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Last
summer I decided to walk in the Avon Breast Cancer 3-Day.
Many people asked why I chose to participate; I was intrigued
by the fact that I would be walking with 3,000 (mostly female)
walkers for a really good cause. I wanted to make new friends
and kind of "reinvent" myself by doing something I had never
done before. I also wanted to get in better physical shape
and lose weight. Plus, several years ago as part of a nursing
in-service training, I learned that funding for breast cancer
research was really low. AIDS and children's diseases had
been much more popular with the public and had gotten many
more research dollars. In the meantime, women were dying.
My
friends also asked me why it was a 3-day walk instead of the
typical one-day fundraiser. I thought this was a good question.
Co-workers had walked in the one-day leukemia marathon and
they had actually been required to raise more money than I
did, so I knew it wasn't to gain increased funding. So why
three days? The week prior to the event, I spent a lot of
time with my children aged 6 and 9. We had just gotten the
game Connect Four and I so convincingly let my 6 year-old
daughter win that she began to feel sorry for me. She finally
whispered, "Don't worry, Mom, next time I'll let you win."'
My son was going to pick out a Nintendo player that he had
saved money for all year. I realized that while I was walking,
I would miss all of his excitement at using it for the first
time. Just thinking about being away from my children for
3 days brought tears to my eyes. My husband also began to
worry that he wouldn't be able to leave work on time the Friday
of the walk to pick the kids up from day camp. Other walkers
voiced similar concerns. It seemed our husbands couldn't do
without us for three days and were beginning to panic. The
3-day walk was giving us all a little glimpse of what life
without Mom would be like. But unlike all the women who die
of breast cancer each year, we knew after 3 days, we'd be
back.
 Well
I did it! I walked 60 miles from De Anza College to San Francisco!
It was difficult but a truly incredible experience. We walked
24 miles the first day. We started walking at 8am and I didn't
make camp until 7pm! At about mile 22, I developed big blisters
on both feet and was reduced to heel walking. Camp had a lights-off
policy at 9pm, so I was scrambling to get gear, take a shower
(in a truck), and eat dinner before the lights went out. I
needed every minute.
The
next day, my tent partner, Maggie, helped me dress my blisters
and we were off for a 16.5-mile hike of hills and views. She
so cleverly covered my blisters that the walking was fine.
We arrived in camp at 4pm and were grateful to have more time
to set up the tent, get gear, etc. The problem was that it
was really cold, windy, and foggy. It was estimated at between
35-40 degrees and was so wet that when the wind blew, it rained
inside our tent. By morning, everything not covered in plastic
was wet.
Day
3 and we were excited to finish the walk. Unfortunately, even
Maggie's magic couldn't erase the blisters and I walked 20
miles in pain. Maggie's feet were worse than mine and she
accepted rides from the "sweep" vehicles most of the way.
I was determined to walk every foot myself. If I didn't make
it to the finish line by 4:15, they would force me to accept
a ride. With Maggie in the van, I had only my blisters for
company. After lunch in Golden Gate Park, I hooked up with
a bunch of walkers and suddenly, all these cars began honking
and waving. It was really amazing! Suddenly, I found strength
and speed and began walking faster than ever. At 4pm. I reached
the finish line and walked between an arch of walkers clapping
and cheering. One walker ahead of me said, "You know, for
once in my life, I think I deserve this!" I decided I did
too.
I
have tried to explain the power of the 3-Day to a few people
and it seems my explanations fall flat, so I decided to share
it in little bites. You know you are on a 3-Day when:
- A
gas station restroom seems like luxury.
- Dozens
of people are dressing their blisters and not one is complaining
- A
combination of Gatorade and water seems like the best beverage
you've ever tasted.
- Children
squirt you with water and it brings tears to your eyes every
single time.
- You
are thinking about sore feet until you see the man next
to you massaging his stump.
- Policemen
you don't know volunteer so you can safely walk to help
people you'll never meet.
They
told us this walk could change our lives. Did it change mine?
I think so. The way I look at things has changed. I am grateful
for the big and little things in my life. I am grateful for
a body that allows for occasional punishment. I'm grateful
that I get to see my husband and kids nearly every day. I'm
grateful that I don't normally have to stand in line to brush
my teeth. I'm thankful that I can shower in privacy and use
toilets that flush. I'm grateful that I usually walk pain-free.
I am grateful to sit in the evening and listen to the crickets.
I am grateful to all of the people who sponsored me, walked
with me, and gave me emotional support. To my book group,
I am grateful that you all believed I could actually do it!
When I think about it, there is literally no end to the things
I am grateful for...
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