Week 11 Review

It was an exciting week. The first 3-Day of the season took place in Boston this past weekend. Participants from this walk are posting pictures and stories. I'm starting to get excited for my walk.

Fundraising

It was a fantastic fundraising week. This past Saturday we held a charity dog wash. I say we because most of my co-workers helped by either rolling up their sleeves and washing dogs, getting the word out, receiving dogs, signing their own dogs up for baths, etc. It was a howling success. We washed 20 dogs and raised a little over $500. I'm getting close to my fundraising minimum of $2,300. When you add the $790 which has yet to be posted to the $1,308 already posted to my account my total is already almost $2,100. I anticipate meeting the fundraising minimum by the end of August.

Training

It was another weekend of long training walks. On Sunday I met up with a friend and her dog for a 13 mile walk. Up until Sunday I had done all of my training walks in my neighborhood. It has been fun to explore more of my neighborhood and really convenient to just head out the door and start walking. Plus you always have a rest stop handy. But on Sunday I wanted a change of scenery. So we started at San Gabriel park up in Georgetown and walked over to Lake Georgetown and back. We were very lucky to have cool morning temperatures, shade on much of the trail, restrooms every couple of miles and a few friendly fellow walkers, runners and bikers. We started at 6:30 and finished up just after 11:00. This was my first chance to try my new camelbak. My camelbak was loaded with 100 ounces of water. When you add this to the 24 ounce bottle of Gatorade clipped to my camelbak, I was carrying over 8 pounds of fluid. Which by the way was all gone by the end of the walk. My back and my armpit area was a little sore the next day from the weight. I expect that will pass as I get use to carrying it. Overall it was awesome and I expect I may end up using the camelbak for the actual walk. On Monday I walked another 9 miles in my neighborhood. I continue to battle the blisters. The worst being on the insides of my heels. Although I got a good tip for lacing my sneakers to avoid heel slippage which I will try this week. I hope this helps with the heel blisters.

Other preparations

During the actual walk there is a location where all the walkers camp overnight. Tents and food are provided but we have to bring everything else needed. So I went on a shopping trip to pick up a bag to carry all of my overnight stuff, a sleeping bag and a camp pillow. The overnight bag has to hold our sleeping bag, air mattress, pillow and clothes. Thankfully this bag is transported for us. We just pick it up when we arrive at camp each evening and drop it back off with transport each morning. The bag loaded with all our stuff must weigh under 35 pounds. I got a tip on a reasonably priced duffel bag with wheels and a handle. A must for the walk because no one wants to carry a 35 pound bag on their shoulder after walking 20 miles. I also found a reasonably priced sleeping bag rated for temperatures between 30-50 degrees. And finally a camp pillow which is big enough for me but yet small enough to fit nicely in my bag with everything else.

Up next week

I get a little break from fundraising. Although I need to start planning/organizing the Paws for a Cause Trick & Games event scheduled for Friday, August 13th. Should be fun with 8 awesome dogs already signed up. Only 2 spots left. The recommended training for this coming weekend is 14 and 10 miles. I'll be looking for a new area trail for the Sunday walk.

Week 12 Review

Hard to believe there is now less than 12 weeks until the walk. Here is a summary of what I've been up to.

Training

I've been busy the last couple of weeks with training kicking into high gear. I've walked over 20 miles each of the last 3 weeks. This past weekend I completed a 7 mile walk on Saturday and 12 miles on Sunday. Wow it was tough. I got a few blisters, some sunburn on my shoulders, chafing under my arm where my shirt seam was rubbing and it was unbelievably hot. While training is important and necessary to prepare your body for the rigors of the walk, it also gives you an opportunity to work out your game plan for making the walk as enjoyable as possible -- that way you have a plan for preventing and caring for blisters, sun protection and chafing. While for me none of these issues would prevent me from walking, they can make it a little less enjoyable. And my goal is to not only raise the $2,300 and walk the 60 miles, but to also have fun and enjoy myself. I'm on schedule to do my 13 mile and 9 mile walks this weekend. I'm excited to try out my new Camelbak this weekend. I used a waist pack for the 2002 walk and have been training with it, but I can't carry as much water as I would like and need to for training in the intense summer heat plus it's just not as convenient to have to pull out the water bottle continually. My goal for this weekend is to start walking earlier. I slept in a little too long this past weekend and my 12 mile walk went into the lunch hour. Just too hot for walking in the middle of the day like that.

Fundraising

I've been slowly getting donations in the mail from the letters I mailed out a couple of weeks ago. So far 4 of the 20 request have come back with donations. Awesome and I'm still expecting more to trickle in. I also got a donation from an old high school friend online. Very exciting to get support from my hometown community. Coming up later this month is a dog wash scheduled for Saturday, July 24th and handmade jewelry donated by a co-worker which can be purchased for a donation. Contact me if you are interested in more information about either the dog wash or jewelry. I already have $1,283 posted to my account. When you add the $290 from memory stones and another $95 from my 4 mail donations which still need to be posted, my grand total is $1,668 so far.

Woohoo, I'm on my way.

Summer Update

It has been an exciting start to the summer. The event is just 3 months away. I'm starting to get excited. I can't wait to return and walk with the beautiful backdrop of DC.

I just completed my first weekend of big training mileage. I did 10 miles on Sunday and 7 miles today. It was exhausting but felt great at the same time. My legs and feet are sore tonight. When I trained and walked the event 8 years ago, I had one blister that was my constant companion. Well it's back in the same spot on the same foot. It's a persistent little booger. I'll consider myself lucky if it's the only significant blister problem I have. Up this next weekend is 11 miles and 5 miles on back to back days.

I'm excited to have already raised over half of the required $2300. I just finished making another 20 dog memory stones over the July 4th weekend. This added to the spring break week and memorial day weekend totals equals a whopping 82 stones made so far. My goal at the start was to make 100 stones. This goal is looking very possible with the labor day weekend offering still coming up. Around 50 letters went out by e-mail or snail mail to friends and family members asking for contributions late last week. I'm excited to see what comes back. Up later this month is a dog wash. Awesome pricing for baths and nail trims and all proceeds go to charity.

Thank you to everyone who has so generously supported me and the cause by making a donation or buying a memory stone, jewelry or candle. I wouldn't be able to do this without your support.

REI excursion

During the event we will be camping each night. Tents will be provided but we have to provide everything else. When I did the walk before, I used a cheap sleeping bag. This ended up being a bad decision because it was really cold at night and my sleeping bag did little to keep me warm. Plus my cheap sleeping bag was big and bulky and you want your sleeping bag to be as compact and light as possible since you have to lug it with the rest of your overnight gear from the truck to your camp site each night and back to the truck each morning. So I headed to REI to do a little research on sleeping bags and pads. And since REI is only 2.5 miles away and I needed to do a training walk about 5 miles long, I walked there and back. I decided it was time to start using my lumbar pack to carry my water and supplies. The lumbar pack is a must have for the event to carry you water bottles, sunscreen, chap stick, poncho, phone, ID, money, etc. It's important that you train with your pack because you need to get use to the feel and weight of it. Don't underestimate the weight of all that stuff and 2 full water bottles. It was a beautiful evening so I set off to do my research at REI, get a little dinner and then head back home. It was a quick walk to REI. The terrain was mainly flat and I had sidewalks most of the way there. REI had a lot of wonderful gear but it was a little expensive to buy for infrequent use. I decided rentals might be the way to go. REI has an excellent rental deal which gets me a compact sleeping bag and pad for 5 days for only $26. Since I figured out my gear situation, I headed next door for a break and sustenance. On the way back I took a different route which included a little hill work and no sidewalks part of the way. While I was working my way up a hill thinking about all of the different terrains and landmarks you experience while training, I looked over to see this gorgeous field and horse. You just never know what you will come across when you walk. It ended up being a good research and training evening.

April Review

It has been an incredibly busy April for me. I was on vacation at the start of April, madly trying to catch up when I returned and then organizing several fundraisers.

It was a big fundraising month. We started off the month with our Texas Hold 'Em Poker Tournament. We ended up with 24 players and the net proceeds totaled $1,100. I will be splitting the net proceeds with my sister. And you can still buy our Saving Sisters handmade 100% soy wax candles until the end of the month. It looks like the candles will bring in another $150-$200 in net proceeds for me. Wow that brings my fundraising total to almost $1,500. While these fundraisers were successful, my Paws for a Cause afternoon of games had to be postponed due to lack of sign ups. Bummer, the good news is that several people expressed interest but had scheduling conflicts. As April closes, I'm looking ahead and anticipating that the summer will be huge for Paws for a Cause events. The memory stones will be back for the Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day weekend boarders. The afternoon of games will be rescheduled for this summer and I anticipate an awesome event with great prizes and participation. And I'm toying with the idea of a dog wash. Stay tuned for more details on all of the Paws for a Cause events.

Unfortunately, my training suffered during April. While I always walk each week because of dog walks, these walks are shorter and slower than what I need to be doing to be fully prepared for the 60 miles over the 3 days come October. So in May I will be focusing on starting and committing to a training schedule that includes longer and faster walks sans the dogs a couple of times each week.

And finally, we had an awesome opportunity to raise awareness for the cause and event when the Shenandoah Valley Journal ran an article about my sister and I and our poker tournament.

Candles, Necklaces, Bracelets and Paws - Oh My!

When I participated in the walk back in 2002, my friends and family generously supported me by pulling out their checkbooks and writing checks to Susan G. Komen. I raised over $2,000 this way. I have already received close to $200 in traditional donations this year and I hope this continues to grow. And while traditional donations will always be a part of my fundraising plan, I wanted to find other creative ways to raise money. So I'm excited to tell you more about some unique ways to support me.

Saving Sisters Candles

These 100% soy wax candles are handmade in the Shenandoah Valley by Forgotten Creek Candles. The scents available are:

Linen Fresh

Very Vanilla

Cinnamon Stick

Hot Baked Apple Pie

Fresh Peach

Spring Lilac

The candles cost $14 in Texas (it's a long journey) and $12 in Virginia. We will be taking orders through April. Payment is due when you make your order. The candles will be delivered to you at the end of May. The net proceeds will be donated to the cause. I hope you love these candles as much as I do. Contact either me or Christa (my sister) to order.

Necklace and Bracelet

About a minute after I officially signed up for the walk, I decided to contact Kim to see if she was up for designing a necklace and bracelet to benefit the cause. She agreed and designed two adorable pieces.

The necklace cost $50 and the bracelet cost $35. Kim will donate $7 to the cause for each item sold. If you are interested, contact me.

Paws for a Cause

While memory stones are on hiatus until Memorial Day weekend, that doesn't mean you and your dog have to wait to support the cause. Come on out to DogBoy's and join us for an afternoon of fun on April 24th at 1:00. We will play games, run a mini Rally course and have a dog trick contest. Prizes include a $50 Tomlinson's giftcard, $20 Alamo Drafthouse giftcard, Go Local Austin card & more. The cost is just $20 a dog and will be entirely donated to the cause. Call 251-7600 to register.

Why I Walk

You may be wondering why I walk. There really are so many reasons, but here are a couple that I want to share. I guess it has been over 40 years ago that my mother moved away from home to attend nursing school. At nursing school she became very good friends with another student named Barbara. Even after my mom completed school and moved back home, she stayed in touch with Barbara. I have many fond childhood memories of our family visiting Barbara's family over the years. Barbara was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was in my teens. She bravely battled the cancer for years. The most vivid memory that I have of Barbara is an image of her in a hospital bed in her living room during the last few days of her life. I feel blessed to have known Barbara for the short time that I did. During my early 20s I was fortunate to meet and make a very good friend at college. This friendship has continued for 15 years now. Over the years this friend has found lumps in her breast which have been tested and in some cases removed. Fortunately she has never been diagnosed with breast cancer. After I graduated from college and moved to the Washington D.C. area, I started participating in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5K walk each summer. This event became a tradition for the 10 years that I lived in the area. I would meet up with two close friends each year at the crack of dawn and we would head down to the national mall for the event. It was a wonderful community of walkers and an opportunity to support the cause in a small way each year. Then in 2001 I saw a commercial for the Avon 3-Day Breast Cancer event. This event included a challenging walk distance of 60 miles in 3 days and $1,900 in fundraising. I was immediately convinced I needed to accept this challenge. I had never walked this far and certainly never tried to raise this much money. I signed up and participated in this event with my sister and 2 other friends in May 2002. I walked each an every mile and raised over $1,900. After this event, my grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her cancer was discovered early and treatment was effective. She has been cancer free for years. It's long overdue that I participate again. So here goes another 60 miles and $2,300 for the cause. I do it in memory of Barbara and in honor of my friend and grandmother. Please perform your breast self examinations, get your annual mammogram when the time comes and support the cause in any way you can. Because you just never know when breast cancer will impact you, family or friends.