60 miles 3 days 1 goal

The 3 Day - Day 3

2010-08-03T16:27:00.000-04:00

Sad that it will be the last time I wake up at 5 am in my pink tent. Breakfast was delicious again. A crew leader came over to tell us that they (crew leaders) were allowed to keep their tents, and she didn't want hers, and that we could have it. So guess who is the proud owner of a kick ass pink tent...me :) That made my day. So once we were all packed up we hauled our gear and loaded it in the truck. I filled my water bottle and was our the gate just after 6:30. I got to carry the "optimism" flag that morning. Again I walked alone. But this morning it was at a much slower pace, I was so so sore. The last day we walked from camp in Westlake to Berea which is where I live, so it was a joke that I was walking home.

At pit stop 1 a sharp pain ran through my foot. it hurt so bad. I sat down for a while and did lots of stretching. There was no need to rush today. I grabbed some snack and slowly limped back on to the route. After about 2 miles the pain in my foot was unbearable. So I sadly stepped to the side of the road with my arms over my head in an X to flag down a sweep van. It was a Dr. Seuss theme, and they were very nice. They helped me in the van and drove me to pit stop 2 which was about a mile away, where I hobbled over to medical. They iced my foot, then rubbed in some biofreeze and wrapped it with this cool pink foam tape. After a short break I was on the own again. I didn't tell them how much it actually hurt for the fear of getting red-carded....This by the way is BAD. Shame on me, don't do this future walkers.

As I walking through North Olmsted I was passed a 100 times and that was ok by me. I wanted to be able to walk in Berea, where my friends and family were waiting for me. At lunch I was seen by the sport medicine therapist. He found fluid in the exact spot it hurt. He told me I probably tore the tendon and I should stop walking for the day. But by that time we had just made it to Berea, and I was less than I mile from my street which we would walk down. I begged him to let me walk to the end. He did some fancy tape work and bandaged it up pretty tight. I popped some ibuprofen and was good to go.

I got a second wind of energy and the pain seemed to vanish as I neared my street corner. I could see my sister, grandmother and two sons standing on the corner where we turn with signs and pink Energizer bunny ears. I stopped and gave them all hugs and talked to my boys for a few minutes. My oldest Seth drank all my water, but there were so many people on my block passing out water that it was ok.

As we walked to the last pit stop, we passed a house that spray painted their yard with "Go 3 day walkers" in pink paint. There was lots of signs and balloons, and Jerry one of our best walker stalkers. By the time I reached the last pit stop I was hot, sweaty, exhausted and in pain again. I met up with my mom there and took some more ibuprofen. Soon after that pit stop we passed the Berea fire Department. They were all sitting outside cheering us on, and set up a hose for us to cool off. My kids were the first people we saw at the last cheering station. Which made me smile. My friend from high school and her mom were there, as well as my aunt and cousin. I posed for a picture of the "holding one mile sign" and then made my way there.

We finally arrived at the fairgrounds. It was so hot outside but I didn't care. I was crying coming into the gate because I realized at that moment what I had just accomplished. Jenne Fromm took my picture in front of the day 3 sign and my boys were there waiting for me. I got my victory shirt and had a seat with by kids for the next few hours while we welcomed back all the other walkers. We all cheered in the last walker. Then the crew performed a dance for the walkers as a surprise to us. It was like the "JK wedding dance" video on YouTube. The video of the crew doing it is also on YouTube.

Soon we all lined up wearing our long sleeve victory shirts in the 85+ degree weather for our march into closing. We were greeted by tons and tons of screaming friends and family. Closing ceremonies was very emotional. The survivors raised the flag. We gave our shoe salute and Candy Coburn performed pink warrior. I don't think there was a dry eye in the crowd. When it was all over we grabbed our gear and found my family. A last act of random kindness was from a young teenage boy that offered to carry my bag to the car. When I thanked him he said that he wants to walk next year. I told him he should, and that I would keep a lookout for him, because I am totally hooked and I cant wait to walk again in 2011.

Cleveland had 900 walkers and 300 crew members. We raised more that $2.4 million dollars for breast cancer research and community programs. Thank you for all your donations, and support. Thank you for following my blog, I will continue to write, and I will continue to walk as long as I can.

The 3 Day - Day 2

2010-08-03T15:08:00.000-04:00

Day two came, and we were up at 5am. After a quick trip to the oh so wonderful porta-pottys we grabbed a wonderful hot breakfast, changed clothes and filled our water bottles. The route opens at 6:30am and I left at 6:45. The first part of the walk was a quiet zone, which I guess is understandable. After pit stop 1 the cheering began. lots more signs and families passing out treats. Some of the walker stalkers had Starbucks coffee for us. I walked alone this day, and it was nice. It gave me a chance to set my own pace, and I had more opportunities to talk to the other walkers that I passed. Yes I said passed, walking alone I walked so much faster than I did on day 2, by the time I got to lunch it was only like 11am.

I took more time for stretching and foot care. It was overcast all day which was wonderful. At the first cheering station, Monica and Michael were there. Michael was dressed in drag as "Flo" it was hilarious. They brought me more cookies to have at lunch. I refused to use the nasty sunscreen I brought so I made a stop at the first CVS I could find and bought a dry mist sunscreen, which was a 100 times better, I left the bottle of Coppertone sport at the store, it was new but I didn't have room in my pack. I hoped that someone else would find it and take it so it didn't go to waste. I got back on the route and had lunch at Rocky River High school. It started to drizzle but it was short lived and it felt great. Lunch was a chicken sandwich, baby carrots, chips and my cookies.

I was number 149 of 900 at lunch so I was making great time. My mom was at pit stop four and I found out at that point I was walker number 100 woohoo. Its not a race, but I wanted to get back to camp early so I would have more time to see everything I missed the day before. At the last pit stop I found out I was number 89 yikes! but walking that fast came with a price to pay. The outside of my left foot so bad. I took off my shoe and went to the medical tent. There was no swelling at the time or a blister. They said I probably damaged a tendon, so I iced it for a while and promised to walk slower to camp, to avoid being red carded. Which is where you are removed from the route and banned from walking if they think you are too injured or too unhealthy to walk. It happened to a friend of mine in Boston as well as Jenn that I walked with on day 1.

I kept my promise and slowed my pace back to camp. Again I was greeted by the kid crew, the walker stalkers, and the hug lady. I got out of my shoes and switched to flip flops and headed over to the Energizer tent to sit in the massage chair, where I got a chance to go on facebook. I picked up my mail and spent some time in the remembrance tent. I wrote in the journal there about why I walked and wrote a message on Cleveland's tent. I met up with my mom for dinner and a performance by country singer Candy Coburn. Dinner was chicken cacciatore, rice, veggies, salad, breadsticks and a brownie. Candy rocked, and played her song pink warrior.

There is a giant hill at camp that my mom insisted that we walk up to take pictures. I ran up it. Which felt good on my calves so I walked down and ran up again....its a very steep hill. I got some great pictures from up there. Had another shower in the semi, and then listened to a walker named Ed share is story, it was moving and I cried. Jenne the spokesperson for the 3 day, had a demo on how to re-pack your tent, it was cute she had this guy from the crew do it...it was funny to say the least. We took down our decorations and packed our bags leaving out only what we would need in the morning. Then danced at the dance party (yes after 44 miles we dance) I iced my calves and thighs, bandaged my blisters, Then it was lights out.

The 3 Day - Day 1

2010-08-03T14:22:00.000-04:00

The 4 am wake up call came too early, we jumped out of bed drank our coffee got dressed and headed out. The hotel we were at was kind enough to have a shuttle for us, even though they normally don't start running till 7 am. When we got to Port Authority it was still dark. We dropped off our gear at the gear truck and was greeted by the overly awake and excited crew. I said bye to my mom and started to make my way where opening ceremony would be. I picked up my lanyard, signed Jeana's name to one of the memorial ribbons on the flag. I wrote my goal on a dot that was a on a big banner, and picked up some last minute things in the shop3day.com store. I was there before most of the walkers were there, because I went with my mom who had to be there at 5am. I took some pictures, and collected stickers at each on of the giant globe lights, and of course got my picture taken in front of the opening ceremonies sign. As the sun came up the sky turned bright pink, it was quite a sight.

Soon all the walkers were led into the circle where the ceremony would take place. Opening ceremonies was beautiful, I cried (again). Soon we were off and walking, we started walking past the Browns stadium and the Rock Hall. Before we realised it we were at pit stop 1. Which seemed to come up so soon. There was a long line for everything, but we got in and out in good time. I finally found Jenn and Julie who I walked with for the rest of the day. There was a really cool bridge we walked over before pit 2. When we arrived at pit 2 the sun was out, so I used the worst sunscreen ever. It was sticky and oily eckkk. I took care of the hot spot I got. I ate a Pb&j graham cracker sandwich....sounds gross but it is so good.

We had lunch in the park, which was nice and shady. Lunch was a turkey sandwich, chips, and apple. I took care of the new hot spots, re-applied body glide to my feet and changed my socks. As we were leaving lunch I had the opportunity to carry the "my children" flag to the next pit stop. That was my only flag I wanted to carry that weekend. We had a huge hill we had to walk up. Julie was in a lot of pain so she took the van to the next stop. A lot of walkers did that and for good reason that hill was steep. Jenn and I walked together for the rest of the day. I got lots of good pictures along the way.

Lots of families had water, Popsicles, candy, coffee and even beer along the way. The signs in yards and on the light posts kept us going. There were 2 cheering stations that day, and they always seemed to be exactly when we needed them.

When I got to camp, I was so sore and hot! I was greeted buy the Kid Crew that drew inspirational sayings on the sidewalk, and played music for us. Some of the walker stalkers were at the finish line too. For anyone that has never walked before, a walker stalker is someone that shows up all along the route everyday cheering you on. There was Jerry...who tells you that you look strong, and that you are doing great. He is always a joy to see. There was also and group of three men that cheered us on all weekend, and the kid crew. Then there is the hug lady, she greets you when you arrive at camp and gives a hug to each one of the 900 walkers.

I grabbed my bag and tent, only to find out that someone took my assigned spot. Grrr so I had to limp over to the gear and tent crew to find out where I should go. I finally got a new spot. I tried to put up my tent, but its not easy to do alone. Some of the camp angels came over and did it for me, I tried to help but they just smiled and told me to rest. I decorated my tent while I waited for dinner and my mom to get back to camp. Dinner that night was steak, potatoes, salad, green beans and apple pie. It was yummy. While I was eating I ran into Michael and Monica from Chicago. I made their logo and designed their tattoos. They brought me homemade chocolate chip cookies and hugs.

I showered in a semi truck for the first time in my life. I have to say that was the best shower ever (or at least it felt like that after being covered in sweat and nasty sunscreen) There was karaoke that night, but I missed it because I was checking out the 3 Day main street. New Balance had a store where I got a new shirt. The 3 day had their store where I got these kick ass pink pajama pants that say kindness rocks. Energiser had massages and massage chairs as well as laptops with Internet access. AT&T had phone charging, so I dropped my phone off for a while. There was so much to do at camp, its a shame I didn't have the chance to do it all. Lights out was at 9pm but we were all so tired it was not a problem to fall asleep.

The night before the walk

2010-08-03T13:19:00.000-04:00

Twas the night before the 3 day...and man was I pumped! I had packed my bag, and then checked it about a hundred times. I said goodbye to my kids and I was off to the hotel. We stayed at the Double Tree hotel because the host hotel was full, but it ended up being much closer to opening ceremonies. My mom left for her crew meeting and I was left behind to relax before the big day. But I was too excited to sit around so I decided to go for a walk and check out the sites on the lakefront. It originally was only supposed to be a quick walk to the rock hall to take some pictures, but I decided to take a sneak peak of where opening ceremonies would be held. My heart started to race when I saw the first of many signs for the 3 day. I walked along the fence taking pictures with my phone, and then decided to step inside and try to find my mom. Yes I crashed the crew meeting.

It was pretty cool to hear all of what they had to say. After the separate crew meetings they introduced each crew one at a time, and they danced their way into the tent for the all crew meeting. My mom was a bus liaison and one of there members was not there, so they pulled me over and I filled in for her when they were introduced. It was a little weird, but fun.

A veteran walker and survivor shared her story, and it was very moving. They crew members were so nice and so full of energy. I got to watch the dress rehearsal for opening ceremonies, which made me cry. I also got my first blisters of the weekend, from wearing brand new flip flops, one giant blister on each foot between my toes. This made me so mad, but it was a dumb move on my part. I ran into Julie a women I met on Facebook, I had already planned on walking with her and her team on day one. So it was nice to meet her ahead of time. My mom bought me a 3 day bandanna to wear on day one and some 3 day pins...the first of many I would collect this weekend.

After the meeting, we enjoyed Starbucks at the hotel, went swimming, took care of my blisters and enjoyed a very nice but ridiculously expensive dinner at the hotel, then went to sleep early with a 4 am wake up call.

I'm a nervous wreck

2010-07-19T12:59:00.003-04:00

It has been a while since I last wrote. I was not dead, nor did I quit the 3 Day, but my family did experience a crisis that put everything on hold. When I say everything I mean EVERYTHING. I stopped training, and fundraising, I just wanted to focus on my family first. Once things settled down and things started to go back to normal I realised that I wanted to walk more than ever. I started picking up the items I still needed, started walking again, kicked up the cross training (which I continued through everything) and bought my second pair of new balance shoes. I booked the hotel for Thursday night, the host hotel was full so we are staying at their sister hotel down the street.

My mom switched to the crew a few months ago and my husband just recently made the change to Camp logistics. They were in need of strong men that didn't mind hard work and heavy lifting. Which is exactly what my hubby does for a living, so I will be walking alone this year. OK OK I know I'm not actually alone, I'm walking with thousands of other people. I am a naturally shy and I suffer from anxiety so I am overwhelmed and nervous about going without anyone I know. But at least my family/team will be with me at camp.

The closer the event gets the more nervous I become. I'm sure that its only because this is my first walk. I don't know what to expect other than what I have been told, and I am walking without my team now. I find my self stressing about everything. What to pack, what to carry on the walk, will it all fit? Aahhh. when I bought my "waist pack" (yes I refuse to call it a fanny pack) I didn't keep in mind the things I would have to carry other than the drinks. So finding ways for it all to fit as been a challenge. As silly as it may sound the biggest problem I had was sunscreen. I burn really easy, and knowing Cleveland there is a good chance that it will be HOT and sunny...or raining and cold all in the same day. I wear a SPF 90 spray on no rub sunscreen. But the bottle doesn't fit in my pack. So I bought a travel size of lotion, but I realised that I wont have the guts to ask a stranger to rub lotion on my back (I'm wearing a tank top) So I really needed the spray. Go ahead and laugh now. This is all very petty, but to me it was important. So after trying out a lot of other options I found a neoprene beer bottle holder that zips up. So the sunscreen went in there, and clipped onto my pack. But then it was bouncing every step I took. (you can laugh again, I did) So I finally found the armband for my Ipod and strapped it to the pack,still clipped of course. It may look silly but it works. One problem down 50 more to go.

In my pack, is 2 water bottles, sunscreen, bandaids, moleskin (pre-cut), wet wipes, socks, chapstick, bodyglide, camera, 2 extra batteries and my cell phone (poncho and flip flops if it rains- but im not sure where that will fit) I plan on carrying some cash, but that will go with my credentials. Dont forget to use ZIPLOCK bags to put this stuff in. Nothing worse than a wet cell phone or camera...and bandaids dont stick well when soaked.

I am trying to relax, and keep laughing through all this stuff. This is supposed to be fun and I caught myself turning it into something its not. I read the underground guide to the 3 day, that Larry wrote. Which if you haven't read it you need to. He talks all about packing too much. I am trying to carry only what is necessary. I am taking advise from all the veteran walkers. I'm sure I'll be fine if I just relax. :) So when packing take into consideration the forcast for your walk. Carry only what you really need to, and the same goes with your bag at camp. And if you are walking in Cleveland, come find me i'll be looking for someone to walk with :D

The Recharge I needed

2010-05-24T12:45:00.002-04:00

Training is in full swing, fundraising is a constant effort and we are making progress. However I started to feel a little worn out, both emotionally and physically. Between training walks I have cross training and running, because I am also working very hard on loosing weight and strength training. There are my 2 kids, my two dogs, the horses, housework and cooking. (sigh) I am just a tad overwhelmed. When I first registered for the 3 day I dove into training and fundraising. I was pumped, excited and fearless. But the more I push myself the worse it gets. My husband and I thought that going to the 3 Day preview expo to get a "recharge" I got more than I bargained for.

When we got their we went to the "Life on the 3 Day" seminar. Which for a 1st time walker is a must! It was an hour long, it was led by walkers that have done this numerous times. We watched a slide show of photos from past walks. We we told how our day and night was going to go on each day of the walk. We learned what goes on at opening and closing ceremonies. What camp was like, what you should and shouldn't pack. After the presentation, there was a question and answer session.

There were other seminars they included "Attack the Pack" "Blister care and prevention" and "Injury Prevention" Because we arrived a little late, we didn't have enough time to participate in the others because we wanted to look around the expo hall. There was a giveaway bag filled with AWESOME stuff from NB and sponsors; Congratulations to Diana Prehn for winning! We did get grab bags of goodies- Snacks, tampons, sun screen, wet wipes and more. I am all about freebies!

They had some tents set up showing how everything would fit and work out. They even had a booth just for tent decorating. There were booths about fundraising, training, breast health and SHOPPING. In Cleveland Achilles and New Balance were there with lots of stuff for sale. New Balance held fittings...the even test the way you walk to see where your pressure points are and help find a shoe best for you. They had great deals and sales. Before we left we took our pictures in front of the Cleveland banner and we got the chance to write letters to each other, to receive at camp. You can even decorate signs for the route. I even wrote a letter to my future self, reminding me of how far I have come and to stop whining about my feet :) Overall it was a lot of fun. I met a lot of great people, and got the motivation boost I desperately needed.

Drink, Pee, NO IV

2010-05-06T10:54:00.001-04:00

There is a motto at the 3 day "Drink, Pee, no IV." There is less than 90 days to the Cleveland 3 day. I have been hard at work with fundraising and going on plenty of training walks. The weather is warming up and the walkers are getting longer which reminds me why the topic of hydration on the 3 day and during training is SO IMPORTANT.

Each walker is told to drink both water and Gatorade during the walk. To prevent Hyponatremia (low sodium) is a rare but serious condition that can cause weakness, cramps, swollen hands and feet, confusion, and even seizures.

Pre-training walk/Pre-event:

Drink an extra 8 glasses (64 ounces or 2 quarts) of fluid during the 24 hours before a long training walk or the event.
Drink 2 glasses (16 ounces or 1 pint) of fluid 2 hours before exercise. This will allow time to excrete the excess fluid prior to walking. Remember, in hot or humid weather you may need to drink more fluids.

During your walk: Monitor your fluid intake. Drink when thirsty. Your urine should be dilute and you should be urinating frequently. Try to consume 4 to 5 ounces of fluid per mile. This should include water and sports drink. Post Walk: Drink a combination of water and sports drink and consume food with some salt after exercising more than 1 hour.

We all know we need a water bottle or hydration pack while on the 3 day, but exactly how much do you have to actually carry? On the walk there is some form of pit stop or grab and go every 3 or so miles. So based on the recommendations given by the 3 day coaches, you need to carry at least 12-15oz with you and refill at EVERY stop. My walk is in in the end of July and it can be very hot and I want to be as comfortable as possible. So carrying anything heavy or bulky is not an option. I found a really attractive lightweight fanny pack style pack. It is made by Amphipod, I bought it online @ runningwarehouse.com. It bought the 24oz lite version. It has an adjustable wide belt. It has (2) 12oz bottles that each sit on a slant with a small pouch in between to carry the other little things you may need. The bottles are more flat than round, so they don't bounce around and sit flush with my back. This company has multiple versions in all different sizes. I can now fill up with both water and sports drink at each stop. What I have found about this pack is that its not to heavy even when full. I did consider a pack that has just one larger bottle, but I felt unbalanced and over 20 miles that could cause issues.

A lot of walkers like the camelbak style packs, which look like a backpack and has a leak proof bladder. They range in sizes and some can hold a LOT of water. For me there is a few problems with this type.

My back sweats and my shoulders hurt when carrying a backpack in the heat, so it wouldn't work for me on a long distance walk.
I would have to switch every other stop between water and Gatorade. I'm not even sure if I would want to put a sticky sports drink in that bladder, for cleaning reasons.
and finally I don't believe that you should lug around more than you need. Why carry 2 liters when you don't have to. Comfort on the 3 day is the difference between having fun and being miserable.

I am NOT saying steer clear of these. I am just giving the reasons it wouldn't work for ME. To each their own. What works for me may not work for you and visa versa.

Latest logos

2010-05-03T16:11:00.006-04:00

I have openings again for logos. In addition to team logos for shirts I have been making letterheads, flyers, donation cards and graphics for fundraisers. Here are some of the latest. I'm sure there will be more to see soon. Remember if you got a logo from me be sure to spread the word.

Where have you been?

2010-04-22T09:06:00.000-04:00

Well It has been quite a while since I have posted on my blog. At the end of March I went on a business trip with my husband to St. Louis, I took my laptop with me to work on some logo requests I had. Well when I got to my hotel room and turned the power on I got the black screen of death- far worse than the blue, lol. I tried everything but I couldn't get windows to open. So I sent it out for repair. Well it took FAR too long and the teams waiting for logos were getting kind of impatient. So I went out and got a brand new laptop. A couple weeks later I did get back the old one, complete with a new hard drive but I lost EVERYTHING, all my logos all my clip art, and all of my photos including my kids pictures. So now for my public service announcement: BACK UP YOUR SYSTEM FREQUENTLY, I didn't and learned my lesson. Well the new laptop was great with the exception that my only copy of photoshop was gone, and that opened up a whole new can of worms. Ahhhh, well now I am trying to get everything back in order.

Whats the saying? "what can go wrong will?" This last few weeks have been completely insane. Issues with my boys; one is loosing a tooth, one is teething, and my husband and walking partner has something seriously wrong with his foot and the Dr thinks is gout. Then over the last couple days I noticed a pain in my back between my shoulder blades but more on the right side. It got worse and worse till it had me in tears and I went to the ER. There was no injury, which I could have told them. Instead the benign lesions on my liver are acting up and I was having referred pain. Which means lucky me I get to go through lots of testing again. I pray everyday that they stay benign, I focus so much on breast cancer, that the c word is always in the back of my mind as a possible issue. Last thing I need now is a cancer scare. But I'm at home with severe pain and nausea with my two young boys, while my husband is out of town for the week.

I have decided to push past my fears and discomfort and work hard on my logos and fundraising. In a way I am hoping karma will roll around in my favor for once. So please keep our family in your prayers too. I will be sure to post updates on the whole liver issue when I know something. I am stuck between a Dr that isn't worried at all, and one that is very concerned...hey guys I'm not a case study or a medical mystery, so please find out whats wrong with me, before it becomes too late to do anything about it.

I love all my 3 day walkers I have had the pleasure of meeting and talking to. Your positive attitudes are exactly what I need right now. I don't mean to post something depressing or unrelated to the 3 day, but I just had some people asking questions, so I hope that sums up everything

I Love Logos

2010-03-12T12:47:00.002-05:00

I have to say that I am SHOCKED with the amount of emails I got about creating a logo for their team, event, fundraiser, or buisness. I am honored to make each and every one of them. I hope that people who have them made into shirts, will email me photos of them. Here are a few more logos, and I will have more to post soon.

Take action, become a TWL

2010-03-12T12:00:00.002-05:00

TWL - Training walk leader. That is just what I became a few days ago. I never had intensions of leading walks, because I don't consider myself much of a "leader" per say. This is how it happened. The sun is shining in Cleveland and the snow is melting, which probably wont last but I am enjoying it while its here. I went to the 3 Day participant center to look up official training walks to attend, because walking alone is boring and I tend to cut my walks short when i'm alone and bored. A friend keeps me motivated and accountable to the mileage I commit to.

I needed to become a training walk leader out of necessity. I don't drive, in fact neither me or my husband drive. We walk everywhere! To the store, to dinner, to the Dr etc. So I was willing to walk to my training walk, but I was bummed out to find that there were no training walks close enough for me to do that. So after talking with my husband I emailed the coaches about becoming a training walk leader. I attended the phone meeting read the handbook and filed out the paperwork. I was actually a little nervous doing this, because you are responsible for finding a good route and the safety of your walkers. There was just so much to consider. So I scheduled my first official 5 mile walk. I have already walked this before so I know where restrooms and water fountains are located. Its on a smooth all purpose trail in a very scenic park. I hope it goes well and the weather holds out. Who knows I may have many more walks coming soon.

Did you know that training walk leaders serve as safety monitors at the actually 3 Day event? It was news to me. I have to say I am honored...I feel like the 5th grader that was chosen to be a crossing guard for the elementary school. Past 3 Day walkers will tell you, they will do just about anything for stickers and pins. So I was super excited to get a bright orange badge and my training walk leader legacy pin. I encourage other walkers to become training walk leaders, whether you lead 1 or 21 walks. You will meet other walkers, share fundraising ideas, and personal stories. You never know who you will meet.

I am...

2010-03-05T22:21:00.002-05:00

I made this design for women that are battling breast cancer or who are breast cancer survivors. The shirt is for sale at www.zazzle.com/flashyimage It comes in light colored materials with dark lettering and dark colored shirts with light lettering. There is a varity of shirt styles, that you can choose from and customise.

Inspirational song of the week

2010-03-03T13:26:00.001-05:00

I Run for Life - By Melissa Etheridge. She wrote this song about her own battle with breast cancer.

I'm Going Bald for breast cancer

2010-03-02T11:03:00.005-05:00

Hello readers. Our team doubled in size from 2 to 4 members overnight. My mom and my sister are going to be walking. So now we need to raise $9.200 as a family. We have raised $2,325 so far, so... I'M GOING BALD FOR BOOBS! I will shave my head (hopefully live on the news or radio) and keep it completely shaved to the end of the 3 Day in August. The catch is I have to raise the remainder of the $9,200 to help our team. I am contacting local hair salons to see if they would like to host the "event" and I am sending out a press release to local newspapers and news stations to see if they would air the story to spread awareness about breast cancer. So please help me out, donate to the widget here on my page or go to www.the3day.org/goto/RobertSeifer or look at our team page for everyone elses url's. My $2,300 minimum is almost met so please help out my team mates. I will post pictures of the before,durring and after. The sooner I raise the money the sooner this will happen even if it means going bald now to August 1st.

UPDATE 3-4 The Spa Connection in Berea has put a collection jar at their Salon. The spa connection is also donating products or a gift certificate to our silent auction (date TBA) so thank you SO MUCH Mary!

Logos and Graphics

2010-02-28T18:27:00.004-05:00

Today I made another team logo. I love the way it came out. Its so cute. I lots of luck to team "Pink Chicks with a purpose" who will be walking in San Fransico. Again I am making these for donations. I am also willing to make non-3day logos for other clubs, groups or companies.

Update 3-2-10 I wanted to share another 3 Day team logo. This was for team "Pink PediCures" who will be walking in Michigan. Thank you to Christina for her generous donation to my fundraising. I wish her and her team all the best with their walk.

This was the first logo I made for something other than a 3 day team. I made this for Lindsey, she has a small scrapbook buisness and was looking for a design. Thank you for the donation to my 3 Day account. Good luck with your buisness.

Inspirational Song of the Week #3

2010-02-23T18:32:00.001-05:00

Pink Warrior by Candy Coburn. This song Rocks! Get a free download of this song from CandyCoburn.com oh and walkers Candy will be preforming at some of the 3 Day walks this year! I can't wait to see her in concert, bring on the klenex. Its a fight song, but it causes me tears of joy.

You gotta try this (part 1)

2010-02-22T16:31:00.003-05:00

I have decided to periodically review a product or service that has to do with training and the walk itself. I will talk about how its working out for me. Everyone is different. Every walker will have to find what works for them. But you don't have to go searching in the dark. Hey where do you think I have heard about these things? from former walkers :) So I am going to review the two things I have tried so far.

First lets talk about shoes. Its probably the most important item you buy/use. Normally my athletic shoes are cheap and worn out, usually from a place like walmart. Now that doesn't bother me, in fact it has saved me a lot of money over the years. But I took on this advice. "Now is not the time to cheap out on shoes, you NEED the quality and FIT." So I went to a New Balance store. Yes I went their because of the discount walkers get. But I tried one a few pairs in different styles and sizes. I got measured again too. I fell in love with the WW760 which used to be the official shoe of the 3 day but has been discontinued. So they only had a few sizes. I have wide feet and they did not have them. So they put in an order to another store and I got them a few days later. They fit great, and don't have that feel like they need to be super broken in. Before I got them in though I went to 5 other sporting good/shoe stores in search of a comfortable shoe that would work well for this event. Some stores (and I wont name names) said and I quote "we don't have ANY shoes that we would recommend for walking 60 miles" well at least they were honest. I picked up a pair of Asics that I liked, until I got home. I had to return them because my feet were too wide. I don't know why I didn't notice that at the store. Oh well. The New Balance shoes were worth the wait. Now I just hope that I can come up with enough money to hunt down another pair. Even my husband who wont wear anything but his work boots was able to find a pair of stability running shoes.

Second fabulous find "mapmywalk.com"- I haven't blogged in a while because I have been in the hospital. I had some blood pressure related issues. Now that things are back under control and it temporarily stopped snowing in Cleveland, I went on my first training walk. I have been doing a lot of exercise at home, but no walking until now. So I layered up and found old shoes (cause its all slushy) and my dog and I went for a 3 mile walk. Originally I went on Google (again) and mapped out 1.5 miles using their walking directions feature. So I was going to walk from my house to that point and then back. It was 3 miles but I felt kind of silly stopping in the middle of the busy street/sidewalk and turning around like I was lost. So I tried out mapmywalk.com I was able to enter in my address as the starting point and drag the path I wanted to take until it added up to 3 miles. It did take some playing around with. The normal route I would have taken with the kids or the dog wasn't long enough. But I did eventually get it and now I have a safe 3 mile route that is in a circle. So no looking crazy turning around for no reason or at no store/marker.

Like I said, I will try new things and post my findings. What works for me may not work for you. So experiment. I'm also open to suggestions for things to try or review.

Getting Started meetings

2010-02-22T16:06:00.005-05:00

I am one of those people, that googled everything. I try to get as much information as possible about everything. I don't like surprises. Now I know that behavior like that is not normal and not always healthy. That being said... My approach to the 3 Day was no different. I have read over walkers blogs, googled the past events in my city and watched countless videos on Youtube. I wanted to know what I was getting in to, before I paid the registration fees. With that done and out of the way I promptly read my online version of the walkers handbook, browsed the forums and read almost every article available on the 3 day site. I felt pretty overwhelmed. Even for me. I got tons of information and some of my questions were answered. But I still needed some things clarified, and some of my fears and concerns to be put to rest. I found the nearest Getting started meeting and sent in my RSVP for my husband and I. So a few weeks ago in one of this years nastiest snow storms we headed out. The turn out was small. We were the only people there that had already registered. But we were welcomed in and we felt like we belonged there. We talked with a woman that had walked more then I thought was humanly possible. She walked in different states in the same year. She even took on fundraising for a friend that could not, each time raising her $2,300 minimum. So that right there was all I really needed to see. She survived the fundraising, she survived the training and she walked in these walks year after year. So if she can stand there and say that she is doing it again. Then it can't be as bad as I feared. She shared her personal experiences. She shared valuable information about the event, that I wasn't able to find on my own. We sat there and watched the 15 minute DVD that I had already watched at home, but it still brought tears to my eyes. In fact it got to me there in the company of strangers. I left the meeting feeling excited. I felt confident. I left feeling inspired. So even if this is not your first walk, go just for the inspiration. You won't regret it.

Inspirational song of the week #2

2010-02-17T18:33:00.000-05:00

And this weeks song is "I was here" by Lady Antebellum. You may have already heard this one, its on the 3 Day DVD and Commercial. It has an amazing message. Leave your mark do something worth being remembered for. Again each week I will feature a song that is inspirational and moving (at least to me) All the songs I list, can be found on the artists websites or listen to them on my pink ipod and the right side of my blog. All rights belong to the artist.

Fundraising is HARD so have FUN with it

2010-02-05T17:25:00.005-05:00

This economy is tough. Families and friends are struggling financially. Typically the easy thing to do would be ask to local businesses. But what happens when they have already donated to another walker, or cant afford to help? Well for a week we have been trying to do fundraising the old fashion way. We have asked friends and gone door to door, business to business and to no avail. Of the $4,600 that we need to raise, we have collected $65. So we are trying to think outside the box and get off the well beaten path.

To my fellow walkers, here are my tips to you for the week. Enjoy

Think outside the box. Fundraisers work great, but try something new and bold, walking 60 miles is bold, so reflect it in your fundraisers.

When asking for donations through email, get personal and emotional it will draw people in to what your doing, and you don't sound like a scripted salesman.

Recruit your friends- If they are like some of ours they are broke. Just kidding guys I love you. But if they cant financially give to you, give them some donor forms of yours and have them ask their friends and families.

Have a corporate sponsor t-shirt contest- Ask for businesses to donate, in return have their logo put on a shirt you wear. The company that donates the largest amount gets a large center spot. Wear this shirt one of the day of the walk. Its advertising to them, so what if your a walking billboard.

Start small- remember selling candy bars as a kid, What a great reason to go door to door again. We bought fundraiser candy boxes at GFS and are going to go door to door and sell them for a dollar, hey its not a lot but its something. Tell people why your selling them and keep your forms with you. You never know when that person may want to give more than a dollar.

Kids are cute- 6 times a year I have to assist my son in one of the schools fundraisers. So why not have him tag along occasionally. Who could say no to such a cute face? I'm not kidding, my 5 year old is a ladies man.

Moral of this blog, dare to be different, dare to be bold. Fundraising can be hard, but hang in there and don't loose faith. Learn to have fun with it and people will be more likely to help you out.

Inspirational song of the week #1

2010-02-04T18:50:00.000-05:00

The first song featured on my weekly inspirational song find list is "If today was your last day" By Nickelback. The song is pretty self explanitory. All rights belong to the artist. So the question for the day is...if today was your last day, are you satisfied with what you have done with your life? Life is sometimes tragically too short, so live each day like it was your last. Check back every week for a new song.

Thank You

2010-02-04T10:57:00.002-05:00

Some of you might know, but I am a Weight Watchers member, and have been loosing weight steadly now. I approched them about sponsorship. I received and email this morning, letting me know that they would donate WW products that I could raffle off. How cool is that! So thank you Weight Watchers for helping my on my journey to loose weight and get healthy, as well as helping on my fundraising journey. If anyone reading this is interested in purchasing raffle tickets send me an email to Flashyimage@hotmail.com I will give you all the details. Also I would like to thank Nicole R. for a monetary donation, Thanks girl!

Cool gear for a great cause

2010-02-03T17:26:00.002-05:00

To help with the fundraising process, I have created some breast cancer awareness gear that are for sale on www.Zazzle.com/flashyimage* The royalties from these sales goes towards our $4600 goal. I am currently working on more designs. If you are intrested in a custom design for your 3 Day team or for personal use I would be happy to design one for you, just send me an email to Flashyimage@hotmail.com

Are you crazy?

2010-02-03T16:43:00.002-05:00

60 miles in 3 days, are you crazy? Well I hear that a lot. It can be hard to understand. Why a healthy woman, wife and mother of two, would want to walk 20 miles a day for three days in the middle of summer? The answer is simple. I want my children to live in a world without breast cancer. I want to help find a cure, before I lose another person I love. Breast cancer runs in my family, I need to be around for my kids. I will walk for every life that has been lost to this disease. I will walk for every woman (and man) battling breast cancer right now and I will walk for the people who will get the news that they have breast cancer. Blisters and Fatigue don't require Chemo, SO I WILL WALK. I will walk because I CAN !

Why choose 2010?
For the last few years I have watched the 3-Day commercials on TV, and said "I want to do that." But for one reason or another, never went through with it. For the last few years I have lost close friends and family members to this disease, and still never went through with it. Last year my then 4 year old son saw the walkers pass our house. He came to me and asked what they were doing and then said "Can I wave to them from the driveway?" So my little boy on his own free will stood at the end of the driveway for over an hour and waved to EVERY single walker that passed by, while shouting "good job, keep going" It brought tears to my eyes. We even went to the finish line to congratulate them. This year I made a new year’s resolution to lose weight, get fit and healthy. A personal goal of walking 60 miles helped motivate me to keep going, and not give up. This is a cause that means so much to me. So I asked myself, why not this year? what is stopping you? So this year I am walking and so is my husband. It will be a challenge to raise $4,600. But its nothing compared to the challenge that women battling breast cancer face every day.