August 22, 2011
Wow, have I been neglectful of my blog.  :-(  I haven't even been good at updating my website weekly.  It seems the deeper into the training I get and the closer to the event it gets, the less time I seem to have.  Oh well. 

Time is marching on and Day 1 of this year's 3-Day is only about 18 days away.  Remarkable, really.  The hard part of my training is done after surviving our B2B Rehearsal Weekend of 40 miles.  We did walk 16 miles this past Saturday, but all training walks left are only 10-12 miles.  Easy stuff at this point. 

All is great on the fundraising front as well.  I have now raised $6,240!!!  I have my recycling, donation box and personal change jar monies to donate, which should be around $200 or so.  Thank you all for helping me to earn my 3rd consecutive $5K Fundraising Legacy Pin from the 3-Day.  It's crazy how a tiny, metal pin can be cherished so much, but sometimes it's the "little" things that really do mean the most. 

As I've posted on my website and written in my August newsletter, all ceremony locations and cheering stations have been announced.  Hop on over to my Event Info page to read all the details.  I really do hope I see some of you out on the route at some point over those three days.  It would be awesome to see a familiar face!

The most exciting event news for me is the location of our campsite this year:  TREASURE ISLAND!!!  Plus, the prospect of being ferried each day to and from the island on the Red and White Fleet is pretty darn cool!!  I understand that the 3-Day organizers are very excited about our route, as there has never been another event with these logistics.  I am VERY excited for all of this and I hope to have some great stories to tell in my September newsletter.

As the tme winds down and the event draws near, my mind is now thinking about packing and what I'm going to wear each day.  It's important stuff.  :-)  I'm also feeling bittersweet that training is almost over.  Despite having to get up at 5AM (or earlier) on Sat and Sun for 5-6 months to get to San Francisco for training walks, I love it.  I love the sites I get to see and, more importantly, I love the friendships I've made with my amazing teammates.  And after the event has come and gone, the let down is actually quite substantial.  Of course, after a couple of weekends of getting to sleep in, you do start relishing having your time back.  But there's still always a little something missing.  

Hopefully, I will update this blog at least once before the event.  To anyone that may actually read all of this stuff, THANK YOU!! 

July 21, 2011
It's quite remarkable to me that this year's SF event is a mere seven weeks away.  It truly feels like I just started on this journey and it is more than half way over.  The pace at which the years fly by both astound and scare me.  No matter what, however, the 2011 season is proving to be a solid one.  I like that.

As of my walk on Tuesday night, I have surpassed 400 training miles for 2011.  If everything continues to go as planned, I will break the 600 mile mark by the end of the training season.  Last year I surpassed 700 miles...CRAZY!!  I have some heavy miles coming up, including 36 this coming weekend and in two weeks, our rehearsal (back to back 20 mile walks).  After that it will be all downhill.  It kind of makes me sad.  There's something so enjoyable about training with my team.  We talk, laugh, eat and, oh yeah, walk together for mile after mile.  We have many conversations with topics covering just about anything.  Even though there are times I hate getting up at 4 or 5 in the morning on Sat/Sun, when the training season is over, I truly miss it. 

I recently purchased my second pair of New Balance.  My first pair have about 250 miles on them, so I thought it time to bring in some reinforcements.  You want your shoes broken in, not worn out for the event!  LOL!! 

I'd also like to thank everyone that has donated on my behalf this year.  I am always so humbled by your generosity and, for many of you, your steadfast support for nine years now.  I don't think I could ever thank you enough and every dollar donated is appreciated by me more than you know.  As of today, I have raised $4,795!  I am only $205 away from my personal goal.  As Tina Turner sang, you're simply the best!  I haven't pushed as hard on my fundraising this year as I have in the past.  I don't want to overextend my welcome, but also because I have BIG plans for next year...my 10th straight year of walking.  However, let us not worry about that now. 

Right now I need to focus on getting myself physically ready for the task at hand...walking 60 miles over three days with the most awesome support group to guide me...YOU!! 

June 28, 2011
I have walked over 330 miles in training this year.  Since 2003, I have walked over 4,600 miles.  While these miles do not directly impact breast cancer, the awareness I have raised through my training has.  In fact, the 60 event miles I will be walking are symbolic of the journey a cancer patient endures.  However, there is no doubt that it is the fundraising that truly has a direct impact because it is the money we are raising that is funding not only community programs, mammograms, and awareness programs, but the research needed to find that elusive cure.

Having said all of that, you guys have really come through for me on the money front.  I often say that I'm in control of my training (for the most part), but I have very limited to no control over fundraising.  I am currently at $4,435...just $65 shy of my $4,500 mini-goal I set below with a due date of 06/30/2011.  Ah-mazing!

Please check out my Event Info page for everything you need to know about the 2011 SF 3-Day for the Cure.  The info for Opening and Closing Ceremonies are posted, as is the address to send mail at camp.  I anticipate the Cheering Stations will not be posted until mid to late August.  This year's event is only 73 days away!!

June 12, 2011
Thankfully, the rain has stopped.  Let's hope it stays gone for a few months.  I don't want to revisit the stuff until at least November.  With the 2011 SF 3-Day a mere 89 days away, we really cannot afford anymore bad weather.  

Without the rain, we were able to get back to training this weekend with between 15 & 16 miles on Sat and another 12 miles on Sun.  We are definitely building mileage, but we alternate between mileage building and base mileage weeks.  So this coming weekend will be "just" 12-12 (12 miles is our base mileage).  Then the last weekend of June will be a 18/14 mile weekend!!  After that, we'll have two weekends without any Hotties training walks (4th of July weekend followed by the Avon Walk weekend where we spend our time cheering the Avon walkers).  I will probably walk on my own 4th of July weekend, as I just cannot go that long without getting some long walks in.

You guys have also come through for me on the fundraising front.  I am currently at $4,080 with the possibility of $450 coming to me in the future via Matching Gifts!!  These types of contributions can take weeks (months) to process, so I'm crossing my fingers!  I've only received a matching gift once before (2007), so it's quite exciting!  However, until these gifts actually are received and posted to my account, I still have $420 to go to hit my next mini-goal of $4,500 by June 30th.  

Thank you to everyone that continues to support me financially and emotionally.  The journey to get to the event is a long one, full of many ups and downs, so it is so important to have a few people on your side.  I'm a very lucky girl to have some truly amazing supporters/friends.  

June 2, 2011
Here we are 19 days away from Summer Solstice and given the day, it still feels like winter!  What's up with that?  A friend said that she thought we were being punished for our warm January.  Well, pooh.  We certainly didn't ask for a warm January, so why should we be punished?  This coming weekend we have 26 miles in training walks planned (14  on Sat and 12 on Sun), and a real possibility of having to cancel.  :-(  Sigh.  This is all making me nervous as to what sort of weather we'll have in September for our event.  The way things are going this year, I take nothing for granted and have come to expect the unexpected.  Oh well.  Rain or shine, we walk.

In addition to the Memorial Day Holiday Monday, I also took a couple of vacation days for a wonderful, relaxing five day weekend!  It was great to sleep in and focus my mind on other things.  I managed to get a 15.3 mile walk in during this time and made a recycling run (collected over $13 and now have $51 total with three months still to go).  I also got my June newsletter written and have it posted on my website (snail mail recipients to follow)!  I think it is a better issue than May's, which I didn't think was one of my best. 

OK folks, let's do the no more rain dance.  Have a great week...and if you haven't donated, why not get that done?  :-)  Go back to my home page to find the link.  I'm only $115 away from the $4,000 mark!

May 22, 2011
Yesterday a gentleman joined the Hotties on a training walk for the first time.  He's the friend of one of our newest team members.  At the end of our walk, he said we were hard core...and he was a bit sore.  I take that as a compliment!!  Not that he was sore (oh how I can relate), but the hard core comment.  But he also came back today for his second walk. 

What does this mean to me?  It means we take this training business seriously.  We train hard.  We challenge ourselves physically...sometimes mentally.  You might say we even over-train a bit.  But the satisfaction of conquering the Lyon Street stairs, Tank Hill, Broadway and more, gives you so much confidence.  And all that training pays off when the actual event comes.  Those three days are a piece of cake compared training.  This allows you to simply enjoy the event followed by a quick post-walk recovery.  All positives in my book.   

Oh...and there's also the fact that our 5-6 months of training together is down right fun!!  I absolutely love training with my team.  We have interesting conversations.  We look out for each other.  And though our reasons may differ, we are all very committed to the same cause.  What more could you ask for, really?

From walking to dollars and cents.  I simply want to thank YOU!  So many of you have been there for me year after year.  You give generously for no other reason other than because you believe in finding a cure to cancer in our lifetime.  I NEVER take that for granted.  I train hard not just to be fit to conquer 60 miles, but also to honor you and your support.

And to prove how awesome you all are, in my last entry I challenged everyone to help reach $3,500 by May 31st.  Well, it's May 22nd and I have hit the $3,885 mark!!  AMAZING!!  I'm setting my next milestone at $4,500 and will set a deadline of June 30th.  This means we need to raise $615 in a little over a month.  This is a challenge to be sure, but with the most awesome team a girl could have on her side, I know it is do-able!   

May 8, 2011
In my last blog, way back on April 17th,  I issued a fundraising challenge.  The challenge was to get me to the $2,300 minimum by May 15th.  I am thrilled to report that not only have reached this goal, but have surpassed it!  My fundraising total for 2011 currently stands at $3,085!!!!  WOW!!  I must thank Kelly-Moore Paint Co., my employer for over 20 years now, for their most generous donation of $1,000 in memory of Mrs. Desiree B. Moore!  It is because of this contribution that I have met my mini-goal. 

Of course, money is what drives the research that will find the cure.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  I firmly believe that any advances made in finding the cure for breast cancer will only help to unravel the mysteries of ALL cancers.  So the fight must continue.  My next mini-goal is to reach $3,500 and I'll set the goal date at 5/31/2011.  Can WE do it?!?  I said, can WE do it?!?!  I think we can.  I think we can!  If you haven't donated yet, get to it!  If you have, pass on my info on to your friends and family.  You NEVER know how someone has been touched by this disease.

The other BIG part of this journey is training, which means walking, walking, walking and walking some more!  Since my epidural spinal injection on April 7th, things have continued to improve daily.  I have six physical therapy sessions under my belt that are going extremely well.  I am going down from 2x per week to only 1x per week for the next two weeks.  On May 18th I will see Dr. Chen again and decide then if a second injection is needed.  The way I feel now, I would definitely say NO!  Hopefully, I still feel that way then!

Feeling better and being without pain, means being able to walk!  This week I finished up a fantastic week of training!  I got all four of my intended walks in for a weekly total of 29.4 miles!  I also, for the first time, led the two Hotties training walks this weekend!  I was thankful for two smaller groups of 10-13 people only instead of the 30 or so we have had recently.  I think I did OK..I didn't get us lost and everyone finished in one piece.  :-)   

Alrighty, that's all I got tonight.  Let's see if I can get back to a weekly blog from here on out. 

April 17, 2011
On April 7th I had an epidural spine injection to tackle my nerve pain/bulging disk/sciatica.  The procedure went fine.  My nerve pain hasn't been completely taken care of, so there is a possibility that I will need a second injection.  :-(  I see Dr. Chen for a follow-up this Wed and begin physical therapy on Tuesday.  We will see how everything goes, but I am mentally prepared for the second injection.  It is certainly much eaiser to deal with than nerve pain.

Without having so much pain, I have been able to get some walking in!  Today I did an 8.1 mile walk, which capped off a 22.8 mile week!  That's the most I've walked in one week so far this training season!!  That is how "off" 2011 has been for me.  I'm hoping things are starting to turn around for me now.  

It has been a slow month in terms of fundraising.  Of the $1,825 I've raised, only $140 of it came in April.  In an earlier blog I put a challenge out there to help get me to the 3-Day minimum required by Easter.  Unless an extremely generous donation/miracle comes in, it looks like I will fall short of this goal by $475.  So since I'm not quitter, I'm just extending the date to May 15th. This is about four weeks away.  C'mon, we CAN do it!!

April 3, 2011
I have good news and not so good news this week.  Let's start with the good news!

Yesterday was the Hotties' first training walk of the season!  We had a fabulous turnout and the weather was absolutely perfect for walking!!  The majority of people there were returning Hotties, so it was like a reunion with the lots of hugs to be had.  There were also a few new people joining us.  One lady I had met at one of the 3-Day Get Started meetings I had volunteered at.  I guess I bragged a bit on the Hotties (it's hard not to).  ;-)  She enjoyed the walk and the people and is now interested in joining the team!  It's great that she sees what I see...an amazing group of women and men who are passionate about this cause and like to have fun, too. 

Now, some not so good news.  If you've been supporting for three years or more, you know of the health issues I had in 2008 that prevented me from walking all 60 miles that year.  The long story made short was I was misdiagnosed with a hamstring injury that after six months of failed PT, acupuncture and others, was finally diagnosed correctly as a bulging disk (and spinal stenosis) that was pushing on my nerves.  I ended up receiving a couple of nerve root injections in Jan & Feb of 2009 along with more PT.  I promised myself back then that if I EVER began to feel that certain pain in my leg, I would call my back doctor immediately. 

Well, 2-3 weeks ago I began to feel that pain again and I did exactly what I said I would do....call the doctor.  I had a MRI on March 28th so the doctor could compare the results to those in 2008.  I am going in for an EMG Study this Wed (tests the nerves to see if there is any damage) and then on Thursday I am going in for another injection.  This will take me out of commission for one week, as my doctor has a list of restrictions for the first seven days.  This means I will not be able to join the Hotties this coming Saturday for their 8 mile walk since walking UPHILL is one of those restrictions.  :-(  However, I would rather be down right now then later in the year when training is peaking.  I hope one injection will work since my pain is not as bad off as it was the last time, but only time will tell.  

I'm thankful that my first injections lasted two years.  I hope this one will last just as long...or longer.  I will be off work Thu and Fri, so I'm hoping somewhere in my four day weekend, I'll be able to get my newsletter written.  It is April, afterall!

March 27, 2011

After weeks of rain, rain and more rain, it seems we're going to get a break this coming week!!!  In fact, it may hit the upper 60's along the Coast and the 70's inland!!  I may *finally* get a regular training routine established!  And with the Hotties first training walk of the season next Saturday, it will *finally* feel like training season is here!!  I'm a very happy girl!

It has been one month since I sent out my fundraising letters.  During that time, I have raised $1,390 and with the $135 I already had in my account, my total raised for 2011 is $1,525 so far!  Dang, peeps!!  With the 3-Day 24 weeks away, I like the position you have put me in.  I know I set my overall goal at $5,000, but I prefer to look at mini goals that seem easier to achieve.  So, let's get me to the $2,300 minimum before Easter (April 24th)!!  What do you say?  Can we do it?  It's only $775!!!  Help spread the word!  Give your friends, family and co-workers my website info, forward them a copy of my fundraising letter,  or ask me for some business cards you can hand out.  And if you haven't donated yet, what are you waiting for??  C'mon!!  We CAN do this!!!

Besides trying to get into a regular training routine and fundraising my butt off, my goal over the next week or two is to get my first newsletter out for the year.  Stay tuned and as always, THANK YOU for your support! 

March 20, 2011

I don't know what the weather has been like where you live, but around here it has been rain, rain and more rain.  Last night alone we had extremely heavy rains and very strong winds.  It sort of makes the fact that today is the first day of spring seem unbelievable.  Needless to say, this inclimate weather has put a damper on my training; preventing me from getting consistent walking in.  This means I haven't been able to get into that super training groove.  The sad part is that there is nothing but rain in the forecast for the upcoming week.  Sooner or later, if it doesn't stop I'll be pulling out my rain gear (including sloggers for my shoes) so I can get some walking in.  I can do nothing but hope and pray that come April 2nd, the skies will clear so the Hotties can have their first official team training walk of the 2011 season!  I've missed everyone and cannot wait to hit the streets, trails, hills and stairs of San Francisco!

I want to also give a shout out to everyone that has already sent in their donation!  YOU ROCK!!  I always send my fundraising letters quite early, so it's easy to put them aside and forget.  I'm always amazed at those that respond early.  THANK YOU!! I am more than half way to the minimum I am required to raise!  Considering this is only March 20th, this is pretty darn good position to be in.

March 13, 2011

This has been a week of highs and lows. 

Fundraising is going well.  I'm already over half way to the minimum.  Training is going well, too.  I was able to get some back-to-back training walks in this weekend, and with the time change, I will now be able to get my weekday walks in (weather permitting).  I've been walking in my new New Balance 1226 running shoes.  I'm determing if my feet like them so I can buy a second pair.  Sometmes a shoe feels good until you hit a certain mileage threshold.  I haven't done anything over 5 miles yet, so it's probably too early to make a final decision.

I was also excited to volunteer at my fourth Get Started meeting of the season.  The Get Started meeting is especially great for new participants.  You learn about the event and what is expected and a video is shown.  I usually help set up the meeting room, check attendees in, help answer questions, and help clean up the meeting room.  I enjoy sharing my excitement and passion for the 3-Day.  I may volunteer a few more times if my schedule allows me.

The lows came with the horrendous earthquake and tsunami in Japan.  What devastation.  The tsunami also became an issue for me.  Living next to the mighty Pacific Ocean, the ripple effects of the tsunami made it's way to the California coast.  Santa Cruz and Crescent City had quite a bit of damage to their harbors.  We were very fortunate here in Half Moon Bay.  Pillar Point Harbor did not have any damage.  They were lucky maybe because of the double breaker walls we have.  Many people evacuated to higher ground.  We never received a call and we're only three blocks from the ocean.  Go figure.  My commute to work Friday was just over an hour.  It normally only takes me 30 minutes.  You wouldn't believe the number of people at the top of the hill.  It was unreal.  We need to pray for Japan and it's citizens.  Monetary help through the American Red Cross is something we can do, too.  Click here to read how you can help. 

March 7, 2011

I e-mailed and snail mailed my fundraising letters last weekend.  In one remarkable week, I have raised $840!!!  WOW!!  You guys are so awesome!!!  My total for this year is almost $1,000 and since 2003 I am now at $41,525!!  I look at this number over and over and am constantly amazed that I have been able to raise this much money.  I often wonder what this money has bought?  How mammograms were funded for under privileged women?  Which research was funded?  It's exciting to think of the impact we are having.

I also began training this week, but almost hate to call it that since I only managed one walk.  I can't wait for the clocks to move ahead this weekend so I can start getting walks in after work.  Of course, this is all predicated on the hope that the rains will begin to cease.  I am VERY ready for spring and some dry weather.  I want to get into a training groove, and I can't get there until I can get some consistent walking in.  I also want to get a few solid walks under my belt before my team starts training on April 2nd...which I seriously can't wait for!!!  I miss my team-mates and can't wait to hit the road with everyone again.

The 2011 journey is definitely in full swing.  I wonder what it has in store for me this year?!?   

February 27, 2011

I spent the afternoon yesterday working on my fundraising letter.   This is no easy feat anymore.  I often feel like I'm repeating myself each year.  I try to instill the passion I have for this cause in my letter and sit back and see if it resonates with anyone.  Every year I feel both excited and anxious after I send my letters. 

The fundraising is actually the part of the 3-Day journey that causes me the most anxiety.  I always feel that training is in my control (as long as I don't get injured), but not the fundraising.  I can talk and talk about how much this cause means to me, but I can't force anyone to make a donation.  But when I do receive one, I get very excited!!  Like I did this morning!  I was out on a 5-mile walk with the Urban Dog Walkers when I received a text alerting me that I had received a donation.  Let me tell you that no matter how long I've been doing this, I still feel like a child at Christmas when I receive that alert!  Now all I can do is sit back and see what the next few months have in store for me.     

February 13, 2011
So it's a little after 8:30PM.  I've been in front of my laptop now for over seven hours.  If you've read my blogs over the past couple of years, you know I've wanted to re-vamp my website.  I've put it off...and put it off.  Why?  Because I've been in front of my laptop for seven hours.  LOL!!  Basically, I knew it was going to take a long time and I didn't know if I'd have the patience...or endurance. 

Anyway, I'm designing an entirely new site.  I'm using templates from Yahoo! and I'm hoping that when I hit publish, you will see all my efforts.  I don't know that all the pages will be ready, but I already like what I'm seeing.  My site is now much more user friendly.  I hope you enjoy it.

As for fundraising and newsletters.  Stay tuned.  I will begin training in March on my own, and then will join my team in April when they begin official walks.  I will probably send my fundraising letters out next month, and write my first newsletter in April.  I'm hoping for a super walk season and am so glad you're coming along for the ride!