But somehow I don't think the world was waiting breathlessly to read of my Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk experience! But hell...here it is anyway...we finished!!!
My sister-in-law and I have decided that this experience was like childbirth...you swear at the end you are never going to do it again. And then about 1 week later, after sharing the experience, you decided it would be so great to do again! Because the next time you would know what to expect and be PREPARED!
SO...let me tell you....it was GRUELING! 3 Days....60 miles...coupled with camping out. First let me just share that I am not a "camping out" kinda gal. I am not an unusually girlie girl, and love the outdoors, but don't enjoy sleeping out there. For a person who likes to keep bodily functions mysterious, camping just doesn't do it.
But we had to camp out! That was part of the gig...okay...bring it on.
The Susan G. Komen organizers have this stuff down!!! They are masters at this walk and go out of their way to make you feel WONDERFUL about beating the shit out of your body for 3 days! The enthusiasm of the crowd (I called it the group psychology) is what gets you through. They have it set up so you can stop for potty breaks (porta potties mind you...another of my camper's nightmares) and drinks and snacks approximately every 3 miles.
Our mentality THEN became, "I can't walk 20 miles at once, but I CAN WALK 3 miles", seven times! Brilliant! Whoever thought that up should get a goddamn raise!
And on the first day, as we were coming close to our campsite, I said to Alena, "surely they would not make a bunch of girls, who probably don't really dig camping anyway, and who have just walked 8 -1/2 hours straight, put up their own tents...surely NOT huh?" And before she could answer...we walked into camp amid CHEERS for our accomplishment and there was a sea of pink tents! And I said Hallelujah! Thank God....and then Alena said, "Why all the empty spots in between pink tents" "Shit...we ARE tent builders." Luckily we looked exhausted and pitiful enough that a wonderful male volunteer helped us. (translation... we watched him do it)
So....hot showers in the mobile 18 wheeler truck, a nice hot meal and some camaraderie in the big tent, and sleeping in balmy 40 degree weather!
"Damn it's cold, whose idea was this anyway" I asked Alena. "Yours bitch...go to sleep", she laughed.
But together we raised over $6,000 ! The last day was especially grueling, but we decided the night before, amidst speeches from breast cancer survivors and a bunch of Rah Rah Rah's, that we were going to make it through! And we did! Our feet wrapped in duct tape...yep....duct tape helps keep away the blisters! Alena did end up with a blister so big that it looked as if her pinkie toe had an "ass". But she refused to take her shoes off so that she could not see what damage she was doing to her feet!
Would I do it again! Absolutely! I never thought I could, and now I know I can do whatever I set my mind to! And if our fund raising helps women with breast cancer, or helps prevent a woman from getting breast cancer...then blisters be damned!
