3 Day Training 2011

Training for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure

It's tough. It's fun. It's beautiful.

I usually try to keep up my pace so I haven't been great about taking photos.

But I'm overjoyed at the ones I have.

The routes I travel around my house are gorgeous.

Trees. Flowers. Animals. Farms. Barns. Beautiful Homes.

I am such a lucky girl.

And so I wanted to share it with all of you.

Enjoy!

Breast Cancer 3 Day: Tips from the Inside

3 Day Tips…
for walkers who have yet to walk this year… and for myself when next year comes around and all these tid-bits have scattered from my brain

Packing
1. Definitely put everything in sealed plastic bags. We got rain 2 nights. My bag got wet but everything inside was dry as a bone! And bring a few extras just in case (I used the 2.5 gallon size for my clothes and shoes).

2. Bring extra black trash bags. We put our duffel bags into the trash bags to keep them dry overnight (when you put a queen sized air mattress in a tent there is no room for your bag, which if you pack accordingly is not a problem).

3. Depending what time you get back to camp you may not need a 'camp outfit.' Walking around in pjs after you shower is perfectly acceptable. The key is comfort and dressing for the weather (either warm, cold or wet depending).

4. If you wear a baseball cap, bring one for each day. Between rain and sweat you may find yourself with a wet hat that can't be worn the next day. I was glad to have 3.

5. If you have a plain, non-descript bag, use duct tape to put your tent letter/number in big characters on your bag. I did mine in pink duct tape (channeling my good friend Jenni Booth). It stayed on the whole time and it was easy to spot.

Camping
1. Check out the Bank of America tent for the massage chairs- they do your feet and back at the same time and its 5 minutes of heaven. If you have the time, do it twice! It gives you a fresher start the next day.

2. On Saturday night there were actual, human massage therapists at the Energizer tent!! I think you had to get there early to get signed up so check it out as soon as you come back. We missed out- I won't let that happen again.

3. If you need to get blisters or other foot care taken care of at the Medical Tent when you arrive at Camp, eat and shower first. Once they bandage your feet you don't want to undo it all in the shower.

4. There are phone/ipod chargers at both the AT&T Tent and the Bank of America Tent (no power anywhere else so no need to bring your own charger). At the Bank of America Tent you'll need to stay close-by, but with the AT&T charging station they give you a number and you can come back to pick up your device. Very handy!

5. Bring a tarp, or ideally 2. Put one under and one over your tent in case of rain.

6. If you're a light sleeper, bring earplugs. People are up later than 9p and up around 4:30/5:00am.

7. There are some small shelves in the shower stall on which to put your toiletries. I used the insert to my LL Bean Personal Organizer which had a little hook I could loop over the shelf. It held my soap, shampoo/conditioner and razor. Perfect.

The Walk
1. Bring a clean bandana for each day of the walk. Tie it to your pack and put ice in it whenever you can to keep cool (and in the process, wash off the sweat).

2. Bring two pairs of clean socks if you can fit them. I loved having the option to change my socks twice during the day. I also had my moleskin for my heels pre-cut. Made changing out much easier- no need to hit the Medical tent.

3. If your muscles are getting sore- keep stretching (that goes without saying really), but also check in with the Medical Tent about BioFreeze. It comes in a little packet and looks like aloe that you'd put on after a sunburn. At first it won't feel like its doing anything and then it gets tingly like Ben Gay and its great! It really takes the edge off. They have it at the Medical Tent at Camp and at each Pit Stop/Grab & Go.

4. If you have family and friends interested in coming out to see you along the way- ask them to come later in the day and, ideally, don't find out where they are along the route. It will be a huge incentive for you to keep walking and its so much fun not knowing when you may see them!

5. Day Two is tough! I'm not going to lie to you. Its hard. You're already tired from Day 1. You just got through your first night of camping and it probably didn't go as well as you would have liked-- no one sleeps all that great in a tent… There's nothing extra special to look forward to at the end of the day- on Day 1 you've got the incentive of seeing Camp and on Day 3 you FINISH- so that makes Day 2 more of a challenge. But you can do it! Save some of your mail from Day 1 to read when you get back to Camp that night. Buy yourself a t-shirt at night or make a phone call to someone you love. Day 2 was the toughest for me, but I'll tell you that made Day 3 all the more sweet!

6. Buy portable ipod speakers. Do it now. Today. Do not pass GO! Do not collect $200. Run out and buy speakers now. Remember how I said Day 2 was tough? I can almost 100% guarantee it will be easier if you've got speakers with some upbeat music to get you through the day. Something like this. We followed some people with these for awhile and it brought us so much joy! Have each team member make a playlist and pass it around. You won't be sorry!

7. Put a poncho in your pack. If its warm and it rains you'll probably be ok without it, but in case its coming down fiercely and you're getting cold, it will make a big difference.

For Families and Friends (aka Cheerleaders)
1. Bring clapper type devices that do the clapping for you! You'll be excited to scream and clap but I'm sure your hands will be tired quickly.

2. If its hot, bring things to cool down the walkers. They'll want to kiss your feet! Sprayers to spray water (lesson learned from our team- bring something to protect your hands from blisters after repeated squeezing). Coolers full of ice they can dunk their bandanas in. Freeze-pops. Popsicles. Frozen grapes. Watermelon. A hose or sprinkler (if you live on the route).

3. Make a sign! Better yet- have little kids make signs! So cute and super motivating!

4. Bring music- a big boom box. It lets the walkers knowing that they're getting close to something really FUN!

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Hope this helps! I'll update the lists if I think of anything else.

Happy walking!

Susan G. Komen 3Day for the Cure 2010

Day 1

Dan dropped Jessica and me off in Framingham at 5:30am. We put our bags on the gear truck and met the third member of Team AccompliSHEd, Anne Reed. She is so sweet!! We found my friend Cindee Lee, who I met at the Burlington 3Day Training Kick Off months ago.

Opening Ceremonies were completely moving. It was one of the things we missed out on in Philly and I knew I was missing out on something big but I still didn't know how great it would be- exciting music, dance-offs across the way, stretching, cheering, and then the flags made their first debut. The 3Day coordinators know how to made things inspirational without it being too 'down.' It was moving. Beyond words really. The names of those who have died form Breast Cancer were raised on the flag pole and then surrounded by survivors who were going to begin their 60 mile walk. And then, we were walking. 19.2 miles today. It was overcast and in the low 70's that morning.

The high temp for the day was 80 (we got lucky there) but we got showers starting in the late afternoon. Here's the map for this year's route:

On Day 1 we walked from Framingham through Natick, Wellesley, Newton, and finally into Waltham where Camp was located.

We had a great time starting to recognize some of the crew members were saw often throughout the weekend. For the second time I saw 2 men in tutus and thought for an entire day that they were the same person--- nope, it was the Tutu Brothers that we met in Philly last year (who aren't even twins, yet they look a LOT alike). Another welcome addition was the Youth Corp- kids from 12-16 (too young to walk) who cheered us into each Pit Stop and Grab & Go location! They were so cute with so much energy. Men with Heart, easily identified in their yellow shirts, chanted and sang, serenading us with songs like "Pretty Woman." And then there were the unofficial 'crew' who cheered us on all weekend- my favorite were the 3 men dressed as pink angels.

It was a long day but we all did well. There were some people cheering for us in the streets which perked us all up!

Lunch wasn't so great. It was some spicy bean or chicken wrap. A little much for a hot, tiring day... but the graham cracker pb&j sandwiches and other snacks tied us over fairly well. Anne skipped Dunkin Donuts in the morning but was looking forward to it after lunch and yet there was none to be found. (We are still in MA aren't we??!?!) Nope. It seemed all we could find were Auto Body shops. Every corner, another place for repairs... until finally, after miles of talking about it, we were talking about being happy to have someone cheering and the girl in front of us says "Wait til you see what's around the corner!" and there it was- Dunkin Donuts!! MMmmm!

The last few miles were tough. They seemed to take much longer than the others and in the last 2 miles it started raining. Not downpours thankfully, but raining nonetheless. When we finally got into Camp and the Men with Heart were singing us in, we were so happy and relieved and overjoyed!!

Camp was another thing I missed out on in Philly and I was so excited to participate in every minute of the camp activities. We arrived and got our gear and a tent and went to set up at spot E-64. Jessica and I got the tent up and I got a call from my mom who was at the last Cheering Station (not knowing we'd already come through). She found a parking spot near Camp and met me in the driveway with goodie bags for me and my teammates! It was great getting a hug and a "good job" from her that day :)

I shared the goodies with the girls and then we made our way to dinner. It was only 4:30 but we were starving!!! A hot meal was a nice treat in the middle of all that rain. Steak for the carnivores (Jessica said it was delicious), and a portobello mushroom with sauce and tofu and cheese for the veggies. With red potatoes, green beans, salad and apple pie. Hit the spot!!!

After dinner we made our way down 3Day Main Street. The New Balance Tent where they sell their products. Then we got our Mail!!! LOVE getting Mail!!!! The Bank of America Tent had chairs that massage your back and feet at the same time! Heaven on earth. Then around to AT&T and Energizers Tents- just quickly wanting to get to the 3Day store tent. We looked around there even longer than we planned because the sky positively opened up for awhile.

When it let up a little we made our way back to the tent and got dry clothes and shower stuff to head to the Porta Kleen tractor trailer truck/showers! Man did that feel great!!!

After getting clean and into rain gear and warmer clothes (and realizing that somehow I got heat rash all over my legs), we headed back to the main dining tent for Camp Entertainment (and announcements) and then Karaoke. We learned that if there was severe weather overnight they'd alert us with air horns... and if that were to happen we should "wake up- cheerfully. stay calm and follow crew member directions. remember- cheerfully" oy! we were hoping it wouldn't come to that, but the rain was still coming down in sheets.

Soon the announcement came that the last walker was making her way to camp (the field closes at 7p). After hours of being drenched I'm sure those last walkers were feeling low and lousy, but we brought them into Camp 3 Day style- cheering and stomping and screaming our heads off!!!!! They played what seemed to be the 3Day theme song, Black Eyed Peas' "I've got a feelin'" and we went nuts until she made her way in and raised that flag up, signaling everyone was home for the night. I was so glad we were in a tent with no sides because I don't think a real building could have contained all of that energy!!!!

We met this lady named Mary who was the top fundraiser with $38k!!! She vowed to raise $1k for each year since her mother died of breast cancer and since she started teaching and she did it! She slept in this well-deserved huge comfy tent they set up for her!

We watched some of the karaoke and then headed to bed around 8:30p (a half hour before curfew). Exhausted. It was still raining but as it turns out there was a drainage system that kept the ground fairly dry and the tarp over the tent kept us dry from the top.

Lights out. We made it through Day 1.

Day 2

The noise at Camp started early. Jessica and I were both up at midnight to go to the bathroom and neither of slept all that well so 5:30a came as a shock to our systems. Anne was awake too and the three of us headed to breakfast and then readied ourselves for the second full day of walking. The longest day- 21.1 miles.

The up side was that the rain had stopped overnight. The bad news was that the humidity wouldn't quit. It got hot and quickly and it was humid from the very first step off the camp driveway.

The Route

On Day 2 we walked from Waltham through Belmont, Arlington, Lexington, Winchester, and Woburn then back through Lexington into Waltham.

Day 2 was by far the hardest day. It was hot. It felt 100% hotter than Friday even though I know that's not possible. We started the day with an incline and then the hills just wouldn't quit. There was a lot of walking in residential areas with fewer people cheering and a lot more Quiet Zones than on Friday. By the time we got to lunch the morale of Team AccompliSHEd was pretty low. Both Jessica and Anne was nursing blisters that were making things really uncomfortable for them. I was sore and have I mentioned that it was brutally hot??!? They changed out the Heat Index Sign which read Moderate to Hazardous. Great. And to make matters worse there was very little shade in which to enjoy our lunch... still sitting felt great. And lunch was really good.

I tried to keep talking about our families' private cheering station which we'd still have yet to encounter... we'd taken bets on when we'd see them... and so I was asking who they thought would be there and what they'd be doing. Knowing they were waiting to cheer us on perked us all up. Jessica and Anne both admitted later that they were seriously considering getting swept except for the fact that our families were ahead. It literally made all the difference!!

The afternoon was still long. We still had 9 miles to go and more hills ahead of us. It actually got to the point where we thought we had somehow missed their cheering station... gotten there too early or something. But there was a public Cheering Station in Lexington which was a boost. Their local cheerleaders were cheering us in "Urinate! Hydrate! Walk! Walk! Walk" so cute!

And then after our last Pit Stop- at 19.2 miles- we saw them! We heard them! We rushed through the Pit Stop (only peeking in because we were told Medical wanted to look everyone over because it was soo hot) and then we ran over to them! Yes, I think I did actually run a little- tired feet or no, I was thrilled!!!

We were greeted by what felt like a million people who wanted to hug and cheer our sweaty selves! Mom & Dad. Krissy, Willy & Aila. Megg, Emelyn & Oisin. Tini. Ryan. Anne's two daughters and granddaughter Isabella. The kids were squirting the walkers legs as they walked through- the adults were attending to the sweaty arms, chests and faces. What a welcome treat! They had frozen grapes (again-- soooo perfect), and they were clapping and cheering as if Elvis was back on earth! It was amazing.

We hung out for a little while seeing all of the stuff they made- a banner for our table, backpacks for us to wear with the names and pictures of the women we were walking for- and their awesome tee-shirts!!!! They did such a fantastic job with every little detail!!

Finally we figured we should get back to Camp before we lost all of energy. We were definitely refreshed and yet those last 2+ miles were killer. It was still hot and we were slowing down... and again with the hills. Brutal. The last neighborhood was really hilly- we even took to walking backwards down the hills to save our knees... I was joking about being about to do these 60 miles backwards with my eyes closed and then I almost tripped on a grate and that was the end of that! Our last cheerers for the day were the two best. One elderly lady asked us what we were doing and when we told her, she offered us a drink or to use her bathroom. So sweet. And then a 2-3 year old girl was yelling from her front steps "Good job girls! You're almost there!!" When we finally made it back and the Men with Heart were singing and cheering us in I was so relieved I wanted to kiss each and every one of them!!!

It was much later than our Friday arrival- already nearly 6p. We were good kids and went to eat instead of showering. Dinner was delicious again- chicken for the carnivores. A yummy chili type dish for me- with rice, mixed veggies, salad and a brownie. We got ourselves a chair massage (great for the back and feet) and then headed back to shower. It felt even better than Friday's shower- both for cleaning us and getting our body temps back down.

Anne headed to bed shortly after showering. Jessica and I went for a second massage. A great idea!!! And then I bought a few goodies at the 3Day tent. We skipped the dance party entertainment but it was fun listening to the music and watching from afar.

We were in bed a little before 9p- this time with a muscle relaxer to take the edge off, I'm not ashamed to admit, which mostly just gave me the insurance I needed to sleep through the night. Thankfully- it worked!

Day 3

We woke up to chatter about the sudden downpours overnight... again up before the alarm we had set. Around 5:15am. In addition to getting ready and eating breakfast we also had to take down our tent and get our gear back on the gear truck. Somehow this took us forever. We got on the road a little after 7am.

We were all in better spirits. Knowing the end was in sight made Sunday a much better day than Saturday. It was still hot but not nearly as humid as Saturday morning.

We started again in Waltham, walked through Belmont into Cambridge (Harvard Square then MIT and over the Mass Ave bridge) and finally into Boston- through the Public Gardens (where people cheered us on) and then lunch on the Common, through Downtown Crossing, the Financial District, across to the water front seaport area into Southie and to UMASS for Closing Ceremonies.

It was a really enjoyable day. Our feet and legs were sore, but we had the blisters under control (I only ended up with the one on my left foot that I keep gaining and losing which doesn't even bother me), and we found that BioFreeze (an aloe-like bengay type product) helped a lot too! And there were people everywhere, cheering and clapping and beeping. Even the crew was extra cheery and congratulatory. I think the funniest though was when we veered off into a Dunkin Donuts in Cambridge and opened the door to find the Youth Corp inside who immediately got back into character and cheered us right into line!!!

We took our time and enjoyed each pit stop, enjoyed the sights of the city. One of the highlights was after the quiet Financial District, turning the corner into the Fire Station to find the firemen out on the sidewalk, hoses in hand, hosing us down!! It was just what we needed (little did we know how much- the next couple miles had no trees or shade anywhere).

Pit Stop 4 was 11 miles in and there was a Ben & Jerry's! Jessica was thrilled!!! :) And then shortly after that, on our way to lunch, we found our families yet again with an even more amazing (if that's possible) Cheering Station heading down towards the beach in Southie.

Our enthusiastic crowd on Sunday included the same folks as Saturday plus Donna & Al (Jessica's parents) and her brother Patrick with his roommate. Grammy. Jeff, Melissa, Riley and Garret (the kids sporting their new t-shirts too). My cousins Gayle & Melissa. Patsy & Pat. Matthew with his wife and kids!! Quite a crowd!!!

We got to lunch a little after 2p. Later than we planned... but with less miles to walk on Sunday we weren't killing ourselves to be the first to Holding. Lunch was across the street from the beach and then we walked all along the water until we got to UMASS Boston.

I cannot describe the feeling of walking those last steps into the building where we'd all wait together to walk our last steps into the Closing Ceremonies. I was so happy and wanted to cry so badly and yet I knew if I started then I'd never stop, so I took a deep breath and walked into the cool air conditioned building. All of the walkers who arrived early were screaming and clapping and high fiving as we came through. I literally ran through some of them, so excited to slapping my hand against theirs. So happy to have made it. 3 full days this time. No rain delays or cancellations. No sweep van for our team. We hit some low spots but we did it. No one was taken to medical. No one passed out or got stress fractures. No one even cried because it was just too much. We did it. We actually did it!!

We got our badges scanned for the last time, signaling that we were actually done, and picked up 2010 t-shirts and a pink rose. The air conditioning felt great though it wasn't quite cool enough when combined with a long sleeved t-shirt and a combo of a slight sunburn and some major heat rash. But then we got lined up for Closing Ceremonies and any thoughts of discomfort went away.

We snaked through the street to the Closing Ceremony. The Men with Heart lead us in some cheers and then when we got stopped because of the 'traffic' we got the wave going a few times! Energy was definitely high. We were all feeling like we were high. Family, friends, loved ones were screaming and cheering. The announcements on stage started- thanking everyone for being there for all of their support and the Walkers and Crew cheered for the cheerleaders!

As we continued walking, all the time looking for anyone we might know, I hear Krissy yell "There's Jen!!!" she, Grammy, Megg and the kids were running late (after hitting the park at the beach with the kids) but scored a great (but likely illegal parking) spot and managed to find us. We danced along the path, Emelyn holding my hand part of the way until they had to break off. We walked in proudly holding the banner our Cheering Station 'fans' made for us!! After awhile of not finding anyone, I checked my phone and found out they were on the other side. Of course! Fortunately there was plenty of room (likely due to the fact that a number of people were likely too hurt or sick to stay) and we moved over and got a quick kiss, hug, and wave from our families before the ceremony started.

The Closing Ceremony is an amazing experience that I can hardly describe. Let me tell you there wasn't a dry eye in the whole of the UMASS campus. And soon we were with our families, hugging and kissing and telling stories about our adventures over the course of the weekend.

We said good bye to Anne- so grateful to have met her and to have had more support on our team. And then we headed to Mom's for dinner and celebrations. My heat rash crept from my legs to my arms and chest and was really uncomfortable. The pool made me shiver like it was January even though the water was probably nearly 80, but it felt great. We talked about how grateful we all were for the myriad of experiences over the course of the weekend, and talked about how tired and sore we were (just minimally though). We looked at the pictures Mom and Tini took. So awesome!!

And before we knew it, it was after 9p and we were wiped. Dan loaded Jessica, Tini and I into the car. We came home to a clean house- Dan cleaned the kitchen and even mopped the floors!!!! AND he found a sneak preview of Pillars of the Earth and recorded 2 episodes!!! He rocks!! We all stayed up a bit longer and then it was 11p and none of us could keep our eyes open. I said a nearly tearful good bye to Christine, so grateful that she came all this way to cheer us on and so sad that she was here for 2 full days and I only saw her for a couple hours. And felt quickly and comfortably asleep in my own bed!

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Photos to come. Along with a post about tips for my feeble brain who won't remember the details next year (yes, there will be a next year) and for my friends who have yet to walk this year!

8 days Until I Turn 30

This time last year I was recovering the in Same Day Surgery PACU here at MGH. That seems like eons ago at this point, but when I looked at the calendar (thinking it was June 4th), I realized it was in fact today. I had a small lump removed from my right breast, not knowing at that point what that 2cm mass was comprised of.

Here are my blog entries for that day and the day after if you missed them the first time around.

So let me take this time to do a quick Public Service Announcement- if you are a woman, please do your monthly self-exam! Here's some info from Susan G. Komen about how to do it properly. I know it seems silly but that's how I found my lump.

I was fortunate in that my lump was totally benign and nothing to worry about- news the doctor called me with on my birthday a week later. "I hope they looked at your birthday in your file and thought only to call you if it was good news" my Grandmother told me when I called her... I doubt they looked, but regardless the news was good. I am one of the lucky ones. I won't lie, it was scary, but I think I knew deep down that things would be fine in the end, regardless of what it took to get there.

But there are millions of women out there who see that lump on the ultrasound machine and aren't as lucky as I was. And its for them that I'm walking again this year. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure 3 Day Event in Boston is July 23-25th. I know its going to be a zillion degrees, but I am looking forward to fully participating in the event this year along with my dear friend Jessica.
If you are interested in making a donation you can click here to find my fundraising page. Or if you'd like to be a cheerleader that weekend, you can contact my mom, Diane Lassonde, who will be organizing a Cheering Station at the event (which will be a LOT of fun).

My fundraising page doesn't indicate it just yet, because I need to send in the rest of my donations, but I have hit the minimum of $2300 which I need in order to participate- so thank you all for your support thus far. And thank you for continuing to support me in this great adventure.

Philadelphia Day Five

The Breast Cancer 3 Day (turned 1 Day) is now officially over. I'll do a more thorough recap later, but here is the brief overview:

It was still rainy and cold when we left Christine's house at 5am this morning and when we hit the start line around 7:30am. But the rain started slowing and eventually stopped (amazingly enough!!!) and we walked the rest of the day with a lot of wind and an occasional sprinkle but nothing unmanageable.

The duct tape on my sneakers kept me 100% dry despite some very large puddles and early rain! And my rain gear didn't fail me either.

Our team did great all day! The 3Day Crew was so phenomenal, cheering as we crossed every street and approached each pit stop. And the people who came out to cheer us on were equally great- especially Team Dash's family and friends, lead by my parents who had the best cheering station of them all! They were clapping and shaking their maracas and giving out candy and smiles! It was so perfect. I can't wait to share some pictures!

We all made it to the closing ceremonies except poor Sarah who got sick and had to be taken to the hospital. At this hour I believe it was something viral, as she was not dehydrated, thankfully. But we were very sad that she was not able to be there with us at the end. We were thinking of her the whole time.

And now, its over. It went so quickly!

After a few pints at Fado's and a lot of laughs and retellings of various events, we all parted ways and now I'm back at the hotel and looking forward to a good night's sleep before heading home tomorrow. I've missed you MA (snow and all).

Here's some more news coverage if you're interested:
Coverage on the news & their slideshow & video which shows the start line where we kicked things off this morning.

Thanks again to everyone for your support! I couldn't have done it without your calls, emails, texts, and cards (THANKS for the MAIL I received today! It was the highlight of my day).

I love you all.
Good night from Philly!

Philadelphia Day Three

Post by DianeDay three:

Started with a call from Grammy (my mother), who is taking care of our cats. She called to say she had rearranged our living room. Yes, you read this right! She also told us the cats haven’t pooped the whole time shehas been taking care of them. Rick thinks she scared the poop in them!
We think they will be in a boarding house by the time we get home because they are far too messy for her. We should probably head home before she does anything else.

Off to City Hall, the love sculpture, acapella group, Basilica of St. Peter and Paul.
Lunch with Jimmy and his lifelong friend Doug at Marathon Grill.

The afternoon Independence hall, and the liberty bell and back on the trolley with a very animated tour guide who gave the history of where every actor filmed on location in Philly. Very fun!
Dinner at Jimmy and Bridget’s with Mae as the entertainment. Great night to be able to share alone time with a nice cousin and his beautiful family that we see far too little off. As we were leaving Lil returned from an evening with her friends. We chatted a little more than Jimmy left with us and gave us a guided tour of their city. Very quant much like Chestnut Hill or Hingham.

Friday in Philly by Jen

The ironic, fairy-tale chimey theme song from Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia (TV show) is streaming through my head making me smile as it always does.

Yet again it rained all day, though that wasn't a surprise. A good portion of Team DASH gathered at the Willow Grove Mall to get some walking in. There were a bunch of other 3Day walkers there. We cheered each other on. Shared stories and took pictures! We only logged about 1/4 of the miles we normally would have on the Official Day 1 of the walk, but that's ok :)

Yes, its difficult logging a lot of miles at the mall. Though Stephanie decided if we had to keep walking in circles this was the spot she'd choose. MMM Abercrombie eye candy!

We actually did walk enough to warrant stretching :)

Here's a clip that was on the news tonight. (I don't know why it says King of Prussia. The first time we watched it, the clip said Willow Grove which is where we were)

All in all it was a great day! We came home, had a yummy dinner. Relaxed, watched TV (the Phillies game for Tini), and best of all, stayed warm and dry!

Tomorrow we're walking again at a different local mall. We're definitely making the most of this experience, different though it may be!!!

Updates Continued....

The Official Word from the 3Day Site: October 16-18, 2009 Updated October 15, 9:40pm EST. In light of the extreme cold, windy and wet weather conditions, the Philadelphia Breast Cancer 3-Day will now be a one day walk on Sunday. We will not walk on Saturday since the weather forecast currently does not show improvement. The weather has also caused physical deterioration of our camp location preventing us from implementing the camp portion of the event. As organizers of the Breast Cancer 3-Day, our main priority is to ensure the safety and welfare of our participants. After consultation with medical and safety experts, a modified version of the event was determined to be the most appropriate action.
We will start our walk on Sunday, October 18th, at 7 a.m. from Fairmount Park, located at 2030 Belmont Mansion Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19131. We will walk the route originally planned for Sunday and end with our Closing Ceremonies at 5 p.m. at Navy Yard, located at Intrepid Ave., and Broad St., Philadelphia, PA 19112. Additional logistical information for Sunday’s event will be posted on this webpage by tomorrow, October 16th, at 5 p.m. Please monitor the weather and dress appropriately for the current weather conditions. If you are a Crew member, your Crew captains will contact you regarding involvement with Sunday’s event. It disappoints us to have to change your journey because we know the level of dedication shown by you, our participants and volunteers, especially after you’ve spent months training, fundraising and devoting your time to help fight breast cancer. Please know we are committed to showing you the best Breast Cancer 3-Day possible despite what Mother Nature has served us. We look forward to seeing you Sunday! Needless to say, this is so amazingly disappointing after all of the training, preparation, packing, and mental readiness that went into the planning of this weekend. Jen, Christine and I have been wandering aimlessly, shaking our heads, starting sentences and being unable to finish them. Just shocked... but it is what it is and we've come up with a number of silver linings, small though they may be, its helping. On the Down Side The one thing that stinks is that our team is not all together. Three of us are here. Terry is nearby at her friends' house which made more sense given the fact that we have so much more time to meet up this weekend (and I think she has a bed to sleep in there). Jenni and Stephanie are at their hotel in Philly. Keri and Hilary were on their way towards Philly to crash with a friend tonight when the news started coming in. They promptly stopped at a McDonalds trying to decide what to do and when word came in that things were canceled until Sunday- they headed home to their warm beds and families. Sarah and Patty hadn't come into PA yet since they were planning to come in tomorrow anyways. On the Bright Side There are a number of walkers meeting up at various local malls tomorrow and we're going to pick up some of our teammates who have actually made it into town and join them :) Its good to have something to look forward to. Something productive to do. And something that will hopefully still raise awareness on some level. Its a good thing.

Philadelphia Day Two

Hi All,

This is Jen, updating from Christine's house. We had a good day today. Slept off the beers from last night's Fado adventure and lounged around, planning a little bit more of what to pack etc.

Then we ran some errands, got a nice warm bowl of soup for lunch at Panera and picked up our friend Jen at the airport. We then went to Pat's for cheesesteak, Mom and Dad, soaked from their daytime Philly adventures met up with us. We shivered outside Pat's and took a few pictures and then moved on to warmer indoor climates.

It was shortly after that the emails and updates started flying in. Rumors from Crew Members were saying that Day 1 would be cancelled... and then we finally got official confirmation just a few minutes ago that we are not walking tomorrow. I'm really sad not to be able to walk all 3 days but I do understand their main priority needs to be keeping us safe and with low 40s, high winds and drenching rain... that's just not possible tomorrow.

Christine, Jen King and I are hanging out at Christine's house watching the Philly's playoff game. Terry will be joining us soon and we'll have fun here regardless.

Keep your fingers crossed that the weather improves and we can walk on Saturday and Sunday. I'll keep posting here once I know more.

Hi everyone- this is Diane, guest blogging Day Two:

Got up late for me 9:30 went down to the nice complimentary breakfast in the hotel. Back to the room to get ready for our first day in Philly. Monsoon weather. We are having a nor’easter and guess what, in 2 days which is Saturday we are getting another nor’easter! This is terrible for the walkers.

Notable nor'easters
The Great Blizzard of 1888
The Great Blizzard of 1978
The Christmas 1994 Nor'easter
The April 2007 Nor'easter
Now the Philadelphia Breast Cancer 3 day Nor’Easter

We took the trolley tour around Philly for the afternoon. Great thing to do if you could actually see out the windows. The windows were so fogged up they were passing out paper towels to everyone including the driver. We decided to be adventurous and get off the trolley to meet the girls for Philly steaks at Pats. Someone gave us directions and I guess they wanted us to go to their favorite cheese steak place and they sent us to 4th and South to Jims! Which is very far from Pat’s!
We actually had to use my phone gps to get us back to Pat's, 1237 E. Passyunk (Near 9th & Passyunk) and yes, Rick would not listen to her either.
By the time we met the girls we were cold and very, very wet! I almost died when we arrived and it was an outdoor food stand. No inside! No alcohol! I almost cried!
We met Jen King for the first time. I hope first impressions are not always accurate. We still had fun and took a few pictures under the Pat’s sign. Christine dropped us off at the next trolley stop. We finished the tour then went back to Reading Terminal Market which was cute but closing. I got a nice hot apple cider and we walked from there to the Gallery which is a 4 block mall, then back to the hotel to collapse. We actually did the last day’s route for the walk and I didn’t train for it.

Jen called right when we got back to tell us they cancelled the opening ceremonies and the walk for Friday.
Jim called to make plans with us for Friday, then Jen called to say they now cancelled Saturday too! How disappointing. They trained so hard and long for this.
Sad end to a nice day!

Philadephia Day One

Hi everyone- this is Diane, guest blogging for Jen with an update on the trip to Philly and our first day. Will try to keep you posted this weekend's events!

The ride was eventful especially driving with Pete and RePete. Jen and Rick fought with Ms. Garmin all the way down. Listen to her, don’t listen, listen now. To be honest I was trying to find the volume on them. In the end we listened to her and had to pay $1.25 to get off the highway and then back on. I think that pushed them over the edge.

We went to a cool diner for lunch in Oakland, NJ. Then we got back in the car and we just 'stayed left' and made it to our hotel. Very nice hotel, Holiday Inn express downtown Philly.

We checked in got freshened up and went to Fado (the Irish Pub) in Philly- only a few blocks from hotel. We got dinner there and a few Guinness 250 drinks. Christine met us there. They have Pub Quiz, trivia night, which was fun. We were the 3 watters and a worta. (water in Boston and Philly) We thought we were the best! That is all that really matters.

Jen went to Christines’ for the night. End of a nice day.

2 Days and Counting

Wednesday I leave for Philly!!!
I can't believe its come up so quickly
Breast Cancer 3 Day here I come!

So what has it taken to get there?

A lot of training
Walking many many weeknights and weekends.
breaking in my gear
spending way more on sneakers than i ever would have
{but learning that its totally worth it}

A lot of fundraising
Sending emails
Calling people
Reminding people
Selling my cards at a local fair
and at the dancing shows
Mailing in paperwork.
Totally. Worth. It!

A lot of emails
from my team members
excited,
anxious
planning
sharing information

A lot of errands
Lots of last minute stuff.
Travel sized toiletries
{which I usually avoid at all costs,
but space is at a premium}
flashlights
batteries
more and larger ziplocs than
i ever knew existed

A lot of packing
Laundry.
filling the various sized ziplocs
so that when it rains
{yes, when it rains (on friday)
not, if it rains}
even if my bag gets wet, my clothes won't.
and now my bag
which is VERY large.
think hockey bag
is 99% full.
and amazingly enough i can still lift it
which is key
since i'll need to.

so i'm just about ready.
i'm hoping to blog from my phone
or to have mom log in as a guest blogger
to give some updates before i get home on monday!

thanks again everyone for all your support!!

36

36.
Miles.

That's how far I walked this weekend.
I kid you not.
18 miles on Saturday.
18 miles on Sunday.

I can't believe that I'd ever willingly do that, half of which on my own.
But I did! It incredibly, it felt great.

Of course its all part of my training for the Breast Cancer 3Day which is creeping closer every day. This past weekend was supposed to be the longest training weekend with 18 miles on the schedule for Saturday and 15 for Sunday (with Megg's help and willingness to walk we ended up doing 9 together, in addition to the 9 I'd already done).

My legs are sore. Still are. Amazingly enough, when I'm walking I'm fine! Its all other activities that are a little touch and go... and getting up after sitting for too long is tricky because I get stiff. But I'd have expected it to be far worse.

In even better news, my feet held out remarkably well. I have (yet again) the start of blisters on the inside of my heels but it never progressed further than that thankfully. I did try out the moleskin on Sunday to try to ward them off- and it worked! Think I'll stick with that just as a precautionary measure.

So I did it! My gear worked well. I think I'm just about ready. Just a few more things on the list (batteries for the air mattress pump, washing my sleeping bag etc).... one of which is a new pair of sneakers. My third pair since May, which admittedly feels excessive... but when I think how many miles I've logged in each pair its added up quickly and my first pair is just not as cushy as it used to be.

So tonight, armed with a coupon tip off from my good friend, co-worker (and 9 mile Saturday walking partner) that Sports Authority had a $25 off $100 coupon and that Asics were on sale! SCORE!!!

I got these- the Nimbus-11 (yes, I AM secretly hoping it will feel like I'm flying on Harry Potter's broomstick instead of walking 60 miles... but alas, I think I'll just have to rely on their extreme cushion) Wish they were pink, but they only had purple and with that price savings I wasn't quibbling over color.

So that's my 3Day update!

I am getting REALLY excited to head to Philly.

To see all my good friends.

To meet some of the girls I haven't met yet.

To make memories that will last a lifetime.

To be part of something far bigger than myself.

To have this adventure!

Looking forward to it!

Thanks for being part of the journey with me.

West Bridgewater Park Day- 3Day Fundraiser

Sunday September 13th

Mom and I woke up before dawn to get to the craft fair in West Bridgewater. We arrived a few minutes after the vendor opening time of 7am which paid off because we got a great spot!

We set up our booth and rearranged things a few times until we got it just right.

As you can see here, it wasn't quite done but I knew if I didn't take pictures early none would be taken at all.

The front of the booth.

My brand new card displays which Dad (lovingly) whipped up using old supplies from the Creations Unlimited booths which still haunt him in the basement.

Each stand displays a set of 10 cards and the packages of cards are beneath (we might make the shelves deeper if Mom and I hit the road with our wares again)

We had a lot of visitors throughout the day.

Sheri.

Stacy, Kevin and their kids.

Claire.

Grammy. Jeff & Riley.

Krissy & Aila

And of course a lot of other customers too. Mom and I both did well- and for good causes. My profits will obviously go straight to the Breast Cancer 3Day walk.

Mom is using her profits to fund snacks and things to give out to the 3Day walkers at the Cheering Station she's hosting on the course in Philadelphia!!

Thanks everyone for your support. It was a fun day with my Mom. If we can find the time we'll definitely do it again soon!

Come On Down!!!!

Mom & I are participating in West Bridgewater's Park Day Celebration on Sunday, September 13.

I will be selling my photo notecards and Mom will be selling various craft items from the store. It should be a fun day with activities for the whole family, so if you're free come on by! It should be a great day!

The details are below:
Date: Sunday September 13
Time: 10:00-5:00
Location: War Memorial Park in West Bridgewater
(Parking available at the Town Hall & High School)
Address: 155 W Center St West Bridgewater, MA 02379

Details: Craft fair, hay rides, pony rides, clowns, magicians, puppet shows, live bands
Hope you see you there!

p.s. all of my profits will be donated towards the Breast Cancer 3Day walk. Mom's profits will be going towards her efforts to set-up 2 cheering stations set up in Philadelphia to cheer on the thousands of weary walkers who will be tramping through the streets. She'll be buying goodies to hand out to the walkers to keep them going and keep them excited! Both very good causes! Please come out and support us if you can!

I'm still alive... I promise

I think I still have some posts in draft... there just hasn't been time.
Let's try the Cliff's Notes Version of things:

work= insane. challenging. overwhelming. changing. ok.
{my CBeds software upgrade is at the end of the month. and in 2 days i have my first 1 day Process Improvement Workshop that i'm facilitating with my co-worker dave. its been a lot of work, but its a great process}
**should be getting a promotion in the near future. the hard work is paying off.

summer= over. too quick. too busy. too much fun.
i can't believe its almost fall. i love the cool weather. i hate that its dark at 6am and 7pm. but i'm looking forward to sweaters, long sleeves, clogs and fleece socks. walking in this weather is glorious.

walking= difficult. sore. empowering. me-time. uplifting.
i did my longest weekend this past weekend. 15 miles saturday. 15 miles sunday. i was sore when i woke up sunday but walking kept me from getting stiff. monday i was still a little sore. i walked like an old lady with a hip problem at times. but i lived. and better yet, i made it without any blisters fully forming. it was close. but almost doesn't count.

fundraising= slowing down. working hard.
i am selling my cards at the W. Bridgewater Park Day Celebration on Sunday. It should be a fun day with activities for the whole family, so if you're free come on by!
Date: Sunday September 13
Time: 10:00-5:00
Location: War Memorial Park in West Bridgewater- Parking available at the Town Hall & High School
Address: 155 W Center St West Bridgewater, MA 02379
Details: Craft fair, hay rides, pony rides, clowns, magicians, puppet shows, live bands

other random goodies:
pampered chef- got my goodies and they are wonderful. sharp knives make life easier. looking forward to picking up my fresh produce tomorrow and creating something wonderful with the organic veggies and my greener cookware.

CSA: peaches are so good when they are fresh! well, everything is. and so i'm going to sign up for Heaven's Harvest Farms' first ever Fall Share! very much looking forward to fall vegetables, apples and the like.

falling behind- taking pictures. the last 3 outting i've been to that I've actually remembered to bring the camera too did not contribute any files to my hard drive. need to work on that. aila is 4 months old and her set of photos is severely lacking. in better news, kris got some professional ones done that i'm absolutely wild about. those kids are too darn photogenic! ;)
library books- can't seem to finish them before they are due back. oh well. i can always take them out again in the future right?

harry potter- listening o the audio books on my ipod while i walk. Jim Dale has a captivating voice. if you like harry, check out these CDs.

dan- dan's good. my rock, even when things get crazy. work's been busy for him too which is a very good thing. job security. he bought a new-used jeep with a plow that he's been tuning up in preparation for winter. soon he'll start chopping wood and loading up its home on the deck. we lit a small fire to burn some cardboard on sunday. i'm looking forward to weekend afternoons curled up on the couch with a fire keeping us warm.

so on that lovely note, i'm going to go to bed. tomorrow's another long day. with a long, busy weekend ahead. need to get my beauty sleep when i can.

if i haven't talked to you lately, rest assured i do miss you.
let's catch up soon ok?
i've missed my blog friends.
see you in the fall!

Walking at Minot Beach

i found a new walking spot
utilizing my scituate town beach permit
i drive to the glades
and walk along minot beach
its beautiful there
and sometimes its even a little cooler
than at home
though when it gets to be 90+ degrees
and you're half way through a 10 mile walk
it doesn't seem to help
i've found....

watching the waves roll in
is soothing
even when i'm exerting myself
{no, the water isn't quite this blue
i've taken the liberty of editing this one
but its pretty ain' it?}
another similar shot
using a different setting
and less editing
i choose the first one ;)

the clouds were definitely this beautiful
this particular night there were parents and kids
loading up in kayaks and paddling around
laughter and leisure in the air everywhere
it was calming

this sign just cracked me up

i swear i sang Journey's

don't stop believing the whole rest of my walk

not a huge fan of grafiti in general

but this was clever

almost every home along this stretch

has an american flag

waving proudly outside

i love it

something about the red, white and blue

against the blue of the sea and the sky

the fact that it faces out into the ocean

almost as if to welcome those coming ashore

'this is america and its beautiful here'

it makes me happy

and this beauty

is the view from the parking spot next to mine

again, not a proponent of defacing property

but if all grafiti provided people

with direction to stop

and take in the world around them

it might not be such a bad thing...

Where to begin?

So much going on lately, that I don't know where to begin. I've been a bad blogger- just not enough time to check in. But here's a brief rundown of what I've been up to lately.

Last week I met up with my friend Stephanie (3Day Teammate) down in Plymouth. Had some greasy (read: delicious) fries at Lobster Hut while we caught up and I met her sweet family. Then I walked 3 miles along Plymouth Harbor. Gorgeous!

The rest of the week was busy with work. Lots of projects ramping up right now and seems there just aren't enough hours in the workday to get it all done. It always seems to work like this. Ebb and flow. No in between. I don't usually mind- but it IS nice when the heavy flow isn't during summer. Oh well.


Saturday we had a big day. I walked 11 miles in the morning. Dan hung out with Dave Dauphinee who came over with his friend Bob to cut and plane the pine trees we cut down last spring. 1 huge stack gone. 2 more to go. Great progress for one day.

Then we all showered and headed to Willy's for his 2nd Birthday Party. It was a fantastic day! Friends, family, lot of kiddos running around. Willy got an Indian Motorcycle from us, a Radio Flyer Tricycle from Mom & Dad and a Circus Sandbox from Nanny & Grandpa-- so he's one happy kid (pictures to follow).

From there we went to my cousin Chris' high school graduation party. My favorite Tighe you might say (or I might say-- in St. Louis, when I was drunk for once in the past couple years! LOL). Open mouth insert foot. Of course I love ALL the Tighe's (how could you not?) though I do have a special place in my heart for Chris. He's probably the only cousin that I was old enough to vividly remember from a baby through toddler to 6 ft+ giant- that I see on a consistent basis and who I've always had a connection with. He's a good kid! Good luck in college Chris! You'll do great!

Sunday morning I woke up and walked through Wompatuck State Park with my friend Cheri Dauphinee. It was a beautiful walk- rainy at first (but cool) and then hot and muggy. But we survived. We went through the Mt. Hope entrance and all the way to the Main Gate in Hingham and back.

That afternoon, Dan and I went to our good friends' Mike & Maureen's wedding at the Easton Country Club. The ceremony was beautiful but near-torturous only for the heat. The reception was, as expected, a blast! Thanks to a long-standing joke, we landed ourselves at Table 1, which spent the night in fierce competition with Table 2 (The Pascarella's) all night. We danced. We joked. We made a shrine to Wilson and Stanley who never showed up- but ate and drank well all night as the pictures will reveal (more soon)....

Monday I took the day off- knowing we'd be out late. I slept in for the first time all week! But that left me starting my walk at 11am! Three words for you: Mid Day Heat! Brutal. I walked 6 miles. Came home. Showered. Wilted into bed and fell asleep. Then went back out to do another 6 at night.

The rest of the week I paid for having taken Monday off. It was chaos. Arranging schedules of 15+ vendors and shops to move a med room and deal with asbestos (great combination of factors!) all while planning a visit from a German named Wolfgang for next week and dealing with software application upgrade issues, train fires, and other ridiculous requests. Late, trying days.

In better (read: not so whiny) news- we had dinner on Wednesday night with Uncle Ray, Aunt Lillian, Becky, Matt, Kris and Aila. I got home late (work calls!) but Dan made a delicious supper and we enjoyed the company.

And I found out that we're getting a new team member for our 3Day team. Her name is Terry and she lives in Plymouth! Which means that I won't have to do all of these LONG walks alone! I chatted with her for a long time last night and am really looking forward to meeting her.

So that's the scoop.

Dan and I are leaving work at noon today to head to Poughkeepsie for Meg & Nick's wedding. I'm not the overly nostalgic for college type, but I'm actually really psyched to drive by my old Marist stopping grounds. Then Saturday morning we head out to the Poconos to see Ray & Amy and the kids for the rest of the weekend.

Next week promises to be equally as busy as this week (if not moreso), but I'll try to post some pictures from the activities of the past couple weeks.

Enjoy the weekend!

Mail Call

If anyone is interested in sending me a note to be received while I am at Camp at the 3Day Walk in Philadelphia this October here is the information.

Send letters to:
Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office
ATTN: Jennifer Lassonde
P.O. Box 609
Montgomeryville, PA 18936

Envelopes only, please. No boxes or large packages. Mail must be postmarked no later than October 6 in order to ensure delivery at the Breast Cancer 3-Day Camp Post Office. Any mail that is not retrieved by the participant by October 30 will be destroyed.

Photo Finish Friday- Two Weeks' Worth

Two decent weeks. 10 miles is my longest walk to date and while its tough (I can't deny that), its really not all that terrible! Plus, I passed the 200 mile mark in my training. That number seems huge! But I guess all those miles here and there really do add up!

Photo Finish Friday- 7-3-09

Another good week of training. I got in all the mileage I was supposed to :)

I should tell you that my training week officially runs Monday through Sunday but in order to keep up with my Photo Finish Fridays I post it differently here.

The 8 mile walk on Friday morning was my longest yet. It was a little tough but having worked my way up to it, it wasn't terrible. I am supposed to do 10 miles this Saturday. I'll let you know how that goes! My legs are sore just thinking about it.

Friday Photo Finish- catching up

Playing Catch up-- on blogging my walking AND actually doing it.

I was walking gingerly after surgery- think I did a few short walks before the week of 6/13 and it was tough getting back into it. But looking at this week, I think I can safely say its all systems go again!!

Fundraising Update

I am officially able to participate in this walk. We're required to raise $2,300 just to walk and I'm now at $2,575.00!!! Thank you ALL for your donations. I am so excited about the energy and good will I've been privy to along this journey!

Gear
I also splurged on a new pedometer this week, and a hydration backpack. I know my small waist pack will not be large enough to hold everything I need over the course of the 3Day walk, so as much as I told my friend Christine she was nuts for thinking a backpack would be more comfortable, I'm trying it out. Its a Swiss Army pack that I got at BJs for $20! Figured for that price it was worth a try. I used it yesterday... of course it came without directions and I wasn't very smart about it... ended up spilling water all over the back of the pack while filling so I had a wet back for much of my walk. Oh well. better luck next time! It was fairly comfortable and I'm not feeling any discomfort in my back today. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.