get us out of bed in the morning......we're planning on walking 10 miles! BUT, if you'd like to join the regular Race for the Cure feel free to sign up. It's a great 3 mile walk with lots of amazing people and those need for you stretch it out to 10 miles!

Baby Feet

Now that the 3Day is over (for 2008), it was time to treat my feet to a Pedicure! Saturday I went with my mother and sister to Bella Sante for Pedicures and my feet are now beautiful, soft, and callous free! Actually, the technician was shocked to hear I had just walked 60 miles as I had "baby soft feet and no blisters." My sister and mother are not as lucky in the feet department.....even without walking in the 3Day. My Dad was proud though that I have "his feet" which are soft no matter what. I stopped at Sabon afterwards and bought some wonderful shea butter for my feet and now they feel amazing! Love the 3Day, but gotta love soft pretty feet at well!

Amazing Supporters!!!

The 3Day community is blessed with an amazing support system who dedicate themselves to cheering on the walkers during all 3Days. I'm lucky enough to have 2 parents who are among the best supporters a walker could ask for! Among all the signs, cheering, candy, stickers, spray bottles, etc, there's always something that really stands out.

This year it happened on Day 2 before we reached the Cheering Station in Brockton. A woman was handing out a small piece of paper to every walker, and we all took the time to read it and am grateful we did. I thought I lost it temporarily after handing it off to my family at the Cheering Station, but luckily they held on to it and I have it ready for my scrapbook. Thank you Caroline for scanning it in so I could share it here as well.

Official Photos!

Here are some official photo's from the 3Day site.. Don't forget to look below at my 2008 Walk recap post to see the link to all MY pictures from the 3Day!

I'm actually in this photo!!! I'm standing in between the people holding the My Children and My Aunt signs. This is right before the Opening Ceremony and I'm holding the My Grandmother flag, but it's hidden behind the other signs. Can you find me?!


These balloon lights lit up Opening & Closing Ceremonies, and were in the Dining Tent at Camp:



Now you know why I don't think they need the "Caution Many People Walking" sign!

Just like riding a bike

Yesterday I was missing the 3 Day so much, and was finally rested from 60 miles of walking that I was ready to walk some more! I met up with Caroline last night for a 5 mile walk around Castle Island and a chance to reminisce about our 3Day. So much fun! The old, sore body remembered what to do even without 10 lbs of Fanny Pack strapped to my waist! It also gave me an excuse to wear my new 3Day Tank Top that I love!

At the begining of the walk we heard someone across the street clapping so we both turned around ready to wave and thank them......it's common to have people clapping for you on the 3Day. Turns out this lady was just playing with her kids or dog or something and had no intention of cheering us on! I'm so glad I wasn't alone because we both burst out laughing realizing we weren't in the 3Day world any more!

But, the 3Day memory lives on every day during my commute. I noticed that the Crew forgot one of the orange signs they use to mark the route and I pass it each day on my way to and from work. Not to mention it's my favorite sign and says "Caution Many People Walking" I think this is hilarious because if drivers can't figure that out noticing 2000 people walking down the street, I really don't think the sign is going to clue them in!

2008 3-Day Walk!

Another Incredible 3 Days!!!!!!

Ready to hear all about my 60 mile, 3 Day journey? Sit back, relax, and enjoy feeling like you were walking right next to me the entire way! Or if you're attention span is short, click here to see the photo's of the walk!



This year my walk prep actually started on Thursday as I had practice for Opening Ceremonies. It was exciting and weird to see the stage all set-up, but instead of 2000+ people milling around there were only about 25 of us there. I was chosen to carry the Honor Flag which read "My Grandmother." Needless to say the practice session was just as emotional as the actual ceremony. Afterwards I headed back to a local hotel to grab some sleep before heading out at 5:15 am Friday morning.

Remember how I was chaperoning Emily, a 16 year old from NH who was participating in her first 3Day Walk? Emily and I were up early Friday and on the bus to Gillette Stadium while it was still dark out. Once we dropped off our gear bags we went to find some of my friends so I could leave Emily in good hands while I was in the Opening Ceremony. We ran into Cecelia, my buddy from last years walk, and Eileen and her sister Debbie. Eileen was a regular on my Training Walks and we had heard all about Debbie who was flying in from Michigan for her 3rd 3Day event. I knew Emily would have a great time at Opening with this crew, so off I went behind the stage. After a group stretch (amazing to see 2000 walkers all try to stretch while packed tight together in front of the stage, and still half asleep at 6:30 am), the Ceremony officially began. The Opening Ceremony is definitely emotional and there were a lot of tears in the crowd. I was ready this year with my tissues in hand!

Once the Ceremony ended I met up again with Emily and Cecelia and we headed onto the route! Emily admitted she thought I was a little silly to be bringing tissues to Opening because there was no way she would be crying.....but she did! Jenne, the National Spokesperson, does an incredible job with the Opening and Closing ceremonies!

The weather was not promising even this early in the walk. The skies were dark and imposing, and there was rain and thunder storms in the forecast. Of course, this had to be the 1 time the weather people actually got it right! After walking about 30 minutes, the rain started pouring. We whipped out our rain ponchos which did a good job of keeping our heads, bodies and fanny packs dry, but our feet were soaked and squishing with every step. Oh well, what can you do?! The spirits of the walk were still high and about an hour later the rain stopped and the sun eventually came out.

I had my first electronic problem of the weekend though. I had put my cell phone in the front pouch of my poncho so I could access it quickly. But I wasn't smart enough to zip the pouch, I just closed it via the velcro patch. When the rain stopped and I went to remove my phone I noticed it was swimming in a few inches of rain. I couldn't have chosen a worse place to put my phone. Needless-to-say it was soaking wet and broken. Everyone kept asking me if there was a "red dot" on the phone. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I guess the rest of the world knows that if your phone gets wet a red dot appears near the battery and alerts the cell phone company it's your fault and you have to pay to replace the phone. Not a great way to start the 3 Day. But, what can you do? Take off your poncho, be grateful the rain stopped, and keep walking. I mean, I'm only 3 miles into a 60 mile walk.....I've got bigger things to worry about! :-)

Off we go with our squishing socks and shoes, walking from Foxboro, through Sharon, Canton, and eventually ending in Stoughton. The first Cheering Station was only about 7 miles into the walk and we saw Emily's mom Stacy and friend Peg who had come to cheer Emily all 3 days. Stacy let me borrow her phone for the day so we wouldn't be out of touch. Thanks to the rain I could feel a "hot spot" on my foot (a potential blister-to-be), so I decided to duck into the Dunkin Donuts and change into dry socks. Prevention is the key to blisters. The longer you wait to address a problem, the bigger the problem becomes. After a little moleskin (protection to pad the hot spot) and some dry socks I felt more confident in my feet. Not to mention seeing all the folks cheering us on helps to keep my going!

The route this year was amazing! We walked through beautiful towns, avoided the dreaded Blue Hills from last year, and there were minimal hills. I know a lot of work goes into coming up with a good route, and they truly did an incredible job this year!

After the Cheering Station it was less than 4 miles to the Lunch Pit Stop. We never know the exact route, but we do get a Route Card each morning telling us how many miles until each Pit Stop, Cheering Station, or Lunch. This is our bible and it's the only way to get your body to walk 60 miles. You don't actually think of it as walking 60 miles, you just say, only 3 miles to a Cheering Station. As you walk away from the Cheering Station you look at the card, which is conveniently hanging around your neck in your credential, and do the math to see you only have 2.6 miles til the next Pit Stop. It's a great way to trick the brain into walking all 60 miles!

On Day 1 at Lunch we met up with the rest of our group. Eileen, Debbie, Mandy and Danielle were already there, so Cecelia, Emily and I joined them. Caroline and Melissa met up with us at the end of lunch. The group I had been training with for months was all together and we spent a lot of the next 3 days together! More sock changing for me at Lunch. My hot spot was doing well, but my sneakers were still soaking wet from the rain so they made my socks wet as well.

The afternoon was sunny and a great walk. At the 2nd Cheering Station I saw my Mom and Dad who had everything a walker would want.....spray bottles with water to cool us down, tootsie rolls, and freeze pops! I also saw Missy and her 2 boys who were out cheering on Missy's parents Donna & Jeff who were also walking. But I never saw Donna and Jeff as they were way ahead of me all weekend! Dropped off my broken phone with Mom and asked them to get a new one and charge it overnight so I could get back to the civilized world with a cell phone. I felt naked without it!

The rest of the day was uneventful until the last hour or so when the rain started again. Actually, it was torrential downpours with thunder and lightening. The strength of this storm made the morning rain seem like a drizzle. The rain was coming down so fast it couldn't drain quick enough and we ended up walking in ankle-deep water. The sweep vans driving all along the route were telling walkers to find shelter, and many of the local businesses opened their doors for us. But our group (Cecelia, Emily, Mandy, Danielle) were die-hards and we just wanted to keep going. Heck, if you can't beat em, join em. I suggested we jump into the puddles and embrace it, so on the count of 3 we all jumped off the sidewalk into the puddles on the street. There was SO much water, it splashed inside our ponchos as high as our butts!

At one point while we were walking uphill and the water was rushing down at us ferociously I mentioned I should write a letter to the town of Stoughton about their obvious drainage problem. :-) But then we turned the corner and saw our camp site so we knew we had made it! The camp was located at the Stoughton public school grounds (Elementary, Middle and High School were all there). Due to the weather camp had been evacuated and everyone was in the Elementary school. It was so crowded in the school we actually had to wait outside in the pouring rain for a few minutes before we could get in...but who cared at that point - we were already soaking wet!

As we came in, we got scanned in on our credentials, were given a towel to dry off, and then got the coveted Relocation Legacy Pin. Legacy Pins are given out for a variety of reasons and they are always cherished. Even if you're getting it for thunder, lightening, and downpours!

The school was mobbed with people lining the halls. Everyone had enough room to sit down, but not much more space. It was also really hot inside, but we managed to find a spot by a door so we actually had the opposite feeling of being a little chilly. Thanks to a dry towel wrapped around my shoulders I felt fine. The spirits in the school were pretty good, with at least 90% of the people being really understanding. And the staff, crew and youth corps did an amazing job keeping us happy, dry, and fed with snacks they kept passing out.

After about 1 1/2 hours we were allowed to leave the school to Eat, Set up our Tents, and Shower. We went straight to dinner (spaghetti & meatballs) just in case it had to close early because of more storms. Then a little shopping at the 3Day store where I picked up a cute pale pink hoody with a small 3Day logo on the sleeve, and a hot pink 3Day tank top. So unlike me to buy any kind of logo clothing, but I really like both of these items so I'm glad I got them! Then it was off to get our gear bags from under huge rolls of plastic......our stuff had been outside during the rain but it was remarkably dry. Just in case, I always pack my stuff in plastic bags so I knew I was protected no matter what. The tent went up with no problem and then we immediately put our tarps over it in case it started to rain again. The skies definitely didn't look promising.

Just as Emily and I finished setting up our air mattresses and sleeping bags and were headed to the shower we we told that camp was being evacuated again. Ugh. Pretty much had to do everything in reverse: roll up the sleeping bag, deflate the air mattress, pack up the air mattress and bring everything into the school. Knowing how crowded the school was earlier Emily and I moved very quickly to get in there and grab some floor space to sleep. We planned to meet Mandy and Danielle in there so we saved space for them to sleep.

Then we went back to the tent to grab our shower stuff and finally wash off the 20 miles of grime on our bodies. The weather had different plans. Thanks to more lightening they had to shut down the showers. I was not thrilled about the prospect of no shower, so I pretty much showered in the elementary school bathroom. Including washing my hair in the sink. I thought my back was going to break from having to bend over so low to wash my hair (elementary school kids are short, so the sinks are LOW), but when I was done I was SOOOOO happy to be going to bed relatively clean! We even found spots near a door and had set up our air mattresses so it was uber-comfy!

Not everyone was so lucky....
Danielle and Mandy ended up being sent to a different school building on the property, sleeping in a classroom with the lights on all night. And they didn't have air mattresses. Or the sleeping mask I pack just in case something like that happens. Cecelia would have been worse off as the schools were full and they were sending her to sleep inside a Budget truck in the parking lot! Luckily for her we still had those spots reserved that Mandy and Danielle never claimed so she was saved from being sent outside to the truck!

I slept beautifully from 10pm - 5am, and then was up and ready to go! Normally the morning of Day 2 is easy because you just wake up, get dressed, eat and start walking. Due to the relocation, I had to pack up all of my stuff again and bring it back to my tent first. But the sun was starting to shine, and the day was going to be good!!!

Emily and I started walking, and were keeping up a really nice pace. We walked by Houghtons Pond, and through the woods, and then into Randolph. Boylston Street in Randolph was so generous to the 3Day as many neighbors set up things for the walkers. An Indian family with beautiful children had a table with water and candy. Another man was holding a yard sale, but also brought out water for the walkers. When one walker asked if she could use his bathroom he said sure! We saw a house with pink and white balloons and a sign in a different language. We all thought it was so cute.....until we found out later it was for a wedding or something and had nothing to do with the 3Day! One last family on this amazing street had a table set up and their daughter was sitting with all of her pink stuffed animals to cheer us on! Thanks Boylston Street!

After this it was on to the Cheering Station in Randolph where my parents were all stocked up with the goodies for walkers, and my friend Gloria had come down to cheer my on and had made an amazing sign! I'm SO fortunate to have such wonderful supporters!!! While Emily and I were hanging out there, Danielle's mom recognized me from the day before and mentioned Mandy and Danielle were on their way. I also got my new phone from my mom and had a text from Caroline saying she was walking alone but on her way. Emily and I decided to just hang out there until the group was pretty much back together again!

Once we got to lunch the 9 of us were all together and had a great lunch, lots of fun, and a very interesting group stretching session. We were so loud and boisterous, 2 other girls sitting nearby asked if they could walk with us because they needed our high energy to keep them moving! Little did they know we were also big fans of cheering while we walked! There an old sorority rush cheer I adapted last year for the 3Day and used again this year. People walking around us never knew what hit them when we started with our "Are you Motivate?!" cheering.....but they all appreciated it! We added a "2, 4, 6, 8 Who do we appreciate? Crew! Crew! yay Crew" to our repetoire on Saturday and Sunday. Seriously, without the all-volunteer crew our job walking wouldn't be so easy. They do absolutely everything for us from taking our gear bags, serving us meals and drinks, pop blisters in the medical tent, clean up trash, and all the while cheer us on and thanking us for walking. The least we can do is cheer on our amazing Crew!

At the next Cheering Station in addition to my parents, my sister, brother-in-law, and 2 nieces were there. PLUS, my Dad's 2 cousins Donna and Georgia were there cheering me on with another great sign! They had been there for 4 hours just waiting for me to show up. Gotta love that dedication and support!!! Thanks everyone!

More sun for the rest of the day and when we got back to camp the skies were clear and I finally got a real shower! After eating dinner, watching the 3Day Dance party in the Dining Tent (yes, some walkers still have energy to dance after walking 2 straight days) I finally got a chance to get my mail from the 3Day Post Office. It was shut down during the evacuation Friday when I planned to go there. In bed that night I had a great time reading all the amazing cards my wonderful supporters had sent. You have no idea how much I treasure each and every one of these letters!!!

Seemed like I had just finished reading my letters when my alarm was going off telling me it was time to wake up again. Packed all my stuff, Emily and I took down the tent, and dropped our stuff off back at the gear trucks. After a quick breakfast we were off for Day 3!!!

We took buses to the bottom of Blue Hills Reservation where Day 3 officially started. By this point in the walk my right knee was hurting a little, but thankfully I had no blisters. Last year when we walked in the Blue Hills it was a lot of hills and really did a number on my knees. So, with a little pain that morning I was feeling nervous about what the day had in store for me. Luckily we avoided the treacherous terrain of last year, and any hills were definitely do-able!

The weather was bright and sunny and I actually didn't carry my rain poncho because we finally had a day without rain as part of the forecast! After walking near Blue Hills, we walked through Milton, saw their amazing public pool, and had a delicious homemade Chocolate Chip cookie made by the amazing Youth Corps!

Sidebar - Youth Corps is a very special part of the Boston 3Day! Youth Corps is made up of 20 amazing kids 10-15 yrs old who apply to be members of the Youth Corps. They fill out an application and write an essay about why they want to be part of the 3Day, and are interviewed before the final 20 members are chosen. These kids not only volunteer tirelessly during the 3Day handing out stickers, cheering on walkers, manning Pit Stops, they also each raise at least $400 each for the 3-Day. They are truly the heart and sole of the Boston 3Day!!!

My Sunday walk actually went really well as I was still feeling relatively good physically and really good mentally. Some of my friends weren't as lucky as their feet had betrayed them and blisters kept popping up. But their spirits were strong and everyone toughed it out and continued walking! We kept up our 2 cheers as well and that really seemed to help motivate who ever happened to be walking near us when we started cheering!

Although at one point I did add an impromptu new cheer.....
When everyone around you is quiet you know the mileage is starting to hurt. About mile 10 (50 miles in total) I just sang "If your feet hurt and you know it clap your hands" Wouldn't you know everyone around me started clapping! After finishing the rest of the verse, Danielle picked up and added a verse of her own, then Mandy added one. The walkers near us loved it! Plus they thought it was something we planned or had practiced, but nope, all the verses just came naturally based on what we were feeling!

Day 3 Cheering Station had my whole family, and my Little Sister Keysha. Last chance for me to get a popsicle that day! While I was talking to my family, a fellow walker stopped to have her picture taken with the sign Gloria made. Turns out she spells her name just like me, so it was like the sign was cheering her on personally!

Towards the end of the day I had a little mishap. I was talking to my friends behind me and not paying attention when I walked into a metal cable. It was a little scary, but once I checked my eyes were still in place and no major damage was done I kept walking. The next day I noticed a couple bruises thanks to my clumsiness!

Then it was on to Closing Ceremonies! We walked along the water into UMASS Boston with supporters cheering us on the whole way! Finally got a chance to meet Eileen's husband, and she even shared some of the roses he gave her with the rest of us. Isn't that sweet?!

Turns out we walked in at the exact right time because there was a group right behind us and when one of them started a cheer that began "I don't know but I've been told" my group immediately started cheering with them. We all lucked out that us loud-mouth cheerers were together at the end and didn't even know it! The other group had written an entire cheer about the 3Day experience and we all repeated as the leader called out the lines. The spirit grew and pretty soon it was more than just our 2 groups cheering.....it was everyone near us! I loved cheering so much I'm still trying to get my voice back!!!

None of this could be possible without all of you....my wonderful, amazing, supportive, generous friends and family who make it possible for me to participate in this event. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart!!!

The 3Day is truly an incredible experience! If you have even the tiniest bit of interest, shoot me an email, write me a letter or give me a call.....I'd love to have you join me next year on the most incredible 3 days you'll ever experience!


ps. 6 days, 2 years, still 0 blisters! I love THORLOS socks and vaseline!

ps. Don't forget to check out my pictures!

ps. Unlike last year, I'm not planning on letting this blog go dark. I'll continue to update as I train throughout the year, and I have a few fundraising activities I'm thinking of starting soon, so if you've liked reading along, you still can! :-)

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

In less than 24 hours I will be at Opening Ceremonies! It's hard to imagine that after months of preparing the weekend is here! My bag is packed and already in the trunk......trying to avoid getting stuck in the elevator like I did last year. Just need to work for a few hours, go to practice for Opening Ceremonies and then somehow get to sleep tonight!

The weather forecast doesn't look promising. Just saw it on TV and the weather person said "tomorrow will be our heaviest rain day." Not exactly the kind of weather you dream of for walking 20 miles, but I'll survive! Let's just hope the thunder and lightening stays away otherwise we'll have to be evacuated as safety is the #1 priority of the 3Day.

Wish me luck! And to all my supporters, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!! I could never go on this journey without your support!

Route

*****UPDATE 8/13/08
Found some verbage on the route for those of you dying to know exactly what the map below is telling us. Just scroll down to see....

This year they emailed us this handy map to show where we'll be walking during the 3 Day! Hot Pink is Day 1, Light Pink circle is Day 2, and then we'll take a bus on the morning of Day 3 to the black line and walk that route into Closing Ceremonies.


Day 1: We will begin at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. From here, the day’s journey will bring us through a mix of residential neighborhoods and small towns, all of them delighted and excited to see us! We will walk through Foxborough Town Center, head to Sharon’s Town and finally Canton Town Center.

Day 2: On Saturday, we will enjoy a walk filled with trails and parks. Heading back towards Canton, the morning will include a walk through Ponkapoag Pond. From here, the route travels through Randolph and Avon before heading to a scenic park in Brockton. The day will end walking through Stoughton’s quaint Town Center.

Day 3: On Sunday, you will board a bus from our campsite to the Blue Hills Reservation. Beginning next to Houghton’s Pond, we will walk through the beautiful residential neighborhoods of Milton before heading to Milton’s Town Center. We will then head to Quincy, where we will enjoy a beautiful stroll along the Massachusetts Bay. Our journey will come to an end as we head to the University of Massachusetts to reunite with family and friends for the Closing Ceremony.

No more company

Grammy hurt her back and won't be able to come up from Florida for the 3Day. She's on some medicine and hopefully will be feeling better soon. I'm so depressed she won't be making the trip north. Having done the walk before I was more excited this year to have her here to experience the 3Day than I was to participate. And to top if off we were going to be together during Closing Ceremonies. Tonight I'm going to have a pity-party for myself and tomorrow try to get excited again for the 3Day.

Luggage Tag

After walking today I ran a bunch of errands shopping for 3Day gear and made my luggage tag. I used this picture of Grammy and I (taken 2 weeks ago in Florida) and on the back I have my name, cell phone #, Tent assignment, and a picture of the 3day Flags. Figure if 2 Flag Bearers are pictured on the front, we should have the 3 Day flags on the back!

Mange!

Today I had what is probably my last training walk until the 3Day starts on Friday! Met up with some friends who have trained together a lot this year and we walked our favorite route through the city. 11 miles in all and the theme of the day was FOOD. We had our best peaches yet at Haymarket and finished the walk at a local Italian restaurant with big plates of pasta. And a glass of wine for me and Mandy......I just couldn't do a toast with a glass of water! Plus I figure we deserved it! I also made everyone promise to be on the lookout for great ice cream places on the 3Day route and call me if they see one up ahead so I know where to stop. Anyone wonder why I never lose weight during all this training?! :-)


Don't you love Eileen's hat?!

Company at Closing Ceremonies

Guess who was invited to participate with me in the Closing Ceremonies? Grammy!!!

This year they're also having some non-walkers participate and my buddy Meredith at the 3Day knows walk in honor of my Grandmother. Meredith knew Grammy would be at Closing, so she asked me if Grammy would join me. I know Grammy is honored! Of course Gram needed to get some logistical questions answered before she'd answer my question about wether she wanted to participate.

The conversation went something like this:

Grammy: "Well, what would I wear?"
Me: "Something comfortable."
G: "I'll want to look nice. Do you think the Pink Jersey I wore when you were here is OK?"
M: "I"ll be in Spandex shorts and wearing a fanny pack. I think the Pink Jersery will be great!"
G: "Well you know I get my hair done on Tuesday." (ie. she's already worrying that her "hair set" won't be looking fresh on Sunday for Closing Ceremonies!)
M: "I'll have walked 15 miles and my hair will be wet from sweat. I'm sure your hair will be beautiful"
G: "Well I have to say yes, it's such an honor."

I hope I have that much spunk next weekend......let alone when I'm 2 months shy of my 93rd birthday!

Thanks Haley!

My wonderful 11 year old niece donated $20 to the walk this weekend! She actually mentioned it months ago, but it took a while for the powers-that-be who manage her bank account to actually make the donation. Isn't it SOOOOOO sweet that she would use some of her hard-earned money to support the 3Day? OK, so maybe the money wasn't hard-earned as it's birthday and Christmas gifts she's received over the years in her bank account, but she still chose to spend it on me and the 3Day! I love seeing kids involved in charity work! Thanks Haley! I love you and you make me very proud!

18 Miles and Heels

What a jam-packed day Saturday was! Went on my final 18 mile walk and then headed to Providence for Suzanne's bachelorette party. Clearly I just recovered and caught up on my sleep if I'm just blogging about Sat on Tuesday!

In order to fit it all in, the walk started at 6 am. I was yawning the first 1/2 mile but then woke up and was OK the rest of the day. Great to see Eileen again after her weekend away during our last big walk and of course my faithful Caroline who's yet to miss a Training Walk since her sprained ankle healed! Even learned a little bit of trivia on the walk. Do you know who Smoots is? Thanks to Eileen I know he was a guy who attended MIT back in the 40's or something and as some form of prank he and some other guys decided to use Smoot's body as a measuring tool all across the Mass Ave bridge. As you're walking across you'll see painted #'s, so "240" means that Smoot had lied down and been measured 240 times before he reached that spot. Guess the Police even use it as markers if they're reporting an accident! And Smoot went on to be the head of a company that handles measurements of some kind. Smoot's infamous!


Here we are standing on the Mass Ave bridge with all of Smoot's measurements.....and one of my favorite backdrops between the Hancock and Pru! (L to R) Eileen, Ro, Caroline, me and Agnis is our fabulous photographer!


Tried out my new "blankie" and love it! It's an Aquis towel which is super-absorbant so I can use it to wipe my brow (read: sweat dripping down my face). And it's pale pink! I'd love to cut it in half as it's a little large, but I don't know if the end will fray. Any sewing experts out there reading this, I'd LOVE and really APPRECIATE your comments about if I should cut it.

Once I was done walking 18 miles it was time to rush home, shower, pack and head to Providence for Suzanne's bachelorette. Usually I'd just sit on the couch after a long walk and go to bed by 9-10pm. Instead, went to dinner, walked around the Waterfires which I totally recommend, went on a boat ride, and ended at a local spot for a drink or 2! Only problem was I didn't quite know what to expect and was dressed inappropriately. I had on 3 inch heels and I swear we probably walked an additional 3 miles that night. In heels. On cobblestone. After walking 18 miles earlier that day. My feet were not happy. They were swollen beyond belief and the pain was excruciating. I think they actually felt worse Saturday night then they did last year when I walked 60 miles. Guess I should have planned my outfit/shoes a lot better! BUT, the girls were a ton of fun and we had a great time! Happy Bachelorette Suz!

From spandex and fanny pack to dress and heels in no time! The Waterfires had a Carnivale theme, so here's the group in our masks!

Flag Bearer

Today I received a huge honor. I've been selected to participate in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies as a Flag Bearer. I'm not sure of the specifics of my role, but I really am touched to be even a small part of these ceremonies. These are the flags from last year which other participants carried. I can't wait to be part of this amazing tradition!

Cheering Stations!

The locations have been announced! If you're around Friday Aug 15th - Sunday Aug 17th, I'd love to see you along the 60 mile route. :-)

According to the 3Day site, here's what a Cheering Station is:
"Cheering Stations are a great way to show your support along the route to encourage walkers and let them know that you are with them every step of the way. Seeing familiar faces cheering them on can provide that extra burst of energy that gets them to take that next step or go the next mile. Create banners, hold up signs, bring some music and make some noise - anything to make them smile, get energized and keep walking. "

My tips - bring a chair and/or cooler for comfy cheering! Also, give me a call the day you're coming and I'll give you a time range of when I should arrive at each Cheering Station...it will definitely NOT be early as I'm a slow walker! ;-)

Friday Aug 15th:
9:00 am - 12:00 pm Shaw's Plaza, 780 S. Main Street, Sharon
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm Cobbs Corner In Front of Starbucks, 95 Washington Street, Canton

Saturday, Aug 16th:
10:30 am-1:30 pm Shaws Parking Lot along Highland Ave, 121 Memorial Parkway, Randolph
12 pm - 4 pm Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 457 Oak Street, Brockton

Sunday, Aug 17th:
9:30 am - 1:00 pm Quincy Shore Drive between Fenno St & West Elm Ave, Quincy

Here are pics from some of the Cheering Stations last year:

Only place a guy wearing a Pink boa isn't weird, it's MOTIVATING!


Gotta LOVE seeing Kids involved in Cheering Stations, or charity work of any kind!


Wish I knew what those Christmas Tree signs said. Imagine how long it took them to make!


Mom, cooling us off in the heat....I think she got a blister on her "shooting" finger from all her hard work making the walkers happy!


The Flamingo Trainers (aka Mom & Dad) in action! Like how they're wearing Pink?!

Supporter Guide

Seeing as I have AMAZING Supporters, this is all "been there, done that" for you folks! But, just to be thorough, wanted to post the Supporter Guide the 3Day just listed on the website. The gist is, write me a letter, come to a Cheering Station (stay tuned as the locations haven't been announced yet), organize a group to help set up tents, and attend Closing Ceremonies. Hope to see/hear from you on the 3Day!

R & R

Finally had a chance to go on vacation this week and am loving a little R&R! Spent the last week in Florida with Heather and we've been beach or pool bums every day. The perfect relaxing vacation! Even found this great place, Doc's Beach House, where we spent the entire day yesterday. It's right on the beach, with some water activities, and night time activities and completely casual. Had breakfast there, hung out at the beach all day alternating on the beach chairs or our new favorite rafts. Had lunch at Doc's, went on some Wave Runners, and about 5pm closed up shop and went to Doc's for a beer and eventually dinner. You gotta love a place where you can get 3 square meals a day, wave runners, beach chairs, and beer all while in your swim suit! Guess you can probably tell I didn't walk 10 miles yesterday? I figure I need to rest my legs after 33 miles last weekend! :-)

300 Miles!

Yup, you read that right. I've now trained a total of 300 miles in preparation for the Breast Cancer 3Day Walk! How far is 300 miles? If I walked from my place in South Boston to New York it would only by 215 miles. Guess I'd have to keep walking into NJ to hit that magic 300!

Bathrooms, Ducks and Mooning!

Another 15 miles completed today! So that's 33 miles walked this weekend....and I'm still feeling pretty good! It was overcast most of the walk, with high humidity this morning, but it eventually became more tolerable. Or maybe I just got used to it?! Who knows, as long as it wasn't bothering me as much! We had 9 people in total today (half of them the hearty folks who walked 18 miles yesterday!). I completely turned into my Dad taking all sorts of photos regardless if people wanted to be in them, or they were weird places. But heck, how often are bathroom photos actually relevant to what you're doing that day?????

The Omni Parker House Hotel is always kind enough to let us use their restrooms. Not only are they clean, beautiful and air conditioned, but with about 20 stalls, no one ever has to wait! Poor Steve missed this photo-op b/c I thought it might be pushing it to require him to come into the Ladies Room!


Unfortunately these are the types of bathrooms we're going to have to get used to in August:


A visit with the ducklings in the Public Garden....


Stretching in South Station after lunch. Why is Emily laughing so hard? She just tried to moon the camera! I wasn't quick enough to get in on film, but can't you see her mischevous look?! ;-)


About Mile 11 I decided to introduce the group to my one and only 3Day Cheer! It's actually something I learned back in my college days for Sorority Rush, but it's easily adapted for the 3Day. After a rough start where they didn't seem to have the coordination to be able to walk and clap at the same time they finally got it down like champs! Hey, whatever it takes to keep the energy going on these longer walks!


p.s. Lucked out with the weather. I've been home 1 1/2 hours and now it's DOWN-POURING rain with a lot of lightening. Glad I'm not out there testing out my rain-gear!

18 miles

This weekend is the BIG back-to-back training. We walk 18 miles on Saturday, and then follow it up with 15 miles on Sunday. This is the biggest training weekend all summer and it really lets you see how your body is going to react on Day 2 after walking a long distance on Day 1.

Wouldn't you know it it was 94 degrees today with the worst triple threat a walker can encounter - Hot, Hazy, and Humid! It didn't seem to effect the turnout at the walk though as I had 17 people show up today to walk. A hearty group no doubt!!! Not to mention I had plenty of great people to chat with all day! Of course, the fast walkers I never get to chat with because they're long gone while I trudge along at my comfortable (ie SLOW) pace. Luckily for me, there are usually a good group of folks who go just my pace for me to hang out with!

Today was a brand new route for me and I finally conquered my previously mentioned Cambridge boycott. We started in South Boston, walked through Boston, Brookline, Allston, Cambridge, back to Boston, and finished in Southie. 18 miles is a long way to walk, but when you think about the fact we walked through 4 different parts of the city it really puts it into perspective. I think the group was shocked when I mentioned in Southie at 7 am that we'd be eating lunch in Harvard Square at the 10.5 miles. Why does it seem like these places are SOOOOO much farther away when you're driving?

Here are some pictures from today.....

The group started walking at 7:15 am ao we were able to get in several hours of walking before the real heat and humidity rolled in.


I warned the girls for MILES that we were going up a really steep hill once we got to Brookline. How come I think they were all silently cussing me out when they actually saw it? It wasn't like they didn't have fair warning! ;-)



This is the view from the top of the hill. Notice how you can't even see the actual bottom? I was even cursing myself out for including it on the route!


Leaving Cambridge over the bridge. I LOVE this photo-op with the Hancock and Prudential as the photo bookends! Actually brought the camera along today specifically to take this shot!


You know it's an Aimee Floyd created route when I actually PLAN an ice cream stop! I even listed it on the direction card so the fast walkers could plan ahead for a treat too! Heck, did I mention it was 90+ degrees today? The only motivation we had towards the end was knowing that at the 16.7 mile mark we were stopping for Ice Cream!

One thing I've learned from training is that you never know how good, or bad, you'll feel after a long walk. Tonight I feel great considering I walked 18 miles today. Managed to do a lot cleaning and stuff around the house getting ready for vacation when I got home tonight. And continued drinking a ton of water to stay hydrated. But I'd better go to bed now so I'm ready to lead a 15 mile walk tomorrow at 7 am. Wish me luck!

Dog do-do and Sleeping Bags

Walked 5 miles with Caroline and Bailey last night. We had a LOT of dog stuff going on. First Bailey decided about 30 seconds into our walk to do #2 so Caroline was walking was the dog leash in one hand and the baggie in the other hand. Pretty much there wasn't a good side for me to stand on! (Notice how I was kind enough NOT to add a photo to go along with this post?!)

About a minute after that another dog decided to pick a fight with Bailey. Luckily some of the doggie drama died down a little so we could walk without my blood pressure rising! And managed to squeeze in a great tip from Caroline. She suggested storing my sleeping bag in my trunk in case my car ever breaks down in the winter. Seeing as I have no other use for the sleeping bag, now I know exactly where to store it in the off-season (ie. all but 3 days in August!).

Frogger???

It's a well documented fact that I have no sense of direction and get lost frequently. BUT, I always manage to get where I'm going and I'm almost never late. I figure out a way to work around my "disability." Cambridge is the one city I have never been able to conquer. After getting lost every single time I went there, I finally boycott the town about 5 years ago. All that is about to end.....

This weekend I'm leading an 18 mile walk on Sat, and a 15 mile walk on Sunday. I have a great, scenic 15 mile route I've used many times. For Saturday I wanted to come up with a new route so we don't feel like it's Groundhog Day doing virtually the same walk both Sat & Sun! I started mapping it out online about 4 weeks ago and knew we'd need to walk through Cambridge. Ugh. On Sunday I drove the route to note where bathrooms were and confirm it was a good route. My trip back to Cambridge did not go well. After Harvard Square the route was no good. And the bridge we were crossing over back into the city ended at a rotarty that simply isn't safe for walkers (insert image of the walkers being "Frogger" trying to dart across the road). Back to the drawing board. Consulted a friend at work and we found a better bridge to cross and I found an easy way to get us there! Took a drive Tuesday and it looked as good in person as online. The 15 mile route is still my favorite but at least I no longer have fears of losing some of my walkers in the midst of a rotary!

Windy City

My CUTEST donor!!!!

Yesterday was Lauren's 4th Birthday party, so I decided to hold a quick fundraiser at the Super Stop-n-Shop in Hudson (closest "Super" store to her house). It was a Tropical themed party, and Lauren is wearing a Flamingo top, and her shorts have tiny Flamingo's on them. Of course, I could help out with that theme thanks to my fundraiser last year! So, Michelle and Lauren stopped by and picked up the flamingo lawn ornaments to decorate her yard, and I gave Lauren a lei w/ a flamingo dangling off it, and of course the glasses. She was very happy with all her loot! Wish I could have kept her there all day because how could someone NOT donate to her?!

The day did not get off to a good start. It was about 85 degrees, sunny with strong winds. Perfect weather to walk 60 miles, but wind for a fundraiser is the enemy. Have you ever tried to get a plastic tablecloth to stay on a table when it's blowing all over the place? Disaster. Literally took me 45 minutes just to get the tablecloth on. UGH!!!!!!!!!!

But, I've learned that the FIRST thing you do in the set-up process is to put up your sign on the building. This way, when you're setting up, people know you're collecting for Breast Cancer. EVERY time I've done one of these fundraisers, I get donations before I'm even set up because people walking in the door know why I'm there thanks to the sign. My routine is: 1. Put up Sign 2. Tablecloth 3. Donation Jar 4. all the other stuff (signs, pictures, giveaways, etc). Because I couldn't get the tablecloth to stay I ended up putting my donation jar and stuff on the table as weights while I worked on securing the tablecloth.

About 30 minutes into this process the GLASS donation jar blew off the table and broke into a million pieces. I was about to cry. I just bent down and started collecting all the pieces of glass. A customer offered to tell someone inside I needed a broom. Once it was all cleaned up, I had to go back to try and finish getting the tablecloth on. But how was I going to collect donations?

A car drove up with a woman who was about 70 in the passenger seat and her daughter driving. She said she wanted to give me a donation. I walked over, pretty dejected, and she stuffed a couple of bills in my hand. I said "Thank You. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. My donation jar just fell and broke." "We heard, sorry" she said. "Thanks for the donation" Then we parted ways and they drove off. Without a donation jar, I went to put the donation inside my fanny pack. OMG!!!!!!!!!! She had just given me $40! I was about to cry again from her generousity.

But I couldn't enjoy it for long because I had to go back to the tablecloth. About 10 minutes later I was in good shape having just conquered securing it to the table using about a roll of tape and literally 15 clothespins. Up drives the 2 women who donated. For a second I thought they realized they gave me too much money. Instead, without a word, the older women just reached her hand out the window and had a white pail in her hand. For me to collect donations. Speechless I walked over and said "Thank you" and they drove off before I could even say more. This time I was about to cry from their kindness. I don't know where they drove to to buy the bucket, although I'm forever grateful!

Once all that got settled, I had a pretty good day! The wind never settled down, so I had to keep my hand on my photo display to make sure it didn't blow away, but I got used to it. I got my fun visit from Michelle and Lauren, and then recognized another shopper as someone who grew up on my street. As my mind was processing her face, I just said "Danielle?" She looked up so I knew I guessed right. I re-introduced myself and then had a quick catch-up session with her and met her beautiful 10-month old daughter. Probably haven't seen each other in 15+ years. I love nice moments like that!

Grammy

As you may remember I walk in honor of my 92-year YOUNG Grandmother who is a Breast Cancer Survivor. She lives in Florida, but just decided to come up in August to cheer me on and come to Closing Ceremonies!!!! I'm so excited Grammy will be part of this amazing event! She's always been a walker herself. Her complex holds an Olympics every year and she's been known to participate in the "Walking" event doing a couple of loops around her building. She'll have you know her team has been known to win in the past! Hopefully the weather will coorporate and she'll feel up to walking a little bit with me during the weekend. I know she'll LOVE the attention!

30 miles

I walked 30 miles in a 30 hour span this weekend. I led 2 training walks, 1 for 17 miles on Saturday followed by a 13 mile training walk Sunday. Although the weather forecast wasn't promising and it started raining about 2 minutes before we were about to start walking on Saturday, we actually ended up going 2 straight days without rain (it stopped as soon as it started on Sat). Wish I had known the weather-people would be wrong and I could have left my rain poncho at home for 2 days!

Saturday there were 7 of us in total, but 2 different pairs headed out and were well ahead of my pace from the get-go....not suprising! But, that gave me the chance to walk the whole day with Caroline and Eileen, 2 of my previous Training Walk buddies. We had a great day topped off with an ice cream at Sullivan's on Castle Island. I swear ice cream is the motivator I need to keep walking! Clearly these 2 girls are like-minded and I like that way of thinking! Not to mention it was actual Caroline and not me who suggested stopping for a cone. How could I say no?! ;-)

Sunday their were 10 of us in total, and 8 stayed together for most of the route. It seems like we all really like it when there's a bigger group walking together because you have the chance to talk to a variety of people during the day. Caroline and Eileen were real troopers and came back to join me for 13 miles today after walking 17 miles the day before. Then there was my buddy Cecelia from last years walk. And Lee, a 71 year-young woman I met last year, who is walking in THREE events this year, and will have walked a total of 20 walks over the last 9 years come September. She manages to do all of this with arthritis and scoliosis of the back. What an inspirational lady!!!

Then we had 3 newbies to our training walk: Ann, who had just walked 19 miles alone on Friday. I know from first hand experience that the pro of walking alone is you go much faster, the con of course being you're walking faster because you're bored and hoping to finish soon and hang out with someone! Then there was Danielle and Mandy who are close friends but were kind enough to slow down their pace to hang with the rest of us on the walk. Great talking to both of them and I found out what a small world it is. Danielle's parents live in the same neighborhood as my parents, and as soon as I heard her last name I knew her parents had been Flocked by the Flamingo's last year! Mom, I know you're reading this - remember Colin & Ofelia Reddy? :-) Turns out Danielle's Mom had even passed on my fundraising letters from this year to Danielle. Who knew!

Both walks went great! The only downside is my knees. They were hurting a little after walking yesterday, but after another 13 miles today they are really sore. I've spent a good chunk of the afternoon googling Knee Ice Packs. If you have one you really like, can you post a comment here or shoot me an email? Seems like this might be a $100 investment for a good one I can use with heat or ice, and can re-use for years, so would love some first hand reviews! You gotta love getting old.

Dog Walker

Last night Caroline, Bailey and I walked 5 miles around Castle Island. Who's Bailey? Caroline's Jack Russell Terrier. OK, so I'm not a dog person, and I'm the first to admit it. But Bailey is a small dog and I know he's been training w/ Caroline a lot so the 5 miles would probably be easier for him than me! When we met up to start walking I said hi to Bailey - literally said hi while looking down at him. None of that bend down, scratch his back, let him lick me kind of stuff.....remember, I'm not a dog person!

But Bailey did a great job walking around Castle Island! Something interesting I noticed was that other folks with dogs always asked about Bailey. The weird thing is I think they asked becasue they really just wanted to talk all about THEIR dog because they'd shift the conversation from Bailey to their dog in a nano-second. But at least all the dog people were friendly. Those of us without pets sure as heck don't stop and make small talk with one another as we're out for a walk. If only I could figure out a way to get the social aspect of having a dog in, without having to actually own a dog it would be perfect!

Dear John...

OK, so that's not exactly the type of letter I hope to receive, but I DO hope to receive lots of fun notes while I'm on the 3Day!!! Last year I got a ton of mail while on the event and LOVED reading the letters, cards, and looking at the cute pictures your kids drew for me! In fact, I picked up my mail on Friday of the walk, re-read it Saturday, again the next week, and even again during the last year. Guess that means I really loved getting all your letters! If you're up for sending a note this year, I'd love to hear from you!

Here's the info.....

*** all mail must be postmarked by Aug 5th

***Envelopes only please, no boxes or large packages can be delivered.

Mail letters to:

Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office

ATTN: AIMEE FLOYD

P.O. Box 1234

N. Kingstown, RI 02852

2 more things

Forgot to mention 2 other things about my fundraising this weekend.

I mentioned in the past that on occasion while I'm training someone driving by knows what I'm up to and honk the horn to cheer me on. This happens a TON on the actual 3Day event, but it's very rare during training and it really keeps me motivated. On Saturday as I was driving to Walmart I got to be on the other side of that experience! I was about 1 mile from the store and up ahead I could see a group of 6 women walking with fanny packs and just knew they must be 3Day Walkers. As I got closer and saw some pink clothing I beeped my horn and gave them a thumbs up as I drove by. They were SO cute and waved back! So, the Walmart experience might not have gone as planned, but it was a real emotional high to be able to cheer on fellow walkers!

The other thing I forgot to mention was the reaction to my posters below. The "Thanks for the Support" poster with the big pink bra got two very distinct reactions. Women would comment it was "cute" while men would look at it and kind of chuckle and say they REALLY liked it, or it was "quite the attention grabber!" Funny how women just saw a cute pink bra and men immediatly had their minds in the gutter with a little 6th grade humor. I've had this similar reaction to my business cards which sport the same logo. Hey, whatever it takes to get the cause noticed and bring in the donations!

btw - My friend Mark drew the logo for me a while ago and although it was exactly what I wanted, I was a little suprised at how robust the image was......pretty much said to him, "I should have known if I had a guy draw the image it would be a C-cup, while a woman probably whould have drawn an A or B cup!" But it's so cute I don't care what the cup size is!

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

This weekend was planned to be a big fundraising blitz outside of Walmart. I had a lot of success doing it last year, so I went back for more.....just not with the same results. My walking buddy Cecelia was going to do it with me, so we chose a SuperWalmart in Salem, NH (equal distance for both of us to get to) and each planned to set up at one of the entrances. Figured we could double our money by reaching every Walmart shopper. Although the theory was true, the clientele wasn't exactly up for donating. I haven't seen that kind of chain-smoking by so many people since the 80's! Not to mention most of them were covered in tattoos and a frighteningly high percentage were missing some teeth. This was clearly "the Ugly" part of the weekend. Not exactly what I was used to from my suburb grocery store and Walmart locations from last year!

After one particularly bad hour when I only received $10 in donations, I decided I wasn't going back there on Sunday. I called the Stop-n-Shop in Plymouth I visited last year and arranged to go there on Sunday instead. Cecelia was still up for visiting Walmart, not to mention the Plymouth location is probably 1 1/2 hours away from her house so not really worth it with the price of gas these days! So she headed to Walmart and I to Stop-n-Shop.

Sunday I was up bright and early and headed to Plymouth. The weather went from overcast and misting rain on my way down to bright sunshine, high humidity and not a cloud in the sky when I reached Plymouth. Instead of wearing the raincoat I had packed, I had to go in and buy sunscreen to make sure I didn't get scorched in the blazing heat b/c there wasn't any shade outside. Instead of chain-smoking, tattoo covered folks not donating, I saw suburban moms and dads toting their green recycling bags into the store in order to save the environment. And they were very generous! This first hour or so was definitely "the Good" part of this experience.

Unfortunately "the Bad" came much too soon. After sitting outside for a very short time I could feel the extreme heat and humidity taking a toll on me. I kept trying to drink water, and even went inside the grocery store on occasion to get a little air conditioning. It wasn't enough as I could tell my body temperature was rising and I developed a splitting headache. Some form of Heat Exhaustion was setting in and then the nasaeu and vomitting started. Later my Mom read about it online and it said not to drink water. Guess my body was just finding a way to get rid of the water!

A really nice teenage boy who worked at the store retrieving the Grocery Carts came over to see if I was OK and even volunteered to call someone for me. I thought if I just got out of the sun and went inside I would feel better. Unfortunately it wasn't that simple. This boy moved all my stuff inside and set me up in there. Not as good for the donations, but at least I didn't feel as if my temperature was at a boiling point. Then the chills started so I had to put on a sweatshirt. Even that didn't help. And I was so weak I couldn't imagine taking my few things to the car or being able to drive a car. Seeing as my parents live close by, I called my Mom and she had to come pick me up. After a few hours of sleep I woke up a normal temperature, although still a little queasy. But today I feel fine. And famished from not eating yesterday! That's how I know I'm back to my old self!

Here are some pics of my set up:

It's Official!!!

The "Travel Information" was posted on the 3Day site today so I don't have to keep the secret of the locations any longer! Opening Ceremonies will be held at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro (actually in the parking lot, not the stadium) and Closing Ceremonies will be at UMASS Boston. I'm so excited to be starting somewhere different as it means we'll get to walk through some new towns this year. But I sure will miss the great Natick Fire Department spraying us with water on that 100 degree day last year! Hope those folks down in Foxboro are just as nice!

Last year I had hoped to walk faster and have time on Sunday to stop for a drink with my walking buddies at a local restaurant close to Closing Ceremonies as a little pre-celebration. This year the Closing Ceremony location may have changed, but we'll still be going by that restaurant to Cecelia and I can try and stop this year!

Save the Date: Sunday, August 17th at 4:30pm Closing Ceremonies will be taking place at UMASS Boston.....would LOVE to see you there!

Castle Island

I haven't walked after work in about 2 weeks because I've been so busy and there just hasn't been time. But tonight I made plans to walk 5 miles with Caroline. Well, to be honest, I made plans to walk (was thinking maybe 3 miles) but she suggested 5. Who am I to say No? Not to mention I'm supposed to be this seasoned walker who's smart enough to know I need to get in as many training miles as possible! We walked 2 loops at Castle Island and home again.

And I did it all in the new pair of shoes I bought last week. After re-tieing the laces a few times I think I finally got it right and they felt great! Now I just need to break them in over another 100 miles or so and then they'll be ready for the 3Day!

When I got home I worked on my photo collage for my fundraiser at Walmart this weekend. Have to make another sign and decorate my Donation Jar and then I should be ready to go!

Saturday Pictures

Caroline did a great job of capturing the 15 mile walk Saturday on film. Or I guess these days, on disk?! Thanks for sending these along so I could include on the blog! Here are some of the shots from our trip around the city. The 1st is as we're about to start the walk at Carson Beach in South Boston.


In front of the State House and still "thumbs up" for all of us! I don't think most of these guys knew it, but a "thumbs down" on the actual 3Day means you need some help and the Sweep Van will stop to pick you up.


Not sure why this looks so small compared to the others but it's a great shot of us walking through the Boston Common. Who'd a thought we were in the middle of the city?!


Lunch - Best part of the day! Food and sitting down, 2 major luxuries! Not to mention the Food Court at South Station has just about anything you might want so everyone had plenty to choose from after walking about 9 miles.


While we were walking at Castle Island someone noticed (sorry I forgot who!) that the city skyline was the backdrop. Don't think most people looking at the view were thinking "yup, I walked that city in the last few hours!" So of course we had to stop and take a picture!

No photos of the Mr. Frosty ice creams because we too busy enjoying them!