Hi all,

I've been avoiding this blog for the last week. My mileage isn't where it should be and I'm realizing that the big walk is only 5 - 6 weeks away. My team Hotties for Hooters has been cranking up the mileage and the fund raising. Tara and Lindy hosted a fabulous Texas Hold 'em fund raiser. Ellen T. took the lead on the Green Lake fundraising. Way to go gals! Ellen and I have been working together and separately at the lake, talking to people and giving away water with donations. Ellen and I have also been doing some fund raising at our work by bringing in goodies for $.50 - $1.00 (you know they are good when you buy your own cookies)!! There are actually three of us from my working doing the 3 Day. The third person Sally B. is on a team from the south end. She's done the walk three years in a row now and is very inspiring.

Some of the best experiences I'm having in the training and fund raising is meeting people that are also doing the walk or are saying "thank you" or just want to say hi and see what the big signs are for. I've had someone draw my picture (I might post it later), was invited to join walks with another team that meets at the lake, and have shared some really great conversations. What I love about Green Lake is that most of the people are happy. They inspire me. All the runners and walkers, the mom or dad pushing two kids in a jogging stroller (and running fast I might add), the man with prosthetics walking the lake - looping it at least twice, the 12 year old on her bike who I got to talk to and helped her fix her bike chain... I love the stories of each person. The fabric of peoples' lives is amazing. And then there are the individuals doing the walk or who have survived breast cancer or lost a loved one. One has a team member in chemo, one lost her mom, another is down from Alaska to walk with her team (she trains alone the rest of the time), some have done this for years, some are new... Cheers to all of you. You inspire me. I am glad that I chose to do this. It's challenging both physically and with planning and learning how to do the fund raising and I'm glad that what we're working on is a cure for breast cancer.

The more people I talk to the more I realize just how many people have to fight this disease. My grandmother had a mastectomy a few years ago and treated the whole experience like it was a cold. She's in her mid 90's and survived. Recently, the wife of someone I know was diagnosed. For me, breast cancer has not directly impacted me and to see a family having to deal with this and fight it is difficult and I'm not even in it. I am angry. I can't imagine how they feel. I can't imagine what so many of the survivors and families of survivors and lost ones feel. But that's why I'm doing this. I don't want my daughter to have to face this or lose her to this. I don't want to lose friends to this. I want to help find a cure and help prevent breast cancer. There are so many phenomenal people that get this that shouldn't. I believe we will find a cure.

So here's a sample of some of my training... not quite where it should be but getting there.

7/24 - Walked 3+ miles at lunch with Ellen. Jogged 2.25 miles and walked another mile tonight. My feet are tired!
7/23 - Walked 3.4 miles at lunch and about .5 miles later that evening.
7/21 - Walked Green Lake 2.8 miles.
7/19 - Fund Raising at Green Lake - Thursday nights is Jam Town ... a local drumming group. (I think I got the name right). WAY COOL! I came back from walking and Ellen was playing a drum and jammin'! It's beautiful to listen to.
7/17 - 2 mile run at the track - Sally you're making me push it girl!! 2.5 mile walk in Kirkland - Charmell you rock!
7/16 - Fund Raising at Green Lake (east side of the lake) and once around... 2.8 miles.
7/14 - Walked Green Lake 2.8 miles and did some fund raising over by the Bath House.

So I can't quite remember the schedule for the prior week but I walked about 3 to 5 miles a couple different days and a 2.6 mile jog on the treadmill at work.