I DID IT

I walked all 60 miles. I have blisters. I was sore. But I did it. It was a great experience, even with all the pain. Will I do it again next year? Ummm, no. I would maybe crew, but not walk. But as much as I said I would never do it again, 2 days after the event, I am not nearly as positive. I can see doing it again in a couple of years, IF I can figure out how to remain blister free for the duration of the event.

The blisters are really what did me in. Tami in the medical tent at lunch on Day 3 was my hero. She lanced my blisters, and then wrapped them so well they felt 10 times better. Unfortunately they still hurt, just not nearly as much. As a sidenote, Tami is a breast cancer survivor, walked last year, and was medical crew this year. We had each other in tears.

The blister on my pinky toe was wrapped by a teammate before we started out the last day. She did a great job, but in hindsight I should have had it lanced when the others were lanced. I just didn't want to mess with it, it hadn't been bothering me enough to worry about it until the others weren't bothering me, then I realized how much it was bothering me.

Oh well, the blisters are fading now, ans as the sign that became my mantra said: Blisters don't need chemo

The walk starts tomorrow

I have to be there at 6 am! And then we will walk 20 miles tomorrow, 22.7 miles on Saturday, and 17.3 on Sunday.

I hope the rain stops before 6 am, that the weather is coolish, and that my feet hold up. That is all I can ask at this point.

I am feeling trained enough, and I am prepared for blisters, etc.

Thanks to all of you who followed me! Sorry the last month has been lacking in posts. Rest assured it was not lacking in walking (there was another 18 mile walk in there, in much warmer temps!)

I'll post again when the walk is over!

Week 20 plan

Monday: Rest

Tuesday: 5 miles

Wednesday: 45 min cross-training

Thursday: 6 miles

Friday: 45 min cross-training

Saturday: 18 miles

Sunday: 15 miles

Since I did my 18/15 this weekend, I'll be doing the 10/8 I was supposed to do this weekend. I am also hoping to actually walk at least one of the weekdays and do some cross-training one of them, also!

Big Weekend

My sisters and I opted to change the 18/15 weekend. We did it this week instead of the scheduled 10/8. The 18/15 is the longest training walk on the schedule.

We walked 20 miles yesterday and 15 today, for a total of 35 miles in 2 days!! I now believe I can actually complete the walking of the 3 day! I am not sore, I am not in pain anywhere, I am a little tired, but not overly so. The only thing that hurts, and it is only a very slight pain, is the soles of my feet. There is hope!

I walked the 20 yesterday in new shoes (New Balance 645), that are exactly like my old walking shoes except a 1/2 size bigger. I got them on Friday on clearance for less than $30! I was very excited. They were fine, I still need some cushy insoles, though. We chose to walk on a multi-purpose trail from Cannon Falls to Red Wing. We stopped for lunch around the mid-point in a little town with basically one place to eat. Thankfully the food was wonderful! Two of my sisters were a bit giddy by then, so there was entertainment, too!

I walked the 15 today in my other new shoes (Brooks Defyance 2). They were even better than my old shoes. The balls of my feet hurt less than they have in my other shoes. We walked a different multi-purpose trail from Shakopee to Chaska and back. We got to stop in Chaska for lunch that way.

Both trails were beautiful, and we could not have asked for better weather. Yesterday was cloudy and the high was maybe 65 degrees. Today was sunny, with a high of around 75. Neither day was humid. Perfect walking weather, which probably was a good thing!

Week 19 plan

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 5 miles

Wednesday: 45 minutes of cross training

Thursday: 6 miles

Friday: 45 minutes of cross training

Saturday: 10 miles

Sunday: 8 miles

My sisters and I are actually planning to do our 18/15 this weekend. Hope for pleasant weather!

Week 18

I have been delinquent.

Actually, I kinda felt the need to take back my summer. So the kidlets and I have been spending some time doing summer things. We hit a few programs I wanted to go to, we had a picnic in the back yard, and we watched fireflies. In short, we have been enjoying summer. I intend to do a bit more of that. Training for this walk feels like it has taken over my life, and I just can't let that be the case. So I am feeling less guilty about not walking during the week, and I am grateful that this weekend I have a recovery weekend with far fewer miles to do.

Last weeks plan was this:

Monday: rest

Tuesday: 5 miles

Wednesday: 45 minutes of cross training

Thursday; 6 miles

Friday: 45 minutes of cross training

Saturday: 17 miles

Sunday: 13 miles

Since I did 17 last Friday and 13 last Saturday, I swapped those for last weekends 8/6. I also just didn't walk or cross train at all. And I am OK with that.

I did go and buy new shoes last weekend. But I am not sure I am keeping them. I went to one of the partner stores for the 3-day, and I have to say I was utterly unimpressed. He brought me 3 pairs of shoes, and I think he honestly thought that was sufficient. I am not assertive enough to have said no, bring me more, so I ended up with one of those 3, and I am just not sure they are OK. And I bought some arch support insoles that I think I have to take back. The arch support is good, but they are hard and hurt the balls of my feet. That is where I have the most pain to begin with, so I think I need something that is going to accomodate that better. In all a HUGELY disappointing trip. SIGH.

Thursday and Friday training

I went to make jam on Thursday, but still got almost 3 miles of walking in.

Friday I walked 17 miles. In spite of my desire to keep this weekend a recovery weekend, I got sucked in and I walked 17 miles. Thankfully we walked on a bike path that was a railway, so it was flat. No hills. And there was lots of shade. It was mostly overcast anyway, but it was still nice to have the trees for the moments when it was sunny. Did I mention it was flat? And humid. It was really humid. But I have no blisters, and I used no moleskin. YAY! I still need different shoes. The soles on mine are getting a bit worn.