The Training Continues....The Day Is Coming

What a beautiful day! What a beautiful place I live. What a beautiful place I have to train for the 3-Day.

This is the last weekend of clocking the miles before the 3-Day for the Cure. Today was a 10mile day and tomorrow is an 8 mile day.

I cannot believe how much better I am at walking the miles and how much I look forward to walking now.

If you read my previous post, you will remember something good happened to me while sitting on the bench along the path. I came to some kind of peace with this whole event. I found a calm and peace inside myself that resulted in a wonderful perspective.

I know now that I am not going to miss the walk. Maybe that sounds funny, but there has been such an emphasis on the training, and really, I did go straight from my recliner to the treadmill when I signed up for this, that I had serious questions about being able to do this and come out of it alive. With so many questions about my ability, I think I have carried a little bit of worry.

And....and.....and....I don't anymore!

Not only can I say, "Let's do this!," I can say, "I know I can do this and I know I will see, hear and feel every single moment!"

I am going to walk for so many people. I am going to walk with my daughter. I am going to thank God that I am walking with my daughter. I have been given this gift to walk with Sarah. Thank you God.

So, today was another one of those beautiful days. The sky was blue. The clouds were absolutely exquisite. The last one and a half miles were shared with Tom and my new pocket camera.

I bought it new so I would be able to take pictures and videos on the walk next weekend. I hope I captured some of the beauty of the day. Please enjoy the pictures and the video.

The countdown is starting! I am happy! I am calm! I am at peace!

Let's do this!

Below is a video from the last part of my walk. Listen to the sounds and enjoy the beauty of this day. I am so lucky to live so close to Medicine Lake. It has become an important part of my training.

One Week From Tomorrow

Where has the time gone? I think time drifts by, like clouds in the sky, without our even noticing.

The 3-Day for the Cure is one short week away. One week from today, Sarah and her best friend, Kimmie, will be coming to stay overnight. Bright and early the next day, Tom will be driving the three of us to the opening registration for the walk.

60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles in 3 days. Or, the best you can do. Everyone who has signed up, trained and earned the required $2300.00 in fundraising is already a winner in my book.

I walked 5.43 miles today. Today was a 5 mile training day, so that felt good. We are supposed to train wearing the shoes, socks and clothing we will be wearing for the 3-Day.

Today, I wore a pair of medium cushioned smartwool socks and my second pair of Mizuno shoes that I am breaking in. They were great. I have been wearing the thick cushioned smartwool socks up until now but I like the medium cushion inside this second pair of shoes.

I am also adjusting to contact lenses for the walk. I have a lens that has correction for astigmatism in my right eye, single vision, and a lens that has a bifocal in it, no astigmatism correction for my left eye. They worked well today. Funny how the brain adapts.

And, I wore my new hat. It is a great hat. It has a wide brim that will shade my face, a flap I can either velcro up or leave down to protect the back of my neck and it is made of wonderful, lightweight, breatheable fabric that protects from the hot sun and the UV rays. It was like walking under a shade umbrella. I purposely walked where there would be little shade to see if it really worked. I loved it.

I was walking the last half mile and decided to sit for a while on a bench. I want to take you to that bench because it was the most relaxed and peaceful I have felt for a long time.

I was alone. The sky was the most beautiful sky I have seen since I can't remember when. It was blue and was filled with white clouds that came in so many interesting shapes and sizes. I just sat and looked and breathed and thought this is what I want the walk to be like. I was so in the moment. For a long time no walkers or bikers came by. I was alone.

I looked at the clouds. I started to think about my mom. I thought how she would be proud of me for what I am doing. I started to look at the clouds to see if I could see her face. I wanted to see her. And, then, seemingly out of nowhere, I swear I saw an eagle gliding through the clouds. I spoke right out loud. "Was that an eagle? That was an eagle. I know it was an eagle." I didn't see it again. But, I knew it was my mom letting me know she was proud.

I was quiet. I smiled. I got up from the bench. I said, "This is how I want to feel on the walk."

I don't want to miss a moment of the walk. At one point when I was walking today I felt tired. I said, as I have all along, "You can do this. All you are is tired. That is all."

And, then, I had a nice thought. I will imagine that God will put wings on my feet when I need them. That made me smile too.

It has been a good day....a reflective day...a day of gratitude...a day of moments.

One more week and I will be amongst 2400 people who have come together for an incredible event. Never in my wildest dreams, could I have imagined what I am about to do. I am at peace.