Over three days this November, I will be walking 60 miles in the Arizona Breast Cancer 3-Day. This walk will be much more than “just a walk” – it will be raising money to support Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund.

Over the next several months, I will be spending many, many, many hours in training (By the time the walk starts, I will have logged enough miles to take me from Phoenix to my hometown of Houston!

I have committed to raising $2,200 to participate in this walk. Please consider making a fully tax-deductible donation to help me achieve this goal. I’ll be doing all the walking...all you need to do is follow this link to my fundraising headquarters to submit your contribution.

You may know someone who has been affected by breast cancer and I would be proud to walk in her honor as well. Please feel free to send me an email or leave a comment with their name. I will create a ribbon just for them and attach it to my backpack.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for all women, and the leading cause of death in women between the ages of 40 and 55. Both its cause and the means for its cure remain undiscovered. I’m taking on this challenge to do something big that will help raise awareness and help in finding a cure.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope that you’ll share in this incredible adventure with me. Please leave comments or email me (txaggie02@hotmail.com) if you have any questions.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

I Did It!!!

I completed the Arizona 3 Day Nov. 16. Then I took two weeks off to recover. lol! It didn't actually take me that long to recover but I took some vacation time after the 3 Day to visit my family in Texas. Some people were pretty beat up after 60 miles. Luckily I fared well. I only had a few small blisters and a slightly sore ankle. Through training I built up some calluses so I didn't even feel the blisters. The ankle pain went away 2 days after the walk. All the pain, training, and fundraising was well worth it. It was an AWESOME experience! Words could never give it justice. It is something that one must experience personally to understand. The community support was wonderful. There were so many people along the route cheering us on. I laughed, I cried, I danced (yes, I even danced Saturday night after walking 40 miles during the dance party), and I cheered. It was an emotional roller coaster all weekend. Friday started out very early. We left at 5:00 am and drove to Gilbert for the opening ceremony. The ceremony was inspiring. Then we started Day 1 of the route. The route this year was nice. There was fantastic scenery all along the way. We walked through Gilbert, Chandler, Phoenix, Awatukee, Tempe, Guadalupe, and Scottsdale. We ended the Day 1 route at camp in Tempe. Day 2 we walked though lots of hills in Awatukee and came back to camp in Tempe. Day 3 we walked through Tempe, ASU campus, Papago Park, Old Town Scottsdale, and we ended at Scottsdale Stadium. My wonderful hubby met me at the finish line. Closing ceremony was phenomenal. Through this walk we raised over $5 million dollars to support breast cancer research, treatment, and education. Thank you for supporting me so I could take part in this amazing event!

More Pics

3 Day Pics

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Virtual Trainer 1 Week

Countdown: 1 Week

Your Training Schedule for This Week:

Monday Rest
Tuesday 5 miles Easy walking
Wednesday 30 min Moderate cross-training
Thursday Rest
Friday 20 miles Day One
Saturday 20 miles Day Two
Sunday 20 miles Day Three

Training Tip of the Week: Inner Strength (Visual Imagery)

Congratulations! You are only one week away from your Breast Cancer 3-Day event. Remember to go through your packing checklist early to make sure that you have enough socks, sunscreen, blister care supplies and personal prescription medications. Do not buy a new pair of shoes at this point. Bring 2 pairs that you have already trained in. Remember to take off your toerings and refrain from getting a pedicure.

It has taken a lot of time, energy and determination to reach this point of the Breast Cancer 3-Day and you should feel proud of yourself. It also is natural to feel a little nervous. Visualization is a tool used by many world-class athletes to prepare for an athletic event. Repeating the images and sensations of a successful Breast Cancer 3-Day will train your subconscious mind to accept them as the truth, banishing any underlying negativity.

Each day this week, imagine yourself at the finish line of The 3-Day, smiling and feeling strong. Feel the breeze on your face as you walk and hear the crowds cheering you on. Feel your feet moving along the sidewalk, light and energized. Think about the clothes you are wearing and how they feel against your skin. Imagine the joy and pride course through you as you walk into camp with hundreds of newfound friends.

See the rows of breast cancer survivors in a sea of pink, thanking you and congratulating you. Imagine every little detail in your mind exactly as you want the experience to be. This is visualization and the more times that you return to this powerful image, the more likely it is to become reality.

Virtual Trainer 2 Weeks

Countdown: 2 Weeks

Your Training Schedule for This Week:

Monday Rest
Tuesday 4 miles Easy walking
Wednesday 45 minutes Moderate cross-training
Thursday 5 miles Moderate walking
Friday 45 minutes Easy cross-training
Saturday 10 miles Easy walking
Sunday 8 miles Easy walking

Training Tip of the Week: Event Nutrition

As you get close to your Breast Cancer 3-Day event your body will need food and fluid. Food is fuel and carbohydrates such as breads, pasta, cereal, fruits, and vegetables are the primary source for your muscles during exercise. Fluids are needed to decrease risks of dehydration and heat illness and replace those lost during exercise.

Pre-event:

  • Do not make major changes in your diet the week before the event.
  • Try out food during your training walks to see if they upset your stomach.

Three days before the walk:

  • Eat foods high in carbohydrates and balanced in protein and fat content.
  • Avoid high fat foods which may cause bloating and give a feeling of sluggishness.
  • Be sure to drink an extra 8 glasses (64 ounces or 2 quarts) of fluid during the 24 hours before the event or a long training walk.

During the event: Eat small amounts of carbohydrate every hour. The average person burns 100 calories/mile; this is equal to one small apple, a small box of raisins, 1/2 banana, 16 ounces of sports drink or 3/4 energy bar. Monitor your fluid intake. Drink when you are thirsty and make sure you are urinating at every pit stop. Drink a combination of water and sports drink.

Post-event: Consume carbohydrate-rich foods during 1 to 4 hours after your long walks to replace your muscle glycogen stores and prevent next day fatigue. Drink a combination of water and sports drink to replace fluid lost during exercise.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Last Long Walks

I just finished the last long training walks before the 3 Day. The plan was to do 18 miles Saturday and 8 Miles Sunday. I ended up walking 15 miles Saturday and 13 Sunday. I attended two official training walks this weekend. Since Saturday was the day after Halloween there wasn't a big turnout for the walk. I only had one RSVP but four people came. None of us were very motivated. As a group we decided to switch the schedule and walk 8 miles Saturday and 18 Sunday. After 8 miles I drove to Tempe to help notify businesses along the route that we would be walking by in two weeks. Most people seemed very excited that we were coming. I was exhausted after the long day of walking. I came home and fell asleep at 7:00 pm. I got up early on Sunday and met with the training group again. We walked 11 miles but then the other ladies had to leave because they had other plans for the day. I went to the Litchfield Arts & Crafts Fair and walked around a little more. The training was productive but I am so tired. I need a vacation to recover from my weekend.

Virtual Trainer 3 Weeks

Countdown: 3 Weeks

Your Training Schedule for This Week:

Monday Rest
Tuesday 6 miles Easy walking
Wednesday 45 minutes Moderate cross-training
Thursday 6 miles Moderate walking
Friday 45 minutes Easy cross-training
Saturday 18 miles Easy walking
Sunday 8 miles Easy walking

Training Tip of the Week: Achilles Tendonitis

The Achilles tendon is a band of tissue that connects the heel bone to the calf muscle of the leg. Injury to the tendon may cause it to become inflamed or torn. Tendonitis is the term used when the tendon is inflamed. It can be caused by overuse of the Achilles tendon, tight calf muscles, tight Achilles tendon, uphill walking, over-pronation (a problem where your feet roll inward and flatten out more than normal when you walk), or wearing high heels at work and then switching to lower heeled shoes for exercise.

Symptoms of Achilles tendonitis are pain and swelling over the tendon. It may be worse when you rise up on your toes or first thing in the morning. Achilles tendonitis that is not treated can lead to inability to walk and even tendon rupture. Treatment includes putting ice packs on the tendon for 15 minutes 3 times a day, taking anti-inflammatory medication and putting a heel lift insert in your shoe until the pain decreases. This is the one time where you can say that your doctor recommended that you wear high heels. Stretching the Achilles tendon is key to improvement and decreased recurrence.

Towel stretch: Sit on a hard surface with your injured leg stretched out in front of you. Loop a towel around the ball of your foot and pull the towel toward your body keeping your knee straight. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat several times a day.

Standing calf stretch: Facing a wall, keep the injured leg back and the uninjured leg forward. Keep the heel of your injured leg on the floor as you slowly lean into the wall until you feel a stretch in the back of your calf. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat several times a day.

Plantar fascia stretch: Standing with the ball of your injured foot on a stair, reach for the bottom of the step with your heel. Hold for 10 seconds, relax, and then repeat.