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!
happy hour on the beach. 
larry's famous--- strike that-- infamous jungle juice (the f'bombs that accompanied it- soo funny)
our ever-expanding circle of beach chairs
that there's nothing like sticking your feet in the sand, with a drink in your hand at the end of the day (even if it wasn't a stressful day at all)
aila playing in the sand. learning to point her toes like a little ballerina.
that willy is not the only litchfield who keeps his tongue out most of the time!
and how the kids just laughed and laughed about how funny it was.
and, how we learned that Uncle Thad, mistakenly put a firework in his carry-on, and they let him on the plane with it!!!
Seeing how happy Uncle Thad was to have his granddaughters there to celebrate with him.
love this boy. 
aila playing in the sand. learning to point her toes like a little ballerina.
that willy is not the only litchfield who keeps his tongue out most of the time!
and how the kids just laughed and laughed about how funny it was.
and, how we learned that Uncle Thad, mistakenly put a firework in his carry-on, and they let him on the plane with it!!!
Seeing how happy Uncle Thad was to have his granddaughters there to celebrate with him.
love this boy. 
and how willy thought he was soo cool to be sitting with his cousins.
a vacation "triangle"
and how willy thought he was soo cool to be sitting with his cousins.
a vacation "triangle"
nothing says vacation quite like a bucket of rum!
that i scored a litchfield reunion t-shirt after the original plan (that you had to be a litchfield or married to one) was thrown out and the "sleeping with a litchfield" addendum was added in.
nothing says vacation quite like a bucket of rum!
that i scored a litchfield reunion t-shirt after the original plan (that you had to be a litchfield or married to one) was thrown out and the "sleeping with a litchfield" addendum was added in.
