Alright Already

I've caught some slack for not updating the blog recently from my friend/colleague/personal shopper/fellow blogger Pammycakes. Truth of the matter, I've been a little busy and Twitter is much more efficient. But, I guess some pretty cool shit has taken place the last few weeks, so here goes nothing.

I've honestly been trying to compose a post recapping my 2009 Denver Breast Cancer 3-Day journey, but have been struggling to find a way to appropriately retell some of the best three days of my life. And as I sit at my computer Doogie Howser-style, deleting and rewriting and deleting and rewriting, I realize that I can't. No words I write will accurately describe tambourine lady's moves or demonstrate the support shown by the family with the two little boys. Nothing can depict the feeling radiating through us Sunday afternoon when we walked through those two inflatables to a myriad of clapping people, or how necessary that stop at Pete’s ice cream parlor really was. And I can't even begin to tell you how sick I am of candy.

What I can tell you is this:

Go Nike on me and Just Do It. If you get the chance to walk in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, do. It will push you physically and emotionally. You’ll have to work to raise $2,300 and complete 60 miles, but once you do I promise you will be changed forever and for the better.  And maybe it’s not the Breast Cancer 3-Day for you – maybe it’s a 5K or maybe it’s an Ironman triathlon. Whatever it is, if it’s something that pushes you as hard as anything has pushed you before, it will be life-changing.

Act like a bra and be supportive. Walking for eight hours straight three days in a row can wear on you. And one of the things that got us through was seeing friends and family at the public cheering stations. Kristi’s friends and family, Kelli’s family, April & Co., Steve and Mrs. Pickles…visiting all of them at the second cheering station on Day 2 made a world of difference. We had hit a low and that cheering station turned us around. And if you can’t be there in person, there are ways to show your support. Post-event pedicures. Voicemails and texts. All of that meant a great deal. So next time you know someone that can use your support, do something cheer them on. I guarantee it will be very, very appreciated.

"I'd like to thank the academy." I've always wanted to say that. But seriously. It's nearly an academy of people that helped me get to and through the Breast Cancer 3-Day. I couldn't have done it without the 40+ awesome people that donated to me or T. Fitch's help during the unforgettable garage sale. I couldn't have done it without training walk buddies - which includes but is not limited to the PALS, Shannon, Michelle (pre-break) and Meghan (you too of course Em - ours just got rained out). My rides to and from the airport. The Rubecks for watching Macy. I didn't do this in a silo. Thank all of you - and you know who you are - for making this happen.  You contributed in one way or another to an event that raised $2 million for breast cancer research and community education programs. Pat yourselves on the back, ladies and gents.

Team Footloose rocked. Seriously. Kelli, Rachel, Kristi and Sarah – what can I say. You will forever have a special place in my heart. The five of us did something incredible together, and there’s this sort of bond you form over Gatorade, moleskin and miles of sidewalk. Thank you for participating and sharing in this adventure with me. And I have to give huge props to my buddy Sarah. At 30 years old, she is a breast cancer survivor. You've taken a journey more challenging than any of us could imagine and you are a hero.

And with that, I've got a five-pound Maltese scratching at my leg. I promise to blog about Meghan's awesome wedding festivities very soon. And if I don't, I'm sure Pammycakes will IM me about it :)