My daughter was the recipient of a great sleeping bag and a camp pillow for her birthday. The sleeping bag was a gift from her father and me, and the pillow was from her Aunt. Catherine will be breaking in both items with trips to camp in May and June, but come October, I’ll be giving the sleeping bag and pillow a REAL test. You see, Catherine is camping in warm climates, inside buildings with bunks. I’m going to be sleeping in New York City, in a tent, in October. And Jim wondered why I wanted a super insulated sleeping bag?

Before the 3-Day walk this year, I went off to the drugstore for supplies to carry with me. I needed to get blister band-aids, plenty of Advil, and my very own tube of Freeze It. I knew from doing the walk in 2006 that my calves would be killing me by the end of the first day, and I also knew I didn’t enjoy using greasy pain relief creams. Sure enough, my calves were screaming at me with every step I took on that first day of walking - step after step after step will bring on that kind of pain quickly! When we were done walking for the day, and all showered, I grabbed my tube of Freeze It and rubbed it all over my calves. Freeze It Gel is amazing - I already mentioned that it’s not greasy at all, and it doesn’t have that old lady smell like the other pain relief gels have. I’m too young to smell like a nursing home!

By the end of the 3rd day, you can see I was a mess. My ligament was hyper extending, and my shin splits were marching to the beat of their own (very slow) drummer. I was rocking an awesome farmers tan, and had dunked my hat in cold water so many times it permanently shrunk. And I’m planning to walk AGAIN next year? Let me tell you, I see a lot more Freeze It in my future! You can use it for a muscle strain, or sore, over exerted muscles, arthritis pain, or for an aching back or neck. So…I can use it during the walk, when my calves revolt against me, and after the walk, when my back aches from camping for 2 days Just rubbing it on feels good - it tingles and it’s warm, and then cool…it’s instant relief!

What do I have to do to get Freeze It to sign up as a walk sponsor??

I’ve been packing my supplies to take on the 3-Day walk, and one of the things I’m bringing that’s new this year is Freeze It. I love it so much, I even made a video testimonal about this fabulous topical pain relief gel. Forget the Ben Gay and Icy Hot, I’m a Freeze It girl from here on out!

I found this cute video featuring the very same Thorlo socks I got in the mail a few months ago. They’re on board as one of the official 3-Day sponsors this year, too!

For the record, my socks have never given me a pedicure in bed. I think most women training for the walk don’t sleep in full makeup (including lipstick!) either. LOL! But my Thorlos DO keep my feet comfy, cool, and cushioned through 60 miles of walking during the 3-Day. I’ll take that over socks that give me a pedicure anyday!

This weekend provided proof that walking in the wrong shoes can cause you a lot of pain.

We went to Disney, and I packed two pairs of shoes. The first pair, which I wear ALL the time, gave me a blister on my heel, so I decided to wear my flip flops (which I only packed to wear to the pool) to the parks on Saturday. On Sunday, I paid dearly for that! My calves were so sore and achy.

I’m quite confident that one of the reasons I was able to make it 60 miles in last years walk was due to the excellent sneakers I had. They were so great, that when I needed sneakers for the 2007 walk, I bought the exact same pair! Why fix what isn’t broken?

When I first started training for the 3-Day last year, I was told about Thorlo socks, and that I definitely needed them for walk. I balked a bit at having to fork over $10 for a pair of socks, but let me tell you - they are worth EVERY penny! I saw tons of walkers in Thorlo socks last year, and was happy to hear that Thorlo has joined as an official sponsor this year. They even sent me a free pair of pink and white socks a few months ago called the Distance Walker.

Buy and bring enough pairs so that you have 2 pairs of socks per day. Pack an extra pair in your fanny pack, and when you stop for lunch take off your shoes. Let your feet breathe for a while! Put on moleskin to cover any hot spots, and apply body glide to your feet. Put on fresh socks - you’ll be amazed at the difference it makes!

My free Thorlos came this week! Didn’t try them on yet, and I don’t have a clue as to when I’m going to get a training walk in, but free socks are good, right? I also got another donation from a coworker today! I’m getting closer to that $1700 mark, and I’m absolutely thrilled. I’m going to put less in my own “pot” this year, and saving money on a hotel and airfare by walking locally.

If you’re a registered 3-Day walker, check your email for a special offer from Thorlo socks! I woke up and found an email in my inbox from the 3-Day coaches, announcing that Thorlos (a leading activity specific sock manufacturer) is the newest national series sponsor of the 3-Day. Makes sense, since any walker I ever met knows about how GREAT these socks are! Inside the email is a special link to visit so that every registered Breast Cancer 3-Day participant can get a free pair of the new Thorlo Heros Distance Walker socks! (The socks I have cost $9 a pair, so free is good!)

The new Thorlos HEROs Distance Walker sock was designed especially for the extreme stresses placed on the foot while training and participating in the Breast Cancer 3-Day event and provides the greatest level of protection and comfort found anywhere today. At Thorlos they like to ask the question, “Do your feet feel better?” Why not find out!

Thank you Thorlos!!

My eBay sneakers finally came this week. I just tried them on today and I’m rethinking my whole “order a size bigger” idea. They just seem so….big. I didn’t try them on with my socks though, so I’m not going to worry about it for now. And I know my feet will definitely swell during the walk, so I’m sure everything will be fine. I just need to stop worrying about it until I can try them on and do a training walk wearing them.

The price tag on the box says $114…and I paid $50 something. I’m patting myself on the back for that deal!

I know you all have been anxiously waiting to find out if I won the sneakers I bid on. Yes, I did - your day can go on now, safe and secure in the knowledge that I got my sneakers for only $50! What a deal! If you know the style and size of the sneakers you want, eBay is definitely a great place to look for deals on new shoes.