Pre-Washington DC 3 Day Newsletter

MY BREAST CANCER 3-DAY UPDATE

MY DONORS…

First and foremost, I wanted to thank each and every one of you. Your support (particularly financial, but also physical and emotional) and encouragement enable me to look forward to this spectacular weekend. As you know, I am walking for the FOURTH time! I have taken a couple of years off since my 3-peat and the journey to this year has been difficult. I think that makes me even more excited. But, in particular, the prospect of walking in Washington DC with my sister, Eileen, is making this year’s walk truly something to anticipate! The following is my donor list, the people who have made it possible for me to not only meet, but exceed my $2300 fundraising minimum and many who pitched in to help my sister raise hers as well.


Cindy & Amer Aboukasm
Susan Ames
Allison Baker
Claire Bate
Donna Bednarczyk
Michelle Bruner
Barbara Bryden
Jill & Todd Campbell
Anita Carter
Gary & Mary Clexton
Scott & Chris Crader
Casey Currie
Arnelle Douglas
Katie Ecclestone
George Ghazal
Colleen Graczyk
Karen Gurney
Karen Henning
Julia Hoffman
Kathy Hy
Betz Johnson
Kym Kinsley
Amy Kish
Ann Kraemer
Claire Kreher
Mary & John Ladensack
Jenny Lawrence
Carol Mastroianni
Stephanie Morris
Amy Morrison
Bill & Sue Murphy
Dara O’Byrne
Edie & Cormac O’Byrne
Mairin O’Byrne
Erin O’Mara
Scott Orme & Laura Covintree
Christie Panzenhagen
Joe Pawlik
Cindi Portwood
Peggy Ptasznik
Debbie & Joe Pulis
Susan Richner
Rhonda Russell
Miguel & Kathy Satut
Kim Shine
Lisa Simon
Naida Simon
Eric Smith
Diane Spezia
Denise Thomas
Steve Trowbridge
Holly & Jason Waechter
Lucia (LouAnn) Wattrick
Glen Williams
Patty & Michael Zrimec

There are so many stories in the crowd above. Some donated a very large sum, some are “repeat or even MULTIPLE repeat donors” (donated to one or all of my 2004/2005/2007 3-Days), some were very enthusiastic to donate for the first time. A few individuals are cancer survivors or have family members or close friends either surviving or with cancer.

MY TEAM…

Ok, so this year it is a team of two. But have I mentioned I am so excited about walking with my sister? I had a feeling we would be a small team, given the “out of town” destination. I consider us small but mighty!!!! I hope to resurrect a larger Chicks Crew someday in the future, but for now this team could not be more perfect. Between the two of us we have raised nearly $4800.


THE ROUTE…

Our journey will begin on Friday, October 8th (EARLY!) from Washington Nationals Stadium.

The route is extremely well-planned and includes Cheering Stations (not yet released), where friends and family can come to lend support, be a friendly face and make a lot of noise!! If you happen to be in the DC area over that weekend, feel free to check out the 3Day site (www.the3day.org) for the DC cheering stations, which should be released in a week or two.

Most exciting of all, I just found out, the Closing Ceremony will be held on the grounds of the Washington Monument at approximately 5:00pm on Sunday, October 10th. How amazingly cool is that??? . If you are interested in reading through the spectator information, even if you can’t be there, the 3 Day has great information at http://www.the3day.org/site/PageServer?pagename=DC_Spectator. It all sorts of useful and interesting information that will help you feel like you are there!


REACH OUT AND TOUCH US…

One neat feature they have this year is “mail” for participants. If you send like sending Eileen or me a note to help goad us through those 60 miles, here is the info:

• Send letters to:
3-Day for the Cure
ATTN: Kim Clexton or Eileen Proudlock (your choice)
P.O. Box 386
Gore, VA 22637
Envelopes only, please. No boxes or large packages. Mail must be postmarked no later than September 28 in order to ensure delivery at the Komen 3-Day for the Cure Camp Post Office.


WHAT I STILL NEED FROM YOU…

Many of you told me touching, inspiring, meaningful stories about family and friends who battled breast (and other forms of) cancer. While the money you donated ultimately honors them, your stories about them helped drag me out in rain, snow, heat, exhaustion from kids, etc. Your family and friends keep me moving and will continue to inspire me through 60 miles. I would like them to include them in my journey by wearing a pink ribbon in their honor. If you could e-mail (kclexton@yahoo.com) or call me (313.319.8195) with their names by Sunday, October 3rd, I will write their name on a pink ribbon and wear it in some way on my walk.


AN UNDER-APPRECIATED POPULATION…

I’m certain most of you know what an exceptionally supportive family I have. Their contributions are impossible to measure but are definitely enormous and unwavering and constant. But it is really not enough for you to just know that. Screaming my appreciation from the rooftop would not even be enough to thank them properly. So, thanks are in order for:

• My kids, Molly, Owen and Natalie, for cheering me on constantly, speaking proudly of the walk and for promising to do their best to be good while I am away for a few days.

• My wonderful husband, John, for not rolling his eyes too much when I signed up once again and for pretending to be enthusiastic about being a single dad for a long October weekend.

• My parents, Sam “Poppy” and Tricia “Nana” Pulis for unbelievable support above and beyond the call of “grandparenthood”. Yes, Poppy, it IS all about the boobs and the kids.

• My aunt Mairin and aunt Geraldine, for so many things….

Also, a thank you and huge hug to my dear friends, Jill Campbell, Laura Covintree, Lisa Kyle, Jennifer O’Byrne and my YaYa’s in the UAC. They are my greatest cheerleaders and each of them have leant a hand, an ear or a shoulder in some way to make this achievable for me.


AT THE RISK OF BEING REDUNDANT…

I want to thank everyone again. I am so grateful to all of you that my words seem truly inadequate! You will all be on my mind and in my heart through all 60 miles!

Mondays Just Are Not My Thing

I have officially given up on Monday mornings. Every Monday morning I kid myself into believing that I will actually get up with my alarm (which is set for before 6:00am) for a training walk. Every Monday morning the same thing happens… I hit snooze at least 4 times before finally resetting my alarm (decide to walk after work), hit snooze a few more times and then shockingly end up late for work. Not this Monday. Nope, no early alarm, no snooze (okay maybe once) and well I was still late to work… but come on it is Monday!

On a side note, according to the Komen training guide, Monday is supposed to be a “rest” day. While I’m sure those who actually walked their 21 total miles this past weekend appreciated it, I felt the need to play a little catch up this Monday (like most Mondays, okay fine every Monday so far).

So this Monday I decide an evening walk is a great idea. I love the evening walks because it gives me an opportunity to make some personal calls and catch up with people who I haven’t spoken with in a while. Better yet, this Monday my husband Chad throws out the idea of walking with me! While I love my phone walking buddies, a buddy in person is even better. Like Shana this past Saturday (thank you)! It’s a great way to catch up and talk about life/your day while also getting a good walk done in what feels like half the time. Unfortunately the downside of walking after work is that we live in Washington, DC. While it’s not technically in “the south” is was built on a swamp. Aka- a humid, hot mess in the summer.

This past Monday evening was no exception to the DC summer. It was a normal hot commute home from work and a mental prep to walk. What I didn’t expect was Chad’s reaction when I got home… “You know that it IS a code RED ozone day, right?”

Okay, back story:

Chad and I lived in Houston, TX during the summer of 2003. At one point a good friend once compared the Houston Summer to the Michigan Winter. “You know how people rarely venture out during the middle of the worst of winter in Michigan? They do that here, only at the worst of summer.” They have level Purple days in Houston. Something I knew nothing about until I didn’t have a job and didn’t have cable, so all I did was read the local paper. We had two in a row when I first moved to Houston. I remember calling Chad (from the darkest corner of our apartment, shades drawn) to warn him of the side effects (BAD). So for Chad to bring up a code Red day… yikes. AKA a good excuse not walk. Only problem, I actually WANTED to walk.

So I took Monday off and made sure I walked a good walk Tuesday (6 miles). Not bad, haze and all (See photo above- only a 2 mile view away).

Every Training Walk is an Adventure

Not only are we using this blog to keep track of our training and as a source of motivation, but we are also using this to share our training adventures (which have already been interesting to say the least)!

A bit about my training style...

When I first started training I had a hard time walking instead of running. It took everything I had to stop, walk and smell the roses. It wasn’t the “working out” that I found difficult; it was the amount of time that goes into these walks. I do enjoy exercising, but I also enjoy sleeping, eating, television, pool time and pretty much everything else in life that doesn’t require a ton of work and planning (thank you DVR, you were life changing). So for me, my 4(ish) days per week of 45min-1hour workouts of running, lifting and general toning has now gone to a planned mix of time consuming walks and cross training.

There is also a lot of pressure involved in my new workout routine… basically if I don’t do it I risk the chance of losing a lot of toe nails, obnoxiously annoying blisters and pretty much massive pain everywhere. But it’s no longer about losing a few pounds; it’s about honoring those who we have lost, celebrating my sister’s victory and helping save our next generation from this battle.

So, as I learned from my first official walk on July 4^th, this training will not be easy but it will be well worth the time and shoes that will go into this! It will also be worth the sights and experiences along the way!

I hope you follow us through our adventures along the way (more to come on those) and oh… if you haven’t donated to Chicks for a Cure… get on it… Please and thank you!

Light Headed and Lead Footed

So, first - yay me - went to yoga on top of the 3 miles at lunch yesterday.  LOVE my yoga classes, even though I'm not very good at it.  The awkwardness I feel is so worth the posture and the stillness.

Today I got a late start on my lunch, so I did not have the full hour.  I almost bailed but decided 2 miles is better than 0 miles, so I went.

Leg aching and limping my way over, I had to keep convincing myself this was a good idea instead of sitting in my office with my foot up.  The first quarter to half mile I had to really focus on walking normally so as not to overcompensate and injur something else.  After a half mile though, it felt pretty good - this is the weirdest injury EVER!

Also, I don't know how I missed this yesterday, but they obviously re-waxed the basketball courts while I was away.  Usually, I love that smell.  It reminds me of the first day of school.  However, when I've had a relatively crazy day and haven't had breakfast or lunch, it's not nearly as charming.  Suffice it to say, my "high" was not from adrenaline today!

The Reality is....

...that I am lazy.  Deep down, to the core, borderline slovenly.  That may be hard to imagine for those of you who have an idea of my color coded calendars and breakneck afterschool/work pace.  But truly, if I had the luxury (foolishness?) of completely following my heart, my days would look far more lesiurely!

Thankfully, it's not possible for me to give in fully to my nature, but it certainly creeps in here and there.  Hence, the need for this blog.  Unlike my sister, my workout routine to date has been (generously put) sporadic.  She is far better about a daily (or at least mostly daily) routine.  This is patently clear if you see us side by side.

Since I committed to walking 60 miles over 3 days in October and dragged her into this, I also pledged to train.  Regularly.  Consistently.

Good theory.

We started with a shared log on Google docs.  Great idea and it's going pretty well.  But between me not being very competitive and my sister not being mean enough to yell at me when I slack off, I need something far more PUBLIC to shame me into consistency.

Also, we've had some pretty funny anecdotes on the journey so far.  It seems stingy to keep them just amongst the two of us.  So enjoy!  Be forewarned that some days may be fairly mundane - just logging miles.  Read at your own risk.

P.S.  Three miles at the WSU RFC track on my lunch today - yay!