Recap of the 3 Day

Here's the long post about my incredible weekend...

{FRIDAY}

Friday morning we were up early, early, early...4:30 I think? Anyway, we were bussed to Schiller Park Woods to drop off our bags and get ready for opening ceremonies. The ceremonies were awesome and inspiring. We saw 8 survivors carrying the flags for the week and were reminded why we were about to leave on the biggest walk of our lives. 2109 walkers left Schiller Park around 7:00 am on a walk of 22.7 miles. We were able to stop every 3 miles or so to get more water, use the bathrooms (port-a-potties), grab a few snacks (oranges, bagels, chips, pretzels, peanuts, string cheese, etc.) before we headed back on the trail. The first day was hot (every day was hot!) and we did a lot of walking on trails through the forest. It was nice to walk in the forest because it was shaded, but the ground was uneven and there wasn't a breeze. The streets were also nicer because there were cops at every corner directing traffic and they definitely were Chicago's "Finest" - kept me going hoping to get to the next crosswalk for sure! :) There were a couple of cheering stations where people would have water, ice, candy and popsicles or freeze pops for us. They also had spray bottles...a wonderful relief in 90 degree heat! I hit a wall that day, probably around mile 16 or so, mom hit it around mile 19...we both climbed over it and finished strong. What an amazing feeling! We got to camp at Oakton Community College where the food tent (which was huge), tents and showers (semi trucks with 6 or so showers in each one) were all a far distance apart! We were thankful for the angels sent in the form of the Oakton Soccer Team who set up our tents for us. Kelly and I shared a tent with my mom and Kristina next door. We were so exhausted, it was still really hot, but we had to eat and shower. We ate first (to avoid passing out in the shower!) which was spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, etc. They even had a Coke there for me! :) Mom and I had blisters so we had to take care of those, Kelly had to ice a very sore leg, Kristina met up with Pete (more about him later) and we just took it easy. Oh - we also found the foot massage tent which was great! Lights out are at 9:00 which is crazy since I'm usually up until 1:00 or so at home, but I was the first one in bed that night!

{SATURDAY}

After a night's sleep (notice I didn't say {good} night) we were up around 5:30 on Saturday morning. We had breakfast (which was huge) and were ready to hit the route again. I felt really, really sick at first. I think it was the fact of getting up hours earlier than I'm used to, eating a huge breakfast (I hardly ever eat breakfast) and then starting to walk right away. After about 3 miles I was feeling better for the most part. Kelly and Kristina both had upset stomachs at some point during the day also, so I was not alone. Saturday's route was also 22.7 miles. We walked more sidewalks and streets which was really nice. The cheering stations were incredible and the morale very high. Joel, my dad, Colin and the kids were at a cheering station this day and that was awesome and gave us the energy that we really needed! It was awesome to see all the shirts that people wore..."Save the Tatas," "In Memory of...," "I walk so my daughter won't have to," etc. It was amazing. On Day 2 we also met Barry from Detroit. Barry is walking all 12 walks this year, raising over $26,000 for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. When I asked him if he's walking for a specific reason he said because he is one man and can make a difference and this is something that will definitely make a difference. Awesome. We also walked by a house where 2 teens had blown up 125 pink balloons and arranged them in a pink ribbon on their lawn, just in support of us. Another lady brought a huge fan into her yard and hooked a hose up behind it to cool us down as we walked past. People were amazing and incredibly supportive.

My feet erupted into blisters that day. I think around 9-10 showed up. I was in a lot of pain. I had to remind myself that this walk isn't at all about me, the walk is about people fighting for their lives, going through chemo and radiation, losing the breasts and losing their lives. I could deal with blisters.


That evening we were hit with rain, thunder and lightening. We were evacuated from our tents at 3:00 am into the college because of the lightening. By the time we got the okay to head back to the tents it was well after 4:00 am and we were planning to get up around 5:00. Kelly tried to shut up the people around us, but it didn't help...I think we got about 10 more minutes of sleep...ugh.

{SUNDAY}

We learned that morning that the route had to be redone because of some flooding and that the mileage would be 18.7 for the day...giving us a total of 64.1 miles. Because of this they offered to bus people 3.2 miles to the first pit stop. We did not take the bus, but rather started walking. It was tough on my feet, really tough, but it was a new day, it looked like the rain was going to stay away and this was day 3...we had made it so far! It didn't take long for the heat to start and ended up being well into the 90s that day. At lunch mom and I contemplated taking a van to the next pit stop, 3.2 miles away, but learned they would only take us to the end. We definitely didn't want to do that, so we kept on going. We walked that day with Pete. Kristina met Pete last year through her friend, Melissa. Melissa's best friend, Pete's wife, Sherry died of breast cancer just over a year ago. This is Pete's second walk and he was in the top 25 finishers the first 2 days. He walked with us and was definitely NOT in the top 25! :) We played games to pass the time which definitely helped, we went to a pit stop where a fire truck set up a hose at the very top of it's long ladder for us to run through, we ate lots of popsicles, drank a ton of water, sang some cadences to pass the time and we made it...over 64 miles to Montrose Park on the lakeshore.



We rested awhile, doctored my blisters (14 of them by now) and waited for closing ceremonies. We lined up in rows of 8, walkers going first. We walked through the crowds to the closing ceremonies and waited. Then, dressed in pink shirts, the survivors walked. Some of them walking in the midst of struggling with cancer, some of them survivors for many years. I know that one lady was even walking with stage 4 breast cancer. The walkers saluted them...with our shoes...an amazing and powerful moment.





The walkers and crew of this 3 Day in Chicago raised 5.6 million dollars for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. With the money raised in Boston, in 2 weekends, 11.6 million dollars has been raised!

For 3 days the things I think are important in my life didn't matter. For 3 days my feet hurt like hell, but sometimes my heart would hurt a little more. For 3 days I saw just how much breast cancer can hurt people. For 3 days I felt like I was making a difference. For 3 days I was helping to make "a world without Breast Cancer...because everyone deserves a lifetime."



So...who's joining me next year??
Yes, Kristina, I said "next year." :)