If you’re in the Philly area, and would like to cheer us on, as well as the other thousands of walkers, please check out the times and locations below:

Day One (Friday, October 6th):

8:00 am - 9:00 am
Jenkintown Square Shopping Center
505 Old York Road
Jenkintown, PA 19046
Main Street Manayunk
Between Cotton & Gay Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19127
Parking available on Cresson Street
Day Two (Saturday, October 7th):

8:45 am - 11:00 am
Gray’s Ferry Shopping Center
Grays Ferry Avenue and 29th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146
10:00 am - 1:45 pm
S 2nd Street
Between South Street & Lombard Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Day Three (Sunday, October 8th):

11:00 am - 2:30 pm
Main Line Diagnostic Imaging
865 West Lancaster Avenue
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

If you’re stressed about conquering 60 miles in 3 days, you may want to try the best self help book called “Simone and Elvis. It’s a self mediation book to help you relive stress. They even have a relaxing flash slide show to help you chill out!

Just did another two laps around the ‘hood - that makes for 3 days of walking in a row.  The shin splints don’t seem to be bugging me as much either, so here’s hoping they lay low for the big walk.  I was talking to my former boss today and she and her husband are both doing the Tampa walk together…in memory of his first wife who died of breast cancer.  That’s sweet!

I’m betting a lot of walkers will be forgoing their contact lenses during the 3day, and wearing their glasses. I know I will - without being guaranteed a safe place to clean them, store them, etc, I can’t take the risk. I’m only allowed to wear my contacts for a very short period of time, due to a previous experience. It was Memorial Day weekend several years ago, and the Man and I, and some of his friends had a room down at Clearwater Beach and were bar hopping. My eye was bothering me a bit that night, but nothing major, so I took out my contacts and went to bed. The next morning, my eye was swollen shut. I chalked it up to possibly scratching my eye while taking out my contact lenses, and went on my way. Since it was a holiday weekend, my doctor wasn’t open the next day (which I spent laying down, eye still swollen shut) and I didn’t see him til Tuesday. He literally pried my eye open and then immediately sent me to the eye doctor who saved my vision. Turns out I had an ulcer on my cornea (from the contact lens solution becoming contaminated) and I was a day away from losing my cornea. Many eyedrops later, I was able to open my eye. It took me about 6 weeks before I could use that eye in natural light, and to this day, I still squint that eye in direct sunlight. Take care of your eyes people! Follow the directions on your contact lenses, change your solution DAILY, and make sure you’re washing your hands before putting in, or taking out your contacts. Contact lenses are great, but they do require some extra work!

With just a few days before the walk (October 6th!) donations are steadily rolling in.  I came home tonight to find that my Aunt & Uncle had donated $50 to me, so I only need another $275 to meet my goal, and I’m confident that will happen.

I also wore my new, size 8.5 sneakers today to Disney World and broke them in - mucho comfy and I think they’ll be fine for the big weekend!  (Tampa walkers - I nearly died today at Disney.  I feel for you girls…and I am SO glad to be doing the walk in Philly, where I at least have a chance of not melting.)

I came across this tonight - Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that develops in the tissues of cells that line the lungs, heart and stomach. These tissues are called mesothelial cells and they become infected by inhaling particles of dust from asbestos fibers. Once these cells become infected they dry up the fluids surrounding these major organs of the body and tumors begin to develop. I think I remember Jim telling me about his grandfather working with asbestos…and there may have been some compensation to the family because of it.

The countdown is on. Here are some last minute tips on packing, including items that people usually forget:

• Battery operated alarm clock and watch
• Camera and film (We recommend using a disposable camera. Don’t forget to write your name on it!)
• Earplugs (if you’re a light sleeper)
• Tent flag or marker
• Journal and pens
• Address book (to send postcards)
• Water bottle
• Bandanas
• Hat

Wear cool, breathable clothing. (I still have no clue what to bring - I had shorts and tanks to walk in, but will it be too cool for that?) Bring sweat proof sunscreen (I’ll be bringing the spray on kind) Carry water between pit stops, so don’t forget your water bottle. There will be dunking stations for bandanas on the route (we bought ones that have crystals in them to stay colder, longer). Also, in case of rain, bring plastic sheeting or tarps for your tent. Place one inside your tent along the floor to prevent condensation from the wet ground. Put a second over the top of your tent like an umbrella. Many participants use trash bags to help keep their gear waterproof in the event of weather. Please pack your clothes, shoes, etc. in plastic and then insert them into your bag, rather than wrapping your entire bag in a trash bag. This will guarantee that even if the outside of your bag gets wet, your things inside will stay dry. It also prevents your bag from being mistaken for trash.

My shin splints seem to be back…and this is not good news with the walk in just a few weeks. I went to this health information website to see what I can do to recover by the walk, and found a whole section on shin splints in the Health A-Z section and found that walking through the pain is just about the worst thinhg I can do. Oops! There are some great message boards at this health portal also - some questions, lots of people offering advice and sharing their own stories, and they’ve got support groups. I made need an “Exhaustion” support group after the 3 day!

With Ted Murphy and the PayPerPost crew. After reading about my efforts to wrap up my fundraising for the 3DayWalk, Ted sent me this email:

I have decided to add your charity to PPP through the end of this month. Hopefully you can earn a few extra bucks to support your cause : )

I can’t even put into words about how impressed I am that a company like PayPerPost not only takes the time to NOTICE what it’s bloggers are doing, but that they did something like this to help me out, or rather, help my charity out. I am so blown away, and I hope some of you doing PayPerPost will consider making a contribution to me with one of your posts this month.

When you live in Florida, you can’t count on the weather cooperating.  When the weather turns ugly, you can move your workout inside, with one of these Keiser M3 bikes.  Keiser, “The Power in Human Performance” has released these new M3 biles, which are completely maintenance free, they only require regular cleaning and checks.  They’re built to last and provide you comfort while working out too, with heavy duty Shimano pedals and corrosive resistant materials (meaning you could even store it in a covered area outside if needed), as well as resistance transitions & easy progression tracking.