Susan G Komen 3 Day Story

I am a 64 year old overweight ex smoker who smoked for 47 years before I quit on July 1, 2010.  I have never been very athletic, and once dislocated both of my knees trying out for cheerleading when I was 15. In March of 2010 I was so sick that I had to be taken to the doctor in a wheelchair because I could not breathe well enough to walk from the parking lot to the door of the Kaiser clinic in Napa.

On September 11, 2011 I completed the most grueling, exhilarating, exhausting, inspiring, challenging, and spectacular thing I have ever attempted -- the Susan G Komen 3 Day for the Cure walk in the San Francisco Bay Area.

For seven months, I have been training -- walking at least twice a week, losing some weight (though not nearly enough), fundraising (THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY SUPPORTERS -- YOU TOTALLY ROCK) and pulling together my gear and equipment for this event.  Many thanks to Vicki Thayer for the fanny pack, and to Ann Muzzini for the mattress and egg-crate mattress pad.

On Thursday, September 8, Rod and I. along with Mary and Peter Steinert, went out to dinner in Napa at Ubuntu, our local upscale vegetarian eatery, then headed out for San Francisco, where we stayed overnight and departed at 5:30 am for the Cow Palace in South San Francisco for the kick off for the Three Day.

Here is the link to the website for the complete event highlights:

http://www.the3day.org/site/PageServer?pagename=SF_Info_2011

Energy was high as we left the Cow palace for our first day's adventure.

Rod and Peter parked and took some shots as we headed out of South SF toward San Francisco.

The first day took us through Pacific Heights, down through the Presidio, and eventually to Fisherman's wharf, where ferries waited to take us to camp on Treasure Island.  Though it was foggy most of the day, it was clearing up as we made our way from the ferry to camp.

There were celebrations as we came into camp at the end of our first day of 20 miles!!!!

Because both Rod and Peter had volunteered to be "Camp Angels" we were lucky enough to arrive with our tent set up and our gear all unloaded.  Even our beds were made!  

Mary's bed on the left, mine on the right.  We were in row E-65 amid a sea of hot pink pup tents.

Peter in his volunteer T-shirt displaying our ALOHA banner. 

It was so wonderful  to have our significant others there to greet us!   We were able to get big warm hugs and even have dinner with our husbands!   First night dinner was penne pasta with tomato sauce, meatballs, sausages and pepper, macaroni and cheese, two kinds of green salad, mixed veggies and carrot cake, brownies, and apple pie for dessert choices.   I save my carbs for dessert -- the chocolate brownies were heaven. 

Also at camp were tents where you could take a picture and so many people did.  Here are a few of our compadres .

                                                                And finally ............

There were also places where you could charge your cell phone or laptop, buy commemorative clothing and other gear, and of course the medical tent where blisters were attended to and chiropractors were volunteering adjustments for out-of-whack backs and strained muscles.

After dinner, we went to get our towels and off to the shower trailers where those hot showers felt like heaven.,  especially after waiting in line so long to get one!   Back in camp, there was karaoke and entertainment, but we did not participate.  We collapsed into our tent, and all lights were out by 9:00 pm, because next day we were up and at 'em at 5:30.

This day we were dropped at the Berkeley Marina and walked up Shattuck and through the campus at UC, where a cheering section was gathered at the campanile.  We were there when the gongs struck 11:00 am.
Then on through Oakland, downtown at City Center, and to the ferry launch at Jack London Square.  This was a perfect location because it was right next to a restaurant and bar, so Mary and I could have a glass of wine before we boarded for camp.  MUCH better than the day before, where we waited in line for the ferry at Fisherman's Wharf with no place to sit!!!  The weather this day was mild and not foggy like it had been the day before.  By the end of the day, my blisters were pretty hot, and I felt like I was walking on shoes full of sand.

That night, we went to the showers FIRST and there was hardly any line.  So we ate dinner in our pajamas  -- broiled chicken breast, browned potatoes, peas and carrots, green salad, and another one of those luscious brownies!!!    That night, I was asleep before it got dark!!!!!!!  The worst thing about camping out was the long chilly trek to the portapotties in the middle of the night - brrrrr!!!!!!   Although it was amazing how CLEAN  those portapotties stayed with so few men using them  :o) !!!!!!!!

Day Three was the hardest on me.  By then, my feet felt like I was walking on broken glass, not just sand. I made it from the ferry dock to the first pit stop in Tiburon, but there were so many walkers at the medical tent that I took the shuttle to the second pit stop.  When I took off my shoes, I was amazed to see brand new blisters not only ON my toes but BETWEEN my toes, to go with the ones I already had on the sides of my feet at the big toe where my bunions lay.  I got taped up and felt pretty good walking to the next pit stop in Mill Valley.  But just to make sure I could make it across the Golden Gate, I took the bus to lunch at Fort Baker.  By this time, the weather was super spectacular -- clear and breezy and just mild enough so that we were not sweat covered loonies.  At Fort Baker we were met by cheerleaders from the local high school, and  had our last lunch.   I had called Rod the day before, and he and peter had gone to camp and folded up our tent and took our gear, so that was one thing we didn't have to worry about.  At lunch, I called him and he and Peter were at Marina Green.  They drove down to the visitor center at the foot of the bridge so that they could greet us as we crossed.

At the foot of the bridge, we had a rest stop with potties and beverages. We needed both .

From this point, although Mary, accompanied by Peter, walked on another 2 miles to the holding area at Fillmore and Marina, Rod and I drove.  This is where we met the walkers coming through, including the woman I trained with in Napa, Monica -- who was nearly delirious with fatigue

Cheering them Home!!!!! 

 
                                                     Mary at 60 Miles YAY!!!!!!

 
                                             I picked up my T shirt and my Rose

                                             And then I took care of my poor ravaged feet

And one last shot of Mary and I together at the end of a long and exhausting wonderful once in a lifetime journey together.

To all of those who supported us, cheered us on, made donations, kept us in your hearts and prayers and warm loving thoughts, we cannot thank you enough.  All 1500 San Francisco walkers were there to make a difference and help wipe out the terrible scourge of breast cancer, and we were so happy to do it with humor (SAVE SECOND BASE, F**K CANCER, FIGHT LIKE A GIRL, HELP THE HOOTERS), passion and love.