2016 Michigan 3-Day Opening Ceremony Speakers—We Are the 3-Day

The 2016 Susan G. Komen 3-Day® began this morning in Michigan with a beautiful and stirring Opening Ceremony. Walkers, crew members and supporters joined their hearts and hopes in the shared promise of bringing about the end of breast cancer, one footstep at a time.

As part of the Ceremony, we were honored to welcome some special 3-Day participants to the stage, where they shared their own inspirations—both heart-warming and heartbreaking—for being part of the 3-Day. #WeAreThe3Day

“This morning, I carry the ‘My Father’ flag in memory of my dad, who I lost last week. I inherited so much of my character and drive from him, so while I walk in remembrance of those we have lost to breast cancer and in honor of those who have survived, I dedicate this 3-Day to my dad. I’m Cathy and I AM the 3-Day.”

“This is my sixth 3-Day. I walk in memory of my friend Jenny and my mom’s friend Kathy. I walk to continue the battle our friends have lost, and to honor all the friends everywhere who have traveled the same journey. I’m Heidi and I AM the 3-Day.”

“My aunt. My mom. My aunt again. My cousin. My mom again. Then my cousin again. I can’t stand the thought of the next generation of my family going through this and losing more than they already have. My cousin’s 48^th birthday would have been last Friday and that is why I am here today. I’m Amy and I AM the 3-Day.”

“I walk for those who can’t walk. I walk for my coworker, a breast cancer survivor of 17 years. I walk for the sister of a coworker who has breast cancer. I walk in memory of my cousin, who passed away at 37. I walk to bring awareness to women and men, young and old, everywhere I go. I’m Charmaine and I AM the 3-Day.”

“When I was young, I promised my mother that when I was old enough, I would join her on the 3-Day. This year is that year! The 3-Day has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. Now I can finally take part in this incredible journey as her teammate. I asked to carry the My Children flag today, in the hope that one day, any children I might have can live in a world without breast cancer. I’m Logan and I AM the 3-Day.”

“I am walking this year because my mom passed away on March 19^th. I’m walking to honor her strength and grace and to raise money to help others. I’m Blake and I AM the 3-Day.”

Together, we are strong. Together, we can defeat breast cancer. Together, we are the 3-Day.

11 Hot Weather Training Hacks

In the middle of summer, going out for a 3-Day training walk in the heat may be the last thing you’d like to do. But if you decide to venture out and get some training miles in on hot days, here are some tips/hacks that might make the sun-baked miles a little easier to bear.

First, a few obvious reminders, which I’m sure you already know, but we must repeat anyway…

Always wear sunscreen, with a minimum of SPF 30. Don’t forget to cover your ears, any exposed parts of your scalp (better yet, cover your head with a hat) and lips too.
Drink LOTS of water, and ideally, rotate water and sports drinks.
If your area is experiencing hazardous heat levels, or you just don’t feel right out in the high temperatures, stop. There will always be other times to walk, and risking your health and comfort are not worth it.
For ALL training walks, remain alert and aware of your surroundings. Try not to walk alone, or if you must, be sure someone knows where you’ll be.

Okay, on to the hacks!

Fill a water bottle halfway and freeze it on its side. That way, when you fill the rest with water, it’ll cool the water more uniformly, so you’ll get refreshing cold with every sip.
Fact: outside temperatures are typically coolest right before the sun rises. If possible—especially for longer walks—get out and start moving close to dawn. You’ll beat the heat and also finish early enough to still have a productive day (or a long and lazy day if that’s what you want).
Remember that an important part of your 3-Day training is cross-training (i.e., exercise that isn’t walking), and summer is the perfect time to throw some swimming, water aerobics, stand-up paddleboarding or rowing into your fitness routine.
When dressing for a warm weather walk, synthetic materials that draw moisture away from the body are better than 100% cotton. Also, light colors will deflect sunlight, keeping you cooler. (More info about best practices for what to wear is here.)
Did you know that bra coolers were a thing? They’re basically little cold packs that fit snugly into the underside of your bra, keeping your “girls” cool in warm conditions. Search online for several options.
Get a cooling wrap to wear on your neck. You can even make these wraps fairly easily; a Pinterest search of “cooling neck wrap” will show you dozens of how-to’s. Online retailers and drug stores also sell them.
Looking for a well-shaded route to walk? A quick internet search of “shaded walk [city name]” will come back with some good results that you may have never considered.
If you can’t walk in natural shade, you can make your own by carrying a sun umbrella.
Pick a route that has lots of places to stop and rest. Remember, when you’re walking in the heat, you should be drinking more water (and sports drinks, if possible) than usual, so plan your route to pass places where you can use the bathroom and refill your water. Convenience stores or coffee and fast food chains are good for this.
If you plan to take a long training walk in hot conditions, see if you can recruit a friend or family member to be your personal support vehicle. They can drive to meet you at points along your route with drink refills, fresh socks and sunscreen, and a cool car to sit in for a few minutes. Seeing those friendly faces can also help rally you onward when the heat may be tempting you to call it quits.
For no more than a few bucks, you can get a hand-held, battery-powered personal fan to carry. It won’t be quite the same as stepping into an air conditioned building, but if you’re out in the heat and there’s no natural breeze, that little bit of moving air from a fan can really feel nice on sweaty faces, arms and necks. Any drug store or superstore with a summer section will carry these, or you can easily find them through online sellers (is there anything you can’t get online?).

You can find a few other warm weather tips here. What else helps keep you cool when you’re walking in the summer?

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MORE Participant Center Tools That You Forgot (or Never Knew) Were There

For every 3-Day walker and crew member, their online 3-Day Participant Center is their headquarters for every last detail of their participation. We’ve blogged before about some of the best goodies that can be found on the Participant Center, from invaluable fundraising resources to tools for connecting with the rest of the 3-Day community.

Today, we’d like to point out just a few more of the incredible features of your 3-Day Participant Center that may have slipped off your radar.

Meet on Your Time – We encourage all 3-Dayers to attend an in-person meeting or workshop if possible (you can find one here), but we know that it’s not always easy or convenient to get to these meetings. If that’s the case, you can virtually “attend” a pre-recorded meeting to learn about different aspects of your 3-Day preparation, such as training and general event prep. These informative videos are available here.

Handbooks at Your Fingertips – If you’ve walked with us before, we don’t send you printed walker handbooks through the mail, but that doesn’t mean that these helpful guides have gone away. Handbooks for fundraising, training, event prep, team captains, training walk leaders and crew are available in electronic form in your Participant Center and at The3Day.org/Handbooks.

Checklist: Check – If you’re a list person, we have one for you right on your Participant Center home page. Scroll down the page and you’ll find a handy list of the most important things you can do to get your fundraising started. Each of the items can be handled right through your Participant Center; just click on the one you’d like to complete next, and when you’ve finished it, that item will be checked off for you! WhatToDoNext

Learn From the Best – On your Participant Center home page, look at the left side navigation menu. There are headings there for Top Fundraisers and Top Teams. If you’re looking for a little motivation with your own fundraising efforts, click through these names of participants who are crushing the fundraising game. You’ll be inspired by their stories and you may even get some ideas about great ways to personalize your and your team’s fundraising pages.