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Walking 60 miles is a difficult task, and I know lots of participants in the 3-Day choose to go it alone. I can tell you firsthand that I wouldn’t be able to do it without my BFF, Nikki. We push each other to keep going and to continue fundraising and training on days when the other needs a little motivation. Having a team mate(s) definitely makes the miles pass faster too, both during training and the actual event.

One key thing I learned in 2008 is if you walk with a team, don’t expect everyone to walk at the same pace. I cannot stress that enough. We had six team members our first year, and for the most part we did not train together except for Nikki and I. She and I had an established a pace and had followed the training schedule pretty closely. We had another teammate who did not train at all, and managed to walk most of the first day at a pace faster than ours. We had several others who also didn’t train as much and had a slower pace than the rest of us.

We were all first-time walkers that year (except Ana who had never been on a team before). Naively I think a lot of us had the idea that we were going to take every single step of the 60 miles together as a team. We quickly learned in the first few miles that wasn’t going to be the case. I wish that I had known that ahead of time so that we could have addressed it before the event and had a plan in place. Unfortunately the result was that some of the slower-paced walkers got their feelings hurt when some got farther ahead, and the rest of us spent most of the first day feeling guilty. Don’t let that happen to you.

My advice is to talk about this with your team (if you have one) in the weeks and months leading up to the event. Make plans to meet up at lunch or at a pit stop, and of course at camp for nightly activities. You can start out the day walking together, but then part ways and keep your own pace. On the last day, you can meet at the last pit stop and walk into holding as a team. Nikki and I saw a team who met on the side of the road and toasted with champagne before finishing. I thought it was really fun that they found a way to get together before the end to celebrate their accomplishment together.

In reality, you’re in the company of thousands of other walkers. You will find someone to walk with if you do get separated from your team, I promise. Sometimes you will walk faster, and sometimes you will walk slower. You may find someone interesting to talk to and walk at their pace for awhile. Nikki and I met a survivor who was currently going through treatment along the route on our third day. She was walking and participating alone, so we asked her to join us and we talked and walked at her pace. We then parted ways at the next pit stop. These are the parts of the journey that make it so incredible. If you aren’t a member of a team and don’t plan on joining one, you will find and meet tons of people. Don’t worry!

If you are still nervous and want to ensure that you are with someone you know the entire 60 miles, find a training buddy on your team. If you train together for the 24 or 16 weeks leading up to the 3-Day, chances are your pace is going to match since you walked together all of those miles beforehand.

Also, please train. Remember the teammate I mentioned who didn’t train but walked a faster pace on the first day? She got injured and was not able to complete the second and third days. Don’t expect that you are going to be able to wake up one day after not training all year and walk 20 miles for the 3 days of the event. Yes there are sweep vans and SAG buses along the route if you cannot continue, but if you plan to even attempt to walk more than a few miles you need to condition yourself or you may get seriously injured. There’s no shame in taking a sweep van or bus even if you do train. That is what they are there for. Do what is right for you. Nobody is going to be standing over you asking which of the 60 miles you did not complete. Besides, there are some fun vans and a few even give you little trinkets when you ride. Use them when you need to. Don’t push yourself beyond your limits and risk injury.

If you’re currently registered as an individual who hasn’t joined a team yet, why not invite your friends to join you? Now is the time, because if you use the promotional code REGISTERWITHAFRIEND by June 22 you will each receive a $35 gift card for Shop3day.com! There are some really great training items and gear on there, so how great would that be? Also? You can earn up to five gift cards, which would be $175 to use in the online store.

Happy walking whether you decide to join a team or make friends at the event. Either way, it is an experience you will never forget.

Yesterday was a hectic day! Nikki and I took the day off of work to spend fundraising for our Race for the Cure and Komen 3-Day teams.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and Komen were nice enough to let us set up a table at the Frisco location. They donated 15% of the sales all day to the North Texas affiliate! Woot! We arrived at 11:00 AM to set up our table of pink ribbon rubber ducks, charm bracelets, and other items to sell along side our donation bucket. We also put together 20 swag bags thanks to our generous sponsors: Hanes, Sharpie, Softlips, Save the TaTas, and Energizer. We had posted flyers on Facebook and Twitter encouraging our friends, family and followers to come visit us at the event. In exchange they got one of the bags. They were a big hit and super cute (if I do say so myself)!

See? I told you they were cute! We had planned on using some pink ribbon plastic bags to hand out the goodies in, but Energizer donated the pink Stephanie Johnson cosmetic bags which arrived the morning of the fundraiser. They were the perfect size for all of the other goodies we stuffed inside, so we skipped the plastic bags all together. Hanes sent us 20 packages of socks to put in the bags as well as give out to attendees. I bet everyone is going to enjoy those on the walk this Saturday too! I love Softlips, and they gave us 20 double packages of their SPF 20 varieties. I discovered them in 2008 during the 3-Day (Pearl is my favorite) and they are fantastic. I am the biggest Sharpie fanatic ever, and I think everyone should own a pink ribbon one… or two! They sent us a small army of markers– so generous!

Save the TaTas had previously donated some stickers and other items. We still had some of those left from last year, so we included them along with pens and pencils with our team name and other cute breast cancer awareness items.

Also? I mentioned that Hanes donated socks for the fundraiser, but they also offered to provide us with team shirts for the Race for the Cure! They have partnered with Komen and their Passionately Pink program as I mentioned a few posts ago, so everyone at the Race this year will be sporting an awesome tagless tee. Ours are fabulous too– they have our team name on the back!

Of course after all of our hard work, we had to chow down on some burgers and frozen custard. It was hot, and definitely the perfect day for a cold treat. Nikki and I each had a strawberry shortcake. Yum!

The guys enjoyed their socks, and the girls enjoyed their swag filled cosmetic bags… and a good time was had by all for a good cause.

Bobbi Janay from Kid to Grown Up came by with her son Ian and we chatted about blogging, upcoming conferences and rude blog comments. We watched Ian eat a sundae with a fork, and I finally got to see Boogie Wipes in action. They smell like grape, people! Also, she is a true fan of the product and used about ten before our very eyes. Too funny.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and said hello, gave us a donation, and came to chow down with us. Thank you very much again to our sponsors. We had a fun day together and are definitely looking forward to Saturday when we get to see the rest of our team and enjoy the Race! If you wanted to make a donation and were not able to make it, you can do so on my 3-Day page online and our Race for the Cure team page.

Disclosure: Breast cancer is a cause that affects people everywhere, which is why Hanes® has renewed its partnership with Komen for the Cure this year as the Official T-shirt of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Series. Learning that we were walking this year, Hanes offered to outfit our team in customized Hanes tees to further promote breast cancer awareness. No monetary exchange took place.

Are you looking for a great way to fundraise? Check out your local affiliate’s Dine Out for the Cure website. Participating restaurants are agreeing to donate a percent of food sales to Komen and are already promoting the event within their establishment. Komen also sends e-mails to members reminding them which restaurants are participating. If you’re savvy, you can contact both Komen and the participating restaurant and ask permission to set up a table to sell items to help your fundraising efforts. It’s easy, and you will get free publicity. In addition, you’ll have a built in target audience. It’s a win-win for you and for Komen when you promote your event to your friends and supporters. You’ll drive more traffic to their fundraiser earning them a bigger percentage, and hopefully you’ll have good luck selling or accepting donations for yourself or your team.

My team Breast Friends Forever will be doing just that, tomorrow. On June 8, we’ll be at the Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers in Frisco with pink ribbon ducks, breast cancer charm bracelets, pins, and other fantastic items to benefit our Race for the Cure and 3-Day team. We will also have swag bags for the first 20 that bring or mention our flyer. Those swag bags will include pink socks from Hanes, double packs of SPF 20 Softlips, pink ribbon Sharpie markers, Save the Ta-Tas stickers and more!

I hope to see our fellow DFW wakers and crew members there!

Nikki and I attended our second Training Kickoff in my hometown on May 22. I was really excited about seeing what this route was like because as a Training Walk Leader I will be organizing a lot of walks in this area over the months leading up to the event in November.

We met up at our local outfitter, New Balance, at 7:30 AM. Like the week before in Dallas, it was overcast and seemed like a really good day for an early morning walk. The turnout was a little bit better than last week as we geared up to walk down Parkwood, around the Dr. Pepper stadium, through Central Park, and back around to Preston.

We asked some nearby women to take our picture in front of the sign (these are my shoes!), and later we discovered that one of them was a survivor. That is one of the most emotional parts of these events. They always ask how many first-time-walkers there are verses veterans, and there are always a pretty large number of each. They ask how many people are on teams or are looking for a team. Finally they ask how many women participating are survivors and how many years it has been since they were diagnosed. This is the point that I am thankful to be wearing sunglasses, because I always tear up. These women are one of the main reasons that we walk. We do not want another woman to have to raise her hand and say she has had to go through this.

This was an easy 3 miles. I think I always do better when I know the area and the route we are taking and can visualize in my head when we will make it full circle back to the beginning. Frisco has lots of beautiful pink and white flowers planted everywhere, and there are tons of things to look at. I loved that they also set up a mini cheering station in the park where the kids sat in cars and honked the horns and the adults gave high-fives and passed out candy.

When we were finished, we waited at the store and watched for the final walkers to come in. Those that were still there took a group picture afterward. They also do some pretty amazing drawings for gift cards to local restaurants and the New Balance store. Nikki was actually the big winner of one of the $50 gift cards! She shared with me and we bought some t-shirts and socks for training.

I walked away from the last 24 week kickoff looking forward to training season. I’ve been struggling a little bit with fundraising this year. In 2008 when we first participated I was well beyond the minimum at this point in the year, so I know this year is going to be a challenge. It definitely helps to get out and meet new people spend time making plans for future events. I know it is going to be a fantastic year and we are looking forward to November and sharing our journey up until that point with you.

Here is a little video I put together from our Walk to Empower experience on Mother’s Day. We had such a fun time looking around downtown, live tweeting, and meeting and talking with other participants. I am looking forward to next year’s walk! Don’t forget to log all the miles you run, walk, and bike on BeeWell for Life. They will donate 15 cents for every mile to the Network of Strength! I have been logging all of my training walks for the 3-Day. All of those miles definitely add up!

People get really creative when it comes to dressing up for the 3-Day. You’ll see t-shirts with sayings about boobs, breasts, knockers, ta-tas… you name it. You might even spot an entire team dressed in tutus, or men dressed in drag riding unicorns (don’t ask). You’ll also see a handful of women and men who are brave enough to permanently dye their hair PINK. I’m brave enough to walk 60 miles, but I just can’t fathom bleaching my hair and coloring it pink.

I think it’s fun and would want to, but I work in a corporate environment and I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t fly with the executives. Luckily there’s an alternative. All you have to do is clip in Snazzy Lites and you’ll add an instant dash of color. They are non-damaging clip-in hair color that are made of 100 percent real human hair, and they can be flat-ironed, curled, or braided just like natural hair. I’ve been getting lots of complements on mine the past few weeks at the official 3-Day training walks. See the pink streak in the photo to the right? It’s easy to clip in a strand on each side of my head and walk out the door. They would be fun for kids and school sporting events and of course other Komen 3-Day for the Cure participants who would also looking to add a little bit of pink to their hair without the commitment of permanently changing their hair.

Disclosure: I was not compensated for writing this post. Snazzy Lites donated several strands to try or use for fundraising purposes as well as offered to donate $2 of the purchase of each colorful clip in hair extension piece to Susan G. Komen and my 3-Day walk when coupon code 3DAYLB is used at checkout.

The past two weekends in a row Nikki and I have gotten up early Saturday morning to attend the Dallas and Frisco training kickoffs for the 2010 Komen 3-Day for the Cure. I have new pictures and stories to share, but I am still heartbroken that so many of our posts from 2008 are gone forever due to a blog-upgrade gone wrong. I am happy that she had posted this to her MySpace (does anyone even know what that is anymore?) back in the day so that we could retrieve it and repost it this year. I think this is a beautiful entry, and it might just be the inspiration you were looking for. I know it still moves me to read it, and I am so proud that she is my teammate and BFF.

I choose “Life” as the category for this blog, because that’s really what it’s about. Not necessarily MY life, but others’ lives. There are a couple of things going on here. First, let me tell you about my Mom’s friend Donna at work. A couple of weeks ago, Donna’s husband started complaining about being tired and not feeling well. They assumed it was nothing and figured it would go away. Eventually, he started feeling worse, and having other more severe symptoms. They went to the ER, and after quite a few tests, it was determined that he has cancer…of the liver, the pancreas, it had even spread to his intestines. All of this from feeling tired and “not well”. It’s too far gone to treat, and he’s been given just a couple of months. Donna had told my Mom about her disbelief of the situation. Just a week or two ago, they had been sitting on the back porch planning the landscaping for their yard, and now he’s going to be gone in less than two months. The cancer is too advanced to treat. They won’t even try chemotherapy.

Now, I am not telling you this to depress you. I’m telling you this because it woke me up a little. Despite the things that I have heard, seen, and read in the past couple of months since signing up for the Breast Cancer 3 Day, it never occurred to me how quickly cancer can steal a life. I’ve heard of the treatments that these women endure and how hard it is on their bodies, but I had never considered those treatments not even being an option. What do you do when all you have is a little time, and then it’s done? How does a mom with small children explain to them that she might not see the end of their school year, their next birthday, or Christmas? Now I feel like I TRULY understand the need for early detection. What could the difference have been if this had been discovered two months ago?

Yesterday was the official kickoff for training walks for the 3 day in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. Laurie and I went down to University Park, which is a beautiful old neighborhood near SMU. We joined about 150 other women who were there to kick off their training with a 4 mile walk. It was incredible to see the people that turned out. There were young women, middle age women, older women, husbands, brothers, survivors, supporters… We started our walk through the neighborhood at the New Balance store (they’re an official outfitter/sponsor for the walk) and wound through the gorgeous neighborhood. The sidewalks were well shaded by the old trees, and the houses were absolutely incredible. Along the way, neighbors and kids came out to wave to us and clap for us. Some even thanked us. The sidewalks had been decorated with encouraging phrases (like, “YOU ROCK!”), arrows, and pink ribbons.

There was a “cheer station” where supporters were waiting to greet us with candy, give us stickers and cheer us on. There were cars that honked and waved as they drove by. At the finish line, we were greeted with even more cheering and high fives!

I knew all along that this was a good cause, and that this was a wonderful thing to do. I guess I just hadn’t really felt it as much as I did yesterday. Being around all those other women, many of which have beat the disease, really drove this home for me. I can’t wait for the big event now. I can’t wait to meet more incredible people with amazing stories.

My feet are sore, and my legs a little achy today, but that’s nothing compaired to what some of the other women there have been through. I’m just grateful to be healty enough to be able to make this journey. Next year, there may be more survivors walking, because of what we are doing this year. THAT makes sixty miles soooooo worth while, despite the horror stories of blisters and swollen feet we’ve heard. I’ll take some blisters for the team! We really are going to make a difference, one that we will remember for rest of our lives.

Love,
Nikki

The last of the 24 week training kickoffs ended in DFW this weekend, but there are more at the 16 week training interval. I highly recommend that you attend one. These are the closest things to experiencing the actual event (in an ultra mini dose, of course). Check the 3-Day calendar to find events scheduled in your area. It’s a great way to get motivated, inspired, and involved.

In addition to the Komen 3-Day, we are also participating in the Race for the Cure on June 12. This is our 3rd consecutive year to participate in the North Texas chapter of this event. I am still trying to get our team together, and we’d love it if you would join Breast Friends Forever. You can also make a donation to my personal page. We are working on a fundraising event that is still in the planning stages. I’ll update everyone as soon as the details are finalized. Thank you to my family and friends for their continued support!

Eeny, meeny, miny… TOE! One of the questions I get asked most frequently as a previous/current Breast Caner 3-Day walker is what kind of socks are the best to prevent blisters. I have tried and tested LOTS of different kinds of socks. Like most things, I truly believe it really comes down to personal preference. I think blister prevention also has a lot to do with what kind of shoes you are wearing. If you don’t have the proper size you are definitely more prone to get blisters no matter what kind of socks you are wearing. Go for a fitting at your local outfitter. You should get at least a 1/2 size to full size larger to give you extra room for swelling.

My opinion is that you should always select a sock with wicking technology (fabrics which draw moisture away from the body). I would say cotton is a no-no, especially for the 3-Day. Here are some suggestions:

Injinji performance socks are my personal favorite. Why? Before I discovered them, I would get blisters in between my toes due to rubbing. After switching to Injinji, I no longer had toe blisters. I love that each toe has it’s own compartment. They are like gloves for your feet, and yes they are comfortable! You completely forget you have them on. For the 2008 3-Day I actually wore these with another sock on top for more cushion. Also, they come in pink. My teammate says they are not as comfortable for her feet, so you should give them try on a long-distance training walk before committing to them for the event. Where to buy: InjinjiStore.com Cost: $12 each

Another good one are these Double Layer socks from BaySix. These socks have a 100% blister free guarantee. I also wore these during the 3-Day. I still did get a few blisters on the sides and bottom of my foot, but definitely not as bad as some other walkers did. These are comfortable and light. You can also select from anklet, crew or ped styles. Where to buy: Amazon.com Two Roads Fitness Ladies Only Sports Cost: 3/$20, 6/$35 or 3/$24 with pink ribbon

Thorlo is another sock you will hear a lot about in the 3-Day community. Many walkers swear by these. A few years ago the company gave away these at the walk which generated a lot of buzz. I bought several pairs. They come in two styles– thick cushion and thin cushion. I actually prefer the thinner version as the thick version feels like you have about four pairs of socks on. When my feet were swelled, it was a lot harder to get my foot back into my shoes. I also found that Thorlos were harder to clean. Even after I wash them they still look dirty. They definitely do give you lots of cushion. Where to buy: Thorlo.com Cost: $13.99

Whatever socks you do choose, be sure to give them a test drive on a long-distance training walk to get an idea of how they will work for the actual event. I like to change my socks every 5 to 10 miles too in order to let them air out and get some that are completely dry on my feet. Also, make sure that you take all of your socks with you when you get fitted for your new shoes. This will ensure that you order the right size if you decide some of the thicker socks are the ones you prefer.

Good luck and happy walking!

Over the weekend Dave and I drove to Houston to participate in the Breast Cancer Network of Strength Walk to Empower. I was selected by Bumble Bee as the local regional ambassador. It was definitely an honor considering all of the amazing stories submitted by women all over the country.

At 7:00 AM we walked from our hotel downtown to Sam Houston park which was a little over a mile away. It was a really pretty overcast morning– the perfect day for a walk! We stood in the registration line to pick up our race bibs.

After that, I introduced myself to the volunteers at the Beewell for Life booth. They were passing out buttons so that participants could write the name of the person they were walking for, as well as giving people the opportunity to enter a sweepstakes for an iPod Touch among other prizes.

Dave and I asked to take some bags of buttons and sweepstakes notepads and walked around the park talking to walkers about the program. Did you know that Bumble Bee donates 15 cents to the Network of Strength for every mile you walk, run or bike? We met some really amazing people too.

These two boys were walking with their parents, and happily took the buttons to demonstrate that they were there walking for their mother who was a survivor. This little boy insisted that he write “Mommy” on his own button. It was definitely a really sweet moment.

I loved meeting and visiting with this team too. They had really cute team shirts and enjoyed filling out the buttons and telling us about Tish Lee, who they were there to honor. After visiting with more participants, we finally ran out of buttons and sweepstakes forms. After that, we met up with Rachel and enjoyed the warm up with Ronald McDonald doing Tai Chi.

After that, the opening ceremony began and a local DJ starting talking about the walk, the Network of Strength, and the sponsors. I was shocked to be called up to the stage. I had no idea that I was about to be asked to give a speech in front of the large crowd! I definitely do not consider myself a great public speaker, especially when I do not have anything prepared. I managed to say a few words about the ambassadorship, and talked about my mother-in-law, the reason I have become active in events like this one. It was all such a blur, but I have been assured that I sounded calm and composed even though I was tearing up behind my sunglasses. Quite a few people came up to be afterward congratulating me and commenting that I did a great job considering how shy I was.

After the presentation was over, I was interviewed by NBC and I talked more about the Beewell for Life program and my participation in breast cancer events. I also met the couple who won the best t-shirt contest: Team Boo Bees! Perfect for Bumble Bee, huh?! Then the walk began!

Thousands of walkers, including children and dogs, set off town the trail in Sam Houston park. It was a sea of pink which is always a beautiful thing! Before we knew it we were back at the finish line with a sense of accomplishment for a productive morning having raised money for a great charity as well as made lots of new friends who are also supporters of the cause.

I am proud to have been involved in this event and am glad that I was able to spread the word about the amazing program that Bumble Bee has to raise money for the Breast Cancer Network of Strength. This charity offers those who are going through breast cancer the opportunity to receive 24/7 support and access to information, which is no doubt invaluable during a difficult and scary time in their lives.

I would like to thank my husband for his support and for traveling with me from Dallas to Houston to participate. I would also like to thank his dad for making a donation to the Network of Strength, as well as Rachel who spent her Mother’s Day with us and did a great job fundraising for the cause.

Thanks one more time to Bumble Bee and the Breast Cancer Network of Strength for a wonderful experience and everything they do for those who are going through breast cancer.