Finish Line

So many people have asked and I am here to explain what it feels like to cross the line.

First off you are so tired. Your body aches, and you think you can't wak another step. Your shoes feel like they are attached to your feet permantly. You are sweating and it really is a struggle, but some how you want to make it. I remember that last day thinking if the sweeper van EVEN tried to sweep me they were going to have a problem. I had waked that far and I woud cross the finish line.

After you make it to the last half mile mark everyone is excited. Everyone is cheering you on. I met many friends at the mark and I shall never forget them. They kept me going when I wanted to quit. So as you are walking you can sttart to hear the cheers. You know you are getting close because the cheers slowly get louder.

We walked into solider field (where the Bears play). You hit the first level and the tears begin to fall. You are greeted by the loudest noise of my life. You hear the cheering and the thundersticks. There is no shortness of people waiting to greet you. You walk in that tunnel and know you have made a difference. It realy is the greatest expereince. For the first time in my life I felt like an athlete. I was proud of myself and what we as a group had accomplished.

I cried like a baby while I was in holding (where you wait for the last time). I was amazed at the support we were shown. So again I encourage you to do the walk. You really won't regret it

Training, Walking, Cheering, and Crewing

So yesterday on Facebook I brought up the idea of people crewing the Dallas 3 Day if they couldn't walk it. I had a few people show some interest so I thought in todays post I would go over a couple different elements of the 3 Day.

First training, you have to do it. I have never met a person who walked a 3 Day and didn't train. When I say train I mean train. It takes time out of your day, but is SO worth it. Training doesn't include just walking. When I trained for the 2010 walk I cut a lot of things out of my life that weren't good for me. I went on a calorie restricted diet and stopped drinking for 4 months before the race. I also took several exercise classes (Zumba, AB Blast, Kettlebell, and a few others). I swam daily and walked on average 6 to 8 miles a day. On weekends (once you build up to it) you should really try walking back to back 20 mile days. It is HARD, but needed if you want to give this your all.

Second thing  is walking. Rule number one know your body if something doesn't feel right stop. Rule number two HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE with both water and a sports drink. The 3 Day community has a saying "Drink and Pee than no IV", and it works. At every pit stop there is something to drink, by the time you get there (they are between 2.5 and 3 miles apart) you should need to pee and refill your water bottle. Rule number three there is no shame is being swept or having to take the bus back to camp. Sometimes by not doing that you run a risk of being red carded which means you can't walk the next day. A key thing to remember is this isn't a race. Go at your own pace and soak it all in. If your feet hurt stop for a bit. If your leg muscles are tight take the time to stretch. Your body will thank you I promise.

Third thing is my FAVORITE cheering. For the people who cheer we couldn't do it without you. There is no better feeling than coming around a corner and having hundreds of people cheering for you. Many give you high fives, hugs, cold drinks, and just encouragement. I will never forget seeing the signs from the little kids. They were so thought out and it really touched you. Some people decorated their yards with catchy little things. Some cried as we walked by, perhaps remembering those they had lost. Some people laughed with us and told us to keep going. The most important thing was they showed up, and they may not have known us (me), but they sure did touch my heart. Cheering is simple to do, you show up. You make some signs, buy some candy (or mini water bottles...those were great), and wait. The 3 Day tells you were to go and when to be there. Once you get there and have the chance to cheer do it as loud as you can. I didn't go through one cheer station where I DIDN'T cry. To see all those people is just amazing. So if you can't do anything else think about cheering for it is them that make the walkers want to keep going.

Fourth and final is crewing. It takes hundreds of people to make the 3 Day happen. The majority of them are the crew. First let me say things couldn't happen with out them. To crew you have to pay a registration fee ($55 before Nov 23rd, and $90 after that), but that is where any money commitment stops. So you are not required to raise the $2,300. So what does the crew do? Better question what don't they do :). There are the obvious like luggage help, meal prep, serving food, safety, pit stop, and medical. However they also can drive sweeper vans(which are way cool), hand out towels, check you in and out of camp, and get you motivated in the morning and after returning to camp. I can not thank the Chicago crew enough. Even when I didn't want them in my face, they kept me moving. They made sure I was well fed and safe at all times. They answered any questions this newbie had and for that I will always be thankful.

So no matter how you decide to help all the things listed above made my first 3 Day experience amazing. I was proud to walk it, but someday do plan to crew ( I want to give back). If a location was in my town I would certainly cheer. So please do whatever you can to keep this program being the success it is!!!!

April 22-24, 2011- Who is with me?

So I got this idea from a message board, but I loved it so much I had to use it myself. In April I will be walking 60 miles around the city of St. Peters. I will have a route mapped out to include pit stops, and lunch breaks. I will have Brad driving the sweeper van just in case I need to be picked up. I encourage EVERYONE to come out and join. 20 miles is far to go while walking all alone. If you can't come out and walk atleast come to cheer me on. People have no idea how good it feels to have a group of people cheering you on. So I hope some will come out and join me. I will be there rain or shine, so come out and be a street walker with me. Hope to see you all there :)

Team Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

So the change has been made. It is offical I am now walking the 2011 3 Day in Dallas. I am forming a team, and pretty darn excited. So far I have 2 friends from high school walking with me, and new people showing interest in walking every day. I wish I could explain to people just what it is like. It is so hard to put into words, and even though they say a picture is worth a 1,000 words even those can't capture the moments.
 I wish I could put in words the feelings you feel as you stand for opening ceremonies. As you watch the survivors raise that first flag. And the hundreds of people there all cheering you on. I wish I could describe the feeling as you take the first step on the journey. You are walking out and people are high fiving you left and right. The tears are falling and you know you are making a difference.
I would love to be able to explain the feeling of support you feel as the people from the cheering stations are rooting for you. They are lining the streets, and offering you goodies. As your legs are killing and you can't go another step you see a little girl holding snow cones or freezie pops,  rooting for you, and you go those last few miles. The crew are so amazing and so upbeat. They are there to make sure you are safe and having fun. They are there to help you if you need it, but they also get out of your way when you are really moving.
It was be so amazing if I could describe camp. The pink tents everywhere, and the support everyone shows for each other. I wish people could understand that feeling of family. While none of us are related we are all there for the same cause. No one cares what you look like, what your race is, what your gender is, or if you date men or women, they just care that you are there.
So as I begin the journey for the second year I encourage you to think about making some of your own memories. Think about walking with us and seeing for yourself, feeling for yourself. It truly is AMAZING!!!