Meet Your Twin Cities 3-Day Coaches

It’s here! The Twin Cities 3-Day is tomorrow, and we can’t wait to take this 60-mile journey with all our Minnesota 3-Dayers. As our staff and crew gather today to make final preparations and plans, no one is looking forward to tomorrow more than our Twin Cities 3-Day Coaching Team.

Meet Coaches Stephanie and Tisho, along with our amazing Crew Coordinator Kiki and Event Manager Eileen. They make the 3-Day magic happen year-round, working every day towards this weekend.

Stephanie has an infectious laugh and an upbeat attitude about everything. Tisho is full of knowledge on the widest range of topics, is a great advice-giver and has a heart of gold. Kiki is hilarious and oh so productive, remaining calm no matter what problems come her way. Eileen is the “complete package” of 3-Day information and support, always seeing the good in people around her. What a group!

These compliments and accolades don’t come from thin air, either! These are straight from the mouth of their fellow coaches.

With that kind of support, it should be no surprise that Coach Tisho, who is new to the Twin Cities 3-Day, describes this 3-Day with one simple word: family.

“I’ve been a part of the 3-Day for 10 years now and it is the most amazing group of people. The participants and my colleagues have made this literally a life-changing event for me. That’s why I’m most excited for my first Twin Cities 3-Day and meeting all the participants with whom I’ve been speaking since last year!”

Other things they’re looking forward to? The whole team is very excited for the latest changes to the route this year and can’t wait to hear feedback from participants.

Some of their favorite spots (both new and old) along this year’s route include:

All the beautiful lakes on Day 1
Stone Arch Bridge on Day 1
Downtown White Bear Lake on Day 2 (Hint: this is new and it’s fabulous!)
The Minneapolis Sculpture Garden
The St. Paul Water Utility Trail in Vadnais Heights
Day 3’s view of the downtown St. Paul skyline after you pass through Pit 3 and walk into Indian Mounds Park. This is definitely a photo op, so get your cameras ready!
Closing Ceremony at Harriet Island

“I am giddy with excitement for them to see our brand-new Day 2 route which will take them through White Bear Lake and its charming downtown area!” says Coach Steph. “I’m also really excited that on Day 1 we’ll be back walking down Nicollet Mall. The last two years the mall has been under construction and now it looks beautiful. This is the heart of downtown Minneapolis and features a lot of great restaurants and all the hustle and bustle of downtown Minneapolis.”

The whole team is full of Minnesota pride, with Coach Kiki saying the whole weekend will be full of “beautiful scenery and the nicest people on the planet.”

Don’t miss a minute of this fun and beauty! That was the #1 piece of advice from all the coaches. Take your time and enjoy the whole weekend. Make new friends, reconnect with old ones. Try new experiences and be open to the joy of the weekend.

“Be present! Those two simple words were part of the Opening Ceremony a few years back and they really hit me. Don’t just follow the pink parade. Don’t let it all pass you by. Stop and take photos, pay attention to what’s around you and the people next to you. Soak it all in because even when you come back next year it will never be the same event twice,” promises Coach Kiki.

You’ll be surrounded by your 3-Day family, led by your local coaches. They can’t wait to welcome you in!

Why 3-Day Volunteers Matter

We are only a few weeks away from our first 3-Day of the year, and there are still ways to get involved! If you are still looking for ways to join the 3-Day family but can’t commit to walking or crewing all three days or walking 20 miles, we are always looking for volunteers. The 3-Day volunteers help with so many parts of our weekend and support the walkers and crew in immeasurable ways.

Think you might be interested in the 3-Day? Volunteering is the perfect way to get started!

If you need more convincing, here are just some of the ways that our 3-Day volunteers matter so much, coming right from Coach Gina and the other 3-Day Crew & Volunteer Coordinators.

Volunteers are the heart ??of the 3-Day.

Volunteers share the load. One person can not make the 3-Day happen on their own and volunteers are constantly collaborating and working together to make More Than Pink magic.

Volunteers are helping hands. You’ll see them taking care of everything from working at pit stops to cheering on the walkers as they cross the finish line!

More hands mean more hearts, and more hearts mean more fun!

Volunteers share a passion and energy to make a difference. They help us in such a huge way as we work towards Komen’s Bold Goal.

Volunteers are that special ingredient that makes the 3-Day a success. You’ll see their work and effect throughout the weekend.

“There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” James Doolittle said it, and we couldn’t agree more!

Volunteers are ordinary people with extraordinary hearts. Anyone can be a volunteer, so never hesitate to sign up!

Volunteers matter because they are selfless. They make the 3-Day a seamless experience for our walkers and crew.

Because they give without expectation. Who doesn’t love that?

Volunteers are the people you turn to when you need something done. If you need dinner served, or photos taken or help finding your camp mail…the volunteers are there for you!

Because volunteers are people you can count on.

Without volunteers, there would be no 3-Day.

What do you love most about our 3-Day volunteers? Tell us in the comments!

Planning the Perfect 3-Day Training Walk

Summer is a great time to kick your training into high gear, and with our 2018 3-Day season just around the corner, your training walks are likely getting longer and longer. Whether you’re walking on your own, using our 3-Day training apps, or joining an official training walk leader to train, now is the time!

To help you make the most of your next training walk, we asked Coach Liz – an experienced training walk leader – to give us her tips and tricks for planning the best training walk possible. Honed from years of experience, here’s how she gets it done…

When planning a route, I always have two web browser windows open: the Miler Meter pedometer to map our the miles and Google Maps to look for shade and places to stop and take a break.

I usually find a place to start on Google Maps that is open early and has sufficient parking, which you can see on Google. For example, Safeway at McQueen and Ray Road (Point A on the map below). Then I look for a grocery store, fast food restaurant, convenience store or coffee shop that is somewhere close for an end spot (Point B).

Then I start mapping on pedometer to plan about 3-4 miles through the city streets and housing areas to get from point A to point B. This route is an out and back (3 miles out and turn around and reverse back to start). I make sure the route has some shade and sidewalks. And, whenever I can I try not to have us facing the sun as the day or route gets later and longer. That’s a pro tip for you!

I put it all together with turn by turn directions that I hand out, so everyone knows the route. We don’t want anyone getting lost!

As the training walks get longer, I plan longer walks with stops every 3-4 miles. I will also plan some walks with loops so if someone needs to bow out or needs to stop they can.

We always make sure to take time to stretch before and at our “pit stops” on the training walks!

When we get to the longer walks, particularly on the 15+ miles back to back, we get our local crew or our families to come out and provide “mock pit stops.” It really helps the new first time walkers start to get a feel for the 3-Day, and it makes the walks so much more fun! Plus, it helps our families and communities get more involved in the 3-Day.

Also, on any walk that is more than 13 miles we also build in a lunch stop. I remind all our walkers to be sure to bring a change of socks and money for lunch.

And of course, we train on all terrains, to make sure the walkers are prepared for the whole route. In the photo below, we added some hill training by walking to the top of Hayden Butte (it is only a 0.7 mile walk but the elevation gain is 278 feet!)