Thankful

It is hard to describe the 3 days that Team New Kids experienced. You can describe the weather, sometimes the sore muscles, the unending trips to find a bathroom, the snacks, the cheers, and all the pink that surrounded us, but it is hard to sum up the experience as a whole. Each day of the Atlanta 3-day was special.

It started on Day 1 with a heartfelt opening ceremony that got us pumped up to walk out of Lake Lanier. We were encouraged along the way at the cheering stations by family members and on-lookers alike. We got high fives from little kids at an elementary school! We were so excited to sit down and eat lunch and then it started pouring down rain. We got soaked and a little disheartened but ended up laughing hysterically. We were thrilled when we realized we only had 4 more miles to walk that day. We were even more excited to see friends and family come out (in the rain) to cheer us on that last mile to the buses back to camp. And boy were we excited to see chair massages by Energizer at camp. That first night I was amazed to be surrounded by so many pink tents inside the Georgia Trade Center. It was a true sea of pink. We got to enjoy some good food and entertainment to boost our spirits. And I was really excited for that hot shower and no one passing out!

Cheers and Cookies!

I feel a lot of pressure to make this the best blog posting yet!  The past 21 weeks have been leading up to this-the final blog!  It should be a doozie of a blog.  On top of some pretty spectacular stories to tell (you KNOW there was spectacle-at it’s finest), I had 72 hours to think about how I would share this journey with my faithful readers. 

There is so much to share; I am not sure where to begin.  I could tell you about the 4am start to Day 1, leading up to a moving Opening Ceremony and tearful start to Mile #1.  I could begin with the downpour during Day 1 lunch that sent Team New Kids from quite discouraged to hysterical laughter as every layer (and I do mean EVERY layer) of our clothing was saturated with cold rain.  There are stories of pitching tents (which, thanks to the aforementioned rain were pitched INSIDE), chair massages, 700 port-a-potties of which I used 675, Kim’s Energizer award, the nightly Freedom Hour, regular proclamations that Meredith needed to “Be a more tidy tent mate” and “We are NOT at the Sheraton,” and the elation that a perfectly placed CVS had both indoor plumbing and central heating.  But, those are all “you had to be there” kinds of moments.

The Beginning...and The End

We did it! Team New Kids on the Walk completed the Atlanta 3-Day Event! 60 miles....CHECK!! Every member of our 6 member team completed every mile and it was a wonderful journey. The Atlanta event raised over $5.6 Million dollars and it was an honor to be part of this effort.


I will post a more detailed record of our journey over the weekend after enjoying a week of vacation. In the meantime, please enjoy these photos of our team at the opening ceremony and just moments after completing the Victory Walk.

Thanks for reading and for supporting Team New Kids!

Jenn L.

It's The Final Countdown!

This is it!  We have made it to walk week!  Kim sent out an email this morning that read:  “Happy Walk Week, Ladies!  Can you believe it is finally here?” and I wasn’t sure whether to cheer or puke!  We did it.  We completed 21 weeks of training, made it through 2 seasons, logged in excess of 400 miles each, and raised over $17,000 and a ton of awareness for Breast Cancer!  All that is left to do is take the bold steps to start the 60-mile journey.  My spirits are high and I am anxious to get to Atlanta so I can join the other New Kids and get this adventure underway. 

This week I received more support from two coworkers, Jennie Duval and Jenn Powell.  Both Jennie and Jenn (there have been as many as 5 versions of the name Jennifer in our office at one time-yes, it is terribly confusing) have been amazing cheerleaders for me.  I am honored to add them to the list of folks who have joined me in the fight to find a cure for Breast Cancer.

I will be recognizing all of you and honoring your loved ones during the walk in a very special way. Julianne Dunn and my mom have put their crafty skills to great use and created a pink ribbon bearing the name of every person who made a donation to the Komen Foundation and one for every person that you have honored with your donation and I have chosen to honor with my walk.  There are an impressive 85 ribbons on my Mickey Mouse hook and I will wear it proudly on my backpack throughout the walk.  I can’t wait for my fellow walkers to ask me about my ribbons.  I have 85 unique stories to share-and you KNOW I have the gift for gab and will tell them ALL ABOUT YOU!

It's Almost Here!

Oh my the 3-Day is fast approaching. A week from today we will be mostly through Day 1. I just received our training email for this week and it says:

Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 6 Miles
Wed: 30 minutes cross training
Thursday: Rest
Friday: 19.4 miles
Saturday: 18.9 Miles
Sunday: 15.8 Miles

Wow! You know it is close when they send you the daily mileage! As a friend pointed out it doesn't quite equal 60 miles. They count you walking around in camp because it is so large. I am starting to get a little worried about the weather. Right now the forecast is for highs in the mid-60s and raining all weekend. With all the rain that Atlanta has had, we are pretty saturated and I hope camp doesn't flood like it did last year.

Suppressing My Inner Diva

10 days!  Just 10 days until we take the first steps on the 3-Day Breast Cancer journey!  10 days to get our heads and our feet in the game of 60 miles.  One more weekend of training, 8.5 days of work, 9 sleeps.  It’s not far off!

These days nearly everyone is asking me, “Are you ready?”  How the heck should I know?  I think I’m ready.  I’ve followed the formula for “readiness.”

•  Raise $2300.  CHECK
  
• Follow the provided training schedule.  CHECK 
  
• Study the 50+ page, highly informative handbook.  CHECK
  
•  Read the message boards to learn from experienced walkers.  CHECK
  
• Read every Facebook posting from walkers who have participated in 2009 Boston, San Francisco, and Denver walks.  CHECK
  
•  Medical check, online check-in, fulfill significant packing supply list, tent mate selection…all CHECK
  

Hot, Fresh, Oasis!

WELCOME OCTOBER!  

The start of October brings 3 kinds of good news! 

1. It is Breast Cancer Awareness month!  PINK has arrived!  In the past 5 days, I’ve seen the power of pink on NFL players, Ellen has launched her Breast Cancer dunk tank, and my daily Yoplait yogurt has a pink fundraising lid!  It is inspiring to see such a visible effort in the fight to find a cure for this terrible disease.

2.  The New Kids on the Walk have reached the fundraising minimum for the 3-Day Breast Cancer Event!  If you didn’t see Kim’s big announcement, scroll down!!!  We are thrilled to have raised over $12,000 as a team.  We attribute our fundraising success to folks like Shawn Seuberling, Danielle White, and the LeCount Family, who all contributed to my efforts this week.  Shawn and Heidi LeCount have a Meredith College connection-I worked with both of them while I was earning my master’s degree.  Aside from being the most FUN family in Raleigh, Heidi and her wonderful husband Kevin and precious son Nathan support the MC efforts in the fight against breast cancer and I am proud to have them on my team as well.   In addition to loaning me their neighborhood for my first every 6-mile walk (I remember when 6 seemed like a long way) and their pup Addie for many miles in SC, Shawn and Danielle generously celebrated their birthdays by giving ME a card and donation.  Not a bad gig!

3.  We will walk this month!  When we started this journey in June, October seemed a million years away.  I can’t believe it is here already and in just 18 days, we will take the first of many steps on the 60-mile journey!   

This weekend I visited NC to attend the U2 concert at Carter-Finley Stadium.  Meredith was also in town for a high school reunion so we were able to share a 10-mile walk on Saturday.  It was wonderful to have a fellow New Kid team member for some great company and a much needed change of scenery among the streets of downtown Raleigh.   Mere and I both admitted to being a bit discouraged about Saturday’s walk.  What we needed was some motivation-something to keep us going when our feet were heavy and our attitudes were weary…what we needed was a doughnut!! We decided on a route that took us past the Peace St. Krispy Kreme at about mile #7.  We knew if we made it that far, we could enjoy a sugary boost and sail through the final 3 miles. 

We were on the search for doughnuts.  What we discovered was the secret to the obesity problem in America.  Look out Dr. Oz, Jenn and Mere have figured it out!  When we entered the KK, we were in awe at the oasis of doughy glazed jewels in the glass case in front of us.  THIS is what we had been working for!  Every step of the 7 miles had gotten us to this point…YES, YES, YES!

I was contemplating the impossible choice of the fall favorite pumpkin glazed vs. the sour cream glazed cake doughnut when I was interrupted by a KK staff member who asked if she could take my order.  Until that moment, I had forgotten anyone else was in the store and I would have swore that there were Anglican chants playing softly through the air. 

Can you take my order?  Yes.  I’ll have one of each.  No…stick with the sour cream glazed cake.  I confidently placed my order and when Meredith did the same (chocolate covered crème filled), the staff person asked if we would like a half dozen.  When I replied, “No thank you” she retaliated with “Three will be $3.23 and a half dozen is only $5.25.” (Yes, we ordered 3 but 1 was for Ben who was back at home.) When we responded that we only needed the 3, the woman repeated herself, with shock in her voice “But, a half dozen is only $5.25!”  As if it wasn’t evident from our attire and the 10-pound water filled pack on my back, I informed her that we had walked there and if we ate 6 doughnuts it would rather defeat the fitness benefits of a 10-mile walk.  Caution to others:  Do not make references to the possibly less than healthy content of a doughnut, while standing in a Krispy Kreme. 

I claimed that Meredith and I discovered the root of obesity in America.  Krispy Kreme doughnuts?  NO! Don’t blame the doughnuts, don’t ever blame the doughnuts!  It’s the failing economy that is to blame!  Due to the decline in spending among Americans, employees of Krispy Kreme have to seize any opportunity to bring in an extra dollar (or $2.02).  It’s simply a supply and demand issue.  Fewer folks visit the KK, so those of us who do are expected to take up the slack and buy a few extra.  I’m happy to bear my own load, but folks, you have to get out there and support the doughnut industry! 

This weekend I challenge you all to get outside, take a walk to the nearest KK (or any doughnut retailer but as a NC native, I remain loyal to the Krispy Kreme), and contribute to the demand! If we all do our part, those of us who have loyally supported the doughnut industry can walk away, hassle free, with 1 doughy treat-per visit.   Custard filled, blueberry cake, football shaped (for a limited time only), crullers, and chocolate covered with sprinkles are counting on YOU to help fight obesity-one doughnut at a time! 

Editorial Note:  Before I move on, I have to point out a few connections that I realized as I was writing this blog.  1. Shawn and Heidi donated to my fundraiser this week.  I met them both at Meredith College. 2.  Meredith is my teammate, and walking partner this week, who is named after Meredith College-though she did not attend.  3. Meredith and I visited Krispy Kreme. Shawn's mom works for the KK home office in Winston-Salem.  STRANGE??

There is a new face on my 3-Day page.   This week, I am spotlighting Jamia Clark. Ms. Jamia is the late grandmother of my friend, Mandie Thacker.  Mandie made a donation to my walk in honor of her grandma.  Mandie had this to say about her grandmother: 

She was a breast cancer survivor who had a mastectomy of the affected breast in 1994. She was an amazing woman who fought and won the fight against this disease. She suffered so much in her life, living with diabetes and congestive heart failure and surviving a triple bypass and dialysis three times a week for over 5 years. She never complained, never lost faith, and never lost her amazing smile.

I never met Jamia but I see traits of her in Mandie who, like her grandmother, is a faithful person who finds the positive in any situation. I am happy to share Jamia’s story and photo on my page at: http://www.the3day.org/goto/jennlatino

This week I was on the injured roster for a few days.  Shin splints are to blame!  I only logged 16 miles and 33,675 steps.  The rest was well worth it because I am back to feeling 100%! 

Grand Totals:  Miles= 440 Steps= 861,021  Doughnuts consumed=1

Happy Stepping!

Jenn