HOME	2008 Walk Blog

09/04/08

I haven’t written in close to a month! This is going to be a long entry and the last one before the walk.

I am not fully recovered from my hamstring injury. However, I have definitely made some real progress in the past three months with the help of physical therapy, chiropractic and acupuncture. I am strong enough to show up TOMORROW morning (yes, tomorrow morning) at 5:30 am for Opening Ceremonies! ANY walking I do after that will be icing on the cake. The route should be beautiful and the weather should be gorgeous. There will be some sense of relief of just being there and I hope to be careful, and listen to my body, and not do anything to set me back. I’ve worked too hard to get where I am, don’t want to jeopardize that.

As of right now, I have raised $4,320.25 for my walk! I feel so blessed to have raised so much in times that are tough for many. I still have one more run to make to the recycling center (after the walk), and will then add those monies to my fundraising account. I should have over $100 from recycling. There’s also still time for YOU to make a donation if you haven’t yet. I am not going to actively seek donations anymore, but if some trickle in I’ll either apply to this year’s walk or next year’s depending on when I receive them. If you want to donate online, click here. I promise that it’s painless and safe. J You can also make a donation over the phone at 1-800-996-3DAY. My participant number is 1403352. Those are both the quickest methods at this point. If this is uncomfortable for you, that’s cool. I ask that you send your thoughts and prayers my way for a successful walk!

The Route: Hopefully you got my e-mail regarding the route. It’s going to be awesome! From the 3-Day organizers, “On Day One, after exiting Cow Palace you will make your way through Daly City on the way to the coast into San Francisco. After a brief walk around Lake Merced, the route will head north into the Sunset area and eventually up to and through the heart of Golden Gate Park. Upon leaving the park you will head north through some of San Francisco’s most beautiful neighborhoods including Pacific Heights. The route continues north and ends for the day along the water at camp.

You will begin Saturday's journey by heading uphill to the famous Golden Gate Bridge. After crossing the two mile span, you will head down to the famous Fort Baker. The route continues high above the water into Sausalito and into the picturesque downtown area. Then you will head north on the San Francisco Bay trail into artsy Mill Valley. After passing through the heart of downtown Mill Valley, you will return to the Bay Trail to head south after lunch. The route will pass through the lovely Sausalito before returning to Fort Baker and heading back over the Golden Gate Bridge to camp.

The final day of the journey will travel to the heart of San Francisco. The day begins along the water and onto famous Lombard St. A brief walk uphill will show off amazing views of the city skyline. Then you will head back down into Golden Gate Park and get a chance to visit the famous Haight-Ashbury area. After lunch, head east towards City Hall and the War Memorial. You will pass through the famous shopping district of San Francisco before experiencing Chinatown and Little Italy. The last few miles of the route show off several of the city’s iconic monuments before heading into Fort Mason for the Closing Ceremony.”

Want to see a high level overview of the route? Well click here. It’s going to be awesome!

Want to come out and cheer? ALL walkers would love it! You don’t know how motivating it is to not only have droves of people out there cheering you on, but it’s especially motivating to see familiar faces! Sometimes it’s all you need to take that extra step. In addition to the official 3-Day Cheering Stations, my team, the Warming Hut Hotties, will also have some 3-Day approved Cheering Stations! If you’re in the area, COME ON OUT!

The Warming Hut Hottie Sponsored Cheering Stations:

Day One - Friday 5th: 

Golden Gate Park, Conservatory Area

MAP CLICK HERE

Hours: 11am-3pm       

Street Parking along JFK Drive.

Day Two - Saturday 6th:
South Golden Gate Bridge Plaza Visitor Area, area just before walkers cross over the GGB in the morning.   

MAP CLICK HERE

Hours: 6:30am-9am

Coin parking lot, kind of busy so arrive early to secure parking

Day Three - Sunday 7th

Palace of Fine Arts, grassy area off Lyon and Baker             

MAP CLICK HERE

Hours: 7:00am-10am       

Street parking along Lyon. Stay on the street.

**This is the listing of the Official 3 Day Public Cheering Stations for families/friends**

Friday, September 5:

9:30 am - 2:00 pm
San Francisco Zoo North Parking Lot    
SW Corner of Sloat Blvd. and Skyline Blvd. (Walkers will be heading East to West along the south side of Sloat Blvd.)
San Francisco, CA 94116

11:15 am - 3:45 pm
Golden Gate Park         
Stow Lake Dr. and John F Kennedy Way on the North side of JFK
(Parking is along the street)
San Francisco, CA 94116     

Saturday, September 6:

7:45 am - 10:30 am
Fort Baker gravel lot along East Road  
0.5 miles east of the intersection of East Road and Alexander Ave.
(Parking is along the street)
Sausalito, CA 94965                                    

Sunday, September 7:

9:15 am - 11:45 am
Golden Gate Park - Japanese Tea Garden        
50 Tea Garden Drive
(Parking is along the street)
San Francisco, CA 94118

10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Alamo Square
Hayes St. and Steiner St.
(Parking is along the street)
San Francisco, CA 94117

Can’t come to a Cheering Station? How about celebrating at either Opening or Closing Ceremonies?

Opening Ceremony - Friday, September 5

Cow Palace
2600 Geneva Ave.

San Francisco, CA 94014

Schedule for the Day:
4:00 am - Crew members should arrive.
5:30 am - 6:00 am Walkers should arrive.

5:45 am Hottie Team will meet at Gear Truck A
6:30 am - Opening Ceremony begins with community stretching.

Closing Ceremony - Sunday, September 7th:

Marina Green
310 Marina Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94123

Schedule for the Day:

12:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Walkers arrive at Holding Area, which is in Ft Mason. It will be closed to the public.
3:30 pm: Spectators arrive and should head directly to the stage 
4:00 pm: Participants begin lining up for victory walk
4:30 pm: Closing Ceremonies begin

The Participant Holding area is CLOSED to spectators. If you wish to meet with a participant before the Ceremony begins, please have them meet you at the Closing Ceremony site. All participants must return to the Holding Area no later than 4:00 pm in order to join the victory walk.

The bottom line I’m trying to get at is to JUST COME OUT THIS WEEKEND! It’s going be an awesome walk – the first 3-Day in the Bay Area since 2004! Let’s show the 3-Day organizers why they made the right decision to come back to our fabulous community! The San Francisco Bay Area ROCKS and supports an end to CANCER forever!

08/10/08

This has been a week of contrasts. It started off extremely sad. My little kitty, Kasper, who has been battling Chronic Renal Failure (CRF) since January of 2006, finally succumbed to the disease. I had to put him to sleep Monday night. I was with my little guy to the end. I just can’t tell you how hard this was and though I know some of you understand, I also know that many of you do not. Kasper was 18-years old and I had him almost as long. I have an empty place in my heart that will take time to heal. When something – someone – is a part of your life for that long, it’s going to hurt when they are not there anymore. And it does.

In contrast to this awful ache I feel, is the progress I am making with my hamstring. As sad as I am about Kasper, is as happy I am with my leg. I am getting stronger every day. I finally went back to Curves. It was a slow workout, but I was there and I did it! And even better is today I went for a walk for the first time since June 8^th! I walked 1.1-miles in 22-minutes. For me this is slow, but the thrill I felt being outside, walking, and breathing in the fresh, ocean air, cannot be denied. I was walking! I felt I could do more, but didn’t want to push it. My PT told me start off with 15-minutes and work up, so I was already pushing it. Plus I know that if I had a relapse at this point in time, there would be no way I could walk next month. Yes, NEXT month! I’m going to build each day until I’m doing 30-minutes, and then my PT says I can focus on increasing my speed. The short walk I did today has breathed new life into me, and I am so happy about that.

I have few other notes and reminders:

1. I received another $260 in donations this week bringing my 2008 total to $3,245! WOO HOO!! That means I only have $1,755 to go to reach my personal goal of $5K! It’s exciting to have less than $2K to go. It’s not too late to donate! All you have to do is click here to go to my official 2008 3-Day fundraising page. If you’re not comfortable donating online, make a check payable to Breast Cancer 3-Day in whatever amount you are comfortable with and send it to my attention at: PO Box 439, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019-0439. I’ll take care of the paperwork for you. (And remember that every donation you make on behalf also helps my team, the Warming Hut Hotties, reach their fundraising goals too! Our SF team has 73 members and have raised over $121,303 the last time I checked!)

2. Don’t forget our upcoming team fundraiser next weekend! It’s called BUST it out! for breast cancer…an afternoon of fundraising and pink. Tickets are $5 at the door. It will be at the Slovenian Hall in San Francisco from 1 PM to 4 PM. There will be a silent “Art Bra” auction and a “Pick a Prize” drawing for such prizes as (1) An afternoon of sailing for six, (2) a pair of Giants tickets, (3) Claremont Spa Gift Certificate, (4) Kelly-Moore Paint gift certificate and much, much more! We hope to raise as much money as we can in one afternoon! Click here to learn more! I hope to see some of you there!

3. Don’t forget about the Supporter Guide, now posted on the website. You can click here to go right to it. It has all the info you need for sending me mail, for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and will also list in another couple of weeks or so, the Cheering Stations for you all to come out and, well, CHEER! J There will also be a webcam set up at camp during the event. The link for the webcam will also be posted on this page

4. Finally, the 2009 3-Day Walk schedule has already been announced! This is early – normally the announcement has come in late fall. Next year there will be 15 events across the country from Boston to San Diego and everywhere inbetween, including the newest location in Denver. The San Francisco Bay Area walk will take place Oct. 9-11 next year. If you register before December 3, 2008, and use the promo code “LEGACY” you can take $35 off the $90 registration fee! That makes the registration fee only $55! You can go to www.the3day.org and find the link for the 2009 series or call 800-996-3DAY. If you ever wanted to walk or crew, why not consider next year?

08/02/08

I see it has been a while since my last entry. I wish I could say that my hamstring was completely healed and I was back out there training. Unfortunately, this is not the case. However, I can honestly say that both my Physical Therapist (PT) and I are really noticing some solid progress. This week my PT has introduced me to more exercises – both strengthening and stretching. Yesterday she even added a 3-lb. weight to my right ankle and had me do 10 gentle hamstring curls. I have also been given the green light to go back to Curves…with caution on machines that work the legs. I haven’t gone yet (I’m dealing with a seriously ill kitty right now), but this is good news for me. I told my PT that I am afraid of re-injury with so little time left before my walk and she agrees that I should be cautious. As long as I can get a few walks in before the event next month, I am confident that I will be able to walk - at least a portion of the miles.

Now on to other things:

1. I have personally raised $2,985 for the SF Breast Cancer 3-Day because of you wonderful people! THANK YOU! However, I am still $2,015 away from my personal goal of $5,000. I don’t know if I’ll make it, but I’m not giving up until there’s no time left…AND…there’s still plenty of time! J Just click here to go to my official 3-Day fundraising page. If you’re not comfortable donating online, make a check payable to Breast Cancer 3-Day in whatever amount you are comfortable with and send it to my attention at: PO Box 439, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019-0439. I’ll take care of the paperwork for you.

2. My team, the Warming Hut Hotties, are really kicking some fundraising butt this year! We have four teams (SF Avon Walk, SF BC3D, Seattle BC3D & San Diego BC3D) that have collectively raised in excess of $246,000 this year alone! Click here to see our team’s official San Francisco 3-Day page. You can also go to www.warminghuthotties.com to see our team’s official website.

3. Our team is having its first team fundraiser on Sun., August 17, 2008, at the Slovenian Hall in San Francisco from 1 PM to 4 PM. It’s called BUST it out! for breast cancer…an afternoon of fundraising and pink. Tickets are $5 at the door. There will be a silent “Art Bra” auction and a “Pick a Prize” drawing for such prizes as (1) An afternoon of sailing for six, (2) a pair of Giants tickets, (3) Claremont Spa Gift Certificate, (4) Kelly-Moore Paint gift certificate and much, much more! Click here to learn more! I hope to see some of you there!

4. The Supporter Guide has now been posted on the 3-Day website. You can click here to go right to it. It has all the info you need for sending me mail, for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and will also list in another couple of weeks or so Cheering Stations for you all to come out and, well, CHEER! J There will also be a webcam set up at camp during the event. The link for the webcam will also be posted on this page.

07/12/08

Since nothing changed last week, I didn’t update my blog. However, a lot has changed this week! 1) I received a $30 donation bringing my YTD total to $2,710 (only $2,290 to go)! 2) I began the Online Check-in process which consists of watching a safety video and taking a quiz, purchasing towel service, and picking my tentmate. 3) The sites for Opening and Closing Ceremonies were announced!!! 4) And I think I am really making progress with my hamstring (I falsely thought this was the case a couple of weeks ago, but was wrong). All in all, I’m feeling positive about everything right now. I am currently working on my next newsletter and should have it done this weekend. In it I will have the details for Opening and Closing Ceremonies, as well as the address for sending me mail at the walk!

This weekend is the San Francisco Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I will be joining a few Hotties tomorrow to do some “walker stalking.” This consists of cheering and then cheering some more! I’ve never participated in this capacity before, though I have always wanted to. As a walker, I know how wonderful it is to have people cheering you on along the route. I also know quite a few people that will be walking, so I’m hoping I’ll see some of them. I also know it will pump me up and give me even more motivation to get better!

06/29/08

The past week has been quiet. I continue to be sidelined with my partially torn hamstring and haven’t walked since June 8^th. I’ve had five physical therapy sessions so far, with another three scheduled. I went to Visalia for a convention. I had a four hour drive down on Wednesday. It was a little uncomfortable, though I did try and stop once in a while and walk a bit so the hamstring wouldn’t tighten up too much. The weather in Visalia is very different from HMB. It was in the upper 90’s and I think in some ways the temp change was good for my leg because as of today, I feel better than I have in weeks. Enough to go out and walk 15-miles – no – but it gives me a positive feeling that I will be walking soon and I can’t wait!

I have friend that committed to donate $200 this year and is paying me in $40 installments. I received her third installment this week and am now at $2,680 with only $2,320 to go to reach my personal goal! Woo hoo! If you keep putting off making that donation, why not do it today? It’s almost July, which means the walk is only about two months away! If you sponsor me, I promise to do whatever it takes to get my hamstring healed and hold up my end of the bargain and walk 60-miles!

06/21/08

If you’ve read my training blog last week or this week, you know that I am currently sidelined with a hamstring injury. It’s been pretty painful and irritating. I feel, however, that I am starting to feel some relief and the physical therapy is helping (though I’ve only had three sessions so far). I just have to have patience…which is really hard for me. J Though it’s great being able to sleep in on weekends, I miss walking; especially with my team. L

On a brighter note, I have surpassed the half way point to my goal of $5K! I have raised $2,640!! Wooooooooo hooooooooo!! I received $265 in donations the past two weeks to help me achieve this. I only have $2,360 to go; however, in the spirit of taking my large goal in smaller chunks I’m focusing only on reaching $3K for now. I think that focusing on mini goals is less stressful that looking at the big picture. Thank you to everyone that has already donated! You all rock!

06/08/08

Yesterday I attended the 3-Day Expo and pre-Expo 10.5-mile training walk that was led by our Hotties team captain, Linda. There were around 300 people that showed up for the walk! I got there at 6:15 AM! The walk started off with some challenging aspects including a hill climb and three, yes three, sets of stairs that all ended on top of Grand View Park in the Sunset District! The first staircase was the Mosaic Stairs in Golden Gate Heights. The day was beautiful and sunny so the views from the top were gorgeous! The Expo itself was good too. I didn’t partake in any of the workshops. They are super for a first time walker, but for those of us that have done the walk before it’s redundant info. The best part of the whole thing was seeing some friends and team mates that I haven’t seen in a while…some not since last season!

My training continues to go in the right direction. If I can only get my leg to stop hurting me, I’ll be very happy! I have nothing to report on the fundraising front. In fact, although I get a donation or two once in a while, things have really slowed down. I remain at $2,375. It will be my goal to get my newsletter out this week. Hopefully, the little reminder will entice some to donate.

06/03/08

I kicked some serious pavement this past week! I completed 26-miles this past weekend alone and 31-miles for the week. We went up to Tank Hill and climbed the Vulcan Street stairs. There were a few other hills and one other set of stairs thrown in for good measure. J I will break the 200-mile barrier this week! Woo hoo!

This Saturday is the 2008 SF Bay Area Breast Cancer 3-Day Expo. I’m going to do the 10-mile training walk at 6:30 AM (led by our Hotties team captain, Linda), and then attend the Expo activities. It should be a fun day. I just hope it’s not as cold as it’s been the past couple of weekends.

It was a quiet week in terms of fundraising. I didn’t receive any donations, but I did receive $50 today! So far this year I’ve raised $2,375! Though I still have $2,625 to go to reach my personal goal, I’m just focusing on reaching the half-way point of $2,500. If and when I reach this, I will focus on $3,000 and so on. I have to break it down in smaller chunks or I just may lose my mind. J

05/25/08

This has been an interesting and challenging week. I had to put in some long hours for work and ended up getting only one day of training in during the week – a five-mile walk on Thursday. I was not able to get any of my cross-training in. However, I did an 11.2-mile walk (the longest so far this season) with my team on Sat. and completed 6-miles solo today. Saturday’s walk was wet and cold. We did three good hills, including Lincoln. Sunday’s walk I completed on the Coastal Trail and it was a beautiful day. I also received $90 in donations, breaking my dry spell. I’ve now raised $2,325 so far this year and $26,213 since 2003.

Sometimes I think, “This will be my last year walking.” The thousands of miles of training begin to take a toll on your body. The constant fundraising gets harder every year. However, whenever I begin to consider ending my journey, something happens that tells me why I must continue. One of my Warming Hut Hotties team-mates, Mary, was just recently diagnosed with breast cancer. I’ve trained with her on many a Hottie training walk and walked with her in the 3-Day in Seattle in 2006 and San Diego in 2007. I’m so damn tired of people I know being diagnosed with breast cancer. It HAS to stop! And until it does, I cannot stop walking.

05/18/08

Another week completed in my journey to the 2008 SF Bay Area Breast Cancer 3-Day, which is now less than four months away! It was all quiet on the fundraising front this week, so my total remains at $2,235. On the training side, however, I’m kicking some serious asphalt! I’ve walked a grand total of 141.7-miles so far this year in training. My longest walk was 8.2-miles, but I anticipate hitting double digits this coming weekend. Yipee! J I’m feeling so strong right now in my training (see the Training page to read about my personal best this week), and I’ve really hit a great groove. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can survive this training season without any injury stops like the past two years. SF Bay Area 3-Day – here I come!

05/12/08

Other than not getting to this update until Monday (I normally update my site on Sunday), this has been a solid week in my sixth Breast Cancer 3-Day journey.

First off, fundraising: I received another $95 in donations this week bringing my YTD total to $2,235!! WOO HOO!!! I’ve surpassed the $2,200 minimum required! And I’ve done it earlier than I’ve ever done it before – less than two months since my fundraising letters went out! This means I can now “relax” and try and hit my personal fundraising goal of $5K. Since I have around four months before the SF event, I’m remaining hopeful I’ll be able to meet my goal.

The other very important aspect of gearing for this event is the training, and that has been going well too. I have now completed a total of seven weeks for a grand total of 125.5-miles. My longest walk completed to date was 8.2-miles. I did this walk with my team, the Warming Hut Hotties, in San Francisco. It was a great walk. I saw many old faces, and lots of new ones. This week the schedule drops the weekly goal back down to 15-miles in order to facilitate some “rest.” No, it’s not stopping for the week, but it is close to ten miles less than what I walked last week (24.4). You want to train smart. You don’t want to jump ahead in mileage too soon; you want to do it gradually. The training schedule offers these off weeks to rest your body.

05/04/08

This has been an excellent week. First, I got my newsletter done and out! Hopefully, you’ve all gotten it and read every word. J Seriously, it was my main goal and I did it. Second, I received $195 in donations bringing my YTD total at $2,140! I’m only $60 away from the $2,200 minimum! WOO HOO! And I’m only $2,860 away from my personal goal of $5K!! Can I get a second WOO HOO!!??!! Thirdly, I broke the 100-mile barrier by walking 21.4-miles this week! My season-to-date total is 101.1 miles!! OK, can I get a third WOO HOO???!!!??? I don’t want to think to far into the future. I just want to relish on my accomplishments this week. It’s been an excellent week.

The SF Bay Area Breast Cancer 3-Day Expo is scheduled for June 7^th at Lincoln High School in San Francisco. It’s from 10 AM to 2 PM, but there is a 10-mile training walk first. I’ll have to be there by 6:45 AM (eeek!), and the walk will be led by Linda, the Warming Hut Hotties team captain. I’m so excited about going to a 3-Day Expo again! It’s been four years since my last one. Granted, I know most of everything they will talk about (proper shoes, clothing, how to fundraise, how to put up a tent, etc.), but it’s still exciting. I enjoy seeing the excitement in other people that are doing their first event. Plus, even if you think you know it all, you don’t, so it’s always great being exposed to new ideas.

04/27/08

My training is really going so well this year. I know things can change in a blink of an eye, but I’m hopeful that this will be one of my best years yet! I’m feeling very strong – much stronger than last year. I’ve gotten into the habit of taping both of my feet for support of my heels and Achilles tendons and it really seems to be helping me a lot. I’ve walked 79.7 miles in training so far this year. I stopped using my Aetrex shoes (of which I blamed my horrendous blisters on), and bought a second pair of Etonic Minado MC’s. My feet are very happy! They are really the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever put my feet in! I wish I could wear them to work. J

I have no news to report on the fundraising front this week, as I haven’t received any donations since April 20^th. I’m hoping this week will prove more fruitful.

My goal this week is to write and get my first newsletter of the season out and posted to my website. I wanted to get it done this weekend, but I’ve had too many other things going on and haven’t written a word.

04/21/08

I must say that things are going so well. It has been just about a month since I began my fundraising campaign and I've already achieved $1,945! WOO HOO! I still have a long ways to go to reach my personal goal, but I try not to look at the big picture and instead focus on small goals. My immediate goal is to reach $2,200 (required). Once that is achieved, I'll focus on reaching $3,000 and so on.

My training has also been going well. I’ve completed four full weeks of training and have walked 61.5-miles so far. I haven't hit double digit mileage yet, but it won't be too long now! I also haven't joined the Hotties on any training walks yet, but that will be happening soon too.

Thanks everyone for your continued support! I think it is worth repeating....and often. We're a fabulous team!

04/13/08

I’m slow to update my blog this week, so it will probably be short. Things continue to move in the right direction. I received $55 in donations and completed my third week of training with 17.3-miles, and a season-to-date total of 44.4-miles! Cumulatively since 2003, I have walked 2,756.5-miles in training and have raised a grand total of $25,613!! Hot damn! We make an AWESOME team and we’re making a positive difference! Thanks for being on my team. J

04/06/08

Things are continuing to go well. I certainly don’t want to jinx anything, but I have two solid weeks of training under my belt as well as two excellent weeks of fundraising!

Fundraising: As of 4/4/08, I have raised $1,670 with your help! WOO HOO!!!!!!!! This is unbelievable. I only have $530 to go to meet the $2,200 minimum! And I only have $3,330 to go to meet my personal goal of $5,000. I’m keeping my fingers crossed! Anyway, since 2003 when I did my first walk, I have now raised a grand total of $25,558 (and counting) with your help!! THANK YOU!! I know that our efforts are making a difference. I know that someday I won’t have to walk anymore, and you won’t have to donate. J

Training: As I stated on my training page, my first two weeks can be considered a success overall. Last week I mentioned some shin tenderness. As I suspected, this pain was simply a result of not walking for close to four months. This week I have no shin pain as my body is adjusting to being in training again. Unfortunately, this week I did end up with a couple of blisters on the back of my right foot. They are so bad that the skin tore off. Yuck. I’m trying to determine why this happened. I don’t normally get blisters in this location, which is leading me to believe that the problem is my Aetrex shoes. I always have two pairs of shoes and alternate between the two while training, then on the event I use one pair on Days 1 and 3 and the other pair on Day 2 (my least favorite). My other shoes are Etonics. I used this brand last year and found them to be extremely comfortable. I’m thinking of buying a second pair since they haven’t given my any problems so far. I’m also nervous about the Aetrex because I haven’t done a walk with them longer than 3.3-miles. What will happen to my feet once I get into double digit mileage? The shoes were not cheap ($100+), but if they are going to give me problems, they are simply not worth it.

03/30/08

WOW! This is all I can say to how my first week of training & fundraising has gone. WOW!

Fundraising: I would have to look back through my files, but this certainly feels like the best start I’ve ever had in my fundraising. My letters were sent out only a week ago, and I’ve already raised $1,250!!! I only have $950 to go to meet the $2,200 minimum required to walk and only $3,750 to go to meet my personal goal! Again I say, WOW! I know there will be many ups and downs in the weeks and months to come, but I’m so pleased with how it’s all starting this year. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Training: Training can have its ups and downs too, but those are my own mental and physical challenges. With one week down and 23 to go, things have gotten off to a fantastic start! My goal was 12-miles and I ended the week at 12.9-miles! Yeah! More importantly than walking those miles, is that I feel great overall! I have a little shin tenderness, but I know that is just because I haven’t walked since the first week of Dec. This will go away. My feet are holding up so far and tomorrow I go to the chiropractor and he’ll work on them some for added support. I pray things continue to go well this training season.

03/21/08

My time of rest and relaxation is (unbelievably) almost over. I have one week of “freedom” left before I embark on my sixth training season for the 2008 Breast Cancer 3-Day. It’s amazing how quickly the time flies. It’s almost April and yet it feels like we just celebrated the Holidays.

My feet are not pain free, even with four months of rest. They do feel MUCH better than they did four months ago, but they are a constant concern for me, and there is not a day that goes by that I am not in some kind of pain. It’s something I’ve just gotten used to. I tape my feet almost daily (upon advice from my wonderful chiropractor). I wear a night splint to flex my foot. I do stretching exercises. If you have ever had Achilles tendonitis (or Plantar Faciitis) you know what I’m talking about. I’m just going to keep doing what I’m doing, and take it slow and easy in the beginning. I have purchased a couple of pairs of super supportive shoes: Etonic and Aetrex. They are not the popular brands like Brooks, New Balance or Saucony, but they offer tremendous support with thick soles. It’s just what I need. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a super year on the road.

My fundraising letters will be going out this week. Yep, not only does the training begin but so too does the fundraising! I actually already have $340 posted to my fundraising account! I received some contributions last year after I finished San Diego and decided to apply them to this year’s walk. I also sold a pair of my Sharks tickets in exchange for a donation, and I even received an online donation from a friend! I don’t remember ever having a jumpstart on my fundraising like this, so it’s exciting. And I have set a lofty fundraising goal of $5,000 this year, so the jumpstart feels great. The 3-Day offers these small Legacy pins for different accomplishments including fundraising. Last year I earned a $3K Legacy pin for raising $3,500 for the San Diego event. I actually raised $5,860 last year, but that was between two events. I want to earn the $5K Legacy pin for the SF Bay Area walk. I’m hoping I can be successful. However, as the saying goes, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you fail, you still end up among the stars.” J

I am on the Warming Hut Hotties team again this year, and now that the 3-Day is back in the Bay Area (the Hotties’ home turf) the team leaders have set some lofty goals: 150 team members with a $300,000 team fundraising goal! WOW!! Not only will your support help me achieve my goals, but they will help my team achieve its goals too! The team is also in the process of becoming a non-profit! The non-profit will be called In Our Lifetime but will do business as Warming Hut Hotties. This is actually not an unusual move. You may be surprised how many teams started simply as a means of gathering people together to walk in charity events, and end up forming a non-profit.

Anyway, sit back and enjoy the ride! 2008 promises to be an amazing year with the 3-Day back home in the Bay Area. WOO HOO!!

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