2011 Day 3

Day 3 is finally here! I opened my final card from my sweet husband - he's written me a card for each day of the walk. They encouraged me and reminded me why I'm walking - for our child, our family, for a world without breast cancer.

We got an extra hour of sleep and woke up to pack our bags and get ready for day 3! Courtney's finance, Philip, was picking up our luggage from our room (AWESOME!) so Dad came up to our room in the morning with his luggage as well. We were all hurting (Dad and I more than Courtney and Jessica) but were ready to tackle day 3!

Our angel Laurie drove us over to camp again on Day 3. We met a bus at camp that drove us to the start of the route. The school bus drive wasn't the most ideal - especially since we all get car sick, but we made it! I was sore, just going to take it a mile at a time, but I was excited for the new day.

We were definitely walking slower today, but no one seemed upset about that. We were still towards the front of the pack, but taking it easy was awesome. Before long, we were at the first cheering station - donuts, crying, children, and Philip!

Day 3 was the toughest day for me. My feet were swollen and my shins were really hurting. I was determined to keep walking as long as none of the pain was baby related. We pushed on!

Lunch was really late on day 3 - not until 13 miles. We rested at a lot of the pit stops, taking our time. I was struggling towards the middle of the morning, but rested, took it easy, and pushed on. The cheering stations and other stories really kept me going. Shin splits don't need chemo, sore feet don't require radiation, and the baby was fine. We walked on!

Another cheering station kept us going. I cried a lot. I couldn't believe I was doing it. I was overwhelmed with the incredible mileage I'd covered, the difference that we were all making. Courtney's rockstar fiance was at the final cheering station as well!

I secretly hoped I would find a way to get to every cheering station. I wasn't going to push it or hurt myself or the baby, but I love cheering stations so much! I was thrilled that I'd made it through each cheering station. I saw lots of incredible people - cheerers are my inspiration!

We finally got to lunch - 2.2 miles away from the end! I wasn't sure I was going to make it to lunch and I was thrilled we got that far. We were all hurting, but everyone was rocking it. It was a very moving day. Lunch was a great rest for me. I knew the last few miles would be would be incredibly challenging. 2.2 miles has never felt longer! I hurt but drew on the inspiration around me - from my family, supporters, and the drive to finish. Before long, we were walking into Fair Park. Finishing with the baby in my belly was incredible - people were so excited. We'd done it! Jessica, Courtney, Dad, and I finished together. I sobbed the whole way through. We picked up our t-shirts, met up with our team, and took our pictures!

We danced, cheered, rested, and waited for Closing Ceremony to begin. It was awesome - such a rush of emotions. We watched teams cross the finish line together. We saw incredible men and women cheer and complete the event. Seeing women in their pink survivor shirts gets to me every year. Survivors are honored by their pink shirts so they are easy to spot. Each year I participate I feel like the survivors get younger and younger. That's why I walk.

Before long, it was time to line up for closing! We lined up and headed towards the stage. While we were there, we walked through the whole crew team, which is overwhelming. They work far harder than anyone else (but the staff!) and have such a great attitude. I was worried I'd get a hard time from the medical crew for walking, but they were incredibly supportive. While we were walking through a medical crew woman jumped out of line, gave me a big hug, kissed my face, and thanked me for walking. I lost it. I am so proud to be part of something this awesome.

 I think closing ceremony this year was the most moving I've experienced in a long time. Knowing this was Jarrod's first closing ceremony was incredible. It was the only part of the 3-day he hadn't experienced and I was so glad to know he was somewhere out in the crowd. Having my dad and Jessica there was awesome as well. I know that they had a GREAT experience and this was just the icing on the cake. When the survivors came through and we removed our shoes in their honor, I am so inspired by those women. 

There were about 3,100 walkers and 450 crew members. Together we raised $7.1 million for Susan G. Komen for the Cure and are that much closer to a world without breast cancer. I couldn't be more proud of the walkers, supporters, crew, staff, etc. for such a wonderful event. Life-changing, for sure. My life, our baby's life, and hopefully the world. Praying for a world without breast cancer.

I will continue to walk until we find a cure. I'm registering for next year - will you walk with me?