So here I am, a week past the walk.

Compared to last year, I recovered much quickly. I spent a few days taking naps, and going to bed early, but my aches and pains disappeared quickly. Even my blisters are gone! My sister, on the other hand, who walked a full 2 weeks before I did, still has foot issues. We did a walk this weekend and after just 3 miles, she had a nice bloody sock. Ewww!

This time last year, I was still limping around like an invalid. The walk was definitely harder this year, but I bounced back nicely.

The Tampa Bay 2007 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer:

1,900 walkers (up 200 from 2006)
340 volunteers who made our meals, helped us cross streets, and tended to our wounds
$5.4 million dollars raised by the walkers in Tampa (up from $4.7 million in 2006)
$15,000 raised by the top fundraiser, a woman named Dee
3 days
60 miles
1 is the number of nights I slept in a tent
1 old friend, Kim, and one new friend, Tara with me for most of those miles!
1 San Diego dentist? No, but plenty of walkers from all over the world!

Here’s a picture of us at the end – Kim, me, another Kim, and Tara in front:

This time tomorrow, I’ll be several miles into my 2nd 3-Day walk. I’m nervous! I packed up all of my things last night, and went down my checklist to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I’ve got all of the cheering stations printed out for the family, complete with maps. I’ll be seeing them a lot this weekend, I hope.

I’ll see you all on the flip side!

The 3-Day is stressing me out.

Anytime you take on an event like this, it’s a big deal. Walking 60 miles, camping, the fundraising…who wouldn’t get stressed? I’ve been taking it all in stride though, because I’ve done this before. I didn’t think I was worried…until I had a crazy nightmare this weekend about showing up at the 3-Day without any money, and without bringing any clothes to wear.

I guess that proves that my biggest fear is being unprepared for the walk. I definitely haven’t trained as much (read: not at all) this year, and I won’t have the people I walked with last year with me, so it’s a whole new group to break in, so to speak. I need to hit the ground running, literally, and figure out if Kim (my tent mate) and I walk at the same pace, and if not, who does walk at the same speed?

Showing up without money and clothing may be the least of my worries.

I met my sister, Cheryl, today for lunch, and got to see her 3-Day feet in person. Ewwww! She no longer has 10 toes, she’s got 10 pigs in a blanket attached to 2 very swollen feet. One toe was completely wrapped in gauze, and the others were…well, ickly. Blisters and redness and just a little taste of what’s to come for ME in less than 2 weeks.

Umm…I can’t wait?

My sister is at her 3-Day walk in Philadelphia RIGHT NOW. She’s probably trying to fall asleep in her tent as we speak. Err, as I write. It’s actually going to work out well for me that she’s doing the walk a full 2 weeks before I’m doing my walk in Tampa. Since we didn’t camp last year, this will be our first experience doing so. I fully expect for her to fill me in on everything once she returns. I did talk to her today, and she said it was very noisy at camp when she was trying to sleep, and she recommended ear plugs. I bought some today, plus I’m planning on bringing my iPod to use at night to drown out people (talking, snoring, etc.)

A lot of sites around the internet are going pink for October for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For once, I’m ahead of the game, since this site is already pink, all year long! A lot of sites are also offering special promotions to raise money for breast cancer this month. Yesterday, I received an email from MyPoints about a promotion going on at 1-800Free411. For each new person who calls 1-800Free411 this month, they’ll donate $1 (up to $25,000) to benefit the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund.

It’s easy to tell your friends about this special offer. Just visit the special pink page at 1-800-Free411 and you’ll find a form to send emails to your friends and family. If you’ve never heard of the site, they really do offer completely FREE directory assistance. You can call from any phone and you won’t pay for getting a listing.

This is a great, FREE way to donate money, so tell your friends and family!