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 was invited to participate in another training walk this Saturday, but had to decline. It was hot last time, but that’s not why I’m skipping this one. Saturday is my birthday, and getting up early to walk isn’t my idea of a celebration

Today was not the best day for a training walk. It was well into the 90’s, and humidity was high. But like the good three day walkers that we are, my sister and I set off this morning with a small group of walkers for a 10 mile walk. We started on the Pinellas Trail in Dunedin, right where it intersects Main Street, at 8am sharp. That means I was up at 6:30, out of my house by 6:45, at my sister’s house by 7:30 - on a Sunday morning!

It started out easy enough - it wasn’t too hot and we had some shade on the trail. We walked north to Curlew Road and stopped in the Caledesi McDonald’s for a potty break (and to enjoy their a/c!) and then continued onto the causeway towards Honeymoon Island. There was a breeze, but not enough of one to make up for no shade, at ALL. (Both of my arms, from the shoulder down are sunburned.)

We turned around before going over the 2nd bridge (because my sister said there was NO way she could do another one, and I agreed) and headed back. We stopped at the WalGreens and lingered by the coolers sucking up the cold air til the employees started giving us the hairy eyeball. We bought popsicles and continued back down the trail. The heat was INSANE.

I came home, showered, and took a nice long nap. My calves are starting to feel a bit tight now, so I think it’s early bedtime and more Advil for me.

I didn’t realize planning a training walk would be so much work! I need to map out my route and make sure of the mileage, and document what kind of terrain it is - hilly, sloped, paved trails, etc, before I can put it on the training schedule. The Google pedometer feature is a big help for mapping the route out, because unlike using Mapquest for directions, you can plot exact points out on the map, and not necessarily plan the shortest, or quickest route.

One of the things I had to agree to do, in order to become a training walk leader, was to conduct my walks in the same manner that the 3-Day is done. Meaning, no talking on cell phones, no children under the age of 16, no iPods while walking, do stretching before and after, and I need to have everyone sign a wavier of liability. That protects me and the 3-Day people in case something happens during the walk. Common sense type stuff, but I can just see it now - someone is going to show up with a baby in tow to a training walk and say that they didn’t have a sitter!

I’m now an official 3-Day training walk leader. Yay! Go me! I don’t know when I’ll be able to plan my first walk - our schedule is kind of packed for the next month or so with my son’s first communion, his birthday, mother’s day, and a trip out of town. And, since kids aren’t allowed to attend the training walks, I need to make sure I can leave mine at home that morning!

I squeezed in a bit of walking this weekend. In addition to the walking Jim and I did during our 5 hour Magic Kingdom Keys To The Kingdom tour, I walked about 1 or 2 miles on my own Saturday night. We were at the EPSN Club at the Boardwalk Inn and during the 2nd period, I decided to take a break from the beer and hockey to see if I could find something to bring home for the kids. I didn’t, so I walked the loop around the boardwalk. You can go from the Boardwalk Inn to Yacht Club, then Beach Club, and then past Epcot and back around. It was a great night for a walk!

A local walker who is participating in this years 3-Day in Tampa Bay called me last night about training…which made me realize, I haven’t talked to my coach about getting my training walk added to the official calendar. Whoops! I did the training, but I think I had to sign a wavier and send it in…I can’t remember now. But the phone call last night prompted me to email my coach and find out what else I need to do before I can start my duties as an official training walk leader.

Today is a perfect day for walking. For the past few days, the weather here in Tampa has dipped down into the low 70’s, and the humidity is non existent. It’s going to be a beautiful Easter! I hope the weather lasts for next weekend, when my husband and I head to Orlando for our anniversary trip. Or even through the end of the month, when I have plans for a training walk in Tampa.

When I participated in the training walk conference call last week, we had walkers from all over the states on it. Several ladies called in from New Mexico and Arizona - there isn’t a 3-Day in those states, so they’ll be traveling to California and Washington for their walks. Now, I’ve been to Phoenix, and I know it is HOT there. Whereas Florida is humid, Phoenix is dry. I’m not sure which would be worse for training! What I do remember of Phoenix is that I loved Scottsdale - the canyons and foothills were beautiful (but probably hard to walk in) and you can always look for celebs and enjoy sightseeing past the Scottsdale Luxury Homes. I’d be interested in doing a 3-Day there, as long as it wasn’t in the summer!