But then, sometimes something happens and I take a step back and wonder exactly how far we’ve come. A few weeks ago I was working the Komen table at a school fair where teachers were coming to get their flu shot and could also pick up information for teacher credit unions and that sort of thing. All afternoon I chatted with people and heard their personal stories of breast cancer in their family and sympathized over the loss of a loved one or celebrated a survival. Not many men stopped by the table, but there also weren’t many men attending the fair. Towards the end of the day, two men wandered in and stopped at a couple of tables and then stopped in front of mine. One of them started picking up a brochure while saying “For my wife…” somewhat sheepishly. I quietly directed him to the pamphlet entitled “Men Can Get Breast Cancer Too” and reminded him (or so I thought I was doing) that he should pick it up for himself, since men can also get breast cancer. He paused, looking confused, and said, “Really? I didn’t know men could get breast cancer.” This is something I have to constantly remind myself is not common knowledge. For so many years breast cancer was considered a woman’s cancer, why would this man have any reason to think otherwise if breast cancer had never touched his life before? So while I was happy to have given him that knowledge, and hopefully he took that home and remembered it, I have to remember that there are so many people out there, women and men, who haven’t been educated on the facts of breast cancer.

So our work is far from over. That shouldn’t surprise anyone, and yet sometimes I have to remind myself of it. The energy at a 3-Day Closing Ceremony when they tell us we’ve raised $5.5 million sometimes makes me feel as though we must be so close. And maybe we are. But we can’t stop pushing and walking and fund raising and educating with 110% of what we have until the cures are found.

Join Team Twitter ATL in October 2011 for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure!

Donate to my 2011 Atlanta 3-Day walk.

A few minutes later the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure got up and introduced Nancy (I’m calling her Nancy because she did). While she was reading a bit of Nancy’s bio, I became aware of the fact that Nancy was standing about a foot away from me to my right (I was sitting on the end of the aisle) and it took every bit of will power I had not to look up at her and stare with starstruck eyes.

After being introduced, she talked for about 20 minutes about why she wrote the book and her experience writing it. How difficult it was to have to re-live some moments of her life and of Suzy’s death. She took questions for about 10 minutes and then signed books. I was so nervous walking up to her that all I could say was “I’m so glad you were able to come to Boston, thank you for being here”, and she smiled and said thank you. I had planned a lot more to say to her, practiced it in my head; but as soon as I was in front of her it all disappeared. I’m actually surprised I came up with that on the spot. After that I left the bookstore and walked through a couple of stores before walking back to the T.

I’m sure there are a few people reading this wondering how I could get so worked up over meeting someone who they may have never heard of. Nancy Brinker may not be a household name, but I think Susan G. Komen is, or it will be. She is someone that I have admired for years as someone who was driven to do something positive for breast cancer during a time when breast cancer was never talked about as something other than a “women’s cancer”. If you read PROMISE ME, you learn that she started the organization with $200. I can’t imagine what it is like to be diagnosed with breast cancer, and I hope that I never find out. But when I read this book, it sheds light on how much scarier it would have been to be diagnosed with breast cancer in the 1970s or 80s. She shares with us that in 1974, over 90,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. 33,000 died. Can you imagine that? During that time mammograms were available but not widely utilized; less than 20% of women had regular breast exams.

But the statistic that shocked me the most; she writes, “‘During the ten years of the Vietnam War, about 58,000 American men and women died,’ I told Norman the next morning at breakfast. ‘During that same ten years, 339,000 American women died of breast cancer.’”

Since Susan G. Komen for the Cure came on the scene, statistics like these have changed drastically. Not just because of the money that Komen gives to research to help find the cures, but simply because they were one of the first organizations to talk about breast cancer directly, when previously it had been a taboo subject. She is one of the most driven, passionate women I have ever now had the privilege to meet, and I can’t imagine what this world would be like without her and without Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

It feels a bit odd to have already signed up for a 3-Day for 2011 when I’ve only just finished my 2010 walk and the season has barely begun, but that doesn’t make me any less excited! I hope you’ll join us! I’m already planning my fundraisers and I’m wondering how early is too early to start fundraising… I got so many great ideas from everyone this year on Twitter and I can’t wait to get them going! Definitely going to have a yard sale in the spring, and do some fundraising in front of a local store. I’m also going to try and get some of my teacher friends involved and get their kids to do penny wars, it seems like so much fun!

I’ve also been inspired to get way more involved this year with the pre-3-Day activities. I’ve never attended a Get Started meeting or done a training walk with others, but this year I’m going to! I really haven’t experienced everything the 3-Day has to offer but I want to get to know the other walkers and get as much out of the experience as possible. I had such a great time in Boston walking by myself and getting to know others that I want to keep it going!

Can you tell I’m excited!?

And while you’re thinking about it, make sure you check out Tésa Nicolanti who is currently walking the 3-Day for the Cure in Cleveland as the Energizer Keep Going Blogger! She’s also on Twitter, @2wired2tired. Send her encouragement!

In general, Day 1 goes by pretty quickly because you’re fueled by the excitement of all of your training and fundraising finally coming to an end. Day 2 is usually the hardest because it is the longest walking day and you’re tired from Day 1. Day 3 is usually a bit easier but the mileage is shorter and you know the end is in sight! For me, Day 3 was the hardest.  But we walked through beautiful Cambridge, Harvard Square, through the MIT campus and over the Charles into Boston. We walked through the Commons and through the city. I love Boston and this was a great way to see my favorite city. We walked through Southie and right down to the shore and had lunch by the ocean. Having grown up on the coast of Maine and then moving inland to central Connecticut, I miss the ocean.

The heat on Day 3 at times seemed unbearable. I had to stop in the shade every chance I got to catch my breath and cool off. We walked over so many bridges in the full sun I thought I’d never make it, and the last 3 miles after lunch seemed like an eternity. But in retrospect, I know that 3 miles is just 3 miles. That walking in the sun for a few hours is simply that. Hard maybe, but absolutely doable.

I know that walking 60 miles is nothing compared to what breast cancer patients are currently going through. The emotional and physical strain that women and men have to go through when diagnosed with breast cancer is something that could never be described. As I was texting Paul during the walk about the pain I was feeling and how tired I was, he texted me back and said, “When you feel the most tired and the most sore just think of what you’re accomplishing and the statement you’re making. Think of Karin.” And that kept me going.

I am so proud of myself and of my fellow Boston walkers for making it through all 3 days together. Even though I went to the 3-Day by myself, I was never really alone. I walked with others and made friends, I talked, learned and shared. The walkers and survivors who participated in this walk, and those who will participate in the other 14 walks from now through November are AMAZING people. If you know someone who is walking, support them! Donate, cheer them on, go on a training walk with them, make them a sign, share their blog posts, leave them supportive comments on their Facebook page. If you can, go to Closing Ceremony and see why they walk. See it in person. It’s an amazing and touching experience that you are not likely to forget. I am so glad my parents made it to Closing this year. They supported me last year in my first walk in DC and supported me in my decision to walk again, but as I hugged them after Closing this year and saw the tears in their eyes, I knew I would have their unwavering support forever.

Thank you to all of my Facebook and Twitter friends who sent encouraging messages throughout the weekend, your words helped push me along and gave me the energy to Keep Going®. I am so lucky to call you all friends, and to have made so many new friends through the Keep Going program and through #the3day!

Congratulations Boston 3-Day for the Cure walkers, survivors and crew! The 1600 walkers I had the honor to walk with raised $4.3 MILLION for Susan G. Komen for the Cure! WE ARE AMAZING! I am so proud of every single one of you!

Check out my photos on Facebook from the weekend! Donations are still accepted for another month, if you’ve enjoyed my blog posts I hope you’ll consider making a donation.

And now on to the next walk! Check out the Keep Going Blogger page and follow the 3-Day for the Cure around the country! Next stop, Cleveland!

I also hope you followed along this weekend with my progress as the Boston Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure kicked off! It was a long, exhausting and emotional weekend, and it was also completely amazing and wonderful. I met some really amazing people and am already excited for next year! Or at least I will be once my blisters heal! If you haven’t read them yet, I hope you will, and look out for the Day 3 recap coming soon! Here’s Day 1 and Day 2.

And now… for the winner! We had a clear winner for this giveaway and <drum roll please!> the winner is SHANNON SCHULTE! Congratulations Shannon, and thank you!

I’ve been inspired to do more giveaways in the future, so please subscribe and be the first to know when it happens!

Thank you everyone!

*Caitlin

Day 2 is usually the hardest of the 3 days because it’s the longest walk and you’re already tired from Day 1. The first 5 miles today were the worst of the 21, and after I worked out my soreness from yesterday I was good to go. I hope you’ve all been enjoying my tweets along the way. I’m still using my Energizer® Energi-To-Go portable charger every time I turn my phone on at a Pit. My phone would be dead at 1pm if I didn’t have it. I highly recommend getting one if you use your phone a lot or travel often, and you can win one here!

We had some REALLY great cheering stations today. I walked through what I think had to have been the longest cheering station I’ve ever seen. It just kept going and going and literally brought me to tears thinking about the number of people that this walk affects. Every time I think about the money that this event raises, and how many people who see us walk that maybe gets involved in some way, I tear up. It’s overwhelming to be thanked over and over for walking and raising money, because the Thank You’s are so sincere, and they’re sincere because it’s personal. The support is amazing.

And tonight, Candy Coburn performed for us! It was SO cool!! She sang a bunch of her songs, and a Janice Joplin song, and of course she sang “Pink Warrior”!! She’s super cool and down to earth and came out into the crowd and had members of the audience finish lyrics of popular classic rock songs. She’s currently in the 3-Day Shop taking pictures with and signing CD’s for walkers. It was AWESOME! Check out the video I took of  “Pink Warrior”!

I’m really excited for tomorrow’s walk; there’s an energy among all of the walkers knowing that the finish line gets closer and closer with every step. If you’re in the Boston area tomorrow and are looking for something to do after the walk, there’s an unofficial post-race party at The Lansdowne Pub from 6-9pm. There will be over $8,800 in raffle prizes, a live performance by B-Suite Band and a special performance by The Boston Babydolls!

I hope that if you’re in the Boston area tomorrow, that you’ll come and cheer us on or check out Closing Ceremony! Here are the cheering stations:

7:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Shaw’s Supermarket
699 Mount Auburn St.
Cambridge, MA 02138

8:15 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Cambridge City Hall
795 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

9:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Boston Public Garden
(between Paul Revere and Swan Boats)
Commonwealth & Arlington Street
Boston, MA 02127

And Closing Ceremony is at the University of Massachusetts in Dorcester. Here we go, Day 3!!

My walk experience thus far is a lot different than what I experienced last year. Last year I was on a team and Paul walked with me; this year I’m walking solo. It’s been wonderful to meet so many of the different walkers on the route. My Vibrams have made a lot of new friends for me! I get asked a lot what kind of shoes they are and how my feet feel walking in them. Towards the end of the day, I had to be honest and tell them that my feet had felt better days. The first 10 miles went really well, and then I started to feel the blisters forming and the soreness setting in. I also seem to have pulled a muscle in my thigh, so for the last 10 miles I was puttering along at a slower pace which was just fine by me. Reached camp at about 3pm, just when it started to rain.

And as I said, along the way I met some really great people. First, before the walk even started, I met John. John is from Hamden, CT and we met in the New Haven train station. He recognized my gear and sat down and started chatting. This is his 3rd walk so he was telling me the ins and out of Boston. Turns out he was going to carry an opening ceremony flag as well so we’ve become good buddies.

There was Vicky from X Team who is from Newton and a survivor. She was telling me about her 12 year old son who came to opening ceremony practice and looked a little bored. She said she walked over and asked how he was doing and he paused and then said, “You’re a survivor. I’m only 12. This is kind of tough” about watching a ceremony about being a survivor and losing loved ones.

I met George, who is something of a legend around these parts. This is his 7th Boston 3-Day for the Cure walk and his signature, the thing everyone knows him for, is that when he arrives at any Pit Stop or Grab N Go and especially at camp, he walks to the center of the crowd and yells, “Honey!! I’m hooooome!” and everyone cheers. He walks for his wife, who lost her battle with breast cancer.

I met Jill and Christie; Jill from Kentucky and Christie from Texas and they’re walking for Jill’s family. Three of Jill’s sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer within two years, her mom is a survivor, diagnosed twenty years ago.

Of course Men With Heart is here! Great guys in bright yellow shirts who are supportive and really embody the Keep Going® spirit! They stood at the finish line in the rain cheering everyone in.

I think the person who best represents everything the Energizer Bunny® is about and the Keep Going® spirit would be Kevin. I met him during practice for opening ceremonies, and Kevin is walking ALL 15 walks this year! He did one walk in 2008, two in 2009 and decided to do all 15 this year. He said he just wanted to step it up a bit… a bit. But he’s always excited and in the front of the pack, very energetic and ready to Keep Going®. Make sure you find Kevin if you’re doing one of the other 14 walks!!

Looking forward to tomorrow! I need to go do something about my blisters and think about if I’ll keep my Vibrams on tomorrow or if I’ll use the sneakers that I brought with me. Decisions, decisions. Thank you EVERYONE for your supportive tweets during the day! They were so great and really inspired me to Keep Going® as the day was coming to a close!

Donations accepted until 30 days after the walk! Would love your support! http://bit.ly/caitlin3day

Then I remembered about my Energizer® Energi-To-Go charger! I plugged that in and I was back in business. I was able to take Lily (our dog) out for a walk and stand outside with the neighbors and not have to worry about Paul being able to get in touch with me. It was such a relief to have it when I needed it most.

And you can have one of your very own Energizer® Energi-To-Go portable chargers because I’m giving one away, compliments of  Energizer®! I’m in Boston ready for the 3-Day for the Cure and starting tomorrow morning I’ll be walking 60 miles with thousands of other dedicated walkers! When I get back to Connecticut on Sunday night I’ll add up the points and announce a winner!

So here’s how you get points, and in order for you to be awarded points you have to comment below so I know you’ve subscribed or tweeted or Facebooked!

For 3 points

*Subscribe to my blog

For 2 points

*Like the Energizer Bunny on Facebook (And as an added bonus, for every new member they have, Energizer® will donate $1 to Susan G. Komen!!): http://www.facebook.com/EnergizerBunny

*Follow the Energizer Bunny on Twitter: @EnergizerBunny

*Follow Energizer on Twitter: @Energizer

*Like Thayer Consulting, LLC (my social media company) on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thayermedia

*Follow me on Twitter (@CTinCT)

For 1 point

*Tweet this: “@CTinCT is giving away an @Energizer Energi-To-Go portable charger! http://ow.ly/2flKW
@EnergizerBunny #KeepGoing”

*Tag Thayer Consulting in your status on Facebook. (i.e. Caitlin from Thayer Consulting is giving away an Energizer® Energi-To-Go portable charger! http://ow.ly/2flKW) If you need to know how to tag on Facebook, click here.

By tweeting and Facebooking more than once, you can get multiple points! I’ll count up the points on Sunday night and announce a winner at 9am on Monday morning! In the event of a tie, I’ll announce both winners and whichever person comments first will win the Energizer® Energi-To-Go portable charger!

Good luck!

The second thing I do after breathing is re-read the Underground Guide section on packing. This always makes me feel better. There are a TON of great tips and ideas on packing in here, it made my life so much simpler last year when I was packing for the first time. I’ll write about what I’m packing for this trip and hopefully that will help you with your packing! I’ll talk about clothes, gear and miscellaneous things.

Clothes/Toiletries

I’ve checked the weather for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Boston and here’s what I’ve been told. All three sites (AccuWeather.com, Weather.com, WeatherBug.com) said it will be about 85° on Friday. For Saturday, 90°+ and potential rain. And on Sunday, about 85° and two reports say sunny, one says rain. So we’ll see. This means that I’ll pack shorts for each day and a poncho. I lay out an outfit for each day and make sure I have everything I need. Shorts, underwear, shirt, sports bra. For those of you wearing sneakers, you should pack at least 2 pairs of socks per day. One to put on in the morning and one to bring with you so that if it does rain, you can change your socks at a Pit Stop. I’m also setting out sleeping clothes. In this pile, I’ll include a pair of pants and a long sleeved shirt because sometimes it gets chilly at night, especially when you’re getting up at 3am to pee! Bring comfy shoes for camp. I saw everything last year from flip flops to bunny slippers (unfortunately not Energizer Bunny® slippers!). You’ll want a pair of flip flops dedicated for shower use.

Once I’ve laid everything out, I get my big Ziploc freezer bags from the kitchen and write FRIDAY on one bag, SATURDAY on another and so forth until I have all of my clothes bagged separately. This sounds silly, but if it rains and your bag is on the ground waiting for you to finish your Day 1 walking, you’ll be so glad you bagged everything and kept the clothes inside dry! Plus it’s so much easier to get dressed when everything is picked out ahead of time and separated. You won’t have to dig through your gear pack in a cramped tent.

Toiletries should be travel size. Shampoo, conditioner if needed, body wash, deodorant, face wash, toothbrush and tooth paste. If you haven’t done online check-in yet, when you do it, opt in for the $12 towel service! It might be the best $12 you’ve ever spent. Imagine coming back from Day 2 of walking, getting to your tent to grab your towel, and you find it still wet from the night before and starting to smell. Now imagine getting back from Day 2 and getting a clean, fresh towel. The only reason I say this is because I didn’t opt in for towel service last year and I regretted it.

Gear

I highly recommend getting a fanny pack or a lumbar pack and NOT a backpack. Your shoulder will thank you on Day 3. Last year I had a CamelBak hip pack and I found that there wasn’t enough pocket space to carry everything I wanted to carry, and ended up having to buy an extra bag to attach. Get one that’s big enough with enough space to carry everything you need, with holsters for water bottles. In my pack: my Gu, first aid kit, Moleskin, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, sunglasses, a bandanna, my camera, Flip video camera, cell phone, extra batteries, pre-moistened face wipes, nail clippers and file, extra hair ties, poncho if rain, chap stick, my RoadID, my watch and I almost forgot… TISSUES! You’ll cry at least once during these 3 days, so be prepared. This year I’m also bringing my sneakers just in case the Vibrams don’t work out, so if you’re wearing sneakers don’t forget your extra socks! I’m also bringing a small notepad and pen so I can write down names of everyone I meet (I’m terrible at remembering names). Ladies, if it’s that time of the month don’t forget your pads/tampons! Also make sure you have any medications you need, keep them with you.

Miscellaneous

Sleeping bag… I recommend getting a bag large enough to fit your sleeping back inside it, I don’t recommend trying to tie it to the outside. When your bag gets tossed into the trailer truck with 1000 other bags, you can’t be sure you’re sleeping back will come out still attached. Use the pair of pants you’ve brought for your pillow. You can also bring a sleeping pad if you have enough room. Pillows take up a lot of room. Or get a travel size pillow like you get on a plane. Bring extra trash bags so that if your tent is cramped you can put your gear bag the trash bags and put it out side. If you stick it outside sans trash bags it will be wet by morning with the dew on the ground. Bring 2 clear tarps/shower curtains. These you’ll put on the bottom of your tent and on top of your tent. It will help keep you dry as dew seeps in and if it rains, the rain tarps aren’t terribly helpful. Pack something to decorate your tent with, it’s fun and it will help you find your tent when it’s 3:05am and you’re trying to find your way back from the bathroom! And make sure you bring a flashlight, that will help you find your tent! If you’re a Keep Going® Blogger, don’t forget to pack your Energizer Bunny!

Feel free to share your own packing tips below! And check back on Thursday for a giveaway!!

Don’t forget your credentials! Bring a great attitude, an open mind for meeting new people and your 3-Day for the Cure spirit! It’s an amazing 3 days, I guarantee you’ll be hooked!