It was over. The Euphoria of being involved in such an incredible event was still clinging to every fiber of my being but after H's brother and SIL dropped me off at the hotel that feeling started to wane. It was time to go back to the real world.
The next morning I gave myself a treat and took a cab to Union Station instead of the Metro. I got there in plenty of time to line up and get on the Acela home. This is definitely my favorite mode of transportation now. If I am able, I will use the Acela from now on.
I spent most of the trip writing out as much my thoughts from the weekend that I could capture. Trying to get as much down as possible while it was still fresh. The unrest at home kept intruding on that though. There were a few problems that had developed while I was away, including a Death in the Family and now I was forced to really start thinking about these things.
In the following days I really do think I developed a bit of "Post-Walk Depression" but as I recorded my story and shared it with other people one thing became absolutely clear. I was going to do the Walk again.
Boston 2010 -- I'll be there.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Walking for a Cure: The 3-Day Part XIV: Closing Ceremonies...
The Closing Ceremonies is the reason why I have slowed down so much in posting about the 3-Day walk.
The more I thought about it, the more difficult it seemed to vocalize this last leg of our Walk. As always, the length between the sign that said "Holding Area 1 mile" and the Holding Area seemed much longer than the advertised mile. By this point, everything was hurting and it was through sheer force of will that we were making it through this last mile under our own power. Laurie was walking about 20 yards ahead of me and the "Caboose" was riding just behind me as we marched on towards the end. The cheerful encouragement from the Moto and Bike Safety people as well as just the average people on the street helped to buoy our spirits and keep us moving.
We came down the hill and into the Holding area amidst cheers and high fives. L and I were the last walkers for the day and now was just the short walk over to the Lincoln Memorial for the finish. It was tough. There was elation at finishing the route, anguish that we still had a short way to go and excitement coming off of all the people around us. Words can not really describe the feeling of accomplishment, of completing a goal and of being a part of something special and wonderful. Those feelings were all that carried me through the next 45 minutes to an hour waiting for the ceremony to complete.
At this point, the body was done. Everything was screaming to be allowed to stop and sit down. The feet especially just wanted me to get off of them. L's sister-in-law was kind enough to hang back and walk with me to the car when she noticed that I could not keep up with the others. This really touched me and I thanked her very much. She just thanked me for walking. And that is what kept me moving to get to dinner. Which was an incredible relief.
The more I thought about it, the more difficult it seemed to vocalize this last leg of our Walk. As always, the length between the sign that said "Holding Area 1 mile" and the Holding Area seemed much longer than the advertised mile. By this point, everything was hurting and it was through sheer force of will that we were making it through this last mile under our own power. Laurie was walking about 20 yards ahead of me and the "Caboose" was riding just behind me as we marched on towards the end. The cheerful encouragement from the Moto and Bike Safety people as well as just the average people on the street helped to buoy our spirits and keep us moving.
We came down the hill and into the Holding area amidst cheers and high fives. L and I were the last walkers for the day and now was just the short walk over to the Lincoln Memorial for the finish. It was tough. There was elation at finishing the route, anguish that we still had a short way to go and excitement coming off of all the people around us. Words can not really describe the feeling of accomplishment, of completing a goal and of being a part of something special and wonderful. Those feelings were all that carried me through the next 45 minutes to an hour waiting for the ceremony to complete.
At this point, the body was done. Everything was screaming to be allowed to stop and sit down. The feet especially just wanted me to get off of them. L's sister-in-law was kind enough to hang back and walk with me to the car when she noticed that I could not keep up with the others. This really touched me and I thanked her very much. She just thanked me for walking. And that is what kept me moving to get to dinner. Which was an incredible relief.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Walking for a Cure: The 3-Day Part XIII: The Home Stretch
Despite picking up a pretty good lead again at lunch, by the time we made it to Pit Stop 3, we were racing against the closing of the route again. We got to Pit Stop 3 only 5-10 minutes before they were closing for the day but we took the time to stop and rest anyway. We both iced our wounds for a few minutes and watched as people started clearing up, but we wanted to make the rest of the day under our own power. So we got up and got going again.
Side Note: Pit Stop 3 was manned by a Crew Team called "Save Second Base"...they wore baseball uniforms and attire and were generally an all around great bunch of people in larger bunch of awesome people.
We only had 3.5 miles or so to go at that point. At least to the "Holding Area" -- the last section of the walk we would do together, en masse, once everyone was rounded up at the "Holding Area" first. Sheer will power and the inspiration of our loved ones was probably all that kept us going. Every chance we got, we stopped and stretched.
At Pit Stop 4 the one blister I had all weekend made it quite clear it needed attention. As the wonderful girls at the Medical Circle bandaged me up, L took the chance to sit back, take a breather and stretch a bit more. She was drooping quite a bit, and it was a lot easier to keep up with her but it was obvious that she was determined. We were going to finish this day.
At the "1 mile to Holding Area" sign, we stopped and took pictures of us pointing and laughing. There's that "1 mile" promise again... I still don't believe it. By that time we already had the "Caboose" on our tail but she wasn't really pushing us along as we were doing just fine for time. L's pace kept her about 10-20 yards ahead of me, depending on how hard I was pushing myself at any given point. The chant for my Mom was being spoken out loud without reservation: "Left...Left...Left, Right, Left".
Side Note: Pit Stop 3 was manned by a Crew Team called "Save Second Base"...they wore baseball uniforms and attire and were generally an all around great bunch of people in larger bunch of awesome people.
We only had 3.5 miles or so to go at that point. At least to the "Holding Area" -- the last section of the walk we would do together, en masse, once everyone was rounded up at the "Holding Area" first. Sheer will power and the inspiration of our loved ones was probably all that kept us going. Every chance we got, we stopped and stretched.
At Pit Stop 4 the one blister I had all weekend made it quite clear it needed attention. As the wonderful girls at the Medical Circle bandaged me up, L took the chance to sit back, take a breather and stretch a bit more. She was drooping quite a bit, and it was a lot easier to keep up with her but it was obvious that she was determined. We were going to finish this day.
At the "1 mile to Holding Area" sign, we stopped and took pictures of us pointing and laughing. There's that "1 mile" promise again... I still don't believe it. By that time we already had the "Caboose" on our tail but she wasn't really pushing us along as we were doing just fine for time. L's pace kept her about 10-20 yards ahead of me, depending on how hard I was pushing myself at any given point. The chant for my Mom was being spoken out loud without reservation: "Left...Left...Left, Right, Left".
Walking for a Cure: The 3-Day Part XII: Cute of the Day
There was a lot of cuteness along the route. There were several places each day where kids were cheering us on with bells or pom-poms. But there was one instance of particular cuteness each day:
Friday: The cute was also extremely surprising as a walker came along side of us with a baby sling across her front. Carrying her 7-week old newborn with her this walker was still recovering from labor and delivery but was doing the walk anyway. The absolutely adorable pair were moving along at a really good clip too. She walked with us for only a few minutes before she was off again.
Saturday: Saturday is when we met Gorki. Gorki was a gorgeous Alaskan Husky who was sitting out in his front yard. Just above him was a sign that said. "Hi, My name is Gorki. I support your cause." He was very quiet and gentle, patiently accepting attention from all the walkers who stopped to say hello. While we were there the crowd around him got a bit big and I started to worry that this may not be the best situation to leave a dog in but looking up at the house, someone was standing at the window keeping an eye on Gorki and how he was doing. I smiled and waved at them. They nodded and waved back.
Sunday: A tiny little toddler who probably only recently started walking was writing in pink chalk on the sidewalk. As we came by his Dad encouraged him to give "high fives!" and the little man put his hand up to give us "high fives". It was very very cute.
Friday: The cute was also extremely surprising as a walker came along side of us with a baby sling across her front. Carrying her 7-week old newborn with her this walker was still recovering from labor and delivery but was doing the walk anyway. The absolutely adorable pair were moving along at a really good clip too. She walked with us for only a few minutes before she was off again.
Saturday: Saturday is when we met Gorki. Gorki was a gorgeous Alaskan Husky who was sitting out in his front yard. Just above him was a sign that said. "Hi, My name is Gorki. I support your cause." He was very quiet and gentle, patiently accepting attention from all the walkers who stopped to say hello. While we were there the crowd around him got a bit big and I started to worry that this may not be the best situation to leave a dog in but looking up at the house, someone was standing at the window keeping an eye on Gorki and how he was doing. I smiled and waved at them. They nodded and waved back.
Sunday: A tiny little toddler who probably only recently started walking was writing in pink chalk on the sidewalk. As we came by his Dad encouraged him to give "high fives!" and the little man put his hand up to give us "high fives". It was very very cute.
Walking for a Cure: The 3-Day Part XI: Coming round the bend...
Both L and I were rather creaky and struggling on Sunday morning and I could tell she was worse off than me because I didn't have that difficult a time keeping up with her that morning. Sunday was the shortest day, because Saturday had been so long (the route was 22.5 miles on Saturday and only 16.5 on Sunday). We were looking forward to the finish and really hoping to do at least the majority of the route for the day.
We did take a Sweep Van that was so overloaded that I had to sit up front in a bucket seat with the Van's shotgun rider. It was tight and cramped but the feet were really quite hurting again so it was worth it. I did fall a bit getting into the van, but I wasn't hurt at all. The Sweep Van Crew were awesome in trying to get everybody all set. The Shotgun rider had to hold on to me to keep me from falling into the Driver but I assured her that I was very huggable and didn't mind being touched at all. She was relieved to hear that and quite happy to give out hugs at random.
We were on the home stretch and though there were a lot of walkers taking advantage of the Sweep Vans the atmosphere was excited albeit somewhat tired. It was the last day and we just coming around the bend to the final step. Everyone was happy and relieved. It was Sunday morning that we broke down and gave in to L's desire for Starbucks. Considering we were constantly passing them along the route, I was quite proud that she was able to hold off until then. I'm more of a Dunkin Donuts girl and we only passed a couple on the route so I was able to restrain myself. Though I did get an ice coffee at Starbuck's it was not really my cup of tea and the small size cup wasn't worth savoring the way I do with DD's.
We were falling a bit behind so when we hit the last Pit Stop before lunch and it was about to close, we grabbed the bus to Lunch. We were hoping to get ahead of the game again and so we got ourselves lunch, heard a few more people's stories and headed out again. That was the last time we took the bus or a Sweep Van. We made it the rest of the way under our own power
We did take a Sweep Van that was so overloaded that I had to sit up front in a bucket seat with the Van's shotgun rider. It was tight and cramped but the feet were really quite hurting again so it was worth it. I did fall a bit getting into the van, but I wasn't hurt at all. The Sweep Van Crew were awesome in trying to get everybody all set. The Shotgun rider had to hold on to me to keep me from falling into the Driver but I assured her that I was very huggable and didn't mind being touched at all. She was relieved to hear that and quite happy to give out hugs at random.
We were on the home stretch and though there were a lot of walkers taking advantage of the Sweep Vans the atmosphere was excited albeit somewhat tired. It was the last day and we just coming around the bend to the final step. Everyone was happy and relieved. It was Sunday morning that we broke down and gave in to L's desire for Starbucks. Considering we were constantly passing them along the route, I was quite proud that she was able to hold off until then. I'm more of a Dunkin Donuts girl and we only passed a couple on the route so I was able to restrain myself. Though I did get an ice coffee at Starbuck's it was not really my cup of tea and the small size cup wasn't worth savoring the way I do with DD's.
We were falling a bit behind so when we hit the last Pit Stop before lunch and it was about to close, we grabbed the bus to Lunch. We were hoping to get ahead of the game again and so we got ourselves lunch, heard a few more people's stories and headed out again. That was the last time we took the bus or a Sweep Van. We made it the rest of the way under our own power
Walking for a Cure: The 3-Day Part X: Really Cold Night
Though the mylar blanket lining my sleeping bag kept me fairly toasty, I could feel through my face that it was *damn cold* out there. Sometime towards the morning, I had another conversation with my bladder:
Bladder: Uh, I need to go...
Brain: No, you don't.
Bladder: Yes, yes, I really think I do.
Brain: It is fracking freezing out there!!! You can wait a couple of hours.
Bladder: I'm not so sure...
Brain: I am... go back to sleep!
Bladder: but...
Brain and Body: GO BACK TO SLEEP!
Bladder: ok... ok...
When I heard L calling my name later (SHOCK! She was the first one up all three mornings!!), I still felt like it was too cold to get up. But we had to take our tent down and pack up our stuff. Since the medical tent visit last night robbed me of any motivation to take a shower before bed... my first move was to get a shower. And though the hot shower did warm me up for a bit, there weren't as many people showering so it wasn't nearly as warm as the first time. By the time I got dressed, I was starting to feel cool again. Then came the joy of packing up our tent, our stuff and L was running into the problem of not being able to get all her stuff back in her luggage.
The work was slow moving, with the cold and wet making our fingers even less interested in working right. But we muscled through it and finally made our way to breakfast. Several of the walkers still had their mylar blankets from the previous evening. Silver was shining everywhere are the walkers used the wonderful invention of mylar to keep them a bit warmer. I was really wishing that one of the set of pants that I had brought were full length instead of capri. My ankles and lower shins were FREEZING. As we waited in line for the buses to ferry us to the starting point for the Last Day's Route, I wrapped the mylar around my lower body to keep my legs and shins warm. It helped.
It really did take far far too long for the day to warm up though. The first couple miles of the trip had us still cooler than we wanted to be. Thank Gods that exercise generates body heat.
Bladder: Uh, I need to go...
Brain: No, you don't.
Bladder: Yes, yes, I really think I do.
Brain: It is fracking freezing out there!!! You can wait a couple of hours.
Bladder: I'm not so sure...
Brain: I am... go back to sleep!
Bladder: but...
Brain and Body: GO BACK TO SLEEP!
Bladder: ok... ok...
When I heard L calling my name later (SHOCK! She was the first one up all three mornings!!), I still felt like it was too cold to get up. But we had to take our tent down and pack up our stuff. Since the medical tent visit last night robbed me of any motivation to take a shower before bed... my first move was to get a shower. And though the hot shower did warm me up for a bit, there weren't as many people showering so it wasn't nearly as warm as the first time. By the time I got dressed, I was starting to feel cool again. Then came the joy of packing up our tent, our stuff and L was running into the problem of not being able to get all her stuff back in her luggage.
The work was slow moving, with the cold and wet making our fingers even less interested in working right. But we muscled through it and finally made our way to breakfast. Several of the walkers still had their mylar blankets from the previous evening. Silver was shining everywhere are the walkers used the wonderful invention of mylar to keep them a bit warmer. I was really wishing that one of the set of pants that I had brought were full length instead of capri. My ankles and lower shins were FREEZING. As we waited in line for the buses to ferry us to the starting point for the Last Day's Route, I wrapped the mylar around my lower body to keep my legs and shins warm. It helped.
It really did take far far too long for the day to warm up though. The first couple miles of the trip had us still cooler than we wanted to be. Thank Gods that exercise generates body heat.
Walking for a Cure: The 3-Day Part IX: Medic!!
Once again, I am not really sure how I got to the dining tent with a plate full of food and milk. But the thought has crossed my mind that the journey was just too painful to remember. But as I got to the edge of the dining tent I was met with a cacophony of voices that stopped me in my tracks and I just blanked. I stood there, dazed and confused, staring into the tent. I'm really not sure how long I stood there before I heard a voice beside me.
"Do you need help, hon? You look a little lost. Are you ok? Do you need something?" I turned to see the Greeter Girl from Pit Stop 1 looking at me with mild amusement mixed with concern. As I tried to formulate an answer I saw the concern on her face getting more pronounced. Wanting to reassure her I shook my head which sent pain down to my feet. She quickly grabbed my arm.
"I need to sit down and I need to find my friends." I said, still wincing at the pain in my feet. The Girl (one of many whose names I should have learned but didn't) steered me into the tent.
"Let's get you sitting down first, then we will worry about finding your friends." With her hand still on my arm she manuevered me to one side of the tent and sat me in front of a heater for the tent. Hot to Warm air washed over my body and instantly I felt a bit better. The temperature had really started to drop outside. My Guardian Angel offered to get me more to drink and search for my friends, but I waved her off, telling her to eat her own dinner. Shortly after that, I saw L and T navigating through the tent looking for seats. Somehow I managed to get L on her cell and direct them to my spot. We all luxuriated in the warmth for quite a while as we took in dinner. We sat through much of the evening entertainment as well, trying very hard to postpone the inevitable. But we were both hurting so bad, that we knew we were going to have to hit the medical tent. That meant we had to get up and walk over to the Medical tent.
Finally deciding we needed to move, T offered each of us an arm to help us across camp. But once again the AWESOME members of Crew came to the rescue. A Crew girl was doing a trash run near us when we emerged from the tent. Instantly noticing we were in need of help she converted her mini-truck into an ambulance and gave us a ride to Medical. I had to sit on L's lap and there was one moment where I was afraid I might go bounding out of the vehicle, but we made it there in A LOT less time than it would have taken us to walk.
This is where I learned I have unusually high arches for such small feet. The swelling around the balls of my feet was due to excessive pressure being put on the arches without enough support underneath them. The doctor strongly urged I get orthotics if I wanted to continue long distance walking. With instructions to where the sneakers with the best arch support on the last day and to ice the bottom of my feet as much as I can, I was sent on my way. L had some larger issues and was in the tent for a bit longer while they iced both her ankles and her thigh.
By the time she returned from the medical tent I had lined my sleeping bag with the thermal blanket they gave me at the medical tent and had snuggled into sleep. It was a cold night.
"Do you need help, hon? You look a little lost. Are you ok? Do you need something?" I turned to see the Greeter Girl from Pit Stop 1 looking at me with mild amusement mixed with concern. As I tried to formulate an answer I saw the concern on her face getting more pronounced. Wanting to reassure her I shook my head which sent pain down to my feet. She quickly grabbed my arm.
"I need to sit down and I need to find my friends." I said, still wincing at the pain in my feet. The Girl (one of many whose names I should have learned but didn't) steered me into the tent.
"Let's get you sitting down first, then we will worry about finding your friends." With her hand still on my arm she manuevered me to one side of the tent and sat me in front of a heater for the tent. Hot to Warm air washed over my body and instantly I felt a bit better. The temperature had really started to drop outside. My Guardian Angel offered to get me more to drink and search for my friends, but I waved her off, telling her to eat her own dinner. Shortly after that, I saw L and T navigating through the tent looking for seats. Somehow I managed to get L on her cell and direct them to my spot. We all luxuriated in the warmth for quite a while as we took in dinner. We sat through much of the evening entertainment as well, trying very hard to postpone the inevitable. But we were both hurting so bad, that we knew we were going to have to hit the medical tent. That meant we had to get up and walk over to the Medical tent.
Finally deciding we needed to move, T offered each of us an arm to help us across camp. But once again the AWESOME members of Crew came to the rescue. A Crew girl was doing a trash run near us when we emerged from the tent. Instantly noticing we were in need of help she converted her mini-truck into an ambulance and gave us a ride to Medical. I had to sit on L's lap and there was one moment where I was afraid I might go bounding out of the vehicle, but we made it there in A LOT less time than it would have taken us to walk.
This is where I learned I have unusually high arches for such small feet. The swelling around the balls of my feet was due to excessive pressure being put on the arches without enough support underneath them. The doctor strongly urged I get orthotics if I wanted to continue long distance walking. With instructions to where the sneakers with the best arch support on the last day and to ice the bottom of my feet as much as I can, I was sent on my way. L had some larger issues and was in the tent for a bit longer while they iced both her ankles and her thigh.
By the time she returned from the medical tent I had lined my sleeping bag with the thermal blanket they gave me at the medical tent and had snuggled into sleep. It was a cold night.
Walking for a Cure: The 3-Day Part VIII: Inspiration
The quote of the trip was Saturday afternoon. Moto-safety woman in the crosswalk: "You are doing great! Only 2.5 miles to go. You could do 2.5 miles in your sleep... and some of you probably are..."
By this point in the game my feet were hurting really badly. There was quite a bit of swelling around the balls of my feet and each step was becoming more and more painful. But still, only 2.5 miles. I should be able to finish the day. My Mom started coming to mind. The week before I had been helping her walk and for the first time since the surgery we were able to take a short walk outside. Rhythm helps my Mom to keep her step so I often become the Drill Sargent. "Left...Left...Left, Right, Left" It would help her keep her stride.
I started repeating that march in my head as I pushed further into the late afternoon. Shortly after I started this, the "Caboose"'s bell sounded behind me. The Caboose was the Bike Safety person who followed after the last walker on the route to make sure that the different sections of the route were closed down on time. She asked me how was I doing and did I want a Sweep Van? I asked how much further we had to go and how much time was left. The answer came as 1.5 miles and 40 minutes.
I thought, 'I can do that.' So I picked up the pace and started chanting the march more purposefully. I think I was probably saying it out loud at several points even. It wasn't long before I had passed a few walkers and caught up with my partner L again. I told her about the conversation with the Caboose and she agreed with me that is was doable. But it wasn't long before she had taken off ahead of me again. The pain in the balls of my feet was slowing me down, though I was now determined to finish the route. The walkers I had passed were scooped by a Sweep Van and it wasn't long before the Caboose was right behind me again.
What I didn't realize was that being the last waslk for the day meant a big deal. I was escorted down the last half mile back to the camp by the moto-safety and bike-safety teams. It was kind of a dubious honor but it was humbling and overwhelming as well. There was a large gang of walkers and crew waiting to welcome me back to the camp. Once I was through the gate and scanned back into camp, a Staffer walked up with the closing flag and handed me one side. We walked the flag to the flagpole at the center of camp by the dining tent. Walkers were high-fiving me along the way, cheering and waving me on to the flag pole.
The amount of emotion coming off the crowd, directed at me, was almost shattering. I could not help but smile and cheer with the crowd even though the voice at the back of my head was going "Is this a bad time to mention I hate crowds?". We reached the flag pole and I raised the flag. It was only then that I saw what it said, "One day closer to a cure for Breast Cancer".
It made me smile, the pain in my feet temporarily forgotten. One day closer... We were over the hump and it was only one more day to the 60 mile end. Someone hugged me and said, "OK! OK? -- Go get yourself some food and we'll see you in the Dining Tent."
I couldn't think of a better idea at that point. Somewhat overwhelmed, dazed and confused, I hobbled over to the food line.
By this point in the game my feet were hurting really badly. There was quite a bit of swelling around the balls of my feet and each step was becoming more and more painful. But still, only 2.5 miles. I should be able to finish the day. My Mom started coming to mind. The week before I had been helping her walk and for the first time since the surgery we were able to take a short walk outside. Rhythm helps my Mom to keep her step so I often become the Drill Sargent. "Left...Left...Left, Right, Left" It would help her keep her stride.
I started repeating that march in my head as I pushed further into the late afternoon. Shortly after I started this, the "Caboose"'s bell sounded behind me. The Caboose was the Bike Safety person who followed after the last walker on the route to make sure that the different sections of the route were closed down on time. She asked me how was I doing and did I want a Sweep Van? I asked how much further we had to go and how much time was left. The answer came as 1.5 miles and 40 minutes.
I thought, 'I can do that.' So I picked up the pace and started chanting the march more purposefully. I think I was probably saying it out loud at several points even. It wasn't long before I had passed a few walkers and caught up with my partner L again. I told her about the conversation with the Caboose and she agreed with me that is was doable. But it wasn't long before she had taken off ahead of me again. The pain in the balls of my feet was slowing me down, though I was now determined to finish the route. The walkers I had passed were scooped by a Sweep Van and it wasn't long before the Caboose was right behind me again.
What I didn't realize was that being the last waslk for the day meant a big deal. I was escorted down the last half mile back to the camp by the moto-safety and bike-safety teams. It was kind of a dubious honor but it was humbling and overwhelming as well. There was a large gang of walkers and crew waiting to welcome me back to the camp. Once I was through the gate and scanned back into camp, a Staffer walked up with the closing flag and handed me one side. We walked the flag to the flagpole at the center of camp by the dining tent. Walkers were high-fiving me along the way, cheering and waving me on to the flag pole.
The amount of emotion coming off the crowd, directed at me, was almost shattering. I could not help but smile and cheer with the crowd even though the voice at the back of my head was going "Is this a bad time to mention I hate crowds?". We reached the flag pole and I raised the flag. It was only then that I saw what it said, "One day closer to a cure for Breast Cancer".
It made me smile, the pain in my feet temporarily forgotten. One day closer... We were over the hump and it was only one more day to the 60 mile end. Someone hugged me and said, "OK! OK? -- Go get yourself some food and we'll see you in the Dining Tent."
I couldn't think of a better idea at that point. Somewhat overwhelmed, dazed and confused, I hobbled over to the food line.
Walking for a Cure: The 3-Day Part VII: Almost There? Yeah, right.
Starting the 2nd day was much harder than the first. Then energy level of all the walkers was still very strong but it seemed like a very long day ahead of us. It did not take long for me to realize that I was not going to be able keep pace with my partner, L. I made a steady effort but several people passed me and H had to stop frequently to allow me to catch up. This time though, it wasn't my ankles that were bothering me, but my knee.
L had fallen back to keep pace with me for a while but just about a mile to the second pit stop we got scooped by a Sweep Van because the whole route was falling behind schedule. Each section of the route was scheduled to be closed down by a certain time and the stragglers who could not keep up were scooped by the Sweep Vans. But with my knee swelling up on me, I was grateful for the ride to the next pit stop. When I stepped down out of the van, I knew that I would be better off taking the bus to lunch then trying to continue to keep up with L.
Gratefully, I climbed the steps into the bus, took word puzzle book and a bag of ice for my knee. Each bus waited until it was full before it would take its occupants on to Lunch. It wasn't too long before that section of the route was closed down and the bus wasn't going to get any additional riders. I used my bandanna to tie the bag of ice around my knee, allowing the cold comfort to bring the swelling down and settled in for the ride to lunch. By the time L had walked to the lunch stop I had been there for almost two hours. I had been waited on by volunteers, had iced my knee twice over and had eaten my fill of lunch.
So I was in good shape to return the favor to L. Letting her sit and get comfortable at lunch I filled her water bottle for her and let her rant. There is such a thing as a "3-day mile" ... a mile that feels much longer than the measured mile. Both L and I were convinced that the mile marker signs for Pit Stops (1 mile to the next Pit Stop) lied. But now L was quite vocal that the signs leading up to lunch that day LIED and LIED outright. And it was after lunch on Saturday that I began to despise the term "Almost There".
Each time I heard someone say to us "almost there" I became less and less likely to believe it.
L had fallen back to keep pace with me for a while but just about a mile to the second pit stop we got scooped by a Sweep Van because the whole route was falling behind schedule. Each section of the route was scheduled to be closed down by a certain time and the stragglers who could not keep up were scooped by the Sweep Vans. But with my knee swelling up on me, I was grateful for the ride to the next pit stop. When I stepped down out of the van, I knew that I would be better off taking the bus to lunch then trying to continue to keep up with L.
Gratefully, I climbed the steps into the bus, took word puzzle book and a bag of ice for my knee. Each bus waited until it was full before it would take its occupants on to Lunch. It wasn't too long before that section of the route was closed down and the bus wasn't going to get any additional riders. I used my bandanna to tie the bag of ice around my knee, allowing the cold comfort to bring the swelling down and settled in for the ride to lunch. By the time L had walked to the lunch stop I had been there for almost two hours. I had been waited on by volunteers, had iced my knee twice over and had eaten my fill of lunch.
So I was in good shape to return the favor to L. Letting her sit and get comfortable at lunch I filled her water bottle for her and let her rant. There is such a thing as a "3-day mile" ... a mile that feels much longer than the measured mile. Both L and I were convinced that the mile marker signs for Pit Stops (1 mile to the next Pit Stop) lied. But now L was quite vocal that the signs leading up to lunch that day LIED and LIED outright. And it was after lunch on Saturday that I began to despise the term "Almost There".
Each time I heard someone say to us "almost there" I became less and less likely to believe it.
Walking for a Cure: The 3Day Part VI: Day 1 moves to Day 2
It was just as I was on the phone with my hubby saying goodnight that I started to hear the voices of my walking partner, L and her hubby, T, so I yelled out to them and they found their way to our tent. I handed the phone off to L so that she could say hello and good night before hanging up with him. Then displaying strength and energy I had no idea was there, I got up and helped L lay down plastic, stuff her air mattress into the tent and roll out her sleeping bag.
She had indeed brought extra plastic sheeting so we draped one sheet over the tent for extra protection against the rain that was supposed to fall that night. And she had plenty that could be tucked around the duffle bags to keep them dry as well. T had his own tent in the Crew area and after we all said goodnight, he went off to find his. L still hadn't hit the shower yet so she was collecting her stuff to do that when I started to crawl into my sleeping bag. The wind had picked up a good bit at that point and I dozed rather fitfully off and on as wind, rain and my tentmate's movements would bring me back to the here and now... The lights of the camp get shut off shortly after 9pm. It seemed like a very long time after that when I fell into a solid sleep. Then sometime before dawn, my bladder woke me up.
Bladder: I *REALLY* need to go.
Brain: But...it's raining really hard out there.
Bladder: Oh, but, I *REALLY* need to go.
Brain: Give it a few minutes, maybe the rain will slow down a bit at least.
Bladder: But...
Brain: Just give it a few minutes...
**Several minutes pass**
Bladder: I need to go and I need to go NOW!!!!!
Brain: OK Ok... let me find the rain poncho... **Get up, rummage around for poncho and shoes, find them, put them on... Off to the Porta-Potties**
Bladder: Aaaaaaaahhhh, thank you, thank you, thank you...
**Get out of Porta-Potties to find rain had stopped completely**
Brain: GAH! See!! If you had just waited a few more minutes.
Bladder: *stays conspiciously silent*
Fortunately it didn't take much to go back to sleep. L then surprised the heck of out me by being the first one up for the second day in a row. And despite the fact we were both up at 5:30am it was still almost 7:30 before we started on the route for the day. I'm not quite sure how that happened, but it had a lot to do with slow moving, savoring breakfast and just taking our time to get moving. But get moving we did and shortly before 7:30am we left camp to start the day's walk of 22.5 miles. The day would finally come to an end 11 hours later.
She had indeed brought extra plastic sheeting so we draped one sheet over the tent for extra protection against the rain that was supposed to fall that night. And she had plenty that could be tucked around the duffle bags to keep them dry as well. T had his own tent in the Crew area and after we all said goodnight, he went off to find his. L still hadn't hit the shower yet so she was collecting her stuff to do that when I started to crawl into my sleeping bag. The wind had picked up a good bit at that point and I dozed rather fitfully off and on as wind, rain and my tentmate's movements would bring me back to the here and now... The lights of the camp get shut off shortly after 9pm. It seemed like a very long time after that when I fell into a solid sleep. Then sometime before dawn, my bladder woke me up.
Bladder: I *REALLY* need to go.
Brain: But...it's raining really hard out there.
Bladder: Oh, but, I *REALLY* need to go.
Brain: Give it a few minutes, maybe the rain will slow down a bit at least.
Bladder: But...
Brain: Just give it a few minutes...
**Several minutes pass**
Bladder: I need to go and I need to go NOW!!!!!
Brain: OK Ok... let me find the rain poncho... **Get up, rummage around for poncho and shoes, find them, put them on... Off to the Porta-Potties**
Bladder: Aaaaaaaahhhh, thank you, thank you, thank you...
**Get out of Porta-Potties to find rain had stopped completely**
Brain: GAH! See!! If you had just waited a few more minutes.
Bladder: *stays conspiciously silent*
Fortunately it didn't take much to go back to sleep. L then surprised the heck of out me by being the first one up for the second day in a row. And despite the fact we were both up at 5:30am it was still almost 7:30 before we started on the route for the day. I'm not quite sure how that happened, but it had a lot to do with slow moving, savoring breakfast and just taking our time to get moving. But get moving we did and shortly before 7:30am we left camp to start the day's walk of 22.5 miles. The day would finally come to an end 11 hours later.
Walking for a Cure: The 3Day Part V: Oh, yeah, camping...
The veteren walker smiled at me both sympathetically and knowingly, "Getting up after dinner is always the worst. Take it a little slower."
I nodded and as I did the sign on my bag caught my eye. "Aunt Peggy and My Mom..." I thought of Mom and her slow deliberate movements when she would stand up from sitting and mimicked them. It was easier. Still quite painful, but much easier. I straightened my shoulders and smiled at my dinner companions. "Take it slow and easy, Ladies. Have a good night!"
From the Dining Tent to the area where the bags were located and then to our tent plot was a very slow walk in Hell. I nearly sat down and cried when I got to our tent plot and realized I had forgotten to pick up a tent. Fortunately, someone nearby exclaimed that they and their tentmate had both picked up a tent. She was perfectly happy to turn one over to me rather than have to return it to the bag pickup area. *phew* By this point I really just wanted to take a shower and crawl into my sleeping bag. Anything that made life simpler was something to be grateful about.
Putting up the tent was not that difficult. I had the main portion put together when two of the "Round To IT" Crew Team came by and finished the job by doing up the ties and then attaching the Rain Fly for me. (Once again I will mention that the Crew Volunteers were AWESOME) It was a fairly quick matter to inflate my airmattress and roll out my sleeping bag. We were going to have to store our bags outside the tent from the looks of space though. I realized I hadn't brought any tarps or plastic to drape over bags...I hoped that my partner had. The really neat thing about prepping ahead of time was that I had placed individual full outfits in gallon sized ziploc bags. I just had to grab my shower bag o' supplies and a ziploc of outfit to be able to run down to the showers. Spending the $8 on towel service was most definitely worth it.
Aaaaahhhh... Hot Shower. Who would have known that taking a shower in the back of a truck could feel so good? The sore muscles were exceedingly grateful for the heat and it was wonderfully refreshing. Getting back to the tent and lying down on my sleeping bag/air mattress felt really good as well. The uneaten brownie from dinner beckoned and I started to nibble on it. OK... maybe the camping part of this wasn't so bad.
I nodded and as I did the sign on my bag caught my eye. "Aunt Peggy and My Mom..." I thought of Mom and her slow deliberate movements when she would stand up from sitting and mimicked them. It was easier. Still quite painful, but much easier. I straightened my shoulders and smiled at my dinner companions. "Take it slow and easy, Ladies. Have a good night!"
From the Dining Tent to the area where the bags were located and then to our tent plot was a very slow walk in Hell. I nearly sat down and cried when I got to our tent plot and realized I had forgotten to pick up a tent. Fortunately, someone nearby exclaimed that they and their tentmate had both picked up a tent. She was perfectly happy to turn one over to me rather than have to return it to the bag pickup area. *phew* By this point I really just wanted to take a shower and crawl into my sleeping bag. Anything that made life simpler was something to be grateful about.
Putting up the tent was not that difficult. I had the main portion put together when two of the "Round To IT" Crew Team came by and finished the job by doing up the ties and then attaching the Rain Fly for me. (Once again I will mention that the Crew Volunteers were AWESOME) It was a fairly quick matter to inflate my airmattress and roll out my sleeping bag. We were going to have to store our bags outside the tent from the looks of space though. I realized I hadn't brought any tarps or plastic to drape over bags...I hoped that my partner had. The really neat thing about prepping ahead of time was that I had placed individual full outfits in gallon sized ziploc bags. I just had to grab my shower bag o' supplies and a ziploc of outfit to be able to run down to the showers. Spending the $8 on towel service was most definitely worth it.
Aaaaahhhh... Hot Shower. Who would have known that taking a shower in the back of a truck could feel so good? The sore muscles were exceedingly grateful for the heat and it was wonderfully refreshing. Getting back to the tent and lying down on my sleeping bag/air mattress felt really good as well. The uneaten brownie from dinner beckoned and I started to nibble on it. OK... maybe the camping part of this wasn't so bad.
Walking for a Cure- the 3Day Part IV: Oh right, we're *camping*
After taking the bus back to camp everyone I encountered immediately suggested that I go eat. And frankly, at that point, there wasn't anything else I would have rather done. I know several walkers preferred to shower first, get all the sweat from the day off, but honestly, I was HUNGRY. So without even thinking about anything else, I headed straight for the dinner tent. But then realized, oh, I had to go get in line for food, then I could sit down in the dinner tent. My ankles were really much more interested in just sitting down, but the stomach won out. Well, actually, the brain won out because it was the brain telling the rest of the body, that no, really, we needed fuel and we needed it NOW.
So I stood in line for a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, a roll, a salad and some mixed veggies that all looked really good. Then I carefully balanced the small plate with the brownie for dessert on top of everything and still somehow managed to grab some milk and water. I'm not really sure how I found my way to a table without dropping everything around me. My whole body was thrumming in anticipation of eating a real meal and I think that was what kept it all together.
I sat down near someone else who was eating alone. At first the people I sat with didn't really matter. It was food that was important. But as the first wave of hunger was satisfied I turned to the other women at the table with me. One was like me, part of a larger group but had gotten separated from them--she was also on her first walk. The other was there on her own. A multi-year veteren of the DC walk, the friend that she usually walked with was not able to be there this year. It was just after that story that the first girl, Cindy, asked if I had put up my tent yet.
Oh, Yeah. I had forgotten about that. We were actually camping.
After replying, no I hadn't--it started to occupy my mind. I knew that if I ate any more I would make myself sick. I needed to just suck it up and go setup camp. The need for a shower was also beginning to assert itself and for that I needed my dufflebag. So, I picked up my untouched brownie and got up from my seat.
At this point every nerve-ending from the tip of my toes to the small of my back SCREAMED. I sat down again.
So I stood in line for a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, a roll, a salad and some mixed veggies that all looked really good. Then I carefully balanced the small plate with the brownie for dessert on top of everything and still somehow managed to grab some milk and water. I'm not really sure how I found my way to a table without dropping everything around me. My whole body was thrumming in anticipation of eating a real meal and I think that was what kept it all together.
I sat down near someone else who was eating alone. At first the people I sat with didn't really matter. It was food that was important. But as the first wave of hunger was satisfied I turned to the other women at the table with me. One was like me, part of a larger group but had gotten separated from them--she was also on her first walk. The other was there on her own. A multi-year veteren of the DC walk, the friend that she usually walked with was not able to be there this year. It was just after that story that the first girl, Cindy, asked if I had put up my tent yet.
Oh, Yeah. I had forgotten about that. We were actually camping.
After replying, no I hadn't--it started to occupy my mind. I knew that if I ate any more I would make myself sick. I needed to just suck it up and go setup camp. The need for a shower was also beginning to assert itself and for that I needed my dufflebag. So, I picked up my untouched brownie and got up from my seat.
At this point every nerve-ending from the tip of my toes to the small of my back SCREAMED. I sat down again.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Walking for a Cure - The 3Day Part III: Heartbreak Hill
The first day also turned out to be my lowest day for mileage. After marching through parts of NW DC and Georgetown we ended up on Embassy Row--a long slow rising hill that had me wishing for some of the short steep ones we climbed in Georgetown. I had done a little more than 13.5-14 miles by that point and I was slowing down a lot. My walking partner's pace was much faster than mine and I had told her that if she needed to pull ahead, don't worry about me. We setup a pattern of her walking ahead at her own pace then she would stop and stretch while I catch up. It worked pretty well for the first half of the day, but have you ever noticed that it can be a lot harder to slow down your pace to match someone?
Getting to Lunch meant we had done 12.5 miles. When I got up from lunch my ankles really had a few things to say. As we made our way up Embassy Row and the incline just got longer and longer it got harder for my ankles to bend. My partner got quite a ways ahead of me when I had to stop and sit down for a while. To my surprise, she was waiting for me much later when I had finally caught up to her again. By that time I knew I had little choice. My ankles had stiffened up to the point that walking meant shuffling along more than anything else. I wasn't going to get much farther today. I encouraged my partner to continue while I waited for the next Sweep Van to come by...
It didn't take long. The Sweep Van came by within 5 minutes... We saw them frequently from about mile 3 onward. This one was decked out with western themed directions and a saloon door decorating the passenger entrance to the van. The girl who leaned out the window at me said sympathetically, "Are you OK? Do you need a ride?"
Gentle. That would describe every single one of the Sweep Van shotgun riders. They would put down a stool and help you climb into the van being cautious and careful with their every move. First offer would be cool water and next on the list was Chocolate. And finally, just an offer of snacks and reassurance. Like every other member of the Crew we met, Sweep Teams were concerned about your well-being, greatly encouraging and cheerfully kind. "Don't worry, just take a rest. There is still plenty of route to attack later"
And of course, there most certainly was...
Getting to Lunch meant we had done 12.5 miles. When I got up from lunch my ankles really had a few things to say. As we made our way up Embassy Row and the incline just got longer and longer it got harder for my ankles to bend. My partner got quite a ways ahead of me when I had to stop and sit down for a while. To my surprise, she was waiting for me much later when I had finally caught up to her again. By that time I knew I had little choice. My ankles had stiffened up to the point that walking meant shuffling along more than anything else. I wasn't going to get much farther today. I encouraged my partner to continue while I waited for the next Sweep Van to come by...
It didn't take long. The Sweep Van came by within 5 minutes... We saw them frequently from about mile 3 onward. This one was decked out with western themed directions and a saloon door decorating the passenger entrance to the van. The girl who leaned out the window at me said sympathetically, "Are you OK? Do you need a ride?"
Gentle. That would describe every single one of the Sweep Van shotgun riders. They would put down a stool and help you climb into the van being cautious and careful with their every move. First offer would be cool water and next on the list was Chocolate. And finally, just an offer of snacks and reassurance. Like every other member of the Crew we met, Sweep Teams were concerned about your well-being, greatly encouraging and cheerfully kind. "Don't worry, just take a rest. There is still plenty of route to attack later"
And of course, there most certainly was...
Walking for a Cure: The 3Day Part II: Moto and Bike Satety
The Moto-Safety team was a group of motorcycle riders. One or two would set up shop at a major intersection and make sure the walkers were safe crossing major roads. Almost all of the motorcycles were decked out in some manor. A couple even had pink bras strung the front of them. One motorcycle had fuzzy pink tinsel all around the headlights, another had little pink socks taped along the back and they all had music blaring out of them.
The first Moto-Safety manned crosswalk we encountered had a big bald guy in a Black utilikilt and a black T-shirt that read "Keep talking about me Bitches... You are making me Famous". A couple of crosswalks later we encountered Gary for the first time. Wearing a bright safety orange colored t-shirt and kilt (yes, a real style kilt) and bright pink Crocs, Gary was dancing on his motorcycle as he either waved Walkers on or told them to hold up for a minute. Gary had a different colored kilt for each day...Friday Safety Orange, Saturday Gray colored tartan with pink in it and Sunday was rainbow colors against a white background. On Sunday our Bald friend in a utilikilt switched out for Pink Scrubs... On Sunday there was also an Indian Chief with pink feathers and pink details to his outfit. It was very cool to see these guys so devoted to the cause.
The really big thing they brought to the party was music. Every time you started approaching a moto-safey crosswalk you could hear the music blaring. Most of it was 80's get up and go music. Anyone who had to pause at the light to cross would start dancing in place -- it didn't matter if the Walkers were on mile one or mile 19 for the day. That little spark of music was enough to give you the energy to pick up your feet for a few more minutes and often--late in the day--it would really only be for a few more minutes. The good news was it would typically be enough to get to the next cross walk.
But even if you were slowing down and not making it to the next crosswalk you also had the Bike Safety team checking up on you. Occasionally, they would take over crosswalk duties but most of the time they rode back and forth through the route, giving riders encouragement and making sure anyone who was stopped didn't need help. If a Walker did need help they would call in a Sweep Van to pick the walker up and take them to the closest Pit Stop with a Medical tent.
Not to be outdone by the Moto-Safety team, the Bike-Safety team all wore Pink Tu-tus. I can't say how many more times than us they biked the route, but I'm sure it was a lot. 20 miles on a bike is nothing to sneeze at either.
The first Moto-Safety manned crosswalk we encountered had a big bald guy in a Black utilikilt and a black T-shirt that read "Keep talking about me Bitches... You are making me Famous". A couple of crosswalks later we encountered Gary for the first time. Wearing a bright safety orange colored t-shirt and kilt (yes, a real style kilt) and bright pink Crocs, Gary was dancing on his motorcycle as he either waved Walkers on or told them to hold up for a minute. Gary had a different colored kilt for each day...Friday Safety Orange, Saturday Gray colored tartan with pink in it and Sunday was rainbow colors against a white background. On Sunday our Bald friend in a utilikilt switched out for Pink Scrubs... On Sunday there was also an Indian Chief with pink feathers and pink details to his outfit. It was very cool to see these guys so devoted to the cause.
The really big thing they brought to the party was music. Every time you started approaching a moto-safey crosswalk you could hear the music blaring. Most of it was 80's get up and go music. Anyone who had to pause at the light to cross would start dancing in place -- it didn't matter if the Walkers were on mile one or mile 19 for the day. That little spark of music was enough to give you the energy to pick up your feet for a few more minutes and often--late in the day--it would really only be for a few more minutes. The good news was it would typically be enough to get to the next cross walk.
But even if you were slowing down and not making it to the next crosswalk you also had the Bike Safety team checking up on you. Occasionally, they would take over crosswalk duties but most of the time they rode back and forth through the route, giving riders encouragement and making sure anyone who was stopped didn't need help. If a Walker did need help they would call in a Sweep Van to pick the walker up and take them to the closest Pit Stop with a Medical tent.
Not to be outdone by the Moto-Safety team, the Bike-Safety team all wore Pink Tu-tus. I can't say how many more times than us they biked the route, but I'm sure it was a lot. 20 miles on a bike is nothing to sneeze at either.
Walking for a Cure - The 3 Day. Part 1: The Bubble
Although I arrived in Washington DC on Thursday afternoon and we saw plenty of other walkers around as we wandered around Dupont Circle on Thursday night--it wasn't until we got off the Metro at National Stadium that we entered "The Bubble". That is how I have come to think of it. News from Home would shatter that bubble twice but only briefly each time... it would not take long before the Bubble that was The 3 Day would reassert itself.
As we left the train and entered the Metro Station at National Stadium we encountered a few other walkers. And slowly it began--we were introducing each other and talking about prep work for the Walk like old friends before we exited the station. By the time we were out on the street we were teasing one of us about thinking to bring a hairdryer camping. Camaraderie was all around. We were about to embark on an adventure together.
And then we encounterd the first of the Crew. The volunteers who make up Crew are the machine that keeps the Walk moving from beginning to end. We turned the corner of the stadium to where Opening Ceremonies were happening and were greeted by the first of many many wonderful Crew members. For the ungodly early morning hour that it was, they were ENTIRELY too cheerful. There were girls taking our bags for us and Greeters just thanking us for walking. We moved closer to the stage that was set up and found someone passing out the Energizer Bunny ears. We took pictures of all the crazy outfits and Team Names that were there. Everyone was smiling and excited. I found the Water Station and got our bottles filled up by a very pleasant but really the only sleepy looking Crew member I saw that morning. And the sun was only just beginning to rise at this point.
This is where it started. The Bubble of camaraderie, encouragement, excitement, community and elation that surrounded us for 3 incredible days. The Bubble where Big Guys on Motorcycles wearing unique and/or funny outfits saw you safely through every major intersection. Where guys and girls on bicycles in pink tu-tus would ride along side you, offering encouragement, checking to make sure you were all right and/or flagging down a Sweep Van if you weren't OK. Where strangers on the side of the road would stop and clap, thank you for walking and cheer you on. Where cars going by would honk in support. Where whenever you had to stop someone would ask, are you OK or did you need help?
It was a very strange thing to leave this Bubble on Sunday evening.
As we left the train and entered the Metro Station at National Stadium we encountered a few other walkers. And slowly it began--we were introducing each other and talking about prep work for the Walk like old friends before we exited the station. By the time we were out on the street we were teasing one of us about thinking to bring a hairdryer camping. Camaraderie was all around. We were about to embark on an adventure together.
And then we encounterd the first of the Crew. The volunteers who make up Crew are the machine that keeps the Walk moving from beginning to end. We turned the corner of the stadium to where Opening Ceremonies were happening and were greeted by the first of many many wonderful Crew members. For the ungodly early morning hour that it was, they were ENTIRELY too cheerful. There were girls taking our bags for us and Greeters just thanking us for walking. We moved closer to the stage that was set up and found someone passing out the Energizer Bunny ears. We took pictures of all the crazy outfits and Team Names that were there. Everyone was smiling and excited. I found the Water Station and got our bottles filled up by a very pleasant but really the only sleepy looking Crew member I saw that morning. And the sun was only just beginning to rise at this point.
This is where it started. The Bubble of camaraderie, encouragement, excitement, community and elation that surrounded us for 3 incredible days. The Bubble where Big Guys on Motorcycles wearing unique and/or funny outfits saw you safely through every major intersection. Where guys and girls on bicycles in pink tu-tus would ride along side you, offering encouragement, checking to make sure you were all right and/or flagging down a Sweep Van if you weren't OK. Where strangers on the side of the road would stop and clap, thank you for walking and cheer you on. Where cars going by would honk in support. Where whenever you had to stop someone would ask, are you OK or did you need help?
It was a very strange thing to leave this Bubble on Sunday evening.
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