Thoughts On Walking . . .

The Boob Crew in front of "W's" house . . . can anyone guess whose husband is a photographer? Nice pose, Audrey. Hee hee.

(This is a really long post . . . not for the lightweight reader. Sorry mom.)

Sorry it's taken so long to put my thoughts down about the Avon Walk - it is, truthfully, a little hard to put into words what I felt during this experience. I'm going with bullet point thoughts instead of a running narrative - because I could really go on and on if I don't try to capsulize and condense. Here are a few of the highlights:

• Opening Ceremonies - It was very early, we were a little chilly, but the air was buzzing with excitement! Lots and lots of pink - EVERYWHERE. I gulped down a bagel and hot chocolate before the actual ceremony started, then we each signed our names to the Washington DC Walk column, and that's about when I started crying. Just thinking about Linnea, my dad, and sweet Christy as I wrote their names made me so grateful for what I was there to do. Four cancer survivors spoke to us about their journey with cancer and their ability to walk that day. It was great! I couldn't wait to start walking!


• Irreverent Breast Humor - It was all over the place, and unlike in any other setting, seemed totally hilarious and appropriate for what we were doing. I've never seen so many funny t-shirts, hats, quotes and names all honoring breasts. It was all good - because it kept me laughing and smiling throughout the day. I especially appreciated the guy in the "I'm a Boob Man" shirt at about mile 24 on Saturday, because that was when I was ready to fall over with exhaustion, and his shirt made me laugh out loud and keep going. I have a totally new appreciation for "Boob Humor" (sorry if this offends any of you - go do this walk, you'll feel differently.)


• Gorgeous Weather, Gorgeous Earth - We'd expected rain, planned for rain, trained in rain and then felt discouraged when the weather report said it would rain. But, it DID NOT rain while we were walking. It was sunny and hot both days. I can't think of a better way to see the sights of the city. We got lots of shade from neighborhoods and lots of sun while passing monument after monument. I felt so grateful for the splendor of the land as we passed by every imaginable spring delight. My allergies were in check and it was really glorious!


• The Cheerleaders - Everywhere we went, from DC and its monuments to the suburbs of Maryland with their gorgeous historic homes, there were thousands of people cheering us on. Some were standing by the side of the road, slapping our hands and saying with true sincerity, "Thank you for walking." Others were honking their horns in their cars as we passed and shouting, "Walkers, you rock!" Many people had pink ribbons tied on their trees, fences and doors. But my favorite were the little children who'd set up free lemonade stands and give us a little energy boosting snack with a sweet "Thanks so much." Every time I passed one of these kids, I'd cry as I thought of my three kids at home, and the possibility that maybe some day kids won't lose their moms to breast cancer. These cheerleaders, for me, were crucial to my finishing. Whenever we'd see some more, I'd think - "Keep walking. They need you to keep walking."


• Food - Each rest stop had energy packed goodies, but the Boob Crew quickly honed in on one particular favorite. It was a little paper wrapped confection called a "Grahamwich Sandwich" and it was peanut butter and a smidgen of grape jelly sandwiched between two substantially sized homemade looking graham crackers. The thing tasted like a gourmet Nutter Butter cookie (don't even get me started on those) It hit the spot so nicely EVERY time. Audrey and I found ourselves quickening the pace right before each stop, just to get our Grahamwich fix. I stuffed some in my fanny pack to let the kids try, then ended up eating all of them myself! I guess I really needed the protein! I have scoured the internet trying to find these things, and they are nowhere to be found. It was really good while it lasted though. All the food (five meals) all weekend long was delish!


• Lunch with Reese - You know it's not every day you get your lunch handed to you by an Oscar winning actress. The big joke was how I was going to stalk Ms. Witherspoon all weekend until I got my picture taken with her. It was by sheer coincidence that Audrey and I made a potty stop on Sunday while the rest of the Boob Crew got their lunches from an Avon crew worker. When we were done using the bathroom, we were diverted to another tent to get our lunch - which just happened to be the CELEBRITY tent! So, cameras snapped, words were exchanged, and Audrey and I felt totally happy that the stars had aligned! BTW - She's super cute, has flawless skin and says "Ya'll" an awful lot. Other than her spiffy sunglasses, she looked like the rest of the workers - dressed in pink, supporting a good cause, and handing out lunches!


• The Wellness Village - On the first day after you've completed the marathon length, you end up in a village created just for participants of the walk. There are thousands of blue tents everywhere. There are people everywhere. There's a humongous dining tent with entertainment. There are semi trucks that house hot showers (bit o' heaven). There are port-a-potties galore. But the best tent was the one that housed the physical therapists and professional masseuses. All of us got a 15 minute long, muchly needed body massage. Aching bones and muscles were indeed grateful.


• Audrey - Spending time with my sis-in-law, without five children tugging at us in every direction, was really, truly enjoyable. She is a complete machine at plowing up hills, past people and on to the finish line. She is a true athlete to the core and I drew strength from her throughout the walk. She kept me going, and even let me lean on her shoulder on the second day when my knee was starting to hurt. One of the great rewards of doing this walk was spending more time with Audrey.


• Linnea & My Dad - Being able to watch Linnea do something all considered to be an impossible feat was really inspiring. Her determination, will and sheer stubborness took her a full 26.2 miles over the two days, and left us all with our mouths hanging open in astonishment. She is a true walking miracle and I am so in awe of her ability to seize life to its very fullest. She couldn't stand the thought of missing out on this walk knowing that we most likely won't do it next year when she is fully recovered, so she just had to do it - and do it she did. It was also a very tender moment for me to turn the corner at the finish line and see my dad standing there in his bright yellow LiveStrong shirt. He was teary and proud and I felt very happy to have him there with me and Audrey.


• The Feeling - Lots of feelings come from doing a thing like this. I felt tired, sad, happy, frustrated, encouraged, alone, exhausted, sore, energized, lively, spontaneous, scared, thrilled and overjoyed - and that was all just on the first day! Then I woke up and felt many of those same feelings again on the second day. But the feeling that remains with me still is the feeling of inclusion in something bigger than myself - something for the greater good, something that will help people I will never know. It is an exhilarating feeling. It makes me want to do more, to continue to help others. It is also a sobering feeling. Every three minutes of the walk a random walker was given a "connection ribbon" to remind us that EVERY THREE MINUTES a woman in this country is diagnosed with breast cancer. And many of those women, like my friend Christy, will not win their battle. This walk made me recognize how small I am, just my one person. And how big cancer is. But how 3500 people can make a difference by raising 8.1 million dollars to help with research and programs to erradicate this horrible disease. I'm so glad I did the walk. I'm so glad I had four friends who walked with me. It was truly an amazing thing and I will never forget it for as long as I live.