Do You Have What it Takes to Be a 3-Day Ambassador?

Do any of these descriptions fit you?

You love the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®. Like, you REALLY love it. You wear your Komen 3-Day gear around town, you’re up to date on the latest news from Susan G. Komen® about the fight against breast cancer, and most of all, you talk about the 3-Day® to everyone you can, telling them what an amazing experience it is.
When it comes to your community, “active” only scratches the surface of your involvement. You’re well known by your neighbors, community organizations, local businesses and maybe even the town government and/or local press.
You’re a networking wizard, never passing up an opportunity to connect with people you know or people you meet.
Social media is totally your thing. You frequently post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and one of your favorite topics is the 3-Day.

If you match any of these descriptions, you would be the perfect person to be a 3-Day Ambassador. Ambassadors are passionate participants who are willing to enthusiastically spread the word about the 3-Day within their personal circles, as well as telling their story and promoting the 3-Day’s mission to their wider community.

Anyone can be a 3-Day Ambassador, so get started today by clicking here. The more people we have talking about the 3-Day, the bigger our impact can be.

4 Secrets to Successful Stretching

Jon L. is the Crew/Volunteer Coordinator for the Seattle 3-Day, but when he’s not working to support Seattle crew members, he’s also a long-distance runner with years of experience hitting the pavement. Jon agreed to be our guest blogger this week, to talk about the importance of stretching.

susan g. komen 3-day breast cancer 60 mile walk blog training stretching

Coach Jon

You can safely assume that walking for three days, let alone three days that carry you 60 miles, will take a toll on one’s body. While it may seem like “just walking” to some, those who have done the 3-Day can certainly tell you it’s much more. There is a lot of time spent on your feet, which the majority of the general population is not used to. The pounding you get from walking on mostly hard surfaces, like sidewalks, can be tough on your muscles and joints. Throw in a couple of hills, and it could be a recipe for leg soreness. One of the most elegant and efficient ways to combat this stress on your body is by stretching.

Here are some basic tips to help you get the most out of your next batch of stretching:

Ease into your stretching routine – One of the biggest mistakes in developing a stretching routine for yourself, especially early on, is stretching too much, too soon. Your muscles have a baseline level of flexibility, which is determined based on how much the muscles are used and how much they have been cared for. If you overstretch—by stretching for too long or by pulling your muscles beyond their capacity—you can end up doing more harm than good.
No BOUNCING! – When stretching any muscle, you want to make sure you make unrushed, smooth and deliberate transitions. This allows your muscles to adapt slowly to the new sensation of being stretched. If you bounce, it adds quick and intense stress to your muscles, which could lead to pulls and strains. Remember, we’re trying to help your muscles, not add to their misery.
Find your breath – An important but often overlooked aspect of stretching is breathing. One of the best ways to help your muscles recover is by getting them nice clean oxygen. So make sure you remember to breathe, slowly and deeply, while you stretch to keep the fresh oxygen flowing.
Focus – Pay attention to the muscle that you are trying to stretch. This will help prevent overstretching, while allowing you to focus on helping that specific muscle to feel a little less sore. It also gives you time to remember that all-important breathing.

Remember, stretching is not a cure-all for muscle soreness. It is just one stepping stone in injury prevention. It does not replace consistent training and recovery, it simply allows you to get back to training with muscles that are looser and more responsive. If you feel like you are injured, or that you are developing an injury, please see you doctor right away.

PLEASE NOTE: THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND TRAINING INFORMATION PROVIDED TO YOU IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE SUSAN G. KOMEN 3-DAY IS NOT INTENDED TO REPLACE OR BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL ADVICE AND ANY SUCH INFORMATION IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR SEEKING MEDICAL ADVICE OR TREATMENT FROM YOUR MEDICAL PROVIDER. BEFORE STARTING ANY EXERCISE PROGRAM OR FOLLOWING ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, ADVICE OR OTHER INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING TRAINING FOR THE KOMEN 3-DAY OR ANY ATHLETIC EVENT, YOU SHOULD FIRST CONSULT A PHYSICIAN AND HAVE A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION.

Celebrating Women’s History Month

In 1987, Congress declared March to be Women’s History Month, dedicated to highlighting the contributions of women to history and contemporary society. During the month of March we have the opportunity to focus on the importance of women in society, their influence, and issues that affect them.

Breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths for women in the United States and year after year members of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® family appreciate this vital statistic as demonstrated in their display of unprecedented determination to bring an end to this disease.

Ninety percent of Komen 3-Day walkers have watched a loved one battle breast cancer and the vast majority of those cancer warriors were women—women who made significant contributions to their families, their professions, their churches and their communities. Every one of these women made history and changed the trajectory of lives forgotten and tossed, but their names will never make it onto the pages of a history book and their contributions will never be featured on the evening news. Yet these are women who should be celebrated, honored and acknowledged this month by the people who appreciate their worth and recognize their selfless giving.

The purpose of Women’s History Month is to increase consciousness and knowledge of women’s history: to take one month of the year to remember the contributions of notable and ordinary women, in hopes that the day will soon come when it’s impossible to teach or learn history without remembering these contributions.

I celebrate the life and legacy of an unforgettable woman who certainly made history during her 30 plus years of employment with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: my mother, Yvonne Springs. My mother died on February 16, 2009, but in her lifetime she had a successful career and a forty-one year marriage to my dad, raised four socially responsible children, and was immensely involved in her church and community. She enjoyed being a woman, and taught me how to enjoy being the woman I am becoming.

Celebrate the women in your life and give a special shout out to our vast sisterhood of walkers, crew and volunteers!