Day 31

Today I worked on trying to get organized, that can sometimes be a task in itself. I got 45 letters with donation forms ready for the mail (these will go to my contacts that either don't have computer access or I just don't know their email addresses). They say 'slow & steady' wins the race ... well I'm not in a race but I am progressing along one step at a time. I've decided that my motto is 'I'm two feet closer to making a difference'. Kind of sums things up for me.

Day 30

Well I'm 30 days in to my journey. Time sure seems to fly by fast. My official training will begin in 2 weeks, but I've been walking and getting ready (& getting organized). My fundraising is in gear and I've been amazed at the response so far. People are VERY generous and supportive. I even had one person who said they weren't able to donate financially but offered to supply a few items if I had an auction or fundraiser. People are just AWESOME! Support comes in many shapes and sizes. Prayers, especially, are HUGE!

Day 28

Today was a good day. I received a few new donations. I've now reached 23% of my 3 Day fundraising goal. It gives me a boost that if I keep at it, I'll be able to reach my goal and therefore be able to walk in the event. I can't imagine how I'd feel if I couldn't raise enough and couldn't finish what I'd started.

My REAL training will begin in two weeks. I feel like I'm in good enough shape now from my 'pre-training' that I'll be able to get started ... then the walk increases are gradual each week. I don't feel quite as scared and intimidated now, but ask me again in 2 months ... lol.

Day 27

There wasn't much to report yesterday so I figured I would spare you and wait til this morning. Yesterday was just a usual day ... full day at work ... dinner ... and an evening of running around (last night was a music rehearsal for my daughter's upcoming solo & ensemble performance - it's her first one so she's a bit nervous still). My real training will start in about 2 weeks, so I'm just making sure that between now and then I'm getting my stamina and motivation up to scale - because I know that's when the REAL work will start.

My donations for the 3 Day are coming through a bit at a time. I'm up to $450 which I think is just awesome. Every time a donation comes through it reinforces for me that I've made the right commitment and someone else out there believes in what I'm doing.

Day 25

I made it to the gym after work tonight ... did some treadmill & stationary bike ... did a few machines ... and crawled home. Hoping for a good night's sleep tonight. I know it's early yet, but have only had 7 donations for my 3 Day goals off of 100+ emails. I did mention in my fundraising email, though, that I'd prefer to complete my fundraising by May 1st so that I could concentrate solely on training after that. It may be too early for many to think about donating and it's definately too soon to send out reminder followup emails. Hopefully this weekend I will get started on my mailout letters (those contacts that I have that do not have computer access). It's all part of the process and needs to be accomplished methodically and one step at a time.

Day 24

Today is my rest day. Last week I logged in 19.1 miles of walking. It was a lot, yet not even equivalent to one day of the 3 Day. That's why I'm pre-training for my training. I've got a long way to go, but I'm progressing. Thanks for evreyone's support. I couldn't do it without you.

Day 22

Yesterday was another of those long, busy days - but in a good way. I have a friend who thinks they're ready to sign up and join our 3 Day team. That will mean our team of 2 has increased by 50%. Not bad. I've had a few donations start to come in. It's wonderful how supportive people are when they realize the work you plan to put in for the cause. I'm finding that this whole 3 Day undertaking is no small thing. Training and fundraising and creating awareness all take a lot of dedication and commitment ... two things I don't take lightly.

Yesterday I knew I would be busy and not have the time to take a 'real walk' (all at one time), so I decided to wear my pedometer for the day just to see how much walking I would do in the course of a busy day. I surprised myself ... nearly 4 miles. That helped me to feel a lot less lazy or guilty when I actually went to bed for the night.

Day 20

Busy day today and not enough sleep to go off of. I did manage to do 2 miles of just routine walking, so that still counts for staying active. I also got the go ahead for a location I was hoping for to hold a fundraising event. I'm going to try planning a silent auction/bake sale for mid-April. I figure it's a good way to get the community involved and create more awareness. The next week or so are pretty busy for me, but I'll get going on the planning aspects.

Day 19

Sorry for skipping an entry last night. It was a long, busy day and then my daughter needed the computer for homework. The joy of having only 1 computer in the house. Can't complain ... well I could but it wouldn't do any good (lol).

I did make it to the gym yesterday and managed to accumulate almost 4 miles. My 'official' 3 Day training will begin in mid-February, so until then I'm working on my 'pre-training'. The first week I walked 5 miles, the second week it was 7.5 miles, and last week was 12.5. I figure the next few weeks are a warmup to just get myself used to exercising more regularly, then the real FUN begins! Bring it on, I'm excited. Fortunately the 2nd 1/2 of the training will be in the summertime which means I can walk more outdoors and have some variety.

Day 17

I decided not to wait any longer and started the next phase of my fundraising. I sent out my first batch of fundraising emails. The next phase will be sending letters to my contacts who do not have computer access (I sure don't want them to miss out on all the fun!).
Soliciting donations is always difficult, but sharing with my friends and family about why I want to participate in the 3 Day event and what I plan to get out of it are too important not to share. Spreading awareness about the 3 day event (60 miles in 3 days) is huge. Having people support my efforts and commitment (both financially and with prayer) are huge. Getting the world one step closer to a cure for breast cancer is even huger (is that a word? lol).
Please join me. You can click on the 'donate' link in the 3 Day photo on my blog and donate to this worthy cause. Remember ... if I don't raise a minimum of $2300 - I don't get to walk in the event. I know that sounds harsh, but I'm guessing the foundation wants us all to fully commit to the event. If it'll bring the world closer to a cure, then I don't care if I have to break open my piggy bank or crawl the last mile. I survived cancer afterall, so I guess I can be pretty tough when I need to be.

Day 16

It's a busy Saturday today. Took my daughter this morning and we both got haircuts, then headed over to bring my mom lunch & a cupcake for her birthday. Now I'm sitting at a computer at the library while my daughter prepares study guides for her midterms this week (she's a 9th grader).

I'm going to try and make some progress on entering my email addresses in to the 3 Day database (for my participant page). I going to get started on phase 1 of my fundraising campaign. Phase 2 will involve prepping for the first outside fundraising event. The nice thing about having an event is not only that it raises more money in a shorter period of time, but more importantly it brings people within your community together and creates awareness. It's a win-win situation.

Day 15

Wow, I can't believe that we're already half way through the month of January. Not alot of spare time for walking today, so I decided to wear my pedometer. I've walked nearly 2.5 miles so far just doing normal stuff today. How awesome is that?

Don't think that I wasn't productive though. I did speak with a manager of a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant today about doing a fundraiser for the 3 Day. All I have to do is fill out a form & pick a date ... once it's approved (in about 2 weeks)they'll send me a computer generated flyer with all the information on it. I email it out, hand out paper copies, put it on MySpace or Facebook and I get 20% of ALL revenues that whole day (the customers have to bring their flyer). All they ask is that you try to distribute at least 250 flyers. You know that old shampoo commercial don't you? ... 'you tell 2 friends, and they'll tell 2 friends, and so on and so on and so on'. You'd be surprised how quickly the word can spread. All you have to do is have people download their flyer or have them make more copies and hand them out. Now all I have to do is pick a date! What do you say? Are you getting hungry?

Day 14

It's 9:45 p.m. and I just got home from a group meeting with friends. It's because of long days like these that last night I decided to plan ahead. I set the alarm clock and only allowed myself '1' snooze. I walked my 3 mile walking dvd before work this morning knowing that tonight would be a late night. I think in order to get through all of the required training and still keep up with normal life responsibilities I'm going to have to learn to be flexible.

I had a representative from the American Cancer Society's local Relay For Life event come by my office today. We started talking about me having walked in two previous events and I told her that this year I was going to walk in the 3 Day. She asked how my training was going. I just laughed and told her that I had already starting 'training so that I'd be ready when I had to start my REAL training'.

Day 13

A friend of mine did his computer magic tonight and was able to connect my 3 Day donation 'widget' to this blog. That is so awesome AND it makes my blog very colorful. Thanks, Marc ... you are the best!

Today was just another busy day. More mental activity than physical, but that's bound to happen sometimes. I'm sitting here in my office, with my 'new' training tennis shoes on feeling very comfortable but am also anxious to head home for the night. I'm sure I'll have more to contribute tomorrow. Until then ... good night.

Day 12

They say you've got to start somewhere, so today I sent my first small batch of fundraising emails for the 3 Day Walk For The Cure. I sent 12 emails out at 5:00pm and received my first donation tonight. Thanks Kyle! Every time you get a donation you realize that someone out there believes in you and has chosen to support your cause. It's a wonderful feeling and reinforces your drive that you're doing something with a purpose.

Day 11

Busy day at work, but made it to the gym tonight for a good workout. Gees, it was crowded. I think a lot of people joined to fulfill their New Year's resolution. I hope to see all those same faces come March. If not, then it'll be more room on the treadmills for me. Goodness knows, I've got A LOT of training to do.

On a side note, someone inquired what the name of my home walking dvd is. It's by Leslie Sansone and is called 'walk at home' ... 3 mile walk. Hope that helps.

Day 10

Today I took a little break, but was able to buy a new pair of shoes for the 3 Day (which I'm sure there'll be more of). I also worked on setting up my training schedule in the computer so I can update each week with my progress. I hope to get that link set up soon. I'm also starting to work on some details for a fundraising event I hope to have in April. It should be a lot of fun, with a little bit of something for everyone to enjoy.

Day Nine

It's a cold snowy day and I've stayed in to catch up on life (otherwise known as home projects). Finally heading out though to do some walking at the mall. I've been reviewing the walker handbook and I think it's going to become a 'second Bible to me' ... something I need to review every day so it stays fresh in my mind.
Tomorrow I'm going to try and grasp on to some quality computer time to work on some 3 Day For The Cure webpage stuff. Maybe I'll head over to the library. Stay tuned.

Day Eight

I had a great conversation today with a friend who had walked in a 3 Day For The Cure event a short while ago. I spent a few minutes bombarding her with questions and found it very encouraging. We discussed shoes, blisters, training, fundraising, memories of her experience, and goals for mine. By the time we were done, I felt 3" taller, 5# lighter and had a sense that nothing could stop me. Thanks Michelle ... it was just what I needed!

Day Seven

I can't believe it's day 7 already. I had a slow ride home tonight ... the first snow of the year. Of course people drive like it's something new in Michigan and they've never seen it before. I decided to spend the evening with a cup of hot tea and some planning. I got a great idea for a fundraising event today and once I get an idea ... well let's just say 'the pen started flying on the paper with notes'. I get so excited about this kind of stuff. Then I started reading through my walker handbook and the 24-week training schedule. It's alot but you have to start somewhere.

Day Six

As you can probably tell, today I 'tweeked' the colors and layout of my blog. I hope this is a bit more user-friendly. I also think the colors are more soothing; as much as I like pink the last format was a little overpowering.

There is one other new thing on the page tonight ... thanks to a co-worker I have a link on the right hand side that will connect you directly to my 3-Day participant page. It will also allow you to make a donation. You may not know this, but each walker in the 3-Day event is required to raise a minimum of $2,300 before we can actually participate in the walk itself. To some people that may sound intimidating, but I have a HUGE amount of faith in what all of us can accomplish for this worthy cause. Where I'm intimidated is with the actual training and 3 days of walking a total of 60 miles. I keep telling myself that if I can beat cancer and come out of it on the other side, then I have more fight in me than I give myself credit for.

I welcome your encouragement AND anyone that may want to train and walk with me. Even if you don't want to walk in the event, I'd love the company on my walks.

Let me know what you think of the new format.

Day Five

Well it's after 10pm, but I wanted to get an entry in for today. I think I promised to share the story behind the team name for the 3 day. Right now our team consists of 2 people ... my sister & I. (but like the Bible says in the Book of Matthew ... 'wherever 2 or more are gathered ...'). Two is a good place to start. Anyway, we were having a discussion on Christmas Day about possible names when my sister remembered something our dad used to say (he passed away 13 years ago) when we were kids. He would ask us what German people call a bra. He said they called them 'keepemfromfloppins'. We figured the breast cancer connection to that would be to 'keepemfloppin' so we shortened it up and added the punctuation to make it kēpümflöp’n. Are you intrigued? Think maybe you want to join our team and our quest to help beat breast cancer?

I can tell you first hand of the importance. I am a breast cancer survivor and know the pains and struggles of cancer. My son, Dan, is an Associate Instrcutor and Grad Student at Indiana University. He talks about working with breast cancer research and knows the $$ it takes to conduct such research. The 3 Day is a worthwhile event on so many levels.

Day Four

Well, I'm back to work today and getting back in the swing of things (I think). It's Monday so that also means that it's time to go back to the gym. Monday nights is usually the only night I can make it there in the evening. I figure I have the walking dvd and other walks to accomodate the other days of the week. But it gives me a good workout for the rest of my body at least once a week.

The scale was kind to me this morning, though. I guess I haven't really lost any weight yet, although I did lose 1.5 pounds of 'excess Christmas indulging' ...lol. A half a pound to go and I'm back to where I started before the holidays, which in my mind is a good place to start.

Tomorrow's entry will be about 'how' my sister & I chose the name that we did for our 3 day team. It's really an interesting story. Stay tuned ...

Day Three

It's Day Three already ... wow how time flies. Tomorrow the holidays are officially over for me and I'm back to work. Yesterday I purchased a walking dvd (until yesterday I didn't really know there was such a thing). My treadmill is at home, in the basement, and it faces the wall ... needless to say it takes A LOT of motivation to make myself walk on it. But it's a bit chilly outside for any serious walking (the windchill last night was below 0). The walking dvd is supposed to get you through a brisk 3 mile walk indoors. I'll try it out this afternoon and let you know how it goes. The winter months may just require some creative training on my part.

Day Two

Well, it's day two of my journey. Yesterday I worked on compiling a basic list of contacts for the purpose of fundraising letters & emails. It's amazing how many people we know when we start compiling a Christmas card or invitation list. I'm optimistic on the fundraising aspect of this journey, only because I've always been involved fundraising ... whether it was silent auctions at church, PTO bake sales at school, or band booster events. I enjoy that part. The training part, however, is a bit more intimidating to me. I'm 46 years old, not too overweight (although I could easily stand to lose 10-15 pounds), and in relatively good shape. But the idea of walking 60 miles in 3 days is a BIG stretch for me. But I'm looking at it as a challenge and I know that I can be systematic about it and train at a slow and proper pace. Wish me luck.

Day One

Today is the first day of this blog. I’ve had another blog for a while called ‘Insights Are Blooming’ where I post various inspirational articles. But this blog ‘For Every Season - 3 Day’ is going to be different. This will be a daily journal. You see … there are a few things in my life that I love … my family … my work … my ongoing journey of self-awarness with God … to be able to put my my words down for others to read … and most importantly I love the fact that I’m alive.

A few years ago (Christmas time at the end of 2005 to be exact) I discovered that I had Stage II breast cancer. I was one of the lucky ones who discover it early enough to be given a second chance. I endured surgery, 4 months of intense chemotherapy and another 2 months of radiation. But you know what? I beat it and am still here … I’m a survivor.

My sister and I celebrated Christmas last week and took a big step together. We registered to walk together in the 2010 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk. 3 days … 60 miles. My sister wants to lose weight and become healthy, while supporting a cause that is dear to us both. I admire her for that.

The idea of this blog is to journal my progress while preparing for this big step. I hope that you will check in on my progress (both training and fundraising) and give me a boost when I need it. I usually tend to underestimate myself and what I can achieve, but that is all changing. Once you’ve beaten cancer you tend to give yourself a little more credit and realize that maybe you’re stronger than you ever thought.