What have I gotten myself into?

That.......was what I was thinking yesterday. 

What have I gotten myself into?  Who am I kidding?  The last time I did this walk I only lasted one day and it was a horrible day.  I could not even walk the whole 32km.  I got swept 2 or 3 times.  The end of the day I was in tears because I felt that I had failed everyone that supported me, made donations, and most of all, the cancer patients.  Deep down I knew that the walking wasn't the important part, but that I raised over $2,000 for cancer research and treatment. That was the most important thing.  My team reassured me that there was nothing wrong with being swept, and that I raised the money.  I suppose that is true.  I couldn't help though feeling a huge amount of disappointment in myself. 

After that experience, I didn't walk in the 2012 or 2013 walks.   I didn't feel that I could do it. 

When I registered to do the 2014 walk, I felt so optimistic.  I am going to be able to do this.  I'm a lot healthier than I was in 2011, and I have a year to train and raise the money.  

I started off well, walking a minimum of 5km a day.....and I even started jogging.  Well I haven't done any significant walking since Saturday.....it's now Thursday.  I mean I have even been driving my son to school.  I feel so lazy this week, and that is what brought me to the title of this post. 

This..... is what am I thinking today?

What am I whining about?  I've done this walk before......I have seen the people that have done this walk.  I've seen people extremely out of shape do this walk.  I've seen women with cancer and in the middle of chemo do this walk.  I have seen a woman who is 100 years old do this walk.  I am an average build, healthy 38 (soon to be 39) year old woman.  There is NO reason that I can not do this.  I have a year to train.  I am entitled to some lazy days or weeks.   So next week is a new week, and I will get back on track.  I CAN DO THIS!

2014

After a lot of thought, I decided that I was going to do the 2014 walk.  I signed up just days after the 2013 walk completed.  So I have just under a year, 354 days to be exact to train and raise $2,000.

Last week I started training.   The walking so far is going well, and I even did some running on Saturday. 

I've also raised $150 so far.  Which is pretty good considering how much time I have left.

2011

By 2011 I was well enough to do the walk again.   We had a much larger team this year.  Lori's mom even came out from Halifax.

Too many to mention.....lol

Once again we had the non competitive division. 

It was a crazy day, Ellen (Lori's mom) ended up in Hospital by the end of day 1.  I had to be swept a few times and even dizzy'd (that's not a word) myself into the road almost getting hit by a car. 
So these 5 fairies did not do day 2.  It killed me, but our well being was most important.  Besides we did the hardest part, raising $10,000 between the 5 of us.

2010

At the end of Day 1 of the 2009 walk I signed up to do it again.....had I waited until the end of Day 2, I probably would not have.  LOL

That being said, I ended up finding out that I had Degenerative Disc Disease in my neck and it was causing a pinched nerve through my arm.  Therefore doing the walk was going to be a lot more difficult and painful, so Lori and I opted to be crew members.

We had a much smaller team this year.  Still a great group.

L-R: Lori, Brian, Lyn, Michelle, Deneen, Crystal

Notice my awesome radio I was wearing?! We were part of the sweep crew, and we all had to keep in contact at all times.  What is sweep you ask?  Those are the vans that drive around picking up walkers that maybe need a lift to the next pit stop.  It was a lot of fun.  Lori decked out her truck with Decals that she made.

Thanks to Edwin, I am taller than Lori again!

After doing sweep, I'm not sure what I prefer more, sweeping or walking.  Sweep took a lot of work and longer hours than walking but it was great to be able to help out the cause even though we could not walk.

2009

2009 was the first year that I participated in, what at the time was called the Weekend to End Breast Cancer.  

My friend Lori talked me into doing the walk with her and the team she was in, The Super Boobie Fairies.  The Fairies had been involved in the walk for many years prior to that, and this was going to be Lori's 2nd time.

It was a great group of people and I could not have asked to be part of a better team. 

L-R: Lori, Deneen, Carol, Brian, Diana, Crystal, Joanne

The team was great, but for most of them, this walk was a piece of cake.  For myself, Lori and Carol, it was a bit harder.   Happy to say that we did the whole walk, didn't get swept once.

The Non-Competitive Fairies

 

Starting Day 2