Tag Archives: new england

2019 Susan G. Komen New England Route Preview

Labor Day weekend is upon us, and that means fall will be here before you know it. And while we’ll be sad to say goodbye to the sun and fun of summer, fall 2019 means we have more 3-Days coming up, starting with a return to the Northeast. We are heading to the New England 3-Day next weekend, and we can’t wait for you all to see our newest 3-Day walk. We know all our participants are waiting very impatiently for the coming walk weekend, and we have a sneak peak of what you can expect, straight from our New England 3-Day Event Production Manager, Meredith Parker!

Meredith can’t wait to welcome everyone back to New England!

“This is an area of the country that has great pride, and we are proud to bring the 3-Day back to this community of people.”

3-Day participants will feel this sense of community every step of the weekend, including at our hotel camp at the Revere Hotel Boston Common. Meredith says this camp “is a great mix of old school Boston traditions, with still a modern feel.”

We are taking over multiple hotels, due to the amazing turn out we have in New England, which will allow us to spread a little bit of the 3-Day camp feel across a few different locations. How will this work? Meredith was happy to break it down for us!

  • The dining area, which is where our evening camp programs will be, will have its own dedicated space. This will be where our Opening Ceremony will take place as well!
  • Main Street (complete with those Bank of America massage chairs!), the 3-Day Lounge brought to you by Amgen (snacks, comfy chairs and great prizes) and the Pick-Up Point (get your mail, sweet treats and legacy pins) will all be together in adjoining ballrooms so we can really get that 3-Day spirit going throughout the Revere Hotel.

It will be the perfect atmosphere of excitement and relaxation that our walkers will love to come home to after a day out on the streets and trails of Boston and its surrounding areas. And though our journey starts at the Revere Hotel on Friday morning, that’s just the beginning of three wonderful days!

Day One will really kick off as walkers cross over the Charles River almost right after we start walking, and then head through Harvard Square. Meredith says there will be beautiful morning views of the Boston skyline from the Cambridge side of the river so your Friday will start with some excellent selfie opportunities.

Walkers will be able to enjoy parts of the Freedom Trail throughout the day on Friday!

We’re stopping at Paul Revere Park for lunch, which has cool views of the Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge. It will be very relaxing and picturesque! From there, we’ll get a taste of the North End and the Seaport District in the afternoon. Before we head back towards the hotel for the night, we will do a loop through South Boston, which locals will know as Southie — Keep an eye out for Matt Damon ? You never know!

All these amazing sights will continue throughout the weekend! Saturday starts with major sights in Back Bay area, including Trinity Church, Boston Public Library, and the marathon finish line. There is lots of Boston history to take in!

Walkers will then head West, going along the Boston marathon route in reverse as Saturday continues. We will pass by Coolidge Corner, which has some nice local shops and restaurants, before heading through Newton and Brighton, which will take them past the Boston University campus. We will finish Saturday by walking through the Back Bay, along the Commonwealth Mall, which is a lovely grassy promenade. Meredith is so glad we’ll be ending our day with a stroll through that area.

Before we know it, Day Three will be here! Sunday starts with a walk through the beautiful Boston Public Garden, including the swan boats. But no stopping for a sail — you have more walking to do! ?

We’ll walk west to see the brownstones of Beacon Street, where Meredith is looking forward to getting some architectural inspiration, and then even go by Fenway Park. Next is Longwood Medical area, where walkers will pass some of the research facilities and hospitals that benefit from Komen funding. You can see your fundraising dollars at work!

Lunch on Sunday will be nestled in between two of Boston’s most prominent art museums, which will be the perfect break in our day. From there, we’ll pass Symphony Hall for another bit of history.

“You will always be walking distance from a historical building or a Dunkin’ Donuts this weekend,” Meredith laughs.

Before we come to the Finish Line Festival, walkers will make their way through the South End, which is a gorgeous part of town. The day will end with a walk past the Boston Tea Party ships and museum, as well as the giant Hood Milk Bottle statue. Calcium-lovers will especially love this spot!

And then walkers will cross the finish line and head into our Finish Line Festival and Closing Ceremony at The Lawn on D, an outdoor event space in the heart of the Waterfront District! It will be the perfect place to finish our New England 3-Day.

“I’m excited that this is the culmination and reunion of this event!” Meredith says. “People are coming back and it’s going to be so great to see people come together, meet up and celebrate the great local New England spirit. This weekend will give our 3-Dayers a broad picture of the amazing patchwork quilt of the community that is this region.”

Meet Your New Coach for the New England 3-Day, Coach Sharyn

It all started on a big birthday. In 2006, Sharyn was turning 60, and her daughter-in-law invited her to join her 3-Day team. And Sharyn thought, “Why not?”

Now, more than a decade later, she has walked in Boston and other 3-Day cities and joined the 3-Day team as your New England Coach for 2019! As soon she heard that the 3-Day would be returning to Boston, she knew she had to get more involved.

“Boston is my home walk and when it came back this year, I reached out to the powers to be and applied to be a coach. The 3-Day really needed ‘boots on the ground’ and I was contacted to see if I was interested in the coaching position…. Yes, I am! And here we are. ?”

She is so excited to be returning to her 3-Day family in a new way. Though she has walked in many cities over the years, she is ready to welcome 3-Dayers back to Boston.

“Some of my favorite memories are reconnecting with 3-Day friends you’ve met along the way; strangers who became friends and who’ve truly touched your heart. I’ve walked in many cities and crewed in others and it always excites me to see the beautiful faces and reconnect. I know that’s going to be a huge event in Boston!”

Aside from all the welcome friendship and love, Sharyn wants to get the rest of the walkers and crew excited about some other aspects of the weekend:

  • We will be staying in hotels and that’s become a huge attraction for a lot of walkers…especially some of the more seasoned veterans.
  • I also think the route, this year, will have our walkers and crew very excited…especially people who’ve never visited our city before.

With both of those in mind, it’s time to start getting ready and pumped for the New England 3-Day. As a veteran herself, Sharyn has tried and true advice for your training plans.

“I always tell people who start their training to start where they are most comfortable. It’s sort of like that old saying, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!’ ? Start small, start now and build your distance each week. I think if you can easily do a 10-mile walk with no issues, you’ll be just fine. Do a few long walks each week and be sure to train on different inclines. Not every city is flat, so you need to be prepared for hills. Building your way up on a variety of terrains will have you more than ready!”

But always feel free to reach out for help! Sharyn is already helping walkers and crew out on her New England 3-Day Coaches Facebook Page, and encourages everyone to reach out with anything “from complicated issues to silly ones. Pick up the phone and call or drop us an email or Facebook message. Nothing is too small…especially if it concerns you.”

She understands all your concerns because she’s been there! She’s walked 25 events, crewed 6 times and raised approximately $85,000 over her time with the 3-Day. And she’s just getting started!

“Committing three days is a lot to ask when it involves walking 60 miles and raising $2,300…but it’s so much easier than a breast cancer diagnosis. The commitment is the easy part when it’s important to you. Make the commitment. And I’ll see you in New England in September!”

 

For tips about healthy living, click here for advice and support to keep you on track for the 3-Day and beyond. http://the3day.co/amgen2019. Thanks to the support of Amgen and in partnership with American Bone Health, the Healthy Living series was designed to prepare your mind, body and bones for the 3-Day.