The beat goes on...I'm in a routine with my training now - a regimen, if you will. No, wait, don't call it a regimen. It's not that intensive. But I am walking 4-5 miles a couple of times during the week - usually on Tuesdays and Thursdays - and longer distances on the weekends. This past weekend, I walked with my friend and 7-time veteran 3-Day walker Selina at Lake Calhoun and Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. We walked 12 miles on Saturday, which was presumably a gorgeous summer morning - I'm not entirely sure, as we started out at 7:00 AM...not my usual starting time for anything on a Saturday, even if it involves free food.
It was really nice to be able to talk and laugh with someone else, rather than try to amuse myself over the course of four hours. Granted, the scenery around the lakes is fabulous, but after a while, all the trees and people and dogs start to look the same. (Well, maybe not the people - not all sports bras are created equal.)
I was reminded of my first 3-Day in 2004, when I started out training by myself in the spring, but soon found a group to walk with on the weekends. They were a godsend, as I don't know that I would have been able to keep up with the training schedule - especially the loooonnngg walks of 12, 15, 18 miles - on my own.
After a late night Saturday with a group of non-walker friends (no, I didn't overindulge on alcoholic beverages), I met Selina on Sunday morning - once again, bright and early at Lake Calhoun. It was warmer and steamier, as we walked about 13 miles, but once again the time passed quickly and the walking hardly seemed like drudgery. Don't get me wrong, though, my feet and legs were quite happy to come home, stand in a hot shower, and crawl into bed for an afternoon nap.
Today's my day off...no training - other than a sweaty workout mowing the lawn. But the beat goes on. And so does the fundraising - I'm up to $1,315 in donations...THANK YOU!!! Obviously, there's more work to be done and I hope you'll support me.
Be well...
Scott's Official 3-Day Countdown: 53 days until Day 1
Monday, July 28, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
It's Great To Be A Guy On The 3-Day
Over the years, a lot of people have asked me why I walk in the 3-Day, since not many men choose to do so. I don't have a wife, mother, sister, aunt, or grandmother who has ever had breast cancer (thankfully). And aside from my friend Stacey, who was diagnosed in late 2003 and is now cancer-free, virtually the only friends and acquaintances I have who are breast cancer survivors are people I've met while participating in the event itself.
Why do I really do it? Yes, there's all the stuff about it being a great cause and an amazing experience and that "I walk because I can and for others who can't." But I'll let you all in on a not-so-little secret: the real reason I'm out there each year is that it's great to be a guy on the 3-Day. So without further ado, here are...
Scott's Top 5 Reasons Why It's Great To Be A Guy On The 3-Day
5. You (probably) won't be arrested - or be accused of stalking - for following the same woman (or women) on sidewalks and park trails for eight consecutive hours.
4. It's a walk; no running allowed...so women can't run away when you go up to talk them along the route.
3. You can look at a woman's chest and claim that you're just trying to read the name on the credential hanging from her neck.
2. No waiting at the shower trucks.
and...(drum roll, please)
1. Ratio of women to men: 20 to 1. 'Nuff said.
Scott's Official 3-Day Countdown: 65 days until Day 1
Why do I really do it? Yes, there's all the stuff about it being a great cause and an amazing experience and that "I walk because I can and for others who can't." But I'll let you all in on a not-so-little secret: the real reason I'm out there each year is that it's great to be a guy on the 3-Day. So without further ado, here are...
Scott's Top 5 Reasons Why It's Great To Be A Guy On The 3-Day
5. You (probably) won't be arrested - or be accused of stalking - for following the same woman (or women) on sidewalks and park trails for eight consecutive hours.
4. It's a walk; no running allowed...so women can't run away when you go up to talk them along the route.
3. You can look at a woman's chest and claim that you're just trying to read the name on the credential hanging from her neck.
2. No waiting at the shower trucks.
and...(drum roll, please)
1. Ratio of women to men: 20 to 1. 'Nuff said.
Scott's Official 3-Day Countdown: 65 days until Day 1
Friday, July 4, 2008
Independence Day
“…We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Two hundred thirty-two years ago, a group of common, yet extraordinary men – businessmen, farmers, lawyers, doctors – conceived a nation founded on the principles of liberty for all its citizens and declared their independence, creating a country with a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Ours is a land of boundless opportunity, allowing each of us to be who and what we want to be. We are limited by only our own motivation to learn and invent and create that which our minds and hearts can imagine. It is a land where no setback is permanent – despite the constant barrage found in the newspaper headlines, cable TV news tickers, and innumerable Internet blogs. Second chances abound.
This country isn’t perfect – what country is? Our leaders are not – and have never been – infallible. What human being is? Yet only in a place such as the United States of America, can citizens determine whether they approve of the work their leaders and decision-makers are doing on their behalf and replace them as necessary, in a peaceful and organized transfer of power.
This is – and always has been – the greatest nation on earth; a nation more generous than any other to its own people and to all other peoples of the earth.
On this Fourth of July, let all of us remember all that we have through the blessings of liberty – the freedom to speak and write and worship and work and live as we see fit for ourselves and our families. And let us celebrate by renewing our pledge of allegiance to the flag and to the republic for which it stands – with liberty and justice (and fireworks and barbecue and cold beer) for all.
Scott's Official 3-Day Countdown: 77 days until Day 1
Two hundred thirty-two years ago, a group of common, yet extraordinary men – businessmen, farmers, lawyers, doctors – conceived a nation founded on the principles of liberty for all its citizens and declared their independence, creating a country with a government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Ours is a land of boundless opportunity, allowing each of us to be who and what we want to be. We are limited by only our own motivation to learn and invent and create that which our minds and hearts can imagine. It is a land where no setback is permanent – despite the constant barrage found in the newspaper headlines, cable TV news tickers, and innumerable Internet blogs. Second chances abound.
This country isn’t perfect – what country is? Our leaders are not – and have never been – infallible. What human being is? Yet only in a place such as the United States of America, can citizens determine whether they approve of the work their leaders and decision-makers are doing on their behalf and replace them as necessary, in a peaceful and organized transfer of power.
This is – and always has been – the greatest nation on earth; a nation more generous than any other to its own people and to all other peoples of the earth.
On this Fourth of July, let all of us remember all that we have through the blessings of liberty – the freedom to speak and write and worship and work and live as we see fit for ourselves and our families. And let us celebrate by renewing our pledge of allegiance to the flag and to the republic for which it stands – with liberty and justice (and fireworks and barbecue and cold beer) for all.
Scott's Official 3-Day Countdown: 77 days until Day 1
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
2008 Twin Cities Breast Cancer 3-Day Expo
This past Saturday, I volunteered to help out at the Breast Cancer 3-Day Expo, where walkers and crew had a chance to see a glimpse of what the 3-Day is all about. The expo answered all those frequently asked questions - How big are the tents we sleep in at the campsite? What should I pack? What kind of shoes and socks should I wear? - not just in words, but by showing the tents and allowing walkers to shop for some of the necessary gear (like sports bras...sorry, couldn't resist). And there were plenty of workshops, where 3-Day veterans shared words of wisdom and hopefully put to rest at least some of the fear and trepidation that nearly every first-timer has.
I greeted visitors at the Her Voice Campaign area, where walkers could record a 30-second videotape message to describe why they are a part of the 3-Day. Her Voice is new to the 3-Day this year; the videos are uploaded to a website and walkers can e-mail the link to their supporters, to put a face to their message. Only a handful of people were willing to record a message. I'm guessing it's that Minnesota shyness thing...although my past experience on the 3-Day makes me think that there must have been another reason - maybe it was because so many women had just come in from a training walk and didn't feel they were at their most photogenic. Or maybe it had something to do with that odd-looking dark-haired fellow in a 3-Day t-shirt trying to persuade them to go in front of the camera! (By the way, why is it "Her Voice"? What about "His Voice"?)
Here's my friend Dawn (left) and her co-worker, at a table where walkers and family members could make posters to cheer on walkers or write letters that will ultimately be delivered to 3-Day participants at a special mailbox...on the event!
The expo was a rousing success, as several hundred women (and men) got a sneak peek at the 2008 Twin Cities 3-Day. Hopefully, we didn't scare too many of them off! I heard that there are approximately 3,500 walkers registered to walk in the Twin Cities on Sept 19-21. It sure seemed like most of them were at the Expo!
Scott's Official 3-Day Countdown: 80 days until Day 1 (holy cow - is that all?)
I greeted visitors at the Her Voice Campaign area, where walkers could record a 30-second videotape message to describe why they are a part of the 3-Day. Her Voice is new to the 3-Day this year; the videos are uploaded to a website and walkers can e-mail the link to their supporters, to put a face to their message. Only a handful of people were willing to record a message. I'm guessing it's that Minnesota shyness thing...although my past experience on the 3-Day makes me think that there must have been another reason - maybe it was because so many women had just come in from a training walk and didn't feel they were at their most photogenic. Or maybe it had something to do with that odd-looking dark-haired fellow in a 3-Day t-shirt trying to persuade them to go in front of the camera! (By the way, why is it "Her Voice"? What about "His Voice"?)
Here's my friend Dawn (left) and her co-worker, at a table where walkers and family members could make posters to cheer on walkers or write letters that will ultimately be delivered to 3-Day participants at a special mailbox...on the event!The expo was a rousing success, as several hundred women (and men) got a sneak peek at the 2008 Twin Cities 3-Day. Hopefully, we didn't scare too many of them off! I heard that there are approximately 3,500 walkers registered to walk in the Twin Cities on Sept 19-21. It sure seemed like most of them were at the Expo!Scott's Official 3-Day Countdown: 80 days until Day 1 (holy cow - is that all?)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
