Making a list... checking it twice

With just 12 days before the Michigan 3-Day for the Cure, I'm in heavy duty list-making mode.

In addition to the packing list (anyone know where I can find travel-size saline solution? Not the cleanser, just plain saline.), Stef and I have been busy making sure we have what we need to survive camp. With no electricity available, this includes everything from our necessities to a battery-operated air pump to inflate the air mattresses and a battery-operated charging station for our phones/ipods/mp3 players.

Today, I picked up a nifty charging station at Brookstone (the kids were loving that store). It runs off a car cigarette lighter, a USB port or a 9-volt battery ... and comes with a million attachments so that it'll charge just about any device you could imagine. Very nifty little device. (Rumor has it that Bank of America has a charging station at the walk, and there may (or may not be) a strip of chargers in the meal tent, but we're not taking the chance that we can't charge our stuff. I plan to be Tweeting and Facebooking when I can, so having a fully charged phone is a must!)

The other item on my list this week: What can I do to make sure I'm physically ready for the grueling three days that are to come??

To start with, we're trying to squeeze in a little more gym time this week than we have been the past few weeks. With all of the mileage we've been getting in, finding time to go to the gym has been tough, and honestly, not the highest priority. But the mileage tapers off a little the next two weeks, leaving more time (and energy!) for the gym. I need to get in some good cardio workouts (here comes that "love-hate" relationship with the elliptical) and more strength training (trying to avoid that morning ache in my legs). So, we're off to the gym.

Second, I'm chugging down the water. I've read/heard recommendations to get as hydrated as you can the week before the walk. So, I'm sucking down a ton of water. I think I tend to drink a lot of water anyway (more than average, at least), but I'm toting around my big pink water bottle and making an effort to drink a little more.

Finally, the fundraising will kick in to high gear this week. Other than these blog posts, and posts about some of our events, I hope I haven't been "bugging" people in my social networks to donate. With just 12 days to go, it's "Game On."  I challenged a few people on Saturday, to help me get through a really long, hot 18-mile walk, and three of my Facebook friends answered, bringing in $85 in donations. This week, I'm bugging you. Make a donation, online, today. Do it Friday if that's your payday. Just do it. And do it online. It's easy. I'll be walking 60 miles over three days. Sleeping in a tent. Using a porta-potty. With no power. Making the donation is the easy part ...

Two weeks? Seriously?

I'm seriously trying not to freak out. Two weeks from tonight, Stef and I will be preparing to walk in the 3-Day for the Cure. Because we have to be at check-in in Novi at 5 a.m., we booked a hotel the night before. So two weeks from tonight, we'll be trying desperately to sleep, yet knowing that the excitement and anticipation may make that difficult.

With only two weeks left (omg, two weeks), I'm starting to get a little freaked out. There are so many things to freak out about:

Gear. I have to find the time this weekend to go over the packing list and get it all together. I've got a list with things around the house. I have a list of stuff to get at the store. I have a list of stuff to borrow from people. Ugh, so many lists, so little time.

Training. With just two weeks left, it's crunch time. We have another 18-mile walk on Saturday, followed by a 10-mile walk on Sunday. Must. Get. It. In.

Fundraising. This is it ... two weeks folks. If you planned to make a donation, NOW IS THE TIME. (Like the all caps and bold for emphasis? I would have made it pink too, if I thought that would get your attention.) I need your support. I want to meet my personal fundraising goal, which is to raise $2,300 in personal donations. I'm at $2,015 as of tonight. That leaves $285. Can you help close that gap?

And there you have it. This weekend is the walk in Cleveland... two of the ladies we did a training walk with a few weeks ago are crewing this weekend, which is an enormous task. I believe they're on gear duty, which means they're the ones hauling all of the luggage to and from the trucks to/from camp. At 35+ pounds each, and hot/humid weather, they're going to be working their butts off. On behalf of all walkers, thank you Heather & Beth. Walks aren't possible without the volunteer crew!

Boston: They came, they saw, they conquered

This past weekend kicked off the 3-Day season, with the first walk in Boston. We were up at the lake over the weekend, but it was great watching the Tweets coming in with updates on the walk. Walkers provided updates, crew members were tweeting, and "walker stalkers" posted photos of their experiences at cheering stations.

And let me tell you, the updates were insane! This walk was proof that no matter how hard you train, Mother Nature may have some input... And no matter what she throws our way, it's important to remember why we're doing this: To raise money and awareness for breast cancer research, education and support. And the Boston walkers did that with a bang: They raised $4.8 million!

The 10-second summary of the weekend's chaos:

• Day 1: The route closed at mile 10 because of extreme heat.
• Day 2: Walkers were evacuated to a local school at pit stop 2 because of lightening and intense rain.

But they endured. And they raised almost $5 million in the process.

Back on the home front, Stef and I got in a 10-mile walk at the lake this weekend. It was hot and humid, and our pace was a little slower than usual (closer to 3.5 mph versus 4.0 mph), but we got up and did it, which was a "win" for that morning. We have another big training walk coming up this weekend, with 18 miles planned for Saturday and a quick 10 on Sunday.

And with that, we have fewer than three weeks until the Michigan 3-Day for the Cure! Stef and I still need your support in reaching our personal fundraising goals, so please consider if you can make a donation today!

Post script #1: The 2012 season was announced today! If you're considering walking with Stef and I next year, please give it some serious thought... this has been an amazing experience so far, and it's only just begun!

Post script #2: I'll post some links to recaps and photos from the Boston 3-Day, in case you're curious ... I always liked reading these, even before I registered. So enjoy:

• "Because everyone deserves a lifetime" A great recap of the walk from a Boston walker.
• Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure photo album Photos on the official Komen site
• Why we walk Truly a memorable moment .. A must read/see. 
• The 3 Day Made Me Cry

Kicking off the 3-Day season: Is Beantown ready?

This weekend kicks off the first Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure event, the Boston 3-Day !

It's exciting in so many ways ...

• It's game on!! This is it ... thousands of walkers across the country are counting down to their walks (23 days!), and for the walkers of Boston, it's on! This weekend is the opening walk, launching a five-month extravaganza that winds its way through the U.S., ending in San Diego in mid-November. 
• There's so much new "stuff" ... as a newbie walker, it's all new to me. But this year, there's a new element that all walkers are going to be exposed to: The Komen Foundation has a new spokesperson. Dr. Sheri Phillips is a former walker from Chicago, a physician, and a breast cancer survivor. The spokesperson is at every event, serving as emcee and chief motivator. I'm excited to see her, and excited for her.
• I can't wait to be a virtual Walker Stalker! In addition to Facebook and this blog, I've been really enjoying the Twitter element to the 3-Day experience (follow me @3DaySistah!). Through Twitter, I've joined a group known as the "3-Day Tweeps" ... a group of walkers from across the country who have provided endless support and encouragement along the way. This weekend, at least 10 of my Twitter connections are walking or crewing the event. And I cannot wait to see all their Tweets! You can follow along: #the3day.

So, to all the Boston Tweeps walking this weekend, good luck and have fun! (And stay hydrated!!) To those crewing, thank you!  As for the rest of us, we're counting down to our events (did I mention it's only 23 days!) and following along on your adventure this weekend!

Tales of a Training Walk weekend

I'd heard tales of the "18/15" training walk ... it's mentioned on blogs and it's talked about in Getting Started meetings. It's a "must" on your training schedule -- you must find the time to get in two long, back-to-back walks before the real thing. And now I know why.

Stef and I signed up for a group training walk each day. Saturday we went to Stoney Creek for three six-mile loops, and Sunday we went to Metro Beach for a 15-mile walk (which became 16!).

After the walks, I realized that the purpose of the big back-to-back weekend is not just about the distance. It's more than making sure you can physically walk for 18 miles, and then get up and do it again the next day. What I took away from this weekend: 

1. Training with a group is fun!
Stef and I have really enjoyed training together. It's been fun, and we spend our time talking about everything and nothing. We're never short on things to chat about, and when the conversation lulls, we're content to listen to music from our portable speakers. But walking with a group is also fun!

Our Saturday training group at Stoney Creek, breaking for lunch.

We walked with a dozen ladies each day, and met some wonderful people. It was great to chat with them, get to know them, and learn about the myriad of reasons people walk. Some of those stories will stay with me as I'm on the walk.We met women in their 60s who were walking for the first time. We met a woman who was trying to train with an 11-month old at home. And we heard Sharon's story about walking for a friend who had a double mastectomy in January. She told us how the friend was struggling through treatments this spring, but told Sharon that she wouldn't give up because she knew about the walk and didn't want to disappoint her.

2. Music is a must.

Stef and I have a portable speaker that I strap to my hydration pack (known outside of the 3-Day walk as a gigantic fanny pack). We load up the iPod with some tunes, and go. We're working on building up a "walk-friendly" list of songs (some of the Black Eyed Peas just won't make the cut), and tested out our initial list on Sunday's training walk at Metro Beach.  

I was a little worried that the noise might irritate the other women walking. It's one thing when it's just Stef and I. But did other people want to have the music going while they're trying to have a conversation? I needn't have worried — it was perfect.

The great scenery at Metro Beach on Sunday.

At one point in our walk, we had maybe 5 miles left to go. It was incredibly hot (in the 90s) and very humid. After walking 18 miles the previous day, the last five miles of that walk were going to be hard. After stopping for a hydration/stretch break, we were plodding along when "Fins" came on by Jimmy Buffett.  We must have looked like idiots, walking down the path, waving our arms in the air. But it was fun. And it helped stretch our fingers (which swell like sausages), so we killed two birds with one stone.


The music is motivating too ... in the last stretch of the walk (one mile to go!), Stef and I were in a smaller group that had moved ahead a bit. There were four of us, and the conversation had really started to lag. We were quiet for a little bit, when "Lean on Me" came on the radio. It was the perfect song at that moment, and it buoyed us as we walked that last hot stretch in the sun.

3. It's more than just "walking a ton of miles."
Even though Stef and I have racked up a lot of training miles (300 miles walked since the 24-week training started in late February!), and we've done a fair number of "long" walks (10- and 12-mile walks), there were some things that were different this time. Whether it was the heat, or the humidity, or just a difference in where things fit, we both ended up with some raw spots where clothes rubbed the wrong way. Neither of us changed out socks on Sunday and wished we would have.

I also got to experience the "Komen Mile."  I've heard stories about a Komen Mile being a bit different about a "real mile." How you'll see a sign that says "1-mile to Pit Stop 2" and it's really 1.75 miles. This walk helped me realize you can't track the precise mileage, at least not if you want to enjoy yourself.  We set out with the plan to walk 15 miles. The training walk leader had it all in her portable GPS, but late in the day (after her GPS shut off for a bit, for some reason), we realized it was closer to 16 miles. One of our co-walkers was NOT happy about it (she was having a rough day, after doing the 18-miles the day before). For another walker (Judy), this was her first long walk. She had the slowest pace, and finished 20 minutes or so after the rest of us. When she rolled in and heard that it was closer to 16 miles, she responded: "Sweet!"

More important than the physical (for me, at least), was the mental training. At no point on Saturday or Sunday did I think, "I can't do this." At no point did I wish it to "just be over." At no point did I ask, "Why the heck am I doing this when I could be at home on the couch drinking coffee and surfing Facebook." I was ready for it. And I enjoyed it.

I can't believe I can say this: I really enjoyed the training walks this weekend. And I can't wait for Aug. 12, 13 and 14!

Closer and closer ... Event info is posted!

With a little more than four weeks to go until the 3-Day for the Cure, the Event Information was posted today, giving friends and family the opportunity to make plans to come cheer on the Sisters Saving the Sistahs and all the other 3-Day walkers.

Being at the event is one of the most memorable ways you can be a part of this experience. As I said when I first registered, it was the event experience that motivated me to sign up to walk this year. There's no way to fully describe the impact it has on a viewer, and I'm sure the effect on a walker is just as significant. It's what keeps you going.

Case in point: When we were walking on Sunday (a 6-mile training walk), the weather and environment were less than ideal. It was incredibly humid, it rained, and we were attacked by killer locusts. (OK, maybe not "killer," but they were hired assassins for sure.)  At one point, we passed a group of bicyclists. They all smiled and greeted us with a "Good Morning." One woman must have recognized what we were doing (the pink shirts and gigantic hydration pack is usually a dead giveaway) and said, "Good job girls, keep it up."

Just that one comment, from one person, buoyed me for a while. Someone knew what we were doing, and recognized what it was for. She knew the value of it, and wanted to encourage us. It worked.

Each day of the walk, we'll be walking 20 miles. It'll probably be hot. I know we'll get tired. I know we'll have aches and pains. But it's for a good reason. And sometimes, we might need to be reminded of that reason. What better way, than to see our family and friends at some point, smiling and cheering us on?

So check out the schedule... if you're able to pop in for one of the cheering stations, we'd LOVE to see you. We won't be able to stop and chat much, but it'll be a few minutes of your time that'll keep us going for hours, if not a lifetime.

Battling the elements. Or "Now I know why horses have tails."

We spent this past weekend at the lake, and got some good training miles in on our favorite walking trail, the Southern Links Trailway. 

Saturday, we got up and out a little later than planned, but still got in our 10-mile training walk. We went our "usual" way (starting in Otter Lake, heading south to Columbiaville, then back to Otter Lake and a few miles up toward Millington). It was a fine walk, with lots of sun and happy people.

(I'm not sure if it's an "up north" thing or what, but people are REALLY friendly on this trail! Nearly every person you come across will smile and wave, with a majority saying good morning with a cheery voice.)

Sunday was another story. Instead of heading the usual way, we decided to check out the route to Millington. Won't be doing that again.

We stayed up a bit later than planned on Saturday, so 8 a.m. came really, really early. (I'm pretty sure my contacts barely had the 6-hour cleaning time required.) But we got up, geared up, and went up to the car to leave. Lo and behold, dark rain clouds were looming. So much for the weather forecast from Friday, which showed sunny and dry all weekend.

Stef and her handy dandy poncho.

Fortunately, going back to bed just wasn't an option (after all the effort to gear up, lube up, hydrate, etc., there was no way I wasn't walking). So we headed out and hoped. About two miles in, the rain started. Stef pulled out her spiffy little poncho and walked along quite dry (but noisy). Guess who didn't pull out her poncho? We haven't trained in the rain (I'm dedicated to training, but not enough to be miserable walking in the rain.), so I didn't have a poncho in my pack. We only pulled over once (seriously, I did not want to get soaked), and it didn't really rain all that hard or all that long, so it was a good lesson... pack the pocho. Duh.

The next few miles were a tad warm ... the rain ended within 15 minutes or so, but that brought in the humidity. I felt like I was wading through the air. Yuck.

Then, the bugs attacked.

I'll concede that neither of us showered before we left. But come on. It was nuts. The bugs (flies, sweat bees, gnats) were unbelievable. They were swarming around our heads. Flying into our eyes. Biting. It was horrible. At one point, I looked over at Stef and she had at least 20 bugs around her hair. Ewww.  So we turned around, a quarter mile short of our turnaround point, and headed back. We spent about a mile using our bandannas to swat the bugs away.

Hence the subtitle, which is a quote from Stef: "Now I know why horses have tails."

So, training notes to self:
1) It might rain. Pack a poncho.
2) There may be bugs. Have bandannas.
3) It might be humid. Suck it up

With just over a month to go, the training is more important every day. And I'm learning that it's not just the physical aspect of training ...

The best laid plans ...

Despite packing an enormous bag of walking supplies for our week's vacation at the lake, it didn't quite work out.  Instead of walking, my week was filled with lazy mornings sitting on the porch, drinking coffee, reading a book ... followed by relaxing afternoons, sitting on the beach, drinking water, reading a book .... followed by fun evenings, sitting by the fire, drinking.... well, you get the idea.

Though I was a little disappointed that we didn't walk, it was a much-needed rest. Mentally and physically.

So we're back this week, better than ever. Put in 14 miles in three days, and we've scheduled our 10/6 for this weekend.

Even more exciting (maybe) is that we've registered for the big training walk the weekend of July 16 & 17... this is the "must have" training walk, an 18-mile walk on Saturday followed by a 15-mile walk on Sunday. This will be a challenge for me ... we've walked good distances before (12- or 13-mile walks), but doing the "break for lunch and continue on" thing will be a mental challenge. (The 18-mile walk is at Stoney Creek, which is a six-mile loop; we'll do two loops, break for lunch, then do a final loop.) It'll also be different to walk with a group (it's always just Stef and I), and it'll definitely be a challenge to get up on Sunday morning to do another 15 miles.

But that's what it'll be like in fewer than five weeks. So I tell myself: "Suck it up sister, and get walking ...."