An Amazing Experiece...

Let me start this post by thanking my friends and family for the support shown to me during the past weekend. I was blown away by the number of phone calls, text messages, prayers, and other signs of support I received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. I also want to forewarn you that you will have to excuse the massive number of pictures on this post. I just wanted to share so much with all of you. I can't even put into words what an awesome experience this was for me. It's the second time I have participated in this event, and I would do it again in a heartbeat! 6.1 MILLION dollars was raised during this one walk in the fight against breast cancer....an absolutely staggering amount! The picture above shows my team...MISSION I'M-POSSIBLE! These lovely ladies are part of my girls night group and this was their first time walking. They did phenomenal. I was also joined by my mom, her friend, my sister, her friend, and my neighbor, and her friend. A great group of ladies walking for a great cause! Instead of just writing about this experience I thought I would just include pictures with some commonly asked questions about the walk. If you have any other questions or are interested in doing this walk please contact me! Enjoy and, again, THANK YOU!!!!

WHERE DO YOU SLEEP?

We sleep in pink tents (how appropriate)! They are tiny, but you don't spend much time in them. Each day my team was up at 4:00 am! I love the way all the pink tents look! This time they were on a college campus soccer field.

WHERE DO YOU EAT?

There is a large tent sent up back at camp for breakfast and dinner. You can see it in the above picture (the people are cheering on the last walker coming into camp...it's a very big deal and you usually stop what you are doing to cheer her or him on). While we are on the road there is a tent sent up at a specific location for lunch and you just eat in the grass. We also have "pit stops" about every 2 - 4 miles where we are to drink, potty, and eat. They are very conscious of keeping us hydrated!

WHERE DO YOU SHOWER?

Actually, we shower in big semi-trucks!!! They are called "mobile showers". It's not great, but I can't complain - after that many miles ANYTHING feels good!

WHERE DO YOU POTTY WHEN YOU ARE WALKING?

The number of port-a-potties this event uses I can't even wrap my mind around. They are set up at camp, as well as every pit stop. As many walkers as there are I never waited in line more than 2 or 3 minutes to use the restroom! On top of that they are normally very clean!

WHERE DOES YOUR GEAR GO?

In large "gear trucks". They haul all of it for us - how nice is that?!! The organization of this event is just unreal!

WHAT IF THERE IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY?

The medical staff is massive!! It has to be because there are literally medical situations all day long. The picture above is the medical staff at one of the pit stops. This specific staff was just there to treat blisters. They also have a medical tent set up with doctors, physical therapists, and chiropractors. There is a triage area for more serious medical conditions. Unfortunately, you do see some people in pretty bad shape but the medical staff is trained for every situation you can think of. By the way, this is what my feet looked like after 60 miles:
WHAT IF IT RAINS?
To put it simply...you walk.

HOW DOES IT ALL END?

It ends with a very touching ceremony at Soldier Field. The amount of people there to cheer you on is unbelievable (I know I use that word a lot...but I can't even describe it). The walkers all walk in together hand in hand. After we have made it in the walkers that are cancer survivors come in together. All walkers raise one well-worn shoe in honor of them. We did it for them and for all survivors.

Last, but not least, I would like to include some pictures of the supporters that were on the sides of the road. Some of these people actually followed us all 60 miles to show their support. It brought tears to my eyes nearly every time. During those hours when you felt like you could not take another step...these amazing people kept you going.

We have a motorcycle brigade that follows us and blocks streets for us. Most of the guys on this brigade are pretty tough guys. In order to qualify you have to have a wife, mother, daughter, or sister affected by breast cancer. These guys are amazing. They all wear pink helmets and their energy is never-ending. They are always giving pats on the backs, hugs, and encouraging words. You may notice his shirt says, "For My Mom".

In one town we walked through the police force wore pink shirts to show their support!
These ladies followed us all 60 miles too...and always put out a red carpet for us to walk across!

Many people decorated their houses or had drinks out for us. Many children had lemonade stands with free lemonade for us.
The signs along the way on various houses always made me cry.
The ambulance company that supports the walk had one ambulance that just drove around with music blarring and 2 guys on the back dancing. Silly, I know, but it always made us smile and at times we really needed that!
This guy was handing out MILLER LITE!!! Yes, it's against walk rules, but it was too cute not to get a picture of. He said he was, "Just doing what he could to support us."
These were 2 of our angels (yes, the one is a guy which makes it even more funny). Always riding the route and checking on us.

I will say one more time....an amazing experience for such a worthy cause!!! I would encourage each and every one of you to consider doing this in a city that is close to you!