The Twin Cities 3-Day Coaches Talk About…The Twin Cities 3-Day Coaches!

They’re the helpful cheerleaders on the other end of the phone call or email when you have questions or concerns. They’re the smiling faces welcoming you and your teams at meet-ups and workshops and building up community excitement for the 3-Day. They’re the guiding hands leading the crew captains and teams to greatness. That’s right, they’re your Susan G. Komen 3-Day® coaches!

As we get ready to return to each of the seven splendid 3-Day locations, we wanted to take a few minutes to catch up with the coaches from each event. You’ve gotten to know them pretty well over the past couple of years on the 3-Day blog and this year, instead of letting them talk about themselves, I asked their fellow coaches to do it for them!

The Twin Cities coaches—Stephanie, Eileen and Amy—are the stars of the show today! Click here to see what we knew about them already, and keep reading to see what they each had to say about each other.

Eileen and Stephanie

Amy

Stephanie (Twin Cities Local Events Coach)

“Stephanie loves meeting up with new walkers and introducing them to our long-time participants. She is funny and a great partner to work with. I am not sure the rest of us will be able to keep up with her on the Twin Cities 3-Day this year since she is training for the Twin Cities marathon on October 9th. I am sure she will do wonderful in it!” – Eileen

“Stephanie is full of energy and excitement, and she’s the perfect example of ‘Minnesota nice.’ She is always ready for whatever challenge is presented to her and she has an easy-going personality that makes you feel comfortable instantly. Her enthusiasm for the 3-Day is contagious.” – Amy

Eileen (Twin Cities Participant Support Coach)

“Eileen is dedicated to the success of her walkers. Her ability to emotionally connect with participants really inspires me. She is always looking for ways to introduce people to the 3-Day and give them the opportunity to experience its magic for themselves.” – Amy

“Eileen knows everything there is to know about the 3-Day and is my go-to gal for behind the scenes questions. Not only has she walked in the 3-Day several times, she has been a coach for the last several years. Participants LOVE Eileen! The first season I worked on the 3-Day as a coach, for three full days, participants kept coming up to me and asking me if I was Eileen because they couldn’t wait to meet her. She really spends time trying to get to know our participants on a personal level when they call in for questions. She genuinely cares for people and it shows when you are around her. And I love the quirky sense of humor that she brings to our team.” – Stephanie

Amy (Twin Cities Crew & Volunteer Coordinator)

“Amy is a real whiz when it comes to managing our crew and volunteers. There are many moving parts when working with crew on an event lasting a full three days (really four days for our crew members). She always remains cheerful, calm and ready to help her crew navigate their way through from start to finish. I love her positive, upbeat and laid back attitude, not to mention she’s cute as a button!” – Stephanie

“Amy is our little Tinkerbell with her own supply of magical fairy dust. She is extremely sweet and always full of sunshine. When a problem arises, she steps in and doesn’t quit until the problem disappears. I am convinced that there are no issues Amy can’t fix with her special magical touch. Well, ok…maybe last year’s weather.” – Eileen

Do you know the Twin Cities coaches? How would you describe these fabulous ladies?

2016 Michigan 3-Day Wrap-up

The start of a new Susan G. Komen 3-Day® season is always exhilarating, and this year’s kick-off was no exception. The 2016 Michigan 3-Day’s determined walkers gathered to face the challenge of walking 60 miles in 3 days toward a world free from breast cancer. This Michigan event was especially exciting because it also marked the 150th Komen 3-Day walk. A milestone like that can’t go uncelebrated, and so walkers and crew members who gathered at Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi early on Friday morning and were treated not only to a beautiful pink sunrise before the Opening Ceremony, but also some special swag that Komen rolled out to mark this memorable 150th event year. The rest of you upcoming 3-Dayers, don’t worry; we’ll be celebrating this huge 150 occasion at every 2016 3-Day walk.

At the Opening Ceremony, participants recognized some familiar elements (Promise Ribbons, ceremony participants, Survivor’s Circle) as well as some brand new parts to the ceremony celebration, which we look forward to sharing with our walkers and crew members in each 3-Day city. Chrissy Mathews from Susan G. Komen® and Dr. Sheri Prentiss, back for another year as national spokesperson, encouraged and inspired the walkers from the stage, then the route was opened and the Michigan 3-Day walk began!

This year’s Michigan walk included a brand new Day 1, so even participants who have been with the Michigan 3-Day since its beginning were treated to a refreshed route and new stops. The walkers journeyed through Novi and were rallied on by the always entertaining Boo-bees at pit stop 1. From there, it was north to Walled Lake, where everyone was grateful for the beautiful waterfront views at the Grab & Go, the friendly residents who came out and cheered, and any hint of cool breeze coming off the water (have we mentioned it was really hot and humid on Friday?). A little farther up the route, Pit 2’s crew, who was “demolishing breast cancer,” kept the walkers nourished and safe, and before long, the walkers arrived at the lunch stop where they were welcomed by the Walled Lake cheerleaders (varsity teams from two local high schools) and an updated menu. Yum! The second half of Day 1 took walkers through more of Novi’s residential areas before returning to Suburban Collection Showplace, which was also the site of the 3-Day camp.

To give everyone a little burst of nostalgia as we celebrated our 150^th walk, we created a 3-Day Museum in camp where people could walk around and view some “artifacts” from the past 3-Day events in Michigan. This will be a “living” museum that will be a little different in each 3-Day location this year, showcasing unique memorabilia from each event. On Friday night, we gathered in the dining tent for the camp show. We heard an uplifting speech from Cindy, a long-time 3-Day walker and survivor, and we were fascinated by the Komen grantee who talked about his company’s innovative no-compression mammography (which he termed, “the boob spa”). The Michigan 3-Day Youth Corps also joined us from the stage, sharing their inspiring reasons for participating.

Day 2 started out beautiful and, thankfully, a bit cooler as the route headed out from camp. 3-Dayers who walked in Michigan last year may have noticed that Saturday’s route was mostly the same as 2015, except reversed. Firefighters from the Novi Fire Department’s Station 3 came out early to cheer the walkers starting out, which is always a great motivation. After that it was onto a portion of Hines Drive into the lovely city of Plymouth. Walkers enjoyed a cool break at the Lunch Oasis, and from there, it was just a few blocks to the Kellogg Park cheering station, which was in full swing with its welcome signs, photo backdrops, and the famous pink fountain. Down the road a bit, pit stop 3 had snacks, shade and imaginary gold medals for all of the “Olym-pink” 3-Day champions. After Plymouth, walkers headed back up into Northville, where the Buy Michigan festival was also happening in the quaint downtown area. At pit stop 4, walkers refreshed before heading into the Survivor Stretch, the last section of the route before camp, where walkers are encouraged to reflect on the journey that breast cancer survivors have gone through and celebrate their strength and courage. Supporters from Komen Detroit and Komen Michigan had a big cheering station along this stretch, giving the walkers that last little burst of inspiration to fuel them back to camp.

During Saturday’s camp show, Victoria Wolodzko, Susan G. Komen’s Vice President of Research and Community Health Program Operations (in other words, Head of Mission) was on stage to praise the great things that have already been done with the funds raised by the 3-Day, and to encourage everyone to keep walking, since there is still work to be done. The Saturday camp show was also where we recognized the Michigan 3-Day walkers and crew members who led the pack in fundraising, and we presented the Milestone and Local Impact Awards (read up on all the Michigan 3-Day award winners here). The atmosphere was full of joy as the Michigan 3-Day family was treated to a big group toast, delicious cupcakes, and brand new “bubbs” for the 150th walk celebration. Cheers!

On Sunday morning, walkers climbed onto waiting buses that took them to a drop-off location in Livonia, and within a couple of miles, they came upon block after block of local cheer teams forming a tunnel of spirit. 2014_3DAY_MI_JF_2198 The route moved through Livonia, including its historic downtown district, and from there, they ventured southeast into Dearborn. The residents of York Street pulled out all the stops again this year with their festive cheering station.

Walkers were treated to another surprise at the lunch stop, where every walker was given their very own pink Hero cape to wear for the rest of the day. Feeling extra super, walkers took in the sights of Historic Dearborn before hitting the final stretch up to Ford Headquarters, the site of the Closing Ceremony.

The victory march into the Closing Ceremony arena is always an emotional experience, and Michigan’s walk was no exception. Chrissy and Dr. Sheri joined us again from the stage and announced to the 600 walkers, 300 crew members and all the gathered friends and families that the 2016 Michigan 3-Day raised another $1.6 million dollars toward the fight against breast cancer. Our circle of survivors stood at the center, a beautiful reminder of the power of the 3-Day family, and we raised the final flag to close the 2016 Michigan 3-Day.

I’ve Done This A Million Times: Training Advice For/From Veteran Walkers

Most walkers who are new to the 3-Day put a lot of focus on training their bodies for the challenge of walking 60 miles. The 3-Day provides all walkers with a number of training materials to help them prepare physically, including very thorough 16- and 24-week training schedules and a training handbook. For someone who is taking on the formidable goal of walking about 20 miles a day for 3 days in a row for the first time, this kind of detailed regimen is generally a good fit.

But what about walkers who’ve done the 3-Day before? Many of our veteran walkers have done the 3-Day five, ten, even 15 or more times already. Others, perhaps, are new to the 3-Day but have experienced other endurance events (marathons, triathalons, etc.) and don’t necessarily need to start their training from scratch.

We asked a few 3-Day vets to give us their thoughts on the best way to approach training if you’ve done the 3-Day before, or are already in great shape physically.

Elaine – 9x walker
Team – GET YOUR PiNK ON (10 team members, all veteran walkers)
Walking in San Diego in 2016

Elaine (left) with her teammates

Elaine says, “I walk almost every day, a minimum of 3 miles year round.” She also does water aerobics and rides her bike. Elaine and many of her teammates live in San Diego, and train together when they can. “We generally try to walk all year and living in San Diego allows us to do that.” She does have teammates who live elsewhere, and Elaine send emails periodically to check in with them, but adds, “Since most are veterans, they really know what it takes to get ready.” A few teammates who live in hot climates like to do their training very early in the morning, or indoors on treadmills. Elaine shares, “I have worked weekends my whole life, so needless to say the first year was intimidating when I got the 24-week training schedule. When I have days off during the week and everyone else is working, I will pack a lunch, my beach chair, do a 9-mile walk then hang out at the beach. I have tried walking more than 9 miles by myself…but just do not enjoy it much.”

The bottom line: Keep moving all year! If you’re able to walk short distances consistently throughout the year, you’ll be more prepared for the longer mileages when you get to event time.

Pala – 21x walker
Team – Walking With Purpose (2 team members)
Walking in Michigan, Twin Cities, Atlanta and San Diego in 2016

The 24-week training schedule for Michigan begins in late February. “Yep, I’m out there!” Pala says.

In spite of her prolific 3-Day resume, Pala—who walked all seven 3-Days in 2015—is “old school” with her training. “I do my best to follow the 24-week training program as far as mileage per week. My walking days usually differ from the schedule but by week’s end my mileage is there.” Pala lives in Michigan and attends the 3-Day’s official training kick-off event, but doesn’t usually come to any official 3-Day training walks aside from that. “I fit my walks into my schedule around other commitments.” One might assume that, after completing the 3-Day so many times, Pala would allow herself to coast a little bit through the training schedule. Not so. “In my opinion, in order to enjoy, not just endure, the 3-Day weekend, training is probably the most essential element for a successful walk. Walk those sidewalks, step up and down those curbs. Incorporating different terrains, inclines/hills, and weather conditions during training conditions you for the weekend’s successful (s)miles.” Pala, who lives with her husband Tom (a long-time crew member), adds a special shout-out to a particular group of her fellow walkers: “Kudos must be shared with the walkers who work full time, have families to care for and yet manage to fit in training. The first year I walked and realized the time commitment needed for the long training walks, it amazed me to think of those with full time jobs (I was working only part-time), those with families and the associated responsibilities. It is just the two of us and we can eat whenever, skip household chores, and only had grandchild obligations (by choice) twice per week. To me, these full time workers stand out and have my utmost admiration. Those workers with families even more so. I am sure some sacrifices have been made by all.”

The bottom line: Even an experienced 3-Day pro can benefit from following the full training regimen, if their schedule allows it.

Carrie – 1x walker
Team – Boobilicious (5 members – 2 long-time vets, 2 “sophomores,” 1 newbie)
Walking in the Twin Cities in 2016

Carrie (right) and her team captain Beth

Carrie is not a long-time walker. In fact, she’s coming back for just the second time this year. But as a regular CrossFit participant, she’s already in great shape. “While I feel like I am always in training and keep up with my physical fitness, I start officially training for the 3-Day right around Mother’s Day. In the early weeks I like to get in 1-2 walks that are around 5 miles. My first 10-mile walk is typically around the 4th of July. Then I hit it hard with 3-4 walks a week, including at least one long walk on the weekend. I don’t follow a strict training program, but fit the walking in with my regular CrossFit training.” Carrie, who lives in the Twin Cities, is a fan of the 3-Day training walks in her area. “I prefer to attend the official walks instead of walking on my own. It is fun and inspiring to meet other walkers; we share training tips, fundraising ideas, and just get to know each other.” Carrie encourages her fellow walkers to trust themselves and their instincts when it comes to 3-Day prep. “Everyone has their own philosophy on training: one of my team members is diligent in her training program while another doesn’t train at all. I think it is critical for each person to understand, and be honest with, their current fitness level. For me, it was important to try out my gear, especially my shoes, socks and underwear (yes, it is really important to test out your underwear!). I learned very quickly that a bad pair of socks leads to lots of blisters. I also decided that I didn’t need to walk every day for training if I was doing my standard CrossFit, but I wanted to get some longer (15+) walks in to just get a feel for what it will be like.”

The bottom line: Being in good shape when you approach the 3-Day is a great start, but it’s still important to put in the miles with walk training too.