Week 0 - Birthday I am thankful for my Walking magazine.
My parents gave me a magazine subscription for Christmas. On 12/21, I saw the ad for the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk (3Day) and decided to sign up. Week 1 - Christmas - 6 miles I am thankful for parents who support me.
Feels like I am trying to change everything at once - diet, exercise, where I live, my daily routine. This week's big challenge is mostly to wrap my brain around the enormity of the task and commit to it.
I went out Saturday and walked as far as I could to test my current endurance level. Made it 2.5 hours ~ 6 miles. Sunday walked 2 hours more. The Journey Begins Week 2 - New Year - 7 miles I am thankful for the beauty of fresh fallen snow.
Walked 4 miles with Travis and the dogs at Middlesex Fells, then another 3 miles speed work in the gym. Sunday, explored Houghton Pond, Blue Hills. Pushing myself to the edge of my endurance, tired and *very* hungry. Walked in falling snow for the first time. Icy conditions make me appreciate the wide, flat paths.
Week 3 - January 8 - 8 miles I am thankful for sunshiny days.
Walked 6.2 miles with Dick at Forest Park, Springfield MA in 2:06. Mall walked another hour. Sunday at Borderland, Sharon, saw all manner of outdoor activity while hiking including ice fishing, dog sled racing, snowman building, horseback riding, ice skating, mountain biking, and cross country skiing. Week 4 - Martin Luther King - 9 miles I am thankful for time with friends.
Went to see my friend Tammy Two Tone headline at the comedy night. Hiked beforehand at Foxboro State Forest. Sunday, walked 4.5 miles, watched a matinee, and hiked another 3.7 miles. Can snow shoveling count as additional mileage? ;-) Dug my way out from under a foot of snow, but didn't let it deter me from walking. Week 5 - January 22 - 10 miles I am thankful for the self-confidence that walking long distances is giving me.
Feels like I am halfway there, now that I can walk two 10 mile days in a row. Saturday was 4 hours in the gym, doing hill work, and Sunday was my first walk with other 3Dayers ... Suzanne, Ann Marie, Eileen, and Denise.
Fund raising efforts are snowballing. Staples donated 400 copies of my pledge form. Letter campaign underway. Week 6 - January 29 - 11 miles I am thankful for a good night's sleep after a hard day of exercise.
Saturday, in between doing my taxes and unpacking, I squeezed in 11 miles ... 2 miles outside and 9 miles in the gym because I had lost the daylight. Sunday, icy conditions at Ponkanoag Pond made it slippery, but the reward was the desolute beauty from the boardwalk of a frozen swamp. I wished for a pair of ice skates when I made it to the pond :)
The stories of the people I am receiving donations from harden my resolve to keep training. A son sent me a donation in his mother's memory, and I was humbled by his generosity. Week 7 - February 5 - 12 miles - 15 more weeks until 3 Day I am thankful for friends who will tease me into exercise.
Sunday, I called Rawson and told him "talk me into walking today, because I've been outside and it's COLD!" He told me, "Oh, I just came in from running, and it's not cold. Heck, it just went up a degree while we were talking." Rawson also put up with my whining as we walking across the open field by the lake with wind a chilling eleven degrees below zero. This weekend I stepped my first steps on the famed Bay Circuit Trail. Week 8 - Valentine's Day - 13 miles A death in my family set aside my normal exercise schedule. Week 9 - 14 miles I am thankful for my health.
Hiking in NH was hampered by snow squalls. Getting sick of treadmills. Week 10 - February 26 - 15 miles I am thankful for surprises.
Got a $150 donation from one of our top executives, and I never even asked him. Guess word of mouth has spread news of my cause. Week 11 - March 5 - 16 miles - Only 11 weeks to go I am thankful for expert advice.
Fitness trainer from my gym has been consulting me on my training efforts. Added some strength training exercises. Two snow days! Week 12 - St. Patrick's Day - 17 miles I am thankful for the stubborness to push through tough times.
I've stumbled in my exercise routine. I have let work schedule and other issues creep in to take over too much of my time, when I should be pushing for even longer mileage. The fact that there are only a few weeks left both excite and scare me. Week 13 - Spring Begins - 18 miles I am thankful for the return of warm weather.
What a beautiful weekend we had for walking, and I canvased Cambridge on Saturday enjoying shopping and sight seeing along with my walk, topping it off with a concert as my reward at the end of the day. I also bought a new pair of sneakers, admitting that my other pair are too small. Week 14 - March 26 - 19 miles I am thankful for shoes that fit.
Finally, I have a pair of sneakers that fit well. It is with some sadness I retire two pair that I bought only a few months ago, but I am so glad to finally walk without the agony of blisters. Week 15 - April Fools - 7 weeks until the BIG 3 DAYS! I am thankful for a cause that keeps me dedicated to exercise.
I am getting very excited about how close the 3Day event is. I have a pile of stuff I plan to bring and hope I have managed to buy all my supplies. There is a big pile of back pack, sleeping bag, thermarest, socks, camp towel, blister first aid kit, etc. in my bedroom. I keep thinking "how will I fit all of this in my pack?" and "please, don't let it rain on the 3Day". Week 16 - April 9 I am thankful for Spring.
I don't think I have ever appreciated Spring as much as this year. Amazing to walk the same paths I did in the winter, but now find pussy willows, crocus, and other miracles of the season. Week 17 - Last week for Donations I am thankful for a healthy, balanced diet.
I have been reading about the 60 minute recovery window after you stop exercising, and I hope that using the next few weeks to build my glycogen will make it easier to do this endurance event.
Rawson sent me an inspirational letter when it hit me that the event is only 4 weeks away, and I have yet to do two back-to-back 20-milers to prove to myself I can do this when the "real thing" comes along. I needed to hear "I believe you can walk 20 miles" from the man who introduced me to hiking and has walked beside me many of these training miles.
This will be the hardest physical achievement I have ever done, but I won't do it alone. 4000 other people will walk beside me at the 3Day in Boston, and that is a whole lot of support, friendship, and positive energy to carry me. Week 18 - April 23 - 3 Day less than a month away I am thankful for sunscreen.
The 14 hours a week training is putting me in a time crunch, but how amazing to do 40 miles this week. Housework and chores are on hold until the 3Day is over ...
Sunday walked 9 miles with Rawson along the Framingham section of the Bay Circuit Trail in 80 degree weather. Then went and walked 7 more miles that evening! Week 19 - Cinco de Mayo - 3 weeks to go I am thankful for all the glorious outdoor activities there are to enjoy.
Walking along the Charles River this weekend gave me *SO* many ideas for things to do when the 3-Day is over: kayak, fly a kite, rollerblade, picnic, bike, canoe, etc. Warm, wonderful weather had people out in droves.
I switched to a lighter pack this weekend, after determining that what is ok for 1 hour really is too heavy for 8 hours of walking. Besides, I will have all the support of the 3-Day along the way, so I don't need the kind of gear I carry hiking in the mountains. Example: instead of a 7 oz first aid kit complete with a leatherman tool, I am carrying 2 blister pads and 1 moleskin. My minimalist attack on weight in the pack lead me to shed several pounds. I can't fit my windbreaker, fleece, pants, and rain poncho in the smaller pack. I am still a bit nervous about being prepared for any weather contingencies, but like AT hikers, I am trading off weight/space for risk/comfort.
I read _The Complete Hiker_ book, and laughed at the suggestion that even the weight of ziplock bags should be considered and toothbrush handles get sawed off ... now I am a weight fanatic myself. LOL Week 20 - May 7 - 2 more weeks I am thankful for cool breezes.
The 90+ heat wave we had broke and perfect sunny and cool weather prevailed for the 40,000 walkers Sunday in Project Bread: Walk for Hunger. I toured through Boston, Brookline, Newton, Watertown, and Cambridge. Met interesting people, including one man with a guitar who had a sing-along to "We All Live In A Yellow Submarine".
As my feet throbbed on the T ride home, I thought "how will it feel to do this 3 days in a row?" I know the biggest challenge is still ahead of me. Week 21 - May 14 - Rest up for the big event Week 22 - 3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer Day 0 - May 17 - Orientation
Day 1 - May 18 - Leave Leominster
Day 2 - May 19
Day 3 - May 20 - Arrive Boston |
