Day 1 Atlanta, Are We There Yet rises again

It's been a week since I was walking in a heavy drizzle, or a light rain depending on your level of optimism. My whole life I have heard the words of my Mother speak longingly for the warmth and culture of the South, yet the furthest I had ever travel was Virginia (choosing to call Texas a different kind of critter). So the commitment to come to Atlanta brought with it for me a kind of homage to my Mom. The idea began when Judi who has walked with us in DC decided to walk in SF. I promised her then I would come to walk Atlanta. Originally we were to merge two teams into one Are We There Yet - Pink Panthers. However, the pink Panthers opted not to participate this year so the team came down to 4 Tri Deltas, Patti Bott, Carol Smith, Kathy Heckathorne and me and Judi.

Shortly before we took off, we got a email from Carol saying unfortunately she would not be able to fly to Atlanta from Minnesota. She had had eye surgery and the eyes were infected. It would be a huge risk to fly. Then after Judi picked us up at the airport, I could tell something was wrong. She wasn't quite herself. She was a bit more subdued. I thought, well maybe it is because her husband is there, maybe is just is quieter around him. What I came to find out was she too would not be walking with us the next morning at Stone Mountain. She had gotten ready to walk the day before with a friend who arrived to find her in a cold sweat. She was taken to the ER where she was determined to have dangerously high blood pressure. She simply could not walk without a great deal of danger. So our numbers now were 3. As we got dressed and ready to walk over to the opening ceremonies, I was a touch melancholy. Missing our friends, worried about their health, and yet determined to walk this walk proud and strong.

It was a happy sight for me to see numbers like a couple of years ago in SF. Over 1000 walkers and over 300 crew gathered in the shadow of a huge granite mountain carved with Confederate generals. I immediately ran into a Facebook friend I had gotten to know who was wearing a skirt of ribbon and the names of two people I know who we recently lost to Cancer. Somehow, once you are a part of this 3 day family you are never alone. I saw Dr. Sheri and gave her a huge hug congratulating her on her recent marriage. Patti and I stood as we had before listening to words we have heard before that crystalize why we walk. "We walk, because they cannot." Too many have been lost. We are living testaments to the advancements in treatment these walks have helped fund.

 

And to the sounds of "Firework" we walked off to show " 'em what we're worth...".

 

The route was filled will support (even on a Friday!). We walked from Stone Mountain down through some pretty nice neighborhoods, into Atlanta until we reached the Georgia World Conference Center. The 3 day was filming their 2014 commercials during this walk. We noticed the film company had selected some pretty young perky girls to film as we walked into the Convention Center.

 

 

 

 

Judi came to join us for the camp show.

 

 

And to welcome back the last walker of the day with the raising of the flag, One day closer to a world without Breast Cancer.

We left to go back to the hotel and our koosy beds and slippers. Showers that weren't in a truck and rooms that didn't reverberate the snoring of 1000 tired walkers.

 

 

Off we drifted to sleep waiting for Day 2 and a forecast of 20% chance of showers.



A sisterhood of survivorship

Somewhere between here and there ... a blog post got lost. What is left are these photos of the SF AVON walk and the SF Race for the Cure.

 

I walked on Saturday a route that was long the same streets of Avon's walk from the MV bike path to their camp in Corte Madera. Passing one of their pit stop a man ran me down. he thought I had just walked by and I was their first walker through....

I am never first.

 

On the way back to MV I gave encouragement to walkers who were on mile 20+ on their way to camp. We are raising fund for different organizations, but we are raising funds because we want to end Cancer. I found that if I mentioned Komen I didn't get the smiles I had hope to bring, so I didn't mention Komen any more, just encouragement. Some smiles would follow.... but if I can be so bold as to say, not quite as bright as the ones I see on the 3 day. Maybe its just me.

 

I felt the same way when  joined my client and her family in SF for the Race for the Cure. A 5k for Komen and its local affiliate. I saw tears and smile on the 3.1 mile walk/run. I saw some happy faces too, but the real smiles, the real love I felt from a couple of 3 day folks I ran into.

Once again, maybe its just me. Maybe it is you see smile where you are comfortable. I tired to open my eyes more and began seeing more community. I began to feel how important this walk was to those who were there.

On the 5k children and dogs can come along. Sometimes women were walking because they finally could after getting far enough along in their treatments to have the strength.

Family together to celebrate the survivorship of a Mother or friend, a sister or colleague.

And me, I was able to enjoy their joy and find some of my own, running into Jim Hillman and Sheri.

And my dear friend and old colleague Erica.

I stood with a survivor as one of them told them what it meant to her to be able to run the entire 5k that year.

There were some tears in the crowd as survivors did what they do best... give hope.

I walked by this couple as I was leaving and heard her say to her emotional husband... Don't you worry, I am not going anywhere. Survivorship is a club you never chose to join, but one in which you have duties. You have the duty to be optimistic, to share your story, to be brave and be a witness to the fact you can in fact live and live well after Cancer.

I walked home to make my day a 19 mile one in training for my 3 day. I once again tried to give encouragement to the Avon walkers finishing their last day.

I saw weary walkers brighten up as I told them... you're almost there! And thank you for walking.
We walk different walks... but we walk for the same reasons. To end Breast Cancer. And I as a survivor walk this walk to say "I'm HERE! And I am not going anywhere...except another mile..."

What it takes to be a 3 day-er

This weekend 1000+ walkers have hit the streets of a city that is in the middle of a Congressionally created shutdown, in a city that is difficult to maneuver under the best of circumstances. The route which had long ago been decided and approved by the Federal government, local governments, the police, parks and rec. schools and other entities had to be redone in a matter of a couple of weeks. The closing ceremony which original was scheduled to be held at the Washington Monument will be moved. The hard work done over months had to be changed in what must have seemed like an instant.

Then insult to injury the skies opened up soaking the walkers in a relentless cold and driving rain. Through flooded streets and soggy parks to eat lunch where paper bags dissolve before you eyes. Tee shirts designed to show team pride unceremoniously covered in emergency ponchos, shoes carefully broker in covered with hotel shower caps and duct tape this soggy walk was not what anyone had trained for or planned on.

What do 3 day-ers do? They walk. They smile. They laugh and support each other. In reading the facebook postings I have seen smiling faces and not one complaint. I did see one person feel somewhat guilt for not being able to stay at camp when she went to get a shower (after finally being a little dry) only to see you would have to wait on chairs outside a shower truck in the rain for your time in the shower. (She headed to the hotel feeling like she "wimped" out.)

3 day folks will say the walk, the blisters the cold is nothing like having chemo. The woman who went back to the hotel has recently had a double mastectomy after she survived her brush with death for ovarian Cancer. I know NO ONE would ever look at her as anything less than a hero.

You know a 3 day-er because they see the person across the street and wonders if THEY are doing alright. Even through conditions like the DC people saw this weekend.

Time and time again I am moved to tears by the love, concern and determination these people show. I have NEVER seen anything that approaches this in any other area of my life. Determined to find a cure I have see 3 day walks that were on the heels of hurricanes, that reached temperatures so high they had to call it short, snow, rain, wind, fog and still the overwhelming feeling at all of these walks is warmth, love and support.

Its our turn in a week. I don't know what the weather will be like. We surely will be less impacted by any government shutdown than DC. The one thing about which I am sure is, we will be walking with the same determination. Driven to find a cure for Breast Cancer, we will each do all we can to go the distance  and we will be proud and humbled by some people walking while going through Chemo therapy or after suffering the loss of someone dear. We will be honored to hold them up and walk by their sides.

If you ever wonder whether these walks... mean.... anything, please a moment and watch what the warriors in DC have done this weekend. They are all heroes. I love them.