PIT STOPS

Now as a newbie 3day walker and one who's training was interrupted there are moments that I have felt like I didn't have much training advise to offer.

Sunday all that changed I went on my longest walk to date, a 6 mile loop from my house to my boyfriend's family shop and back to the house. There are a couple of stores and if needed my ex-mother-in-laws house, or my gradmothers just a block or so off the route. In my mind I was ready to go. I had decided although I normally walk with two water bottles and my 3day backpack I was going to go light this time since it was my first outside walk since surgery. I only took 1 bottle of water and no backpack with snacks.

My plan was to turn around at the shop it was the 3 mile marker

I thought I can stretch there and go to the restroom....wrong! Did I mention it was Sunday?!? No one was there to get inside the restrooms. Let me just say I learned a whole new meaning for the "pee-pee" dance.

Thank goodness one of those stores I mentioned was only about a mile back towards home. Luckly they were not one of those stores that say "no public restrooms". So I was able to splash my face with water...since it is Texas and was well of 80 degrees at 7-8 a.m. I bought me a bottle of smart water a package of nuts and finished the walk.

This was also the point that I realized why all the veteran walkers say take the time to pit-stop and stretch. I did take a minute at the turn around point to stretch but after getting a fresh,cold drink of water and a little on my face I spent a couple of minutes really resting and strecthing those legs.

I never realized that a few minutes and a cold drink of water had the magical powers to make you feel like a new person.

Then as I got to the end of my street I drank the last drink of water. I know some would say at least I made it home before running out. Maybe its the years of youth sports but no water makes me nervous. The what "ifs" have a way of kicking in.

The moral of my tell is small or long walk be prepared. Think about the day you are walking and make sure you know for sure that business you plan on using as a pit stop are open and public friendly.  Take your liquids with you don't take short cuts it could be your health at risk.

Standing Firm,

Tanya

Ps. With all the "event cities" in full training mode and some as close to the event date as 4 weeks. If you haven't donate to a 3day walker please do so. It's easy just click on the pretty pink button on their facebook, blog or goto http://www.the3day.org/ and look them up by name. We are doing the hard part by training and walking 60 miles won't you help us save the boobs by donating????

T Minus 19 Weeks

I started out last week rocking and rolling I was finally able get Tuesday's 3 miles done with shoes on even if still on the treadmill. So I had planned on attempting to do Thursday's 4 miles outside. For some unknown reason by Thursday mid-day I couldn't hardly step on my right foot, every time I stepped down I felt this weird pull on my Achilles tendon I'm sure it has something to do with the ankle but decided I wouldn't push my luck and gave up on Thursday's miles.

With the weekend approaching I was more than a little worried because the weekend called for a total of 10 miles. Not only is my ankle still on IT'S on schedule but I am planning a huge surprise party for my Grandmother who has been in business for herself for 50 years. How was I going to get it all in training, and starting the final preparations for the party which is this coming weekend.

Saturday dawned and closed with no training walk but there was 13 straight ours of rolling flatware, making centerpieces, making brochures, scanning pictures and a few more small projects. I was NOT going to let the entire weekend get a way from me so Sunday morning I was up with the birds and out the door. Yes, I made it outside. Not sure how far I would make it (since this was the first outside walk since surgery)  I had a planned route for 6 miles or 4 miles. I later found out that my boyfriend didn't think I would make it to the end of the street since I was still a bit if-y with the way the shoe was rubbing on the ankle.

I am totally stoked to say I made it all 6 miles and felt...GREAT!! Well maybe proud is a better word because there were a few times I wasn't sure about going on. Then I decided to talk to the person who talked me into this 3day thing in the first place. God. I was like ok...You told me to do this several years ago and this was to be the year I was to walk. Now you know I have to train for such a HUGE, BOLD, CRAZY task so please Lord help me get my mind off the "rubbing" and "self", help me to get focused on the training and the reason I am doing this in the first place. To change lives!!!!!!!!!!

After a little back and forth just like always the grace of the Lord was at hand and 6 miles was done. I did learn a few things about pit stops but I will post that later this week.

Fundraising is at a pit stop right now since I have to finish this party but after the holiday weekend I will get back to meeting goal.

Week 19 calls for a total of 21 miles. I am diffently going to have to do some planning if I am to get them all in. I am truly in awe of the vets that have learned to juggle life and 3day.


Standing Firm
Tanya

Ps. If you haven't donated to a 3day walker yet, you know the drill click on one of the pretty pink buttons on their facebook, blog, or simply goto http://www.the3day.org/ and look them up by name.

V-I-C-T-O-R-Y

Over the last month I have gone from the little train that "thinks she can" to the girl that was feeling totally defeated and allowing that crazy and annoying voice in my head to start questioning "what am I doing", "is the 3day really in my future?"

Not because of money although I, like all newbies, have been a little FREAKED over $2300.00 but I am happy to say that with the donations I still need to send in from fundraisers we have had.  I am less than $200.00 away from the minium goal.

Because of this dang ankle and the long process to heal. So much for day surgery and walking on it that night. But and its a big BUT last night I do believe was the turning point I was able to walk 3 precious miles with a shoe on!!!!!!!!!

Now in Texas we don't really like shoes after March because when it's 100 + degrees in the afternoon and 80 at 6:00 a.m. you'r flip flops become your best friend but (again with the buts) to train for 60 miles you need to be in shoes that support your feet and ankles which flip flops don't do. 

With last nights victory I am aiming to do Thursday's 4 miles outside. I know...I know I just said the temps are out of control but the treadmill seems way harder to me. I don't know if it because you aren't moving or if I don't have something set right. But my legs have always hurt after the big bad treadmill. But I have to get thru tonight's 15 mins of cross-training first.

Wish me luck with both.


Standing Firm
Tanya

Ps. If you haven't donated yet to a 3day walker...What are you waiting for??? Get busy click the pretty pink button on their facebook, blog or goto http://www.the3day.org/ and look them up by name.

T Minus 20 Weeks

With father's day this past weekend we watched lots of baseball at our house and I couldn't help but laugh when I thought about how the 3day resembles baseball.  We are fighting to save second base and we track everything!  We track miles walked and not just walked but how many miles are on each pair of shoes. We can tell you how long our favorite path is, which stores allow potty breaks. Heck I even applied for a job near my home and before I even went in to visit with them I had clocked the mileage thinking I could work it in to training.

Now for most of you veteran walkers this is not new and have probably thought similar things but I have never been a huge baseball fan to my father's disappointment and more than once have I laughed at all the things they count. I suppose those giggles will be a little less now that I am a counter.

The ankle is still giving me problems and I am not totally back to the training schedule but I AM finding was to out smart the ankle.

Wednesday = 1 morning mile outside with shoes on
Thursday = 1 mile on the treadmill (a special thanks to my honey for moving into the bedroom for me)
Friday = 1 mile on the treadmill
Saturday = 1 mile on the treadmill with shoes and 3 more without. Now I did have break in between each mile to let the nerves calm down.

Now the total mileage for last week was 16 and I only got 7 but hey that is 7 more than I had the last 4 weeks since surgery. I am very hopeful that all that pre-official-training since February when I signed up for the 3day will pay-off. I didn't get in any cross-training and I am really working on myself about that.

There are times that 20 weeks seem like a forever distance/time away then there are times that I think to myself with "ONLY" 20 weeks left before the 3day I still have so much to train and prepare for. So my goal for this week is to stick to the training schedule as much as the ankle will allow.

Monday = is suppose to be a rest day but I think I will do a couple of miles to have them in incase I am lacking at the end of the week.
Tuesday = 3 miles (my goal is to do this with shoes on the entire time)
Wednesday = 15 mins of weight training ( I am pretty sure once I dust the dust off I have a weight bench in my den)..lol
Thursday = 4 miles
Friday = 30 minutes of cross training (maybe I can find a pool to beat this Texas heat and still call it training)

Saturday = 6 miles
Sunday = 4 miles

That's a total of 17 miles and 45 minutes of cross training now I am not sure how well the ankle will play but I do know that I will give it all I've got and along the way I will try to remember what a friend told me last week " defeat is not trying"!

On the fundraising side of things I have to plan another "something" I just have not decided what it will be yet. I have a few ideas swirling around but they may have to wait until after July 4th weekend. We have alot planned for the next two weeks.

Until then Standing Firm,
Tanya

Ps. If you haven't donated to a 3day walker yet please click on the pretty pink button on their blog, facebook or goto http://www.the3day.org/ and look them up by name. Remember we each have at least $2300.00 to raise and without the help, love, and support of folks like you we wouldn't have to train because there would be no walk. No way to kick breast cancer booty!

T MINUS 21 WEEKS

So I was hoping that after my release last week to start training I would at least have a couple of miles to report today. Didn't happen (insert sad face here) I tried putting my training shoes on and my foot YELLED back don't do it! Not only did I hear my foot but I heard almost in chorus all the wonderful 3day vets that have said over and over again listen to your body. With my best sad face on I took my shoes off and decided I would give this silly ankle of mine a few more days. I am happy to say that last night I was able to get my training shoes on and wore them for about 30 minutes. There is still swelling but the nerve pain seems to be lease often. By George...I believe we will call that progress! Who knows I just might get some miles in this week. My goal was to be back to full speed by week 20. I still have time.

On the fundraising side of things we had our Topless Carwash Saturday and let me start off first with two words SUNBLOCK and LOCATION!!!!!!!!!!

If you are going to be in the Texas sun for any length of time let a lone 5 hours you would think one would remember sunblock. Well I suppose after all these years I will have to find another reminder because my kids put on their on sunblock now. You would think after all that I do for them they would offer Mom some sunblock...lol

Really though ladies and gentlemen it is not a laughing matter skin cancer is as real as breast cancer or any other phrase that ends in cancer...tie a ribbon around your finger, put the bottle at the top of your bag, set a reminder on your fancy phone whatever you have to do but remember the sunblock. In the short run it keeps you from whinning for days because you are burnt and down the road you won't have to worry about skin cancer.

Now for location it is everything when doing a fundraiser that depends on the public. As I have mentioned a few times I was involved in youth sports for 14 years. Which means I have done several carwashes I am very sad to say this was one of the most unsuccessful in terms of money brought in. We handed out lots of flyers, we had lots of signs and used every social media we could think of. But the building we were at was a little set back from the road therefore not allowing the passer-by to see all the fun and carrying on. 

Leason learned make sure you can be seen. Overall we had fun it just means we need to find another great idea to get us to goal.


Standing Firm
Tanya

Ps. If you haven't donated to a 3day walker please click on their pretty pink button located on their blog, facebook page or goto http://www.the3day.org/ and look them up by name.

What an Amazing Day

Yesterday was an amazing day, I went to the Dr for yet another follow-up to my lovely surgery. First let me just say I am not usually negative nellie but between my Thryoid cancer summer four years ago my carwreck three years ago last summer was the only free summer. I mean with water play or anything fun for that matter because this one was not starting out looking to promising so my spirits were pretty yucky to say the least.

Now Dr. Medlock has said from the start that I would not miss the walk or even more than a few weeks of training and for most they would have taken that at face value. But not me I felt defeated once again on the 3day that I was trying to tackle. Maybe that is because the first time I signed up to walk in the 3day was the year I found out about my cancer and had to pull out of the walk.  Maybe it is just because I am that person that has to control everything, or maybe it was because I am still working and learning how to listen and trust God in ALL areas of my life. I have said from the very first time I was going to do this walk it was because God was sitting next to me and said "you will walk in the Susan G. Komen 3day Walk for the Cure." Whatever it was yesterday I shot that negative nellie spirit down when Dr. Medlock told me that I could start training again. I am sure I won't be right back at where I left off at 5 miles.  I have told myself I may even have to start back at 1 mile just to see how the swelling and nerve pain I am still having handles the right foot in front of the other. But whatever mileage I make will be on the upside of things and at the end of week 22 I will have "offical training mileage" to report. YAH ME!!!!!

If that wasn't good enough last night I was chceking twitter and noticed a post from SGK about the 2010 College Scholarship Recipients. You can read all about the amazing young adults here. Now as a parent I hope my children never qualify for this scholarship but with young adult and teenage children I always have my eye open for scholarships you just maybe surprised at who offers them. I have to say after reading this article I was that much more ready to get back to training and fundraising. How cool is it that SGK helps not only the women and men fighting this awful disease but their children if they happen to lose their battle.

Now I don't know about you but that sounds like a organzation that I want to help and be a part of, so if you haven't donate to a 3day walker yet won't you please click on the pretty pink button. You can find it on their blog, on their facebook or you can go to http://www.the3day.org/ and look them up by name.

Standing Firm,

Tanya

T MINUS 22 WEEKS AND COUTING

 I had another Dr visit and although I really like my Dr and think he is wonderful, he was not my favorite person Friday. I was told the wound is not healing properly so we are trying a wet/dry compression with another visit tomorrow to make sure they are working if not he implied another surgery to remove the dead skin and remaining fluid from the cyst.  Now I don't know about you but that doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun.

My spirits have been alot better over the weekend than they were last week. I guess we all have our moments and like a friend reminded me over the weekend. I have a great boyfriend that has been wonderful and taken such good care of me with a smile on his face the whole time!! What more can a girl ask for than a loving man to wait on her and watch sappy chick-filks?!?!?!? SSSSHHHHH don't tell him I gave him up after all he has a tough guy image to uphold.

We have our team Topless Carwash this weekend which should be a hoot and hopefully get us over our minimum to walk in this crazy thing we all call the 3day. We have a raffle with some great prizes, Ranger tickets, a camera, a massage, a wonderful piece of jewelry, a dinner out. We have several local vendors that are coming out to show their support. Best Days Club will have food, music and drink specials all afternoon so we should have a great day!!!!!!!!!! Plus I get to go shopping for a new bathing suit this week I am not sure if that will be fun or rough but it will be another day with my daughter so I am looking forward to it.

So although I would love to be hitting the hot Dallas pavement walking 15 miles this week and making sure I have plenty of Smart water, a backpack or a fanny pack that I like. As well as using the 3day as a great reason to find a pool to swim in  (we have to cross train don't we?) I will be letting my foot continue to heal so that it will carry me 60 miles in November.

I was looking at the training schedule and I still have a couple of weeks before we surpass the mileage I was walking before the surgery so hopefully I will be back at it soon and really won't lose to much ground from being down. My goal is to be back at it by week 20 when the DFW walkers should inculde a 5 mile walk in the middle of the week.

Wish me luck and Stand Firm,
Tanya

Ps. If you haven't donate to a 3day walker click on the pretty pink button on their blog or facebook. Heck you can even go to http://www.the3day.org/ and look them up by name. Any way you do it just do it help us reach a world without breast cancer.