2006 Twin Cities Breast Cancer 3-Day

Well, it's now been 4 days since I've returned from my 60 mile journey. It still takes me a little longer than normal to get out of bed and hobble to the bathroom in the mornings, and I still keep a bottle of Motrin on each level of my house. Aside from that, I feel great!

This was my third event that I have walked...and I can proudly say that I have yet to see the inside of a "sweep van". I was a little worried this year due to a knee injury that I've been struggling with. I've definitely trained a lot less...heck, I almost didn't train at all this year - something I would NOT recommend!

This year, Team Fight Like a Girl grew to over 20 members! Gina, my sister, joined me again, along with some old friends and a bunch of new friends. I feel very lucky to have shared in this incredible event with these amazing women...and I thank them for the stories, the laughs, the inspiration, the hugs and the encouragement.

Again, I dedicated this walk to my mom. It's been over 4 years since she died of Inflammatory Breast Cancer. To me, this walk is a means of keeping her spirit and memory alive. Throughout the fundraising, training and the actual event, I have been able to tell so many people her story... about the great mom and grandma she was, about the courageous battle she fought, and about the inspiring legacy she has left with us. It also has enabled me to increase awareness of this rare, aggressive, and frightening type of breast cancer. So, that's why I walk...

Here is my version (along with picutres!) of the 2006 Breast Cancer 3-Day:

I crawled out of my big, cozy bed about 3:45 Friday morning, finished packing my "must be less than 35 pound" bag, joined up with other bleary-eyed teammates from the St. Michael area to head down to the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley. Opening ceremonies were great...we were amazed at the large number of participants, amused by the creative attire of some, inspired by everyone's enthusiasm so early in the morning and reminded of why we were there - in hope of putting an end to breast cancer.

And then finally, our journey began!

The first day we walked on the trails and sidewalks of Eagan and Bloomington. I saw many familiar faces. "Dudes for Boobs" was there again - and this time their sister/wife walked with them as a survivor. I also recognized the crazy guy that carried the American Flag with him for all 60 miles...again. By mile 5.8 at Pit Stop #2, my knee was starting to ache and "lock". I considered taking the sweep van to the next stop, but instead, I waited in line at the medical tent, met an Angel-Chiropractor named Jennifer who wrapped my knee in some rolled-up foam tape ( which I now kindly refer to as the "miracle band"), iced for a short time, and then hit the road again. It was amazing! At that point, I remember thinking "maybe there is a chance I can actually do this again!"

After nearly 21 miles, we reached Valley View Middle School in Bloomington - our home away from home. Waiting for us were semi-trucks equipped with hot showers and a huge dining tent with great meals and real chairs (you really appreciate them, as the only sitting options during the day are port-a-potties or the ground). I also discovered a benefit to arriving at camp a little later than your tent-mate...the tent was already set up (thanks, Nicole)!!! We were briefed on the day's happenings, previewed tomorrow's route and weather and were entertained with some karaoke. We took a swing through the "3-day Mobile City", stopped to get a free foot massage, did some shopping at the gear store and visited the "Remembrance Tent" to honor those lost to breast cancer. I ended the day with a dose of Tylenol PM and actually looked forward to crawling onto my air mattress in the 8x8 tent.

On day 2, we looped around Bloomington. You realize after walking 8-10 hours a day, your routine becomes very cyclic: drink, eat, drink, pee, drink, ice, Motrin...drink, eat, drink, pee, drink, ice, Motrin... (and then repeat 47 times). Bill, Madison and Will, along with some other "Fight Like a Girl" families came to one of the Cheer Stations. It was so great to see them and I got highly anticipated hugs and kisses! Madison was very proud of her "Walkers are Superheroes" sign and Will really got into handing out Jolly Rancher candy to all the walkers. We had so many people cheering us on...it really helped keep us going. Throughout the day, a man with a couch was seen several times along the route. He would unload his couch from the van he drove, set it alongside the trail and let people sit and rest for awhile before packing it up and moving down the route... and then he'd repeat it again. It was quite a sight and a brilliant idea! As we were walking into Pit Stop #4, as if on cue, a woman in her 50's approached us. She told us she was a survivor and thanked us for walking. She shared her story with us for the next several minutes and as she walked away, so did some of our feelings of pain, doubt and weariness. I realize she'll never know it, but that conversation at that particular time kept us going. And we walked on...

Day 3 arrived and "Fight Like a Girl" was ready! In my opinion, this is by far the easiest day. Despite swelling feet, painful blisters, and sunburned shoulders...we were on our way home! Unlike the many smaller groups our team had split into and walked during the previous days, we all walked together these last 17 miles. It was an amazing experience to share with a group of amazing women! We were all looking forward to seeing the capital on the home stretch, to holding our families, to wearing our flip-flops, and to a Diet Coke! The time and miles passed pretty quickly as much of the route was lined with cheering people, crazy signs, kids handing out candy, and high-fives. And again and again, there was the man with the couch...still providing rest, comfort, and a good laugh. My cousin, sister/brother-in-law and nephew were waiting for me along the Nokomis trail. It was great to see them and they even walked a mile or two with us. At one point, a bald woman in a pink "Survivor" shirt came out of her house along the path and yelled from her front lawn "Thank you, thank you...you're all heroes!" Then simultaneously, a group of walkers stepped off the path, knelt in front of her and "serenaded" this beautiful, smiling, crying woman. It is a sight I will never forget.

Well, we finished the walk, reunited with our families, drank our diet coke, put on our flip-flops, shed some tears, received our "victory shirts" and made one more trip to the port-a-potty. Closing Ceremonies were held in front of the State Capital, and it was, once again, amazing. The program started with over 2,500 walkers filing in, followed by 300 volunteer crew (medical, safety, and camp), and then at last, a group of survivors. As the survivors entered, we all knelt before them in honor of their fight and courage; and then out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a lone Nike running shoe raised in the air. And then one by one, hundreds of shoes were raised and I watched the procession of pink with tears running down my face.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, it is now 4 days after the conclusion of our journey and I'm feeling really good. I'm not sure if I was able to complete the walk because of the "miracle band" given to me at mile 5, or because of some maternal guidance from above. I'm very glad to be home, with my real bed, my real toilet and my family. But I really do miss my team and the days we've spent together. Without experiencing the 3-Day firsthand, it's hard to explain...but it's about the stories shared, it's about people giving of themselves for a much greater cause, and it's about experiencing the world as it should be. But it's mostly about hope.

Yesterday I found out the story behind the man and his traveling couch. The man lost his sister-in-law, Jody 3 weeks ago. She was planning on giving the couch to his daughter for her dorm room this fall. He and his daughter decided to put the couch to a different use... to give comfort to those who were doing their part to fight the disease that took Jody's life.

I want to thank all of you who supported me in this journey and in the journey's before. Thank you for helping me raise awareness. Thank you for helping me keep alive the inspiring legacies of my mom and all other's who have gone before. Thank you for your help in the fight to end breast cancer.

Peace to all of you....