Come, Walk

Seattle Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk day 2

Home Sweet Home for the 3 Day

I keep trying to move past my Crossfire days, but the Breast Cancer walks keep bringing me right back!  Last year our camp was at Mosier Field-an oft-used site for games; this time round, we camped at Marymoor.  OMG-the very heart of my Crossfire days.  In fact, Nanette and my tent area was located in the very sport of Kyle's first soccer practices-not to mention many practices and games over the years!  Nanette and I got in fairly early and were the very first walkers to put up a tent in our section. 

This year there were four tent areas-four pink seas.

We were near the Velodrome and facing the climbing rock.  Actually, I thought our placement was perfect-not too far from the village, but far enough to be more quiet and away from camp lights.  Soon pink tents popped up all around-some being decorated more colorfully than others-whatever it takes to be able to find your way home!

Last year the tables for our meals were out in the open-luckily we had fabulous weather.  This year we had great weather again, but they must not have been so sure and covered the tables with a huge tent-a la Cirque du Soleil.  It really added a touch of coziness and seemed to keep any winds at bay. 

We were really given a treat-fabulous dinner shows!  John Cooper from the 5th Avenue Theatre sang many showtunes for us.  Apparently his wife was walking and he wanted to contribute something to the event too.  Oh what a contribution!  I would have paid money to hear that!

I had every intention of getting enough sleep this time around-yes a BUT's coming...BUT it was SOOOOOOOOOO cold I woke up at 12:15 and shivered the rest of the night.  Even if I could have warmed up I wouldn't have been able to sleep what with all the snoring!!  There were a lot more men on this walk-walking for their wives, sisters, mothers, friends and that was great, but OMG the snoring!!!! So, I guess I might have begun the second day with a bit of an edge to my mood.  I don't like being confined in any way, shape or form and I wanted to bust out of the crowd in a big way.  It wasn't necessarily what Nanette had in mind and we parted company fairly early...I didn't expect to walk with her all the time, just share a tent :-) I got into a groove and kept on going.  It was great to see our Boys' Coaching Director, Bernie James, and some players out near the trail at 60 Acres with water and granola bars for the walkers.  There were other fabulous supporters on the second day's route too. 

Things were going well until I was in Kirkland somewhere-must have missed a sign or something because I started feeling I wasn't going in the right direction.  Called the hotline and discovered-sure enough, I was heading inland rather than going towards the water.  I'd continued walking while I was talking to the hotline lady and I only overshot the checkpoint by a block or so....dumb!  My defense...oogling at the view! 

Soccer memories associated with camp; soccer memories associated with 60 Acres and still more soccer memories at one of the Grab and Goes:  Grasslawn Park. (The layout of the field is such that if one cheers, lustily, it reverberates like an echo back and forth, back and forth, etc...you can guess who the cheerer was I imagine)  The second day's route ended as the first and I came back into camp.

I was so happy to get visitors this day too.  My Dad, Mom and Aunts came up. 

I wouldn't be surprised if my Dad ended up doing a 3 Day sometime.  And if Daddy does it, my Mom will be right there too-there's a reason why I am as competitive as I am and it's spelled M-O-T-H-E-R...no joke.

I mentioned last year of my affection for the Crossfire Thomas team.  It still is as strong as ever and I was so touched that a couple of the players came out to see me...thanks Vaun and Davis!!  I wish I'd had my camera then-I hadn't known they were coming and was totally surprised.

The fabulous dinner shows continued with a local country rock band (the Posse?) They did a great job with Mustang Sallyand had some walkers as backup singers that actuallywere part of their own group-the Divine, a gospel group.  They did a phenomenal job.  After the 'professionals' the final night of karaoke competition between very talented walkers. 

Great entertainment-great show.  Food had been an issue with me last year and I must say the dinner was greatly improved (lunch-especially the 2nd day and those funky wraps-was still a meal I passed up though)  However, I do have one bone of contention.  Yes, there were a lot more men as walkers this year but it was still overwhelmingly made up of women.  Can you believe they didn't have a chocolate option for dessert for ALL dinners?  DUH!!!  I was a junkie in need of a fix Saturday night.

Worrying about another night freezing I went to the 3 Day Gear shop and bought a very thick fleece pullover (pink naturally). 

I was still concerned and I called Gregg to see if he could bring a blanket out to me...got a drive-by and was SO happy to have one of my fleece soccer blankets AND a chocolate bar dropped off-a husband that knows the break-the-camel's-back situation of his wife.  I ended up having a pretty good night's rest AFTER making sure I had on my long underwear under my pj's; topping that off with my new fleece jacket; tying a long-sleeved tshirt over my head like a scarf (it's AMAZING how much heat we lose through the head); putting my soccer blanket on my mattress like a piece of insulation; AND turning the head of my sleeping bag 180 degrees to get the furthest away from neighboring snoring tents-not all that much trouble :-)