IN IT TO END IT!!

Being that I have not really talked to too many of you about my awesome weekend in NYC doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer I wanted to tell my story here!....

So way back in May my friend, Denise, asked me if I wanted to do this with her during a weight watcher meeting. My initial reaction was.. NO, you are crazy! How the hell am I going to train for that with 3 kids at home!!

As time went on I head that 3 of my local friends with kids (one with 4) was going to do this walk as well. Denise drug me to a meeting at the Somerville Library to learn more about it. At the end of this meeting I was not convinced. I was more scared about the physical element of training for a 40 mile walk. TIME?? Where the hell was I going to find it?? Then the $1800 I had to raise. I know myself and figured, what ever... I would register and flush $40.00 registration fee down the drain when I decided to not do it.

Then the reality set in ... I wanted to do it! I wanted the challenge. I wanted the excuse to get out of the house to go for a walk. I did not have any emotional attachment to Breast Cancer. I initially was in it for my Dad who I lost to Pancreatic Cancer a year prior. The more I trained I realized I was in it for ME and my girls and YOURS! I do not want my kids to have to deal with this disease! So I am hoping the little I could do might help.

THE NIGHT BEFORE:

On Friday night we stayed in the Sheridan in NYC. Was fun to see the city from the 21st floor. Avon had a room set up for people that had to check in , buy stuff, get their free fundraising gifts, hand in money... etc. We went to see what it was all about. We were already checked in (Thank god.. that was a mess!.. a well organized mess!) We needed to pick up our Kodak Flip Video cameras that we won and baseball hats. Then on the way out there were reps from other companies including Avon that gave us free products including waterbottles. Avon gave us a bunch, but in the pack was a "blister blocker" stick. I did pre buy this thinking that I would not need it.. but hey they gave it to us! So I was going to use it!

After we did all of the Avon stuff we headed out to the restaurant across the street for a good carb overload. Then back to bed! This was not a good nights sleep for all we worried about was when we had to wake up. Denise was up at 3am. I did not wake until 4:40ish I think!

SATURDAY MORNING: WALKED 26.2 miles in 10 hours

It was a brisk cold morning in NYC. We got on the bus and headed to Chelsea Piers! We had a light breakfast, coffee and admired the sea of pink! There were so many fun things to see. From the outfits that people made to the costumes and the spirit. Opening ceremonies were mainly 4 people with testimonies. Holy TEARS! This was a great way to make us realize really why we were there! We are helping so many people that we will never know. So we began our trek out at 7am .... over the Brooklyn bridge, back over a train bridge and somehow ended at Randell's Island. We finished the 29.2 miles... barely! We laughed, cried, walked ssslllloooowww, and FAST. We sat and rested, drank a ton and trudged through. There was not really a minute that I thought I wanted to bail!

When we FINALLY... and I say FINALLY because right at the almost breaking point someone said to us... "YOU ARE ALMOST THERE! Just over the foot bridge and you are there!!!" In the moment we were so excited.. we were ALMOST there! So we crossed the bridge and could not see pink tents anywhere! If it was not so far back I would have killed that lady! It was really another 2 miles from where we saw her. They really took us to the far end of the island. We were pissed and tired and cranky!! All I wanted was to go to bed... but we could not yet!

When we got to camp we had to set up our tent (but a boyscout did it for us!), get our luggage, set up our beds, eat dinner, take a shower, and call our families to let them know we were still alive! BLAHH... I figured if I can just get through this I am golden! I was freezing and had forgotten my towel and the thought of walking to the Avon tent to buy these things was such a chore! But I did it!

I forgot that I mentioned the blister blocker before... well, it works! I used it several times and NO BLISTERS!! Denise on the other had did not and was not so lucky!

We were in bed by I think 8pm. I could not move! I tossed and turned all night long. Never slept!! I was not wide awake, but I heard everything and snoring from tents next to me! My hips hurt so I tossed all night! But some how I woke up and was ready to face the next day.

SUNDAY: WALKED 13.1 miles in 5 hours

Everyone had the same waddle. Kind of like we rode a horse for many hours! We had to walk across the park to brush our teeth, get dressed in a sleeping bag, repack, take down the tent, eat breakfast, go to the bathroom and fill our water bottles all to do it again! 13.1 miles today!

We were a bit slower today!! We stopped for icecream! YEAH! We did not have to be back before 3:00 so we figured we could take our time. We made it back before 1!! We were greeted by Denise's husband and daughter. Then we waited for the closing ceremony! This is the ceremony that changed my life forever. They have all of the survivors a different color shirt then walkers and they were allowed to march in to the front of the ceremony. I really noticed that most of the people these were my age. Not OVER 40 like we are told by dr's to get mammograms. This really affected me and realized that I am here for ME and my girls and yours! BUT ME! Just when we think we are too young for this we are NOT!

I am so proud of what I did, both physically and fundraising. I could not have done it with out the amazing support of my family and friends! I had received so many phone calls, text messages and emails that kept me going and smiling. THANK YOU!

One of my favorite personal highlights of my weekend came from my Cousin Clem! He is a helicopter pilot in NYC. He was flying in the sky while I went over the Brooklyn Bridge, text me all the way over! He sent his copter (not flown by him at the time) over my head! SO AWESOME!!! Then while I was at Randell's Island almost dead.. he flew over, circled 3 times, flew off and then text me some aerial pictures! Last by not least he did the same for closing ceremonies! He told me he would be there to cheer me on, but I had no idea he would be over my head! I loved it!!! Thank you Clemmie!

Here are some pictures from the weekend, know I took a picture of EVERY mile marker! I will spare you those pictures! Again, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! And I think I want to do it again next year! My friend, Linda, who is a professional Susan G Komen 3 day walker told me I would do it every year from that day forward and I did not believe her. I still did not believe her until this week. She is right ..... I will be there again next year! Who wants to walk with me next year??? Thinking about other cities, but I think for my families sake I need to stay in NYC for another year or so!

I am trying to upload more pics, but having a hard time... more to come!