Some facts, very important facts that I learned before and during The Walk: 

1.  No one is immune – young women, older women, men, everyone and anyone can get breast cancer.

2.  There is an insidious form of breast cancer called Inflammatory Breast Cancer – it looks like mosquito bites on your skin, or maybe a bumpy allergic reaction – and most doctors, even some oncologists, don’t know about it.  Do not let your doctor dismiss you; this is a particularly virulent form of cancer and is often fatal due to untimely diagnosis.  Keep pushing until someone listens! 

3.  If you have fibrocystic disease (like I do, and like my friend, teammate and breast cancer survivor Bonny does), a breast cancer lump may be hard and immovable, unlike your fibroids. 

4.   If you have any doubts at all, see your doctor.  Right now, early detection is the key to beating breast cancer. 

Meanwhile, we walk until we find a cure…… 

Where to start, what to say?  What's most important is that, in walking 60 miles over three days (November 3, 4 and 5, 2006) here in the Valley of the Sun, over 2,000 walkers raised more than $5 million to assist those going through treatment, as well as contributing to research for a cure.  I was one of those walkers.  I know, you're laughing – you know I'd drive around the block rather than walk, so what motivated me and how did I do it? 

My initial motivation came in the summer of 2005 when I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, just barely, but the number was elevated.  I realized I had to change my diet and do some type of exercise, besides watching TV.  I swam for a few weeks, which I hate anyway, so I was relieved when it became too cold to swim.  Now I had to find something even easier than going in my backyard pool.  I began walking, and walking eventually became my passion – I walked 5 days a week, starting out slowly and for just maybe 15 minutes, then ½ hour, then an hour.  This required me to get up earlier in the morning, and, I know, again you laugh – I've never willingly gotten up in the morning for anything except vacation! 

I decided to try the Climb to Conquer Cancer, which was a 5.5 mile walk up South Mountain – I figured I could make it maybe half-way up, but it was a good cause and a reason to walk on a Saturday morning (February, 2006).  I shocked myself by not only making it to the top, but easily walking the 5.5 miles, plus to and from the buses (maybe another couple of miles).  For some reason (and I will never understand why) this Climb made me think I could walk The Walk.  So, not knowing what was in store for me, I signed up! 

My first challenge was to raise $2200 so that I would be allowed to walk, and that's when the motivation became more extrinsic:  breast cancer is the number one curable cancer that kills women.  It also kills men, so you guys are not exempt.  There is virtually no one who doesn't know someone who has had breast cancer.  I wanted to walk The Walk to contribute to finding a cure so that no one will ever again lose a mother, sister, daughter, aunt, grandmother, wife, niece, or friend to breast cancer. 

My training began in earnest in May, when I attended an Expo to learn about The Walk and what to expect.  I got a lot of valuable tips from people who had walked before, and signed up for the on-line trainer to send me emails with each week’s training schedule. 

I used the 3-Day.org website for fundraising as well as finding the location of Training Walks.  These walks are led by experienced walkers and are set up so you gradually build up distance in walking.  I think the first training walk I did was 3 miles, which seems like such a short distance to me now -- the last training walk I participated in before The Walk was 17 miles!  I also continued my 5 days a week regimen – I ended up walking five to six days a week for 6 months… 

I had already changed my diet, but becoming an athlete in training required that I change it again – I had to add back in some carbs and drink lots more water and sports drinks – I already carried water with me everywhere, now I had to double the amount.  It was an adjustment to make myself eat, but my muscles were craving food as I used them more and more.  It was kinda nice to be able to eat a cheeseburger and fries without worry!  (Oh, and my numbers from my physical came back perfect in 2006 – totally normal blood sugar, blood pressure, excellent cholesterol numbers – The Walk helped me in many ways…) 

I had never been a member of a team before, not in the organized, athletic sense, and this was an entirely new and wonderful experience for me.  During the training walks and on The Walk, the camaraderie was incredible, the support was unbelievable, and the positive attitude was awe-inspiring.  I had no idea that a team could be so powerful – everyone was patient with everyone else; if anyone needed help, we all helped; if someone needed to stop, we all stopped; we were together every step of the way.  I know that’s why I was so successful in completing The Walk with a minimum of pain (one blister) – the support of my team made it possible.  Without them, the mental part would have been overwhelming for me; with them, I pushed past the negativity in my mind and succeeded at something I never thought possible. 

The Walk itself seemed to me to be just another Training Walk – it didn’t seem any longer, really, didn’t seem any harder -- we just walked and talked our way for 60 miles!  We had pit stops along the way, strategically placed with food, drinks, and the cleanest porta-potties I’ve ever seen.  The Walk was actually easier than the Training Walks – most of them did not have any facilities along the way!  Looking back on it, now over two months ago, I don’t yet comprehend the magnitude of what we did, what I did, in terms of the distance that we walked. 

There were people cheering and encouraging us all along the route – making it fun and easier to keep walking…  Some of them knew walkers, some knew breast cancer victims or survivors, some were just helping us as we walked through their neighborhoods…  Experiences that stand out for me include: 

v                Dan, whose wife died of breast cancer, encouraging us at various points along the route for all 3 days;

v                All of the men who dressed up as women with huge balloon boobs and cheered for us;

v                The kids who gave us stickers, candy and popsicles;

v                The “Gatoritas” – snow cones made with Gatorade;

v                The cheerleaders at a junior high in Tempe who did a cheer they made up just for us as we walked by;

v                The people who made an arch for us to walk under;

v                The ladies who used those wooden ball massagers to massage our legs;

v                The families and friends who showed up to see us just long enough to give us hugs and cheer us as we walked on… 

At camp I again marveled at the wonderful, encouraging and supportive atmosphere – everyone was so nice and so helpful and so caring …  The first thing I did upon reaching camp every day was to sit down – just to know that sitting was an option once again was wonderful!  But not for long; I was eager to shower and feel somewhat clean again, and then eat…  I did stop by the “ice bath” one afternoon, just to show my teammates how tough I am – and put my feet into the coldest water I’ve ever encountered and kept them there for at least a minute, maybe two … never again!  It did feel good, but not that good…  The showers were kinda small, and the changing area – okay, it was just a bench and aisle way between the bench and showers, but the water was hot and felt really good. 

On to the food:  okay, I know I’m a picky eater, always have been, but this food was pretty tasteless – except the chocolate éclairs for dessert the first night – so it’s a good thing I snacked all day long Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

During dinner at camp, the entertainment on the big stage included the Sun City Poms (ladies in their 70’s & 80’s with fantastic legs who do pom routines).  We had various speakers, among them my team leader Bonny and a fellow-survivor and now friend she met at the plastic surgeon’s office -- both were warned they might never be able to have children after chemo, so they brought their almost year-old sons up on stage with them to demonstrate the theme of their speeches:  “never give up hope.”  Mr. Stretch was there every evening and morning to lead us in stretches so we didn’t get completely stiff… 

The tents – ahh, the tents – well, let’s just say that the best thing about my tent was that it was already up when I arrived – thanks to the ASU baseball team…  I hate camping, cannot sleep in a tent, and have no idea how to tear it down, either (good thing my tent mate knew how).  It was heaven to return to my own bed on Sunday night, exhausted but relieved that there was no more tent in my future for now. 

It was an experience of a lifetime and I will never forget it.  Thanks to everyone in the Class of '69 who contributed to my fundraising and supported me in other ways.  Crazy girl that I am, I've already signed up for next year, making me a member of the 3-Day Walker Cult.  So I'll be hitting you all up for money again in 2007 ...  Remember:  it's easier to pay up than WALK!!