Tag Archives: training

Meet Gwen, a Survivor

Seven years ago, Gwen W., from Kirkland, Washington, had a feeling something was wrong. “It wasn’t a lump, but I had some discharge from my nipple,” Gwen said. She went to the doctor, and even though a mammogram and ultrasound didn’t show anything, she was sent to a surgeon. The surgeon did several tests and Gwen was diagnosed with Stage 0 breast cancer. “I’m a seven year cancer survivor, and I’m so fortunate to even be able to say that.”

This is Gwen’s first time joining the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®, and she walks for everyone cancer has taken away. “My sister had a really hard struggle with stage four breast cancer. And last year, she lost that battle. My brother died of prostate cancer four years ago, and in my 20s, my mom got cancer and she died. Cancer is such a horrible disease and has taken a lot from our family, and I wanted to give back.”

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During Gwen’s treatment, she was a single mom with three kids. “I didn’t have to have chemo, but I did have to have radiation. I worked every day and my kids took care of me, and we made it a fun thing,” said Gwen. Gwen explains, “A mom is worried about how her children are going to be affected by this. When I got home after the surgery, I looked at my breasts. (After my surgery) I had a round circle, and a line, and we ended up calling them ‘Wink’. Even now, we laugh about Wink.”

Gwen went through 31 weeks of treatment, and at the end of treatment, she found herself struggling with depression. The counselor suggested Gwen take some time off. Gwen initially struggled with the idea of taking time off. “I’m just really a ‘do this, do that’ type of person, don’t worry about yourself – but I took some time off, and it was the best thing I could do. It isn’t weakness to take time off. It’s taking care of your body and doing what you need to do to heal. And that’s what I needed to do to heal.”

Gwen, with the help of her children and coworkers, crafted this skirt listing all the names of those she walks in honor and memory of.

Gwen, with the help of her children and coworkers, crafted this skirt listing all the names of those she walks in honor and memory of.

A large part of Gwen’s healing came from the support all around her, and Gwen’s eyes light up as she tells me about her children. Gwen has three children, her oldest, Emily, is 24 years old and volunteering at the Seattle 3-Day, her son, Michael is 21 years old and watching the family dog this weekend, and her daughter, Beth, is 18 and also helped Gwen with her ribbon skirt. As a new member to the 3-Day family, Gwen describes the incredible role that her children had not only in helping her through her diagnosis and treatment, but also in preparing for the 3-Day. As Gwen recalls her 31 weeks of treatment, she says, “It was a very difficult time, but my kids kept me going. With all of my heart. They are so amazing. They’re just amazing kids, and I want them to have a life they love. And I don’t want it to be stopped by cancer. They needed a mom. I needed to survive. I needed to win and get through it.”

Gwen’s positivity is obvious in all of the ways she discusses the challenges her diagnosis presented, and even as she discusses her first 3-Day experience, positivity radiates from her friendly smile. Beyond the very personal connection to breast cancer, Gwen said, “I like what the 3-Day stands for. The challenge of raising $2,300 was honestly part of the adventure and growth for me.”

Gwen mostly used social media for her fundraising, and said that she really loved engaging her community and inviting them to be a part of her journey by supporting her through her fundraising efforts. While Gwen says she had a late start with training, she found a lot of support from her workplace, which organized weekly walks, and at one point, she was walking in her neighborhood so much that “even the police officer recognized me in Kirkland!” Gwen also posted her training miles on Facebook for accountability and to let people know, “Hey, I’m in the game!”

As Gwen heads out of the lunch stop, she flashes a friendly, megawatt smile, ready to take on the remaining 12 miles of the day. Please join us in welcoming Gwen and all of our new 3-Day walkers and crew. We are so happy to welcome you to the 3-Day, and we’ll forever be grateful for your dedication to fighting breast cancer, because everyone deserves a lifetime.

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Over the Hill: Conquering Day 2 on a Twin Cities Hill

Day two of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day®  in the Twin Cities has come to an end, and all day, we enjoyed balmy weather with cloud cover that kept the sun’s rays tucked away. This cooler weather was much appreciated as walkers closed in on an awesome 22.5 miles, through scenic sites like the Gervais Mill Park, where reflections of pink gleamed upon the lily-pad studded pond. One of the more challenging parts of today’s Komen 3-Day route was a hilly patch on Gramsie Road that stretched through Shoreview. We trekked up the hill a few times alongside the walkers, and captured some of their reactions as they conquered the incline. Here’s what they had to say!

Walkers rockin' the hill on Gramsie Road in Twin Cities

Walkers rockin’ the hill on Gramsie Road in Twin Cities

  • “They’re not gonna make us walk up this hill, right?”
  • Someone yells, “This is the last hill of the day!” A walker responds, “You’re a liar!”
  • “There better be grahamwiches after this.”
  • “It’s all downhill from here!”
  • “You don’t want to know what I think about this hill.”
  • “Once you go up… you gotta come down!”
  • “You can’t write what I want to say.”
  • “At least it’s not the last two miles.”
  • “You know what’s worse than walking up a hill on the 3-Day? Swallowing a bug walking up a hill on the 3-Day.”
  • “Glad I’m going up and not down.”
  • “It’s not too bad.” (Friend replies, “Wait till he gets to the top.”)
  • “Are there any flat lands in this state?”
  • “It’s almost over!”

And our favorite…

  • “We can do it!”

We know that our amazing 3-Day® walkers and crew will never give up… on hills, or in the fight to end breast cancer.

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3-Day Wet Weather Walking Advice

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day® event staff is in Michigan, getting everything ready to kick off our first 2014 event. On Monday, we (and everyone in the greater Detroit area) were deluged by a record-breaking summer thunderstorm, resulting in flooding and a whole lot of very wet Komen 3-Day staffers. Naturally, this got us thinking about tips for walking in rainy weather, and while the forecast looks clear for the 3-Day® this weekend (fingers crossed, knock on wood, wish on a star)…

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Tuesday morning’s NBC 4cast. Looking good!

…we thought it would be a great time to talk about some strategies for staying as dry and comfortable as possible so you can keep moving. So I put out the S.O.S. (Save Our Shoes!) to the coaches and got some fantastic advice for how to trek through the tempests.

Keeping Feet Dry – Plastic Bag Method

  1. Heavily coat your clean, dry feet with your lubricant of choice (Vaseline, Hike Goo, Body Glide, etc.). Friction causes blisters, and friction increases in wet conditions; lubing up your feet well will help prevent this if they do get wet.
  2. Put on clean, dry socks.
  3. Put a clean, dry (are you sensing a theme?) plastic bag over each socked foot. Plastic grocery bags, small trash can liners or freezer bags work well. It’s best to use something that will cover up over your ankles and won’t bunch up in your shoes.
  4. Some people like to secure the bags around their ankles using duct tape, or by pulling a terrycloth wristband over their feet up to their ankles. The latter is easier to get off than tape.
  5. At this point, I also like to put on a second pair of socks over the plastic bags to keep them in place. It’s a matter of preference, and how comfortable you are with a thick layer inside your shoes.
  6. Put shoes on over bags (or over the second pair of socks).
  7. Bring extra bags, lubricant and socks so that you can reapply and change them along the way.

Your shoes will still get wet, but this method works great to keep your feet dry from the rain. That said, they may get a little sweatier than usual since they can’t “breathe” as well. The lubrication step and changing your socks/bags throughout the day are both really important.Komen_3day_rainy walking

Keeping Feet Dry – Duct Tape Method

Some walkers swear by duct tape as the best tool for keeping shoes and feet dry. I’ve personally never tried this, but one coach clued me in to the technique: “Just ‘mummy wrap’ your shoes. Start at the toes and wrap circles around the shoe (including the bottom) until you get up to the top. Wrap around the ankle and heel, doing the best you can to cover everything. You are basically covering every part of the shoe that might soak in water with a water protected cover. The water will bead off of the tape. Eventually as you are walking, the tape will wear off the sole of the shoe, but the top will stay on because it’s stuck on there. (It takes a long time for the tape on the bottom to wear off). It is surprisingly effective.” Obviously, this method would be a little tougher to replicate 2 or 3 times a day, but if you find something that works, go for it!

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A version of the duct tape method

General Tips

  • Disposable ponchos will run you about a buck each, and can be found in the camping section of any sporting goods store or Target/Walmart, so grab 2 or 3 for each day and tuck them into your pack. If it starts raining, pull out that poncho and wear it!
  • Bring two pairs of shoes (recommended even if it’s not raining). If you soak one pair one day, you’ll at least have a dry pair to start with the next day.
  • Speaking of soaked shoes, if your shoes get wet, cram them full of crumpled newspaper at night. They will be dry in the morning. Really, stuff as much newspaper in your shoes as you can. You may have to change it during the night once the paper absorbs the water; have some crumpled up and ready, and when you have to go to the bathroom during the night, swap out the newspaper. Ya know – since you’re up anyway.
  • Wearing pants—weatherproof if you can find them—is recommended to help keep the rain from running directly into your shoes.
  • If you wear glasses, wear a hat with a bill to help keep your glasses dry, and bring a cloth to dry your glasses so you can see clearly when moving down the route.
  • Just because your skin is being rained on doesn’t mean the water is going where it needs to. Remember to keep hydrated.
  • No cotton! Wear clothing made of dry wick material (including undies!).
  • High quality, seamless tights will prevent wet pants and thighs from rubbing and chafing.
  • A tight, long-sleeved base layer top will help keep you from chafing under the arms when wet.
  • A rain jacket that extends longer than your torso will help keep the majority of chafing-prone areas dry and comfortable.
  • Wear reflective gear, bright colors, vest or LED head lamp so cars will see you through the rain.
  • Beware of freshly painted curbs; they’re slippery.
  • There are a couple other rainy walking tips in our 3-Day Walking Hacks blog post.
  • Camping in the rain? There are a few good tips in our 3-Day Camping Hacks post too.

Like with everything, it is ideal to test out any of these methods or products before you get to your 3-Day event, but that’s not always possible. Do what you can, keep an eye on the forecast, and be as prepared as possible. This is a good time to remind you that the 3-Day generally continues whatever the weather, so you should be ready to walk and camp in inclement weather. If the weather gets so severe that it might compromise safety, the 3-Day has a thorough back-up plan for evacuating camp and relocating participants.

When all is said and done, just remember that your safety and health should be your number one concern (they’re our number one concern!), and don’t ever forget that your part in the 3-Day is invaluable – rain or shine!