Tender Tootsies and Remarkable Memories of a 60-Mile Labor of Love

With sore tootsies and aching muscles behind me, and my sixty-mile quest fresh in my memory, I sit down at my laptop to write about the most awesome adventure I have undertaken since giving birth and raising my son.

Phew! Where do I begin? There are so many moments that touched me during those three days on the  walk, it is difficult to choose those moments that would be of the most interest to you, unless you were fortunate enough to be a part of the event.

It is my hope in this blog to share with everyone out there how wonderful it is to do something so big and powerful for breast cancer research and in touching hearts and saving lives! Even if you have not participated in the event, I want you to experience what I and hundreds of other volunteers have experienced during this amazing journey. My goodness, I’ve put some pressure on myself, haven’t I?

Getting ready for the 3-Day was effortless at first, then the heavy-duty training kicked in, and I began to realize that this is no simple task at all. Many first-timers, including myself, thought, “What is the big deal? I walk all the time, I can do this!”

Then I went on my first ten-mile walk, and I discovered, gee, this is harder than I thought. What was I going to do when it came time to accomplish twenty each day for three days?  I started rethinking the process, and asking myself, “hmmm, what have I gotten myself into?”

After talking with veteran walkers, and going on the website and reading the stories of how this event has impacted so many lives, I began to see what a “big deal” it really is.

The testimonies from survivors of the disease and from family members who have lost loved ones to breast cancer gave me a renewed sense of purpose, and I laced up my shoes and set out once more on another training walk…

Let’s see if I can do fourteen miles this time! Ok, maybe I’ll do twelve for now.  Twelve is good, isn’t it? Twelve miles soon turned into sixteen, then into eighteen, followed by a couple back-to-back walks, then, Oh my gosh, it is the weekend of the event! Am I ready for this? Have I prepared enough? Well, it’s too late to worry about that now…you will have to wing it, girlfriend!

Are you guys tired yet? Just writing this takes me back to training all over again.  Now, I’ll take you to the night before the event.

"All packed. Check. My credentials are ready. Check. Fanny pack and backpack are filled with everything from bandages to foot powder. Oh, and my water bottle…can’t forget that. Check. Now, I’ve got to get to bed and get some sleep.

I have to get up at 3:00 AM, maybe 3:30ish, and be downtown by 5:30 a.m... no problem. Alarm clock set. Check. Ok, now sleep!

Just close your eyes, Betty, and rest. Sleep, I said! Ok, it’s 1:00 AM… don't panic. I can still get a couple of hours… no problem. What if I don’t sleep? How can I do this? Oh, God, please let me get just a little sleep! I promise I won’t complain… just a little sleep!

Hmmm, it’s not happening. Well, in about ten minutes it will be 3:00 AM… there’s, no point in even trying to sleep now. Just get a refreshing shower, have a nice breakfast, and relax a bit… no problem. I’ve gone without sleep before, right? It’ll be hard, but I can do this! Once I get to Opening Ceremonies, my energy will return.

It did!   

Well, that’s it for now. Yep, that’s all I’m giving you today. Stay tuned for more of my exciting escapades in the next blog post. Please let me know what you think, and I hope you keep coming back.

Smiles to you,

Betty