20 Reasons To Be a 20-Mile Walker

With our final two 3-Days coming up quickly in Dallas/Fort Worth and San Diego, the time is NOW to sign up for the 3-Day! If you’re new to our community, can’t walk the whole 60 miles or raise the whole $2300, or just want to dip your toe in the water…you can be a 20-Mile Walker. This one-day option of the 3-Day allows walkers to join us on Sunday and finish out the final 20 miles of the weekend with the rest of the 3-Day community, including our exciting Closing Ceremony.

It requires less training, less fundraising, but all the fun that you would experience on the full 3-Day journey. If you haven’t signed up yet, you still can at The3Day.org/20Mile

And if you need more convincing, here are 20 reasons why you should be a 20-Mile Walker…

It’s a welcome to the 3-Day family: If you haven’t participated in the 3-Day previously, walking a 20-Mile Walker is a great way to get a taste of the community. You will meet breast cancer survivors, those who have lost someone to breast cancer, and many people who have been directly aided by the work that Susan G. Komen does. It will be inspiring to say the least!
It’s only one day: That’s not much of a commitment when you think of all the fun you’ll have and the difference you will make in the fight against breast cancer.
You don’t even have to take the day off: 20-Mile Walkers join the event on Sunday, so even those traveling in from other cities can be back home by Sunday night in most cases. We know not everyone can take a day or two off to join us, so participating as a 20-Mile Walker is a great alternative to that.
It’s a great way to get moving: If hitting the gym is getting boring, or you’re looking for a new way to stay active…walking 20 miles with us is a perfect idea! People of all fitness levels participate!
Do something with your friends: This lower commitment option for participating in the 3-Day is a great way to gather friends or family together for a day of bonding.
No need to camp: If sleeping outside isn’t your style, you don’t have to camp (but you can if you want to!). We have great hotel partners, so you can get a cozy night sleep before you take on those 20 miles.
It’s an excuse to wear a tutu: There will be tutus abound on the 3-Day!
Or really any crazy outfit: We have everything from Santa to unicorns to dinosaurs walking on the 3-Day path!
You get unlimited snack access: If you love string cheese, grapes, PB&J, rice krispie treats and all manner of snacks, there is no better excuse to eat your fill than to walk 20 miles.
New friends will find you: No one is ever alone on the 3-Day so even if you sign up by yourself, you will make tons of new friends as you walk.
And you might just keep them forever: Our 3-Day community stays close all year long via social media, local meet-ups and even snail mail. A friend made on the 3-Day is a friend for life.
People cheer when you cross the street: Between our amazing Crew and local support, you will be supported and cheered on throughout your day-long walk. Many of our 3-Dayers say they even get sad on Monday when they cross the street and don’t hear those cheers.
You will smile every step of the way: Yes, this is a 20-mile journey, but we promise it will be a fun one! ?
It’s a great way to see a new city: Lots of people travel in to participate in the 3-Day, so even if you don’t have a 3-Day in your hometown, you can still join up.
Or learn more about your hometown: Even if the 3-Day is in your home city, chances are you haven’t seen every inch of the area. Walking the 3-Day will show you areas of your home you might never have seen otherwise! It will also give you an excuse to re-visit some of the famous landmarks around town.
There’s a pink carpet finish line: Who doesn’t love a good glamour walk across a pink carpet?!
And you’ll accomplish something few people do: Who else do you know that can say they walked 20 miles with their Sunday?
You’ll attend the Closing Ceremony: This is the celebration of the 3-Day, and a truly inspiring and emotional experience that many people deem the highlight of their weekend.
You’ll be making a difference: Komen has set a Bold Goal to decrease breast cancer deaths in the US by 50% by the year 2026. Every step you take is a step towards making that goal a reality.
…and you’ll probably be back next year ? Or at least we hope so! Once you’ve tried the 3-Day or walked the 3-Day in a new city, it will be tough to say “no” in 2019.

Come join us this year! You can still register at The3Day.org/20Mile.

Day 1 of the Susan G. Komen 3day walk in Novi, Michigan on August 4, 2017.

Planning the Perfect 3-Day Training Walk

Summer is a great time to kick your training into high gear, and with our 2018 3-Day season just around the corner, your training walks are likely getting longer and longer. Whether you’re walking on your own, using our 3-Day training apps, or joining an official training walk leader to train, now is the time!

To help you make the most of your next training walk, we asked Coach Liz – an experienced training walk leader – to give us her tips and tricks for planning the best training walk possible. Honed from years of experience, here’s how she gets it done…

When planning a route, I always have two web browser windows open: the Miler Meter pedometer to map our the miles and Google Maps to look for shade and places to stop and take a break.

I usually find a place to start on Google Maps that is open early and has sufficient parking, which you can see on Google. For example, Safeway at McQueen and Ray Road (Point A on the map below). Then I look for a grocery store, fast food restaurant, convenience store or coffee shop that is somewhere close for an end spot (Point B).

Then I start mapping on pedometer to plan about 3-4 miles through the city streets and housing areas to get from point A to point B. This route is an out and back (3 miles out and turn around and reverse back to start). I make sure the route has some shade and sidewalks. And, whenever I can I try not to have us facing the sun as the day or route gets later and longer. That’s a pro tip for you!

I put it all together with turn by turn directions that I hand out, so everyone knows the route. We don’t want anyone getting lost!

As the training walks get longer, I plan longer walks with stops every 3-4 miles. I will also plan some walks with loops so if someone needs to bow out or needs to stop they can.

We always make sure to take time to stretch before and at our “pit stops” on the training walks!

When we get to the longer walks, particularly on the 15+ miles back to back, we get our local crew or our families to come out and provide “mock pit stops.” It really helps the new first time walkers start to get a feel for the 3-Day, and it makes the walks so much more fun! Plus, it helps our families and communities get more involved in the 3-Day.

Also, on any walk that is more than 13 miles we also build in a lunch stop. I remind all our walkers to be sure to bring a change of socks and money for lunch.

And of course, we train on all terrains, to make sure the walkers are prepared for the whole route. In the photo below, we added some hill training by walking to the top of Hayden Butte (it is only a 0.7 mile walk but the elevation gain is 278 feet!)

We hope these tips help you and your fellow 3-Day participants plan some amazing training walks! See you all soon!

3 Reasons to Do a Walk for Breast Cancer

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There are plenty of walks and runs available for you to join every year. They all have their own appeal, and their own sense of accomplishment when you complete them, but none of them are quite like the 3-Day. You spend three full days walking a total of 60 amazing miles (even a marathon is only 26.22 miles!) with people who might start as strangers, but will end as family! Why should you sign up to walk with us in 2018? Here are three perfect reasons…

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The pre-event preparation

Because this event requires lots of steps (316,800 feet in total), our participants often do a lot of training, and fundraising with their friends and teammates. This means that before the walk even begins, you will already have bonded with your 3-Day family.

San Diego 3-Day Coach and walker, Marianne, is grateful that she gets to spend time with her team members (both new and old) before the event!

“I love the time that I spend with my team training and on-event. There is so much time to talk and really get to know each other as we spend hours walking. This opportunity would be hard to find in our busy lives otherwise, and I so appreciate having that time for months in advance of the 3-Day.”

In a consistently busy world, making time to get active, make new friends and even just set aside time for yourself, will have you feeling happier with each mile.

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The feeling of family

Walker and crew member Sharon R. says, “There are so many people there to encourage you and help you along the way. You are never alone. Once you are a part of the ?Pink Bubble’, you will know what love feels like.”

There is no better way to describe your entire 3-Day journey than that! From your first meeting with your local coach, to the final moments of the Closing Ceremony, you will feel enveloped with love and support.

Philadelphia walker and walker stalker Cathy O. echoes those feelings, saying that at her first walk she “started as part of a team of two and, by the time we got to Waltham, we were a team of thousands… because everyone was our friend!”

And who doesn’t love a few hundred new friends?

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The moment you cross the finish line

Once you finish those 60 miles, you will have such a feeling of accomplishment for all the good you have done, and all the fun you’ve had.

You will have made such an impact on Susan G. Komen’s Bold Goal: To reduce the current number of breast cancer deaths by 50% in the U.S. by 2026. Every mile makes a difference. Because, after all, it’s not about the miles themselves.

“It’s not about the miles, it’s about the family and the finding a cure. Go for it, and do the best you can do because in the end, you will not regret it,” promises walker and Safety Crew member Melissa W.

We can’t wait to see you in 2018! You can sign up now at The3Day.org

And, if you sign up by February 5^th, you can get $20 off your registration!

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