Sindy is visiting me this week and she used the time at my house to join the 3Day team here in Tampa. Yay! I’m excited she’ll be walking with me again since we walk at the same speed. It’s important to me to know I’ve got at least one team mate who I can count on to match my pace and walk with me for 60 miles.

As we exited the starting chute, passed through the blue pillars of strength - where we would start and finish each day - we walked along the mall driveway and started to realize just how cold it really was outside. It was especially cold for the girls from Florida who weren’t used to this kind of weather. These were just observations though, not complaints.

A few steps ahead our credentials were scanned and we were handed a route card for the day. 20.9 miles. At that moment I still believed in actual miles, however I’d soon find out that a 3 Day or Breast Cancer mile was much longer than a typical mile. There are many theories on whether or not the mileage is understated intentionally or not; I suppose I may never really know the truth.

At our first major intersection we encountered a gentleman cheering us on with over the top enthusiasm. We marvelled at his attire - shorts and sandals and wondered if he was cold. He wasn’t; yet Colleen was. One of the moto crew heard Colleen and offered her a Mylar blanket. The blanket wasn’t in her pocket as she had thought, so she ran back to her bike to grab it. The first of many good deeds we’d get to be a part of over the weekend. This moto crew member would be second person we’d give a nickname to; we now have Team Husband and Mylar Blanket Girl.

The first mile or so was very slow going. We did more standing than walking. I was surprised that we were walking strictly on the sidewalks and that no roads were blocked off to help expedite 3000+ people walking through the neighborhoods. We discussed stopping for coffee multiple times, but never actually did.

It was along this stretch of the route that I’d have a brief conversation with a young survivor. It was her second year walking. She walked last year with her sister and had intended to walk with her daughter this year. Her daughter was stressed by the pressure of the walk, so this survivor came to the walk on her own. Just a small glimpse of her own inner strength, I’m certain! Later that night, as fate would have it, my teammate Dana would spend hours chatting with this amazing woman. The next day it was neat discovering we had been touched by the same woman.

The morning had gotten off to such a slow start that the first pit stop was actually closing as we arrived and we had only gone 2.8 miles according to our route cards. There were thousands of walkers behind us and the crew would hold the stop open a bit longer due to the circumstances. We waited our turn for our visit to the first porta-potty of the day. We joked about there being a time limit for each person’s turn in the porta-potty. We laughed and laughed.

The rain continued to come down and the chill was still in the air, but I was hot. I peeled off a few layers of clothing and made myself comfortable. Dana had walked most of the way without her hood on and she would continue to do so; seemingly oblivious to her soaked hair and shirt. We grabbed a few snacks, filled up our water bottles, and continued on our way. Jeff had called me several times to update us on his shopping spree and we added things to his list. He was having difficulty finding all of the things we decided we needed since we had parted ways that morning. He was now in search of rain gear, gloves, dry sweatshirts, gum, and dry socks for Chris & I; not just any socks but the Thorlos we knew and trusted. Sure, I had 2 pairs of dry socks with me, but at this point I was thinking one more pair certainly wouldn’t hurt and decided that dry capris wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

Chris and I pushed ahead of the others in an effort to make sure we would finish the days route in time and not get swept that evening. The route continued through uneven sidewalks, uncleared sidewalks, and single file paths to our second stop of the Day; a Grab & Go.

At the second stop - a Grab & Go - we met up with Colleen, Cheryl and Dana again. This time, Chris and Dana pushed ahead together.

On our route to the second pit stop, we passed Saint Raymond School where elementary aged children were hanging out the window cheering for us. While I completely loved this, I couldn’t help but wonder how the distraction was viewed by their teachers.

At pit stop two we’d learn about the awesome peanut butter and jelly on graham cracker sandwiches. These treats looked just like ice cream sandwiches and we weren’t the only walkers surprised to see that it wasn’t ice cream at all. Surprised, but certainly not disappointed. They were very good. The route card indicated we’d walked 9 miles.

By then Jeff had made his way to a cheering station near the end of the day’s route and followed the route markers backwards in an effort to meet up with us and deliver the goodies he had acquired. He’d eventually find the lunch stop and would wait for us there.

Next stop lunch. As we made our way there, Colleen and I slowly pulled ahead of Cheryl. We passed through the very picturesque Chestnut Hill area. Shop makers along the main street passed out ginger cookies and bread to the walkers. I snapped pictures as I walked, but would’ve meandered and taken hundreds more had time not been an issue. Jeff was waiting for us at the gate to our lunch destination. We had caught up to Chris and Dana. The lunch stop appeared to be a large church campus; however I didn’t really pay that much attention. The buildings were old and gorgeous. They had opened one of the buildings for the walkers to get out of the rain and to get warm. Chris and Dana chose to eat outside and make the stop a short one; Jeff ran back to the van and grabbed the goodies he’d gotten for Chris so she could continue on with them. Colleen and I opted for the warm rental van and dry clothes that Jeff had brought for us. We finally spotted Cheryl who had ended up making a shopping pit stop all of her own, thus the reason she’d dropped so far behind us. We let her know where the van was parked and she’d meet us there shortly.

The sandwich provided for lunch was dry and they forgot to take the paper off of my cheese. But I ate it and enjoyed the pleasure of a warm and dry place. Before time got away from us we forced ourselves to get dressed and hit the route again. This time I was armed with a dry sweatshirt, new dry socks, new capris, and rain gear. The makeshift shoe covers Jeff made me had served me well. My right foot was nearly dry and my left foot, although mostly wet - was still warm and not completely soaked. I added some moleskin and body glide to my feet, then dry socks, and then covered them with a Walmart bag prior to putting on my shoes. After my shoes were on I covered them with Walmart bags also, in an effort to shield them from the rain that continued to fall.

Rain gear and plastic bags on my feet weren’t the end of the protection from the elements though. I also had a poncho over my rain gear allowing me to keep my raincoat unzipped and have easy access to my waist pack and camera. I was dry and warm under all that plastic.

The afternoon brought us many more gorgeous homes, amazing churches, beautiful parks, fabulous bridges, the continuing realization that 3 Day miles were longer than your average mile, and pizza from mom. Oh, the pizza from mom! Mom has a pizza place on Main Street in Manayunk that has pizza to die for. YUMMY.

The pit stops of the afternoon are a blur. We stopped at two of the three.

The rain had finally stopped and I started peeling off the layers of clothing. The biggest challenge of the day was around the corner. A hill, or shall I say yet another hill but this one even bigger than many of those we had already faced that day. I kept thinking to myself as I dug deep and found what I needed to continue to push ahead that what I was doing was nothing in comparison to what those faced with breast cancer have to endure.

As we rounded the corner of Beaumont Mansion we could finally see camp. The view of the downtown Philadelphia skyline was amazing. We made it. Chris and Dana had been at camp for a while. They confirmed the rumors we’d been hearing about camp being flooded. We learned that walkers had two choices; check out of camp for the night or be bussed to City Center High School to sleep on the floor.

Chris and Dana chose to go to the high school, while Colleen, Cheryl, and I called Jeff to take us back to the hotel. We had a king size bed and Cheryl and Colleen’s luggage was already in our room. After checking out and grabbing our mail, we located our gear from the pile of bags and headed to the walker pick-up area. What we didn’t know is that Jeff was lost. We waited for over an hour before we decided it was best to catch a cab and just meet Jeff at the hotel.

Jeff showed up shortly after we did. We had Philly steak subs for dinner, we each got a nice warm private shower, and the three walkers shared the bed while Jeff camped out on the floor.

Boarding the plane to Philadelphia was one of many steps I’d take over the next 4 days in the amazing journey called the 3 Day.  The anticipation of the walk was nothing short of pure excitement.  I would get to see friends I hadn’t seen in quite some time and I was going to tackle a major physical challenge. 

We arrived at the hotel without incident.  I carefully prepared my waist pack and gear for the next morning.  Walkers were to arrive at the Willow Grove Mall between 5:30-6am. My head finally hit the pillow a few minutes before 1am and I was asleep before I had a chance to think about the days that laid ahead.   When the alarm went off at 4, I jumped out of bed and was eager to get the day started.   As I showered that morning my mind raced with curiosity about the new experiences I’d soon get to face.  I thought about everything from the gorgeous things we’d get to see along the walk to what the mobile showers would be like that evening. Before I knew it, it was time to meet Cheryl, Colleen, and Chris in the hotel lobby.

As I stepped off the elevator I was greeted by Chris in her tiara, tiara earrings, and pink boa.  The hotel lobby was bustling with other 3 Day walkers waiting to be shuttled to the Opening Ceremonies.  Chris had an extra tiara, belonging to Hanna, that I was happy to wear. I indulged in yogurt, donuts, and coffee while we waited for Colleen and Cheryl to join us.   Chris shared pink ribbons that her daughter Lydia had made with several walkers in the breakfast area. The camaraderie had already begun.   I proudly wore mine on my lanyard; a symbol of Lydia’s support for the next three days.   

The lobby thinned out as the other walkers boarded the shuttle bus and Chris and I quickly grew anxious for Colleen and Cheryl’s arrival downstairs.  I called them for a status check and we decided that Jeff would meet them at our room so they could stash their bags until the walk was over.  We had agreed upon this prior to that morning, but in the excitement of it all I had forgotten.  That decision would serve us well later that day, however at that point we had no idea.

Jeff packed our gear in the rental van and we headed to the mall.  Chris had attended crew meetings with Pat the previous day and was our navigator that morning.  Her knowledge of what to expect combined with my ability to go with the flow left me with a real sense of calm about the morning, even when faced with what Mother Nature handed us; it was dark, cold, and raining.  

Jeff and Colleen dropped our bags off at gear truck E and we headed towards the smell of the Starbucks.  On the way we stopped to grab free water bottles and ponchos.  Next we headed to the check-in tent to get Colleen a protective sleeve for her credential.  With that mission accomplished I was ready for the walk to get started.  It didn’t work quite that quickly though.  We made our way to the water tent and filled up our bottles with Gatorade.  Little did we know the center of that tent is where the Starbucks was hiding.  Thankfully Jeff had already figured that out and appeared out of nowhere with nice warm cups of java!  In my excitement I spilled some down my arm and down the front of my shirt. Quite honestly though, I didn’t care. 

After seeing the shower cap shoe protectors that Colleen, Cheryl, and Dana had to keep their feet warm and dry, Jeff crafted some for me out of the freebie ponchos we had been given that morning.  The rain continued to come down and things were starting to get underway.  The team gave Jeff a shopping mission - rain gear - and I kissed him goodbye.  It was sometime during the morning we anointed him Team Husband.  

The sun started to rise, yet it was masked behind dark rain clouds. 3000+ walkers stood in a holding area and listened as the Opening Ceremonies started.  Quite honestly all that was said during that morning is just a blur to me now.  I was too busy taking in all that was going on around me.  Emotions were running high and raw.  Tears flowed, yet smiles reigned supreme.  Making our way to the chute, the official physical start of the journey, was slow. Unlike most crowds in this situation, everyone was patient and kind.  Amazingly though, it was only the surface of the kindness and friendship that would be demonstrated over the next 72 hours.

I’ve done some off and on training here. I was up to walking 5 miles 2-3 times a week. I was amazed at how good I felt after doing so! There’s a huge difference between 5 and 60 though! So I still have a lot of work to do. 251 days until I’ll be put to the test!

The beginning of January threw me a curveball though with back pain that put me out of commission. I’m through the worst of that and looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

Colleen - I’m a 29 year old Florida mom of three. I work full time, and despite being “busy”, I’m Lazy with a capital L. I met most of the Groovy Mamas over 8 years ago when I first got online. At our current message board, we have a member (Hi Cindy!) who is the inspiration for most of us. She’s done the Breast Cancer 3 day several times, and we were all inspired by her this year. We decided to walk in Philadelphia because it’s relatively centrally located (especially for our Maryland girls) and we’re hoping Philly will have cooler weather than we would in my hometown of Tampa. I am NOT an exerciser. I belong to the YMCA, but I don’t go on a regular basis. I don’t *need* to exercise, so I never have. I can walk however - walking doesn’t bother me at all! I’m more concerned about camping during the 3 day than the walking part

Cheryl - My name is Cheryl, I live in Tarpon Springs, Florida, and I am 40 years old. I found out about the Breast Cancer 3 day by reading the paper. The 3 day was in Tampa in 2005, and a writer for our paper walked in it, and wrote a “3 day journal” about her experience (printed during the walk) which I found very touching. Through her articles I became interested in doing the walk , and lo and behold…less than a week later my sister, Colleen, emailed me and told me she was getting a group together to do it! Well, I was in immediately! I have found that in saying “yes” and registering for the walk, you make a major committment not only to raise money for breast cancer research, but also to get your body and mind in shape for such an event. 20 miles a day is a lot of walking…I found this out when I started training and could hardly move after doing a 5K (3.1 miles) walk in November! Can I finish? Yes. Will it be a physical and emotional battle? Definitely. But, I am a strong woman, and once I set my mind to something, I am committed to completion. And, I will do it with my Sister and my friends walking beside me.

Sindy - If you read Colleen’s bio that’s pretty much the same for me - met my co-walkers online, lazy and not an exerciser, but much more concerned about the camping aspect of the walk that the walking! I’m a 35 year-old married mom of 3 living in Lambertville, Michigan. My husband Jeff will be home with the kids while I venture to Philly to walk 60 miles and spend 2 nights in a tent. The Groovy Mommas are my lifeline; the friends that are always there whenever you need them. Although we’re spread out all over the US, I’ve been fortunate enough to meet many of them in person. Through Colleen, I’ve even met her sister Cheryl. I am looking forward to doing something so meaningful with these ladies! I learned about the 3-Day from one of my online friends. After reading about Cindy’s journey last year I felt really driven to make a difference. I’ve come to a point in my life where I realize that I can and should do more for others. It’s my turn to give back to those that have given so much to me. I’m doing this for my Aunt Sandy, a breast cancer survivor. This woman blesses me daily by spending quality one-on-one time with Josh, my middle child who has ADHD and really needs individual attention. For Melissa Etheridge who has shown us all incredible strength and whose music I have always loved. Just ask my oldest, son Jeremy, he was singing her songs as a toddler and went to his first Melissa concert at 9. For all of those women, men, and their families that have faced a fear and a challenge that I can’t even begin to imagine.