I worried about my lack of training going into it this year. I've had a rough couple of years physically (plantar fasciitis and a soleus muscle strain) and my training dropped way below where it should have been. Because of my lack of training, I ended up with a very painful injury from the Vancouver Marathon in June, tearing a calf muscle and getting some severe tendonitis and shin splints! Those injuries stopped ALL training and I sat on my butt for almost three months trying to heal. Since the Marathon in June, I walked in two small events - a 7k and a 10k. I walked them both slowly and without any expectations from myself except to get my muscles moving again and to finish, which I did. I obviously sat out long enough that I was able to heal and start fresh again.
Going into the 3-Day event this year, I knew I would have to take it one step at a time and listen to my legs and feet. Without the proper training, walking 60 miles is a bit crazy! The beauty of the 3-Day is that here is NO obligation to walk all 60 miles. The only obligations are to raise a minimum of $2300, be safe and have fun! There are "sweepers" and buses to move you along the route if you need them. In fact, the first year I did this, we had a team member who was not only a breast cancer survivor but who had also had open heart surgery. She would walk two and a half to three miles with us and then take a sweeper to the next pit stop (approximately 3 miles further up the road) and rest/wait for us to get there, and then walk 3 miles again, over and over. She would also take a sweeper up the really large hills. With these pampering services available, anyone can do the 3-Day and enjoy it!
Every year I have walked all 60 miles and this year was no different. However, my expectations of myself were different. When I first started walking in the 3-Day events, I HAD to walk ALL 60 MILES! I simply would not accept anything less of myself. I thought about those suffering with cancer and the pain they must go through, the exhaustion they must face. Walking 60 miles was NOTHING compared to what they were going through. I wasn't about to give in. Last year I struggled through my foot pain... knowing I should take a sweeper but not wanting to give in, and didn't. This year, I had already suffered a great amount of pain in June by not listening to my body so walking 60 miles wasn't my focus. I had to be smart and listen to my aches and pains! Amazingly, I had no pain! My feet and legs were perfectly fine. Of course I was TIRED but had no internal pain that I needed to pay attention to. It never even crossed my mind to take a sweeper. (I'm healed! Yahooooo!)
We were walking the SEATTLE 3-DAY so that meant HILLS, HILLS and MORE HILLS! My butt muscles were getting quite the workout and were a bit sore on Monday after the walk but other than that, not even my feet or calf muscles hurt when the walk was over. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.
Team Pink Thunder (Brittany, Michelle, Edith and Me) drove up to Seattle after getting off work at 4:00 Thursday evening. We were a little late leaving Vancouver because of yours truly - I wasn't packed!! (I know! Horrible!) I threw everything on top of my bag, into a couple smaller bags, and stuffed it all in the trunk of Brit's car! Off we went!
Edith met us at the hotel and helped tote all my loose ends into the room. heh heh We spent about an hour rearranging and repacking our bags and then realized we only had about 4.5 hours to sleep before we needed to be up and moving again. Yikes! I also realized I ONLY had THREE shirts total - my team shirts - so if they were too small because of my 'recent' weight gain, tough luck for me! (That's what happens when you don't pack ahead of time!) Luckily you shower and get into your jammies after the day's walk no matter what time it is so three shirts is really all you need. Comfort is the main idea. And wouldn't you know it, I was lucky enough that my shirts still fit! Whew!
Friday morning started out early, and without a lot of sleep. Michelle was nervous not knowing what to expect, this being her first 3-Day, so she didn't sleep AT ALL. We grabbed our belongings and headed straight to the nearest Starbucks in all of our pink glory! We arrived at the opening ceremony around 6:00, did some last minute adjusting and walked around taking in all of the excitement. I ran into an old friend of mine, Jane, from my days (long ago) as a Denny's server. Jane is a 5 year breast cancer survivor and was doing the 3-Day for the first time as a gift to herself for hitting the 5-year mark. I ran into her again at the end of the 60 miles and she said she was "63, old and tired" and "could cross this event off of the bucket list!" Not sure she'll be doing it again but I hope she had a great time and soaked up all of the love and support given so freely by fellow walkers/survivors. Love you Jane! It was so nice to see you!
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| Edith, me, Michelle and Filomina Flamingo! |
At opening ceremony Dr. Sheri Phillips, National 3-Day Spokeswoman, said, "Let yourself be present every step of the way!" She's so right! Speeding through the walk (which Edith and I did one year) is great if you want to get back to camp early but you miss so much along the way! While focusing on the speed of your moving feet, you aren't paying attention to your surroundings, are ahead of a lot of the cheer stations, and miss viewing and communicating with other walkers. We only sped through the walk that one year and decided that although getting back to camp early had its advantages, it wasn't nearly as nice as what we were missing along the way. If you're going to participate in the 3-Day, walk slowly and take it all in! Enjoy the entire experience! It's worth it!
We started our walk at the Seattle Center and walked through parts of downtown. We walked on the I-90 floating bridge (I love walking on that bridge!) over Lake Washington, over to Mercer Island and then into Bellevue.
We had lunch at a beautiful park, changed our socks and enjoyed resting in the shade for awhile. The forecast called for rain all weekend but we were baking in the hot sun ... sweating like crazy!
Brittany was unable to join us on the actual walk because she didn't complete her fundraising (unforeseen life events got in the way) but she was up supporting us all weekend. She met us along the route, cheered us on and took whatever items we were tired of carrying.
Instead of Michelle pairing up in a tent with someone she didn't know, she stayed in the hotel with Brittany at night. Whatever items Brittany took from us, she dropped off at camp when she came to pick up Michelle. It really worked out well. Not to mention she showed up with Starbucks coffees when our day's walk was over! What a great daughter!! What a treat! We definitely felt spoiled walking around camp with our lattes!
After eating a much-needed dinner, we went to the "post office" and retrieved our cards and letters from family and friends. Such excitement! Thank you to all who took the time to send them! In one of the cards from a friend was a $20 and a note to "enjoy some coffee and ice cream!" Boy, she knows me well, doesn't she?! I took the money and put it on my 2014 fundraising page to give me my first donation for next year's event. Thank you!
Joining Michelle, Edith and me in our little group was "Filomina Flamingo!" Michelle's blowup flamingo dressed in a bra, necklace and eventually Band-Aids "to cover her blisters!" The majority of Michelle's fundraising was done by flocking people's yards for donations thus Filomina was very appropriate to bring along. :)
Michelle was picked up soon after we reached camp in Redmond at Marymoor Park. She had dinner in bed (spoiled!!!) and was sound asleep in no time at all.
Edith and I showered and then spent time watching some of the night's entertainment and listening to announcements. During the short slide show of Day 1, there were about five "Dream Teams" featured and a picture of us (and our bird) was one of them! Of course "Dream Team" didn't mean we were any more special than any other team but we were on the slide show and that was pretty exciting to see! As we walked back to our tent, it started to lightly rain, which continued off and on throughout the night.
Edith and I were in bed by 8:30, read all of our mail and dozed off to sleep AFTER the 3-Day Dance Party! (with LOUD music) was over at 9:30... AFTER the concert (with even LOUDER music) in the nearby park was over around 11:00... and AFTER the people in the tents around us finally decided to end their conversations and laughter around WHATEVER time that was! Rough first night, to say the least.
With just a little more sleep than the previous night, we started Day 2. Brittany dropped Michelle off at camp at 6:45 with Starbucks for Edith and I. (Brittany... you're the best!) We were tired but ready for another day of walking, talking and enjoying our surroundings.
We walked through areas of Redmond, Kirkland and Sammamish. The hills on Day 2 were worse than the hills on Day 1! It felt like we went UP constantly, with very little downhill. Brittany met us at a cheer station...
and then met us again as we walked into camp for the night.
The 3-Day organization did something very special this year... they allowed family and friends to come into the campground to visit from 4:30 to 8:30. The visitors could bring in food or buy pizza from an onsite vender (something else new this year) and the walkers had the option to eat the meal provided by the 3-Day crew, eat whatever family/friends brought in or purchase the pizza. Brittany ate dinner with us and then she and Michelle left soon after so Edith and I could shower and everyone could try to get to bed early. We were all exhausted but happy! Once Michelle finished the second day, she knew she would be walking the entire third day too. It's hard not knowing what 20+ miles actually feels like until you do it.
We walked 20.9 miles on Day 2.
Day 3 started out with a bus ride to the Husky Stadium in Seattle and then we walked through parts of the beautiful University of Washington campus.
Excitement was in the air as we were entering our third and final day of the walk. Cold rain was also in the air! It was sprinkling off and on all morning. We went through Gas Works Park...
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| Photo credit to Joel Addams www.joeladdams.com Find him on Facebook at Joel Addams | Photography |
and the Ballard Locks...
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| Meet Nancy - She had her 90th Birthday on Day 2! She was walking what she could and sweeping what she couldn't. She was totally enjoying the experience! |
As Edith, Michelle, Filomina and I were stepping onto a bridge, high in the air and totally exposed, it started to POUR and the strong winds were blowing the rain at us sideways! We passed the lunch stop (who wanted to sit in the rain?) and continued on to the waterfront in Seattle. We were hungry, tired and SOAKED. We met Brittany at a Red Robin on the waterfront and sat our dripping, starving selves down in a booth to warm up. At one point the restaurant manager was at our table and said he liked our hats and then asked what the "special occasion" was? I couldn't believe he worked in the City, a City that hosts the 3-Day (a VERY PINK event) every year, in a restaurant not more than a block away from our turn off and he had NO IDEA it was taking place. Way to be a part of your community, Mr. Manager! We were soaked, decked out in pink and carrying a pink flamingo wearing a bra and he absolutely had no clue. Wow.
We were ahead of our deadline to check in for the closing ceremony so we sat and talked for as long as we dared. After about an hour, our bodies were relaxing and shutting down but we still had a couple more miles to walk so we decided to get up and get moving again before we couldn't. We changed into dry socks and headed back into the rain and continued on to the finish line at the Seattle Center. About a half mile from the end, the rain stopped and the sun started to shine! Jeez. We went around the last corner and headed into a cheering crowd of clapping people, thanking us for walking, fundraising and caring.
Another year and 60 more miles under our feet. We did it, Ladies!
We walked 16.3 miles on Day 3.
We dried off, got into our 3-Day shirts, and then walked to a nearby Starbucks (always gotta have our coffee!) to pass the time without just sitting in one spot.
If you've ever walked long distances, stopping and getting started again is the hardest part of all! Your body screams that it's finished and doesn't want to walk another step! You hobble along and keep moving.
Along the route over the past three days we had come across a very young woman obviously battling breast cancer who was walking with her husband (or boyfriend), who had family at the Saturday night dinner, and who had family at various cheer stations all along the way. They were obviously all out there to show her their love and support. She touched my heart every time I caught a glimpse of her. I think her age had a lot to do with my feelings of sadness and pain... she had to have been in her early 20's. She had no hair, no eyebrows, no color. What she did have though was a lot of determination to do that walk. I passed her once and told her what a warrior she was. I wanted so badly to give her a hug but what do you say to someone in that situation? I want a hug? Surely not. I should have followed my heart and reached out to her but instead, I choked up and passed along a silent word of strength every time I saw her. I hope to see her as a walking survivor next year. If so, I'll be sure to let her know how much she touched my life for those brief three days in time and continues to touch it every time she crosses my mind. That is part of what this walk is all about, isn't it? Reaching out. Being supportive. Caring. Loving. Sharing hope and strength. I should have done it.
Closing ceremony started at 4:30, as well as more sprinkles! It was as emotional as always. We were right along the railing where the survivors gather and there she was, the young woman who touched my heart, dancing and letting us all know the past 60 miles weren't going to slow her down - she was dancing into tomorrow!
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| Seattle Space Needle |
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