This weekend was our "big" back-to-back training weekend -- we walked 18 miles on Saturday and 15 miles on Sunday. This training experience really gives us a good idea of where we're at and helps prepare you mentally and physically for three grueling days. (Example: I ended up with two huge blisters in a spot where I normally have a callous. Time to figure out how to get those to heal, quickly, and become callouses!) Overall, we had fun -- we hooked up with the "BC Babes," a large team on the east side, and walking with them both days. They're a great group to walk with, and I'm looking forward to seeing them on the walk.
The other big landmark that comes at this 4-week mark is all of the event information that gets released:
- Camp mail -- One way to show your support is to send walkers "camp mail." After we're done walking Day 1, we come back to camp, get our tent set up, take a shower and eat dinner. We'll then stop by the "Post Office" to see if there's any camp mail. Last year, going through that mail was one of the most amazing experiences on the walk. It's a connection back to the "real" world, a reminder of all the people who supported us through this experience, and a motivator to keep going, even though every muscle in your body screams "stop!" Visit our "event information" page for more details on how to send camp mail.
- Cheering stations -- I had no idea what to expect from cheering stations last year. The first one we rolled up on blew me away. To walk down the sidewalk and have people cheer you on was incredible. I didn't know any of them, and they didn't know me. But it didn't matter: They wanted to encourage and motivate us, and it worked. (Of course, I had to keep my sunglasses on so everyone couldn't see me bawling!) Check our event information page to get the details on cheering stations... and please know, if you can't be at a cheering station when we'll be there (we tend to walk quickly), please just go -- cheer another walker on as if it were one of us. They'll appreciate it more than you could ever imagine. (Quick side story: The first year when Stef walked, we went to a cheering station. We hung back and waited for her to come by, then walked up to the road, cheered for her, hung out with her for a few, and then left. I look back now and am so regretful that it's all we did. I felt goofy cheering for people I didn't know. Now, I can't say it emphatically enough: Please, please, please, don't feel goofy. Don't just wait for "your" walker and leave. When I go through a cheering station, those are someone else's loved ones cheering me on. And they make me cry every time. I see each of you in every one of them, so please, give another walker that same experience!)
- Social media updates -- As a sponsor of the 3-Day, Bank of America is offering something new this year: A "Smart Card" that we can pick up at Opening Ceremonies. The card will be linked to my Facebook page, and will automatically post where I'm at, at 'key' points along the route. Fun to try, so we'll see how it goes. I'll also be posting on Facebook and Twitter through the weekend (have to figure out how to synchronize it all beforehand), so you can follow along.
