I LOVE OCTOBER!!!

Actually, I just love the fall. Cooler temps, combined with the crisp autumn air and changing leaves, never fails to recharge my batteries.

This weekend I got up bright and early each day to walk. On Saturday, I spent the ENTIRE DAY in Philadelphia. In the morning I walked along Kelly Drive, which led me to an unexpected (and pleasant) surprise....the annual Dragon Boat Festival. It's a Chinese tradition but everyone is free to put their oar in the water. I took in a few races. It was very interesting.

After I finished up my first 10 miles, I decided to take a break along the Ben Franklin Parkway. There was an Obama rally going on. While I'm not overly political, I do think he's a better candidate than McCain. And Bruce Springsteen was putting on a free show. Which means that I would have been there no matter who the benefit was for.....even if it meant wearing a sticker saying "I LOVE GEORGE W !!" (thankfully, it DIDN'T....I didn't have to be a hypocrite for the entertainment).

After the show, I put in another 5 miles.

Sunday was nothing interesting....walking 10 miles and doing some last minute shopping for my walk.

My Feet Rule!!!

I have been very impressed with my feet lately. I was very mean to them last year. I did the Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk (60 miles in 3 days). I slacked off on my training in the 6-8 weeks before the event, which made the 3 Day Walk even more tough than it needed to be.

But my feet still love me!!! They haven't punished me once. I made it through last year without any huge blisters or losing any toenails. Sure, they scolded me a bit for 48hrs after I did the 3 Day, but it was a loving "hey.....we took care of you, so you better take good care of us next year" kind of thing. A little reminder to remember those lessons I learned.

This year, they have been awesome! I didn't start training until July. And I didn't start off easy. Hell no....I went out and walked 25 miles my first week! And each weekend after, I kept increasing the miles. 15 miles one weekend.....22 the next. This past weekend I did 27 miles.

I'm so proud of my feet. I love them as much as they love me! After I do this crazy walk YET AGAIN, they are going to get a major spa treatment!!!

Time for Giving Thanks!

I have just come off of an absolutely WONDERFUL Thanksgiving weekend!!!

First of all, I had a "date type thing" with my ex. We had spent the last week, on the phone constantly. The spark and emotions where still there, at least while on the phone, so we decided to see how that carried over to a face-to-face meeting.

We had a good time. Some of the connection is still there. Where will it lead? No idea......but I'm willing to find out.

I got to meet his kids, who are absolutely adorable. They took to me pretty easily and I am proud to say that I did well with them. I was a bit nervous about spending time with a 2 and 4 yr old, but things went very smoothly. I even played Martha Stewart on Sunday by making waffles for breakfast.

He is such a great Daddy that my heart melts when I see him with his children. I didn't think it was possible, but I actually respect him. And not to toot my own horn, but I didn't do half-bad while playing "house" this weekend. "Mommy-Skills", that I didn't even know existed, kicked in.


This Thursday is my birthday and Chuck is supposed to be coming down to help me celebrate. I'm not sure what we'll do. Maybe rent a Dane Cook dvd or head down to South Street. Maybe check out the Phila Zoo. Whatever it is, it will be fun!!!

I also got to spend time with my family (adorable niece and nephew) as well as my friend Christine. My sister, friend, and god-daughter went to see Disney's Enchanted on Fri (great movie!!!) and then Christine and I went dancing Friday night.

All iin all, it was a wonderful holiday weekend and I am very thankful for every minute!

DAY TWO!!!!

Please note...this photo was not taken by me. I "borrowed" it from some who posted the pics elsewhere.




Day 2 started out with a "full" night's sleep (from 10:30 til about 5:30.....2-3 hrs short of what I normally need to function). Got dressed in the dark and then headed over for breakfast. I also put bandages on the areas of my feet that I felt were prone to blisters.


Within a mile or 2, we were walking through a beautiful park near the Belmont Plateau. There, a group of girls (guessing early to mid 20s in age) started celebrating when they saw a sign. I guess someone put it up to cheer their team on. I offered take a photo of them all standing around the sign and found out that they were all walking in memory of their friend, Carolyn. She died from breast cancer a few years back, at the age of 26. It's hard to imagine someone so young being taken out by this disease.


We walked past the Philadelphia Zoo and into University City (near University of Pennsylvania and Drexel). We walked along "Greek Row", where the frat and sorority houses stood. I was extremely surprised to see many of the brothers and sisters cheering us on (whoduthunkit? College kids awake before 10:00 on a Saturday?!?!).


Our first cheering station was in a shopping center in the Gray's Ferry section of the city. There, Kimm and I met ZIM, an absolutely gorgeous pit bull who gave lots of wags and kisses. PUPPY LOVE!!!!


We walked into South Philadelphia, past the famous cheesesteak stands of Pat's and Geno's. I really wanted to stop for a mushroom whiz steak, wit' (meaning, with peppers and onions) but figured that woudn't sit so well in my belly while walking. We walked along South Street, where we came across our 2nd cheering station. We had actual cheerleaders standing on the side walk, complete with pom-poms!!!


We walked into the Historic District, past the Liberty Bell. I got to kiss a few of the carraige horses. The drivers all told us that they "weren't allowed to let us cheat' by giving us rides. One tour guide was nice enough to point out that we had missed an arrow and were walking in the opposite direction of everyone else (I was too busy kissing ponies to notice!).


Towards the end of the day, our final pit stop was at the foot of the Art Museum stairs. I was tempted to go up and get a pic of me at the top of the stairs but Kimm was in no mood to walk up with me or even stop to take my picture. I decided that I would go back another time, when my legs weren't already ready to shoot me.


After the pit stop, we walked down West River Drive and back to camp. At camp, they were wrapping up their "3 Day Idol" contest. A young man, by the name of Charles, took home the prize. I had met Charles on the shuttle from the hotel to opening ceremonies. He was by himself and had traveled from Brooklyn to do the walk. I was impressed with him on so many levels. First of all, he was an opening and warm spirit. Secondly, he was a man.....a definite minority in this event. Thirdly, after a full day of walking, he still had enough energy to get up on stage and sing "I Feel Good" as well as DANCE to the song. He needs to bottle some of that and sell it. I'd be first in line!!!



After dinner, Kimm and I checked for mail at the Post Office (friends and family can mail cards and letters a few weeks before the event). I received a nice card from some friends from church as well as many letters of support from team captain Sammy (who ended up back at camp early b/c of her previous leg problems). Kimm got an amazing letter from her mom, a 5yr survivor. After that, we treated ourselves to the foot massage machines and then hit the showers.



Sleep was not high on the list this night. My ankles were throbbing despite the ibuprofen I took. I woke up a few times to pee. And in the distance, despite having earplugs in, I could hear the lovely sounds of Philadelphia at night (gun shots, sirens, people racing in their japanese motorcycles, police or news helicoptors flying overhead).



Day 2 is probably the absolute WORST. Day 1 is long, but you are full of adrenaline and have lots of bystanders cheering you on. On Day 3, you are tired, but you know that the end is near. But on Day 2, your feet want to strangle you because of Day 1 AND you know that you still have another day of walking ahead of you. Mentally, physically.....it is a struggle. I lost track of how many people were taking sweep vans or riding the bus back to camp. Thankfully, I had my "little engine that could", Kimm, walking with me (and of course, YELLOW CAR GIRL, Lisa, cheering us on), or else I may have been one of those who did not finish out the day.

Tomorrow...Day 3!!!

Day One!!!

I got to the hotel at 7:00 or so on Thursday. Met my teamates for the first time. We've been talking back and forth thru email, but I'd never actually had the time for a face-to-face. We then went out to grab a quick bite to eat. We finally fell asleep between 12:30 and 1:00 am.

Woke up at 4:30 am, grabbed the last shuttle bus, and got to Opening Ceremonies (held at Willow Grove mall) a little bit late. We were able to see the Survivors walking in, which to me was the most important part, so I was OK with that. Because we got there so late, we were one of the last groups to get on the road (this will be a recurring theme with us throughout the entire event!).

I can't remember all of the towns we walked through. I know that Jenkintown and Abington were in there. Also, Cheltenham. The reason I remember that town was because EVERY SINGLE police officer was absolutely GORGEOUS! There was one in particular, who was obviously the favorite of the walkers. Each time I saw him, he had acquired another pink lei or set of beads. At some point we were in a section of the city known as Chestnut Hill. I'd never been there before but it was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL place.

Every 3 or so miles we had a "pit stop", where we could top off our fluids and grab a snack, use the bathrooms, and get medical attention if necessary. Each pit stop had a different theme. The first one of the day was an Island Paradise theme. I received my Gatorade from a man wearing a grass skirt and a coconut bra. Another one of the pit stops had a Pirates of the Carribean Theme. Food included: bananas, chips, pretzels, bagels/cream cheese. On a few select pit stops were these PBJ on graham cracker sandwiches. They were a huge hit! I was especially estatic to see that some of the later pit stops offered grape gatorade instead of the lime or orange.

Along the way, we received a lot of cheers. Cars honked their horns while driving by. People came out of their home to wave and cheer us on. At one point we passed an elementary school and the kids were lined up by the fence, clapping and yelling for us. Most of the girls were dressed in pink. One little girl, with blonde curls, reminded me so much of my niece that I teared up for a minute.

I need to introduce you all to Lisa, aka Yellow Car Girl. Lisa is a woman whose partner does the walk. Lisa isn't allowed to do the walk b/c she is hearing impaired. So Lisa drives around in her little yellow car and bascially "stalks" us. When you think you can't make it another step, you will see her off in the distance waving and giving you a thumbs up. Or hear her yelling "You Ladies Look Damn Good" through her megaphone! Lisa is an absolute MUST for getting though the day!!! Not only is she full of positive energy and love, but when you see her, you know that the potties are right around the bend. She doesn't lie about that!

OK, now it's time to explain what a "3 Day Mile" is. As we walk, they have arrows marking the route. At some point, you will see an arrow that says "Pit Stop, 1 mile" (or Lunch, 1 mile....or Camp, 1 mile). I don't know one single person who actually believes that we actually only walk a mile after these signs. And the term "just around the corner" really means that you need to walk about 5 blocks (and most likely up an incline of some sort). Unless Lisa says it. If she says a pit stop is "just around the corner", you know that it will be!

Along the way, we lost our team leader Sam. She had some major tendon pain and we basically told her to TAKE A SWEEP VAN. We'd rather her keep healthy and be able to finish the event with us than end up in the hospital. Kimm and I were moving a bit slowly as well. At one point, we were told that if we did not make the next pit stop by a certain time, we would be forced to take the sweep van. I do not know HOW we did it, but we managed to go the 1.5 miles in slightly less than 30 minutes.

The final leg of our route took us through a beautiful park (part of the Fairmount Park system) and then down Main Street in Manayunk. They had set up a cheering station there, which was a real pick-me-up. This was around the 18mile mark and my feet were in so much pain. We had about 1.5 miles until a Pit Stop and then another 2.5 until camp. We walk out of Manayunk and make a left hand turn, only to see......a hill. A big hill. With a steep incline. That we had to walk up. There are sadistic people designing this route...remember that later!!!

I was convinced that I would not make it. Keep in mind that I am overweight (over 200 lbs) and even though I did train for this event, I did not get as many miles in as they recommened. And I did MINIMAL hill training!! But I was so PISSED OFF that they would but a MOUNTAIN at the end of the route...I used my anger to keep me going.

After the hill, we hit our final Pit Stop. Then we left, only to see another hill. Not as big as the last one, but still very disheartening. Once again, we dug in and kept on walking. Thankfully, that was the last one. The very last mile of Day One was along a nice road, in the shade, surrounded by gorgeous mansions. The sight of the tents at camp made out legs feel lighter and we picked up the pace a bit.

I should add that once we get back to camp, we are not done laboring. We had to get our duffel bags from the luggage truck (weight= 30-35 lbs) and carry it to the campsite. Then we have to set up our own tent! After that, we got to eat dinner (spaghetti with meat sauce and yummy eclairs for dessert) and grab a shower.

We were at the tail end of the pack all day but we were NOT the last ones to camp!

Needless to say, we slept quite well that night, despite the throbbing feet.

Tune in tomorrow for DAY TWO!!!

11 Days left!!!!

The picture has absolutely NOTHING to do with the post, but I thought it looked really cool!!!

My friend, Marie, and I got quite a bit of walking in this weekend.

16 miles on Saturday! We took the train into University City (part of Phila near Drexel and University of Pennsylvania). From there we walked to Manayunk, which is well known for its shops, dining, and fun nightlife. We took a scenic route, known as the Schuylkill River Trail. I'm not sure exactly where it stops or ends, but it runs for quite some distance!!! The stretch that we walked on took us past the Art Museum, along Kelly Drive, and to Main Street in Manayunk. I've heard that it extends all the way into Valley Forge (what a training walk THAT would be!!!).
Since Manayunk was the halfway point, we stopped to grab lunch at a great little place called The Couch Tomato. I had a Tomato/Mozzarella salad, made with fresh plum tomatoes, homemade buffalo mozzarella cheese, and grilled chicken. It was topped with the absolute BEST vinaigrette I have ever had in my life!!!

9 miles on Sunday!! We started out near the Art Museum and basically weaved our way through Philadelphia. We walked along Rittenhouse Row (passing Rittenhouse Square Park), circled through Franklin Square, and headed past the Historic District. Afterwards we made our way down to South Street, where we stopped for lunch at Cosi (the yummiest sandwiches or pizzas, made with their flatbread). My sandwich contained: fresh tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, grilled chicken, and the SECOND best vinaigrette I have ever had (does anyone see a theme here?! I love me some mozzarella cheese).

Finally, we drug our tired behinds (not to mention feet) back to the car. On the way home, we treated ourselves to some Rita's Water Ice.

It was a very busy weekend. On one level, I am feeling stronger with each walk. On another level, I cannot even begin to imagine how I will survive for 3 days of walking. I am SO totally wiped out at the end of each of these training walks that the thought of doing a full 20 miles on ONE day freaks me out. Let alone 3 days in a row! Where I don't get to come home and crash on the couch....rather, I get to put up a tent and then unpack my duffel bag each night (as well as take everything down and pack it away each morning)!!!

Excuse me while I say: AAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Tired Footsies!

I walked the most this weekend that I ever have at one time. 17 miles!!!! In one day!!!

My feet were SO tired at the end. I felt very crampy in my arches for the last 2-3 miles (felt like 10).

I have these super thick Thorlo brand socks (called the HERO Distance Walkers). I was planning on wearing them for the 3 Day Walk but then read that due to the thickness, there may be blister problems due to overly sweaty feet. Then I decided to start the day in the thick socks and as my feet got more sweaty and more swollen, switch to thinner socks.

I followed that plan on the 17 mile training walk and noticed that I definitely was NOT getting the right amount of supoprt or cushioning with the thinner socks. Next big walk I am going to reverse it. I'll start out with thinner socks and get thicker as my feet get more tired.

I will also bring an extra pair or 2 of the thicker socks JUST IN CASE my plan backfires and I decide I need to use them for the entire time. That means I will be having 5 pairs of "extras" during my next training walk but now is the time to fine tune my routine. Don't want to be experimenting on the actual walk (although on that walk, I can always use a sweep van if need be).

I took an ibuprofen before I went to bed to help with some of the swelling. I slept for 12 hrs! I did wake up every few hours to pee. While walking, I was putting away a lot of liquid but b/c it was 90 deg AND humid, I sweat most of it out. When I got home, I kept drinking (upon recomendation of my training walk leader). I am hoping that if I stick with the fluid intake, my bladder will adjust before the actual event!

Today (Monday), I am still feeling it a bit in my calves but overall, I am doing well. A lot better than I had expected, given the fact that I wasn't quite following the official training schedule as closely as I'd have liked.

I think I may actually be able to do this thing!

A month to go!!!

OMG....the Philadelphia Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk is in 4 weeks!!!!!!!!!!

After many weeks of slacking (and an unplanned chest infection which sidelined me last week and weekend), I have been stepping up (literally) my training. This week, I have walked 3 days in a row (first time I've done that). This Saturday I will be going on my first LONG DISTANCE walk....15 miles through the City of Brotherly Love. I am meeting up with a group of other 3 Dayers and we will be hitting the historic district as well as University City. Sunday will be a day of rest for tired leg muscles and aching feet.

Next weekend will be a 10 mile (Sat) and an 8 mile (Sun) walk. The weekend after that will be a 15mile/18mile back-to-back. The weekend before the event will be an "easy" one (another 10/8 mile...which will seem much easier after the 15/18 weekend!!!).

My sleeping bag and duffel bag arrived last week. Last night I got more shorts/shirts and 2 pairs of longer pants. Tonight I will be going to buy another pair of sneakers. I still need to find some kind of windbreaker and some "just in case" rain gear ($1.00 store poncho sounds good to me). If I took the time to sit and total up all of the money I have spent, I would probably have a heart attack (which is exactly why I am NOT going to do that!!). I think I may actually dip into some of my fund raising money to cover part of the expense.

ONWARD AND FORWARD!!!

Mixed Emotions

With 6 weeks to go, I am having so many conflicting feelings about the upcoming 3 Day Walk.

I am thrilled that I have met my fundraising goal of $2200 (had a few nervous moments b/c the WalMart check took awhile to post, but it did and now I'm ALL CLEAR).

I am a bit nervous b/c I have not been doing nearly as much training as I should. I have so many things packed into my weekends that everything ends up getting cut short. I really need to focus on GETTING UP EARLIER. Maybe 5:30-6:00 each day so that I can make time to get it ALL DONE! My problem is that I love sleep and I hate mornings. And walking at midnight is not a safe option.

I am starting to organize and order the remaining things that I need for the walk. Camping gear, extra socks, clothing. That causes it's own concern b/c it is really adding up. I was so busy focusing on the $2200 I needed to raise that I never looked at the close to $500 that I'd need to spend on myself. Good thing is, other than the sneakers, I will be able to use most items again next year.

Despite my variety of emotions, I am really looking forward to it. I saw a photo of 2 people walking in Chicago who wore pins saying "I met my fiancee on the 3 Day Walk". Now wouldn't THAT be cool, if I could meet a man while walking and sweaty...hair pulled back and no makeup. I'd know for sure he liked me for who I am and not what's on the outside.

PMS SUCKS!

Water retention. Mood swings. Non-stop cravings for sweets, fried foods, and salt. Knowing that even though I made it to the gym twice this week and walked 4 miles yesterday, I will still show a gain when I go into Weight Watchers tomorrow morning. Spending all day fighting the constant urge to sleep only to go to bed at night and find myself tossing and turning well over an hour before FINALLY falling into a fitful (completely UNrestful) semi-sleep.

What else can I say?!?!

If anyone wants to cheer me up by donating to my 3 day fund, click HERE.

Spring Has Sprung!!!

Yesterday was the first day of spring. I celebrated by heading down to South Street and treating myself to a Rita's Water Ice (tried the raspberry...pretty good!). I walked in a big square...from South Street to Market Street, over several blocks, and back to South(1 1/2 hrs total). I came across 2 very interesting sites. The first was the Pennsylvania Hospital (800 Spruce Street)....the very first hospital in the US according to the sign out front. The second was The Magic Garden...a mosaic taking up an entire city lot and the adjoining buildings, created by the artist Isaiah Zagar. It isn't open to tourists until the weekend but it certainly looks interesting. After I completed my "square", I headed into the Italian Market to do some shopping. There's a great little spice store that I love to check out whenever I'm nearby!

Also, to commemorate the first day of spring, Dunkin Donuts was giving away free iced coffee. So I got one. And then went to another store and got another. And then went to a third store and got another. I love my iced coffee! Brought one back to work and put the other 2 in the fridge. Now I've got my caffeine fix for the next few days!!!

Today I parked along the same spot off of South Street, but instead walked into the heart of the Historic District. I saw the Liberty Bell...something I haven't done in the entire time I've lived here! Another 1 1/2 hrs for today. I am a bit worn out. I think I need to address the issue of nutrition. With all of the walking I have been doing (and all that I need to do to get ready for the 3Day), I have to start doing some research on what I should be eating to optimize my strength and energy!

TGTF (Thank Goodness Tomorrow's Friday!). No walking planned for the weekend b/c I have family functions to attend. I will be hitting a dance club with my friend, which always gives a good cardio workout!

To make a donation, click HERE.

All's Well That Ends Well

It's been quite hectic since my last post. My brother had surgery. My car window got stuck...in the down position....the day before a ice/sleet/snow storm was about to come through. In the mad dash to leave town to visit my brother and get my window fixed, my cell phone disappeared at the Wawa where I stopped to get gas and my carrier was most UNHELPFUL despite the fact that I have insurance (well, to be more specific...the service people in the store were unhelpful. I actually got some results when I was on the phone).

I reached a point where I just sat in my car and screamed, at the top of my lungs, for a full minute (my voice is still paying the price). Thankfully all is well now. My brother is home and recovering. My father was able to get the window fixed (thanks dad!). My new cell phone arrived on Monday.

Now that I've vented, let me get back to the purpose of posting. On Thursday, I was able to leave work a bit early and head back to the Art Museum area. I walked for about 2 1/2 miles (round trip) down Kelly Drive. The path runs along the Schuylkill River, which makes for a peaceful excursion (water always seems to calm me). I discovered that there are many statues and monuments along this path. As I came back to the Art Museum, I had the same issue as the previous day.....full bladder w/ no place to go (it's times like this that I wish I was a guy). So II snuck into the Art Museum! Before you yell at me, let me clarify. I went in to use the bathroom and came right back out. I did not take advantage of the fact that I got in for free to look around. On Sundays you can "pay what you want" all day long (even if it's just a dollar), so there was no need for me to "steal" a peek.

After my pit stop, I headed back to my truck so that I could move it to another parking spot (2 hrs limit....no desire to fund the parking authority with a fine). Once I did that, I walked another 1/2 mile to the Trader Joe's (2121 Market Street). What a great store. Many health and environmentally friendly foods at reasonable prices. I picked up some protein bars, samosas (Indian snack), and enchiladas for dinner. On the way back to my truck, stepped into the Whole Foods Market (2001 Pennsylvania Ave) to grab some falafel (for me) and oat grass (for my cats).

All told, I spent 4 hours on foot. Granted, not all of that was at a brisk pace, but my legs sure felt it the next day! Between the weather, visiting family, and meetings, I have not been out for walk since. I plan on correcting that today.

To make a donation, click HERE