Anne’s Most Excellent Adventure
The Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk
In 2005 my identical twin daughters and I raised almost $15,000 in the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk. The 3-Day is an endurance test in that you walk 60 miles in 3 days, 20 miles a day, plus you camp out two nights.
Lauren, Whitney and I started this adventure thinking it would be a nice “Girl’s Weekend” outing. Ha! Relaxing, no. Bonding through pain and misery, yes!
Calling ourselves Team Boob-U-lation we trained for five months and lumbered through 500 “practice” miles before the big event. By that time we had burned through several pairs of shoes each and purchased many stylish and wicking sport garments. (This is Texas and we’re perky, but we sweat like horses.)
Day One
We were major prepared for burning hot weather. However… (did I mention this is Texas?) the first morning when all 3,000 of us walkers assembled at Texas Stadium for the big kick-off, the thermometer registered 40 degrees with a stiff north wind. But we were pumped!!
Because I’m a survivor and one of the oldest walkers, the 3-Day folks invited me to say a few words of excitement and encouragement at the opening ceremonies. That’s dawn breaking behind me.
Lauren made bandannas to soak in ice water and tie around our necks to help stay cool in the heat. But the wind was so strong and we were so cold the first morning that we tied them around our heads as ear muffs.
Lots of walkers wore signs on their backs remembering friends and relatives who’ve dealt with breast cancer. Whitney and Lauren honored me and I honored my precious Aunt Ruth who died of breast cancer.
Lunch on DAY ONE and our feet were already hurtin’ puppies.
Here we are in camp looking tired on the evening of DAY ONE.
The walking alone would have been enough, but now we had to sleep in tiny tents on the hard ground. There’s just no rest for the weary. Here’s our Home Sweet Home for two nights.
Day Two
The morning was cool so we wore our Team Boob-U-lation T-shirts.
But then we started to warm up. The whole concept here is layers, but you have to carry everything you might need in/on your person.
There were humorous references to female body parts just everywhere. Cars with helpers continually patrolled the route to pick up those who needed to give up. I particularly liked the subtleties of this chase car with a giant bra.
By the end of DAY TWO we were tuckered.
The showers were housed in the trailer of a semi. We sat in line for an hour and a half, just kind of numb with exhaustion.
While we were waiting I took off my shoes. The women around us stared at my feet in silent awe until finally someone remarked, “That’s an impressive blister.” I knew something had been hurting in there.
Day Three
By lunch all three of us were so tired we could barely move. We made a pact that no one could give up.
The last ten miles were agony – we just kept pushing through the pain. As we marched into the closing ceremony at the Fort Worth Stockyards, we burst into tears of exhaustion. The Team Boob-U-lation husbands, Zac, Stu and Ben, brought champagne to celebrate.
We have never been so tired or hurt so badly in our young lives. But all three of us did it – nobody dropped out. We’re not quitters. Plus we raised nearly $15,000 for cancer research and treatment for women in poverty. If you’d like to help too, please follow this link to make a donation or sign up for a 3-Day walk. www.The3Day.org
Team Boob-U-lation
