![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
There And Back Again
Jul. 30th, 2012 07:54 amSo this past weekend was the Susan G. Komen 3 Day For The Cure. It happened, it was by turns amazing and challenging and hot and cold and windy and rainy and fun and heart-wrenching, as always, and, as always, I am so incredibly glad that I did it.
We were lucky; for the most part the rain held off until within a mile or so from camp every day, so we didn't have to hike too far in it. On the other hand, I hope to never again have to deal with flash floods while camping - while I am strong and tough and sturdy, I am also highly vulnerable to cold. On the other hand,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tpau and I made it every single step of those 60 miles - no skipping sections, no getting sidelined, and (unlike last time) no emergency trips to the hospital.
I've written about the entire 3 Day experience before, so I won't go into that much detail again. I'll just say that it was still a world-changing experience, and that I loved every foot-pounding, leg-straining mile of it. I loved meeting people who came to the area just to walk, and telling them about my hometown. I loved hugging strangers who came out to support us, and I loved the little 3-year-old girl in a pink princess dress who was out on her lawn playing a plastic trumpet every time a walker crossed the street to get to her. I loved giving away my last bandana to a heckling bicyclist on Mass Ave who, after laughing at some cheerers, made the mistake of saying that of course he'd wear pink, if only he HAD any. I loved getting to carry a flag, if only for a mile or two, and I loved realizing how much faster the walk goes when you wind up joining a group who are singing their way along the route.
There are so many moments I want to keep in my mind that I could be here for pages listing them all, but there's something more important I want to say. I was incredibly lucky this year to have an outpouring of support unlike anything I've ever seen before, and that helped make this the epic and positive experience that it was. I asked you all to donate, and you did; I asked you all to write to me.... and you did.
When all was said and done, Team SHADOW raised a total of $10,270. I still can't quite believe that. We set ourselves a ludicrous, pie-in-the-sky goal.... and we passed it. That's ridiculous - and that's not us; that's you. We just walked. You guys did the heavy lifting there, and I will never forget that.
And thank you so, so, so very much to everyone who sent me letters and presents in camp, and who came out to cheering stations. Having your words waiting for me at the end of the day, and seeing your faces along the route, were welcome surprises that helped me remember that I wasn't doing this alone, or with one other friend - that I am part of a community that loves me and cares about me, and wishes me well.
Ultimately, the biggest realization that I took home from this year's event was how lucky I am to be able to be a part of it. Lucky to live in a city that hosts it, to have a friend who suggested it, to be strong and able enough to participate in it, to have a schedule and the free time to devote to it, to have the social resources to do the necessary fundraising, and to have a support structure that carries me through the rough and challenging spots so seamlessly that it never quite feels impossible.
There was a little girl - maybe 8 years old - out cheering on the route, Sunday afternoon about 3/4 of a mile from the end, holding a sign that said "You Are My HEROES." And all I can think is, while that may be the case, all of you are my heroes, because you made it possible for me to do this, and for that I can never thank you enough.
We were lucky; for the most part the rain held off until within a mile or so from camp every day, so we didn't have to hike too far in it. On the other hand, I hope to never again have to deal with flash floods while camping - while I am strong and tough and sturdy, I am also highly vulnerable to cold. On the other hand,
tpau and I made it every single step of those 60 miles - no skipping sections, no getting sidelined, and (unlike last time) no emergency trips to the hospital.I've written about the entire 3 Day experience before, so I won't go into that much detail again. I'll just say that it was still a world-changing experience, and that I loved every foot-pounding, leg-straining mile of it. I loved meeting people who came to the area just to walk, and telling them about my hometown. I loved hugging strangers who came out to support us, and I loved the little 3-year-old girl in a pink princess dress who was out on her lawn playing a plastic trumpet every time a walker crossed the street to get to her. I loved giving away my last bandana to a heckling bicyclist on Mass Ave who, after laughing at some cheerers, made the mistake of saying that of course he'd wear pink, if only he HAD any. I loved getting to carry a flag, if only for a mile or two, and I loved realizing how much faster the walk goes when you wind up joining a group who are singing their way along the route.
There are so many moments I want to keep in my mind that I could be here for pages listing them all, but there's something more important I want to say. I was incredibly lucky this year to have an outpouring of support unlike anything I've ever seen before, and that helped make this the epic and positive experience that it was. I asked you all to donate, and you did; I asked you all to write to me.... and you did.
When all was said and done, Team SHADOW raised a total of $10,270. I still can't quite believe that. We set ourselves a ludicrous, pie-in-the-sky goal.... and we passed it. That's ridiculous - and that's not us; that's you. We just walked. You guys did the heavy lifting there, and I will never forget that.
And thank you so, so, so very much to everyone who sent me letters and presents in camp, and who came out to cheering stations. Having your words waiting for me at the end of the day, and seeing your faces along the route, were welcome surprises that helped me remember that I wasn't doing this alone, or with one other friend - that I am part of a community that loves me and cares about me, and wishes me well.
Ultimately, the biggest realization that I took home from this year's event was how lucky I am to be able to be a part of it. Lucky to live in a city that hosts it, to have a friend who suggested it, to be strong and able enough to participate in it, to have a schedule and the free time to devote to it, to have the social resources to do the necessary fundraising, and to have a support structure that carries me through the rough and challenging spots so seamlessly that it never quite feels impossible.
There was a little girl - maybe 8 years old - out cheering on the route, Sunday afternoon about 3/4 of a mile from the end, holding a sign that said "You Are My HEROES." And all I can think is, while that may be the case, all of you are my heroes, because you made it possible for me to do this, and for that I can never thank you enough.
