60 Miles

A few items collected over the Breast Cancer 3-Day.

The journey began many months ago when I signed up for the San Diego Breast Cancer 3-Day.  The next step was the start of my training, which eventually led to me walking an average of more than 30 miles a week.  I then had to start my fundraising.  I was required to raise a minimum of $2200, decided to shoot for $5000 and ended up raising more than $5700.  Between walking almost everyday and writing a stack of thank you cards each week, my feet and my hands were getting the biggest workouts ever.  This past Thursday the official adventure finally began and after picking up a rental car in Santa Monica, my best friend and I were headed to San Diego to walk 60 miles over three days with more than 4600 other walkers, all of whom collectively raised more than $12 million.

We got to have lunch with the Delight-Full Denise before hooking up with the rest of our team of 13, a group of amazing women from all over the country.  We ate pizza together Thursday night before meeting up again at 5:00am the next day to begin our weekend.  And what a weekend it was.  Walking, walking and more walking...three days of three beautiful routes alongside the ocean, up monstrous hills and through lovely neighborhoods.  Three days during which we were cheered on by hundreds and hundreds of supporters who offered us applause, well wishes, candy, tissues, granola bars, water, stickers and countless shouts of "Great job!" and "Thank you for walking!"  Every step of the way people were there to give us the energy we needed to cover all those miles despite aches and pains that increased exponentially each day.

Did I mention we had to rest our weary selves in sleeping bags each night after walking 20+ miles?  That we warmed up in mobile showers and ate our dinner at tables long enough to seat 50 people?  That we shared a city of pink tents with thousands of walkers and crew members, shared moans and groans from stiff muscles, blisters, and sore feet?  That the best way to describe the visual scene is to say it was a lot like Burning Man but without the drugs, with walkers and cheerleaders dressed in tutus, pink wigs, butterfly wings, bee costumes, chicken outfits and tiaras?

It is a daunting task to try to come up with a description of all the emotions, to try to explain what this experience was really like.  It is hard to imagine a statement with enough depth, energy and impact to capture the way my heart was bursting open by the time we were walking the final two blocks to the closing ceremonies with crowds of people lining both sides of the street clapping, cheering and smiling at us.  But it is sometimes the smaller of the stories that says it all...those few moments in the midst of a thousand extraordinary moments that stays in the forefront of your mind after everything is over and all the pink balloons have been released.

Throughout the walk there was one man who kept appearing, standing alongside our route by himself clapping and cheering.  And let me tell you, with more than 4600 walkers he was standing, clapping and cheering for a loooooong time at each of his stops.  We saw him at least three times a day and every day he always wore a laminated photograph of two young women around his neck.  On the second day we stopped to talk to him, and he explained that the women in the photo were his sister and his daughter-in-law, both of whom died from breast cancer, one of whom left his son and one year old grandson behind.  This man was not bitter or weepy or angry; he almost seemed happy to share his story and share the picture of these beautiful angels in his life, and he cheered and smiled and clapped and yelled all weekend long.  It is this man I keep thinking of, and the women in the photo around his neck, because at the end of the day these are the people we were all walking for.   It is easy to get caught up in the fun and frolic of the event, the  tired-ness, the sore-ness, the sometimes profound desire to get back home to our own beds and showers, but more than anything this weekend was about walking.  Because we could walk.  Because we were healthy.  Because we made a commitment that not everyone is able to make.  Because sometimes that is the best reason to go for an outrageous goal that you know will be difficult and perhaps even painful at times.

Because you are here.  Because you can.

Comments

[Sally]

What a inspiring and wonderful account of our experience! It made me cry and made me re-live the amazing moments of our journey. I am so glad I had the opportunity to get to know you, Pat and the Jersey girls! The walk is something I'll never forget - the memories are absolutely priceless. There was a job to do and by golly we did it! Because we could...

[Mom]

Way to go my wonderful Beannie Blossom! I am so very proud of you!

mom

[Angie]

I stumbled onto your blog through the superhero site...and have been checking in regularly ever since.

THANK YOU !!! Our family does the Relay for Life event every year - my father-in-law had a bone marrow transplant 6/99 for Leukemia and has had to fight the fight again this year with stage 3 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He has 2 chemo treatments to go and a pretty much clean bill of health from his docs. For me, I have a very direct reason for donating my time to these events.

But I know what you mean about all of a sudden realizing WHY you do something like this. It's amazing how much a stranger's story can touch and affect you.

I will always donate in any way I can...be it money, time, or by walking. In fact, my mother-in-law, my husband and I all go to the Red Cross every 56 days and donate blood as a group (aside from when I have been pregnant).

Thank you again...not only for generously giving up your time, but because you now have inspired others to follow in your "footsteps".

~Angie

[Pat]

It was an incredible experience I am honored to have shared with you.

[schmoops]

i loved reading about your special experience with this. i have known many who have done this walk, all with amazing stories of hope and connection. one day i hope to have the strength to do this too. because i can. thank you for sharing your story, and walking, because you are here, and because you can. you are an empowering rockstar. xoxo

[Nicole]

Sho - You are simply AMAZING. love you !
nicole

[Cre8Tiva]

you are a true treasure to the world you live in...it is such a beautiful story...congrats...blessings, rebecca

[gscookie]

Thank you for so wonderfully putting my emotions into words. I'm a survivor who walked in Philly six weeks ago and STILL can't get all those amazing little moments out of my mind. The 3-Day is definitely an experience that is hard to adequately describe to someone not involved -- yet we all keep trying to do so because it means so much to us.

[violetkey]

What a great story. Congratulations for making it to the end of the walkathon and thank you for your motivation - because you could - excellent.

[laurette]

What a heartfelt experience, I felt very humbled by the commitment that these people made to walk all those miles in support of breast cancer.
I salute all of you

[boho girl]

i remember a moment when i was waiting to cheer you on where i couldn't speak from the emotion welling.

there was a tall woman all dressed in pink. it was clear she had lost all her hair and on her head was a pink baseball hat. she was standing for an hour on the edge, cheering all of you on with what looked like tears in her eyes.

i looked at my husband as tears welled and told him that i have never seen so many brave and selfless people in one place. it was overwhelming and unforgettable.

seeing you walk toward me, i swelled with so much pride and awe of you and all your hard work and efforts for such an amazing cause. i am so glad that your efforts where so tangible when meeting that man and a plethora of others on this journey of yours.

i am inspired by you, every day.

love you.

[colorsonmymind]

I am clapping-how beautiful-how empowering-how beautiful.

[liz elayne]

beautiful you...thank you for sharing this story...i am typing through tears.
thank you for sharing this lesson of "because you can" - so very powerful.

[Liz]

beautiful, uplifting, wonderful story, and congrats on finishing the walk and doing it for all the becauses you could ever come up with...

[Ann]

Thank you for walking...for us all! You are wonderful!

[Frida]

Yes! I couldn't have said it better myself. Because we are here and because we can - because it matters. You are my hero. xx

[Melissa]

Because you are a SuperHero for walking with me! It is an experience I will never forget. xoxo