Final Report on My 3-Day Journey

I should not be surprised that I had no idea of what I was getting myself into when I decided to sign up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day 60 Mile Walk for a Cure. I often get myself into things that I am unsure of and under-educated about; yet, I simply follow my gut on the major stuff and save stressing out for all the insignificant little things. This journey was no exception. I did not know how I would get myself literally from ZERO TO 60 in six months, but I knew I would somehow. I can hear my mother bragging now, “Once my baby puts her mind to something, there is no stopping her!”

And I suppose that is why I am proud to announce that six months, 300 training miles and 60 3-Day miles later, I DID IT! Well it was actually 50 3-Day miles, due to some logistical issues but hey close enough! I know I could have done the extra 10, had I not let strategy and pride get in my way… But more on that later!

I was first inspired to walk this past May, when I learned my mother-in-law, Joan, was diagnosed with breast cancer. I walked for her and for dozens of family members and friends affected by the disease. Learning 1 in 8 women will fight this fight, I was shocked and even more determined to make a difference. I invited my step-son’s mom Jamie to join me. Her mother and grandmother also had the disease, her grandmother passed from it, and therefore she is much more likely to develop it as well.

Jamie and I set out Thursday evening from Austin and arrived in Dallas around 10 pm. We chose a hotel that provided a shuttle to the event and rose at 4 am to board the shuttle to the opening. We arrived at the ceremony with the sunrise. We loaded our duffle bags onto the trucks that would take our gear to the campsite and then wandered around getting our very virgin bearings. I stood shivery and sleepy eyed gazing in amazement at the sheer number of walkers, and at the outrageous costumes.

We were engulfed in a sea of pink, in sequins and feather boas and cheap hot pink sunglasses and costume jewelry. I thought of a time when this sort of “girl stuff” was totally dorky and off-putting to me. I once did not enjoy female bonding and found most women irritating as hell. I realized I must have matured or become one of those dorky girly girl-power 40 something gals, cause I was now eating it up! I sang “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun!” and “I Will Survive” and wished I had not left my feather boa in my camping bag! I did let a nice lady put a breast cancer ribbon sticker on my face. YES there were STICKERS there too! AND CANDY!!! YAY

From there the day was a blur of joy! The first day, we walked about 20 miles from Plano to Addison and were met by entire elementary schools lined up to give us high fives. We were greeted by new families on blankets with pink little babies in pink little outfits. The second day, we were waved at silently by old men in lawn chairs holding their pictures of their very special and very absent gals “You go girls, Go and find a cure!” The third day, we walked with a grandmother and granddaughter team (enough said) and saw a small girl in her front yard holding a sign that read, “Thank you for walking for my teacher!”

Many times on the walk we passed the widower proudly wearing a picture of his smiling angel on his back…and the mom with her angel immortalized on her t-shirt vowing to win the fight for all our daughters…everyone…had a story…3000 stories to see and hear on the walk.

No where during the event was I was fighting to walk another mile, not for a minute of it. I was fighting back tears most of the time. Feeling my heart burst with each cheering station we passed.  Thousands came out to support us, many returning all three days! Men in pink, wearing pink bras, spray painting their dogs! There were folks to greet us with water and candy and sunscreen and shots of espresso, and HUGS! And I could go on and on.

This experience was beyond fun, it was life changing. It was a humbling reminder to value our gifts, our loved ones. It reminded me of how truly generous and loving and giving our fellow man can be. That people are good when we come together for a cause. Not so good when we come together to shop for groceries or drive to work, but we are GREAT when we want to be. The walks truly flew by, and I came away feeling like I wanted to go back in slow motion just to soak everything in one more time.

I am proud to say I did not get one blister! I cannot say the same for Jamie, who unfortunately earned gigantic ones on almost every toe. I have no idea how she walked. I know I could not have handled the pain, and knowing so was probably why I was fanatical during training about breaking in shoes, doing all my training miles and changing socks like clockwork. Jamie, who in all other regards is in phenomenal shape, had not put in as many training miles to condition her feet and break in her shoes. I cannot stress this enough to anyone thinking of doing this walk.

However it was not just 6 months of training and the wonderful distraction of supporters that made this all possible, it was truly the volunteers, the special magic that kept us all organized and hydrated and stretched and bandaged and moving! We had rest stops with port a potties, food and drink and sports medicine every three to five miles. We had chiropractors available at lunchtime. We had a hot breakfast and hot dinner (and it tasted great). We had hot showers! We had a disco night on night two (yes after mile 40 and we still wanted to dance)! We had massage chairs and massages available. We had phone charges and computers to email home. We had everything you could imagine needing and then some. And we had thousands of pink tents to boot!! And this is why it seemed so easy to wake up at 5 am on Day Three and believe we had another 15 miles left in us!

Now I mentioned earlier that I was short by 10 miles. And how I wish I could go back and claim them. Funny, I started the walk saying 10 a day would be outstanding, and I would feel I met my personal goal if I only walked 30 of the 60. By end of Day 1, I was accepting none less than everything I had in me at 60 if at all possible. So how did I lose 10 miles? Well at opening ceremony we ended up at the back of the holding pen, which as a novice walker you do not realize puts you at the back of the pack. Now, I did not train for 6 months to walk at the back of the pack, and this Jamie agreed was less than acceptable. We were missing all the fun and excitement up ahead. Who wants to bring up the back? Especially on Day 1? Yes, I did mention PRIDE was involved didn’t I. This would allow us to be one of the first groups to leave and thus we would be in our “proper place” among the middle of the pack walkers. It would also allow Jamie to get a growing blister treated before a long line gathered at medical. So with 8 miles down and 4 to go we decided to hop on a Sweep Bus and get to lunch before almost everyone else. So this we did.  However it was here that I discovered there were chiropractors at lunch, and anyone who knows me knows I cannot pass up a free adjustment. This took longer than expected and thus we did not leave ahead of the pack as planned, and thus four good miles were uh.. disposed of.  Darn… now on to the next 3 mile deficit.

This deficit came on Day Two – I was walking along and felt a bit of a twinge in my lower back, again this was just before lunch. I had left Jamie at the last pit stop so she could get her blisters looked at, and she said she would take the bus to lunch, so I knew she would be waiting for me at lunch. Now I thought of walking very slowly and not sacrificing any miles, but the thought again of the chance to leave lunch ahead of everyone else prodded me to jump on that bus to get to lunch, get adjusted and get ahead of the pack. So I did and this time, we did pretty good! We got out of lunch well before the last walkers and enjoyed the remainder of the day stress free in the middle of the pack! Yay!

Day three however, due to Jamie’s blister care and my tight calf muscles, we were pretty much pulling up the rear again. Did we finally succumb to our latent station on the walk? No! We made a game of playing catch up between pit stops! We would be last to leave, walk as fast as we could to the next pit stop (passing literally hundreds of walkers) and then take an extra long pit stop break. I am sure we gained a reputation as those Fast Walking Girls who keep passing people for no good reason. It was fun, and a bit show-offy I admit, but it made the last 15 miles go by in a flash.

In truth we became motivated to walk super fast upon learning that Jim and Sam and Joan and friend Angleo and his daughter were about 5 miles away at the next and final cheering station.  Thus, we were two broads on a mission! The faster we got there, the longer we had to visit. So we hauled pink booty through the very prestigious Highland Park and around and down Turtle Creek, and to up Market Street where we were finally saw Joan! She walked with us for a block or so and folks kept high-fiving her and congratulating her for walking! She loved it and we loved it! We met up with the others and gave everyone pins we had purchased on the way, including a 1-year survivor pin for Joan. I pinned it on her and told her I had no doubt she would earn it!

We said our goodbyes and continued our walk to the next pit stop. Again Jamie needed her blisters treated and I, fearing that if I stayed at the pit stop too long would be swept to the closing ceremony, walked on alone. I met up with the “Save Second Base” team, which we had become friends with, and walked with them through Deep Elam. We parted ways when I sped up to make the walk into Texas Stadium for closing ceremonies alone. I was sorry Jamie was not with me but I also found it fitting to make this part of the walk solo. I had purposefully trained by myself feeling this was a person challenge and spiritual journey, and  I found it calming to use those last few steps as a time to reflect on the miles and months leading up to this moment. I was proud and relieved and impressed, and as I entered the main gate I was met by all the previous walkers who were lined up to welcome my finish! Someone handed me a rose and lots of cheering and pats on the back and high fives and thanks and congrats followed as I walked through a rainbow of welcomes and congratulations for what seemed a football field’s length. I then turned and joined the group to welcome in the few walkers behind me. Still, I did not see Jamie. We had had a plan to meet at the entrance of the holding pen. Yet I stood there after the welcome line dispersed and still I did not see her. And that is when I was ironically invited to lead the pack.

Fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time, it was my elbow a nice woman grabbed when she asked, “Are you ready to line up? Where is your partner?” “I don’t know,” I remarked. “I was supposed to meet her here!” “Well let’s save a place for her then!” Sadly, I never found Jamie. But what I did find was myself in the front row, preparing to walk arm-in-arm into the closing ceremonies. This moment hit me like several before: the moment I first held my daughter; the moment I reached out for that diploma; the moment I said “I do”; the moment I heard my mother’s last breath. As one of eight walkers, leading my fellow 2992 walkers into the arena, I knew I would never forget this wave of love, this accomplishment, this dedication, this sense of purpose and honor. WOW – the picture included is of this moment. Together we walkers walked 180,000 miles – enough miles to travel around the Earth more than 6 times! We raised with these efforts 7.5 million dollars for breast cancer research and education! Thank you making this all possible and for continuing the fight against breast cancer!