October 27th, 28th & 29th - 3 days I will never forget.
The actual mileage for the event ended up being 56.1 miles. I walked 29 of it. I couldn't be happier with myself for my accomplishment. Here's a link to my 3Day Photos. And below is the best I can do to describe what it's like to participate in an event like this.
When people say it will change your life, they don’t really explain how and until you do it you can’t imagine how. I’ll do my best to describe it because it really had absolutely nothing to do with being affected by everything that comes with breast cancer or any illness for that matter.
It was the whole collective consciousness of doing something good and right. There were 3000-ish people all together, doing the same thing for the same reasons. You can’t grasp the positive energy that comes with that many people doing something like that for 3 whole days. Everyone and I mean EVERY.ONE. was nice, pleasant, happy, supportive, encouraging and using every ounce of energy they had to walk. And if they weren’t walking they used every ounce of energy they had to support those who were. And the ones who were walking used every ounce of energy they had to support those who were supporting us. It was absolutely amazing.
Everyone thanked us for walking, we thanked ourselves and each other for walking, and all the walkers thanked everyone who wasn’t walking for doing whatever it was they were doing. Thank you for helping us cross the street. Thank you for serving me food. Thank you for bringing us toilet paper. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you for cheering us on. Thank you for playing this music to keep us going. Thank you for stopping to pick me up because I can walk no more.
And when it wasn’t thank yous, it was please, and good morning, and how are you? Do you need encouragement? You can do it! YAY!! GO WALKERS! Have a sticker! YAY! Here’s some water! You’re doing great! People driving by honking horns and waving, kids yelling “Thank you!” from the back seat of their family’s car. Constant encouragement, constant gratitude.
It was the hardest, most fulfilling thing I've ever done.
It was the world we all want to live in, for 3 whole days.
It was absolutely incredible.
