Walking skyway in Minneapolis

The Sisterhood of the Traveling ChiChi's have not stopped walking. Some of us, along with additional friends, have joined a walking club called Twin Cities Volksports (http://www.tcvwalking.com/).

What are volkssports? The German term "volkssport" means a "sport of the people." Volkssporting events are organized walks, bikes, swims or cross-country skiing designed to appeal to people of all ages. They are non-competitive and open to everyone - local club or national membership is optional. These events are not a contest of speed. The designated Start Point is usually open for several hours to allow you to begin your volkssporting adventure at your leisure. You may choose your time to start within the start/finish “window” and participate in the sport at your own pace. One can also receive an award upon completion of the event by paying the proper fee at registration. In addition, you may enroll in the International Achievement Award Program.

The thing I like about the events is that you can start anytime within the window of time available. It is not a race! They have events once a month, typically include a 5k and 10k option. What a great way for us to keep walking all year round!

But how do we keep walking in December and live in Minnesota? Why, walk the skyways of Minneapolis, of course! Minneapolis skyway system is the largest in the world. It consists of 8 miles of sky ways and covers 80 city blocks and completely climate controlled. What a great way to keep walking as well as enjoy all the holiday decorations.

What a fun day we had, starting with breakfast at Hell's Kitchen where the servers wear their pajamas to work and the food is fantastic. Then just plan old fun walking together through the skyway system in search of the planned checkpoints throughout the walk. It was a great relaxing day walking with my teammates and chatting along the way!

These events are just one way we plan to keep our walks going. We are also registered for 5k and 10k races throughout the year through Team Ortho.

Stay tuned as we continue on our journeys!

Twin Cities 3 Day is over. On to Phoenix!

The Twin Cities Breast Cancer 3 Day is over. I worked the event on Pit Stop 3 as my third year of crewing.

It was a great event with over 2400 walkers and 400 crew members. The Twin Cities raised over $6.1 million! WAY TO GO TWIN CITIES. It can be almost addicting when you get involved with a cause like fighting breast cancer. You tend to get very personally committed and get to meet some really great people!!

So addicting that many people participate in events in other cities. Soooooo I'm off to Phoenix, AZ to walk in November. Walking will be very different than crewing. Crewing is very fun and critical to the success of the walkers. The only down fall (if there is one) is that you are stationed in your area most of the event so you don't get the full experience of the route, cheering crowds, etc. So I am really excited to walk in AZ and get to see the other side too.

So as I walk I will be sharing stories about the places I practice and the people I meet along the way. Thank you for letting me share this journey!

"Horseshoes as therapy"

This weekend I ended up participating in a Horseshoe tournament. What a blast from the past! I used to play horseshoes a lot as a kid. I had forgotten how much fun it is to play and really relaxing. What a great way to be active, enjoy the weather and hang out with a great group of people!

That reminds me of an old joke: A couple had been going to counseling for a few weeks. Their next session they both come in with their heads wrapped in bandages. Stunned, the Counselor says "Let me apologize for suggesting that you throw horseshoes for therapy".

Hope all of you enjoyed your weekend too!

Breast Cancer 3 Day Preparations

Time is flying fast! The Twin Cities 3 Day Breast Cancer event is only 57 days away (August 21 - 23) and the Phoenix event is 141 days away (November 13 - 15).

I am now full swing into my fundraising efforts and am very excited!

• Emails have been sent
• Garage sale scheduled - found a really cool breast cancer banner to hang (pic included in this post).
• Purchased Pink Ribbon Magnets, bracelets, buttons to sell
• Making laminated Pink Ribbons to sell for $10 donations to put the names of survivors to celebrate and ones to remember. I will proudly carry these ribbons with me on my events.
• PartyLite candle party scheduled. My host proceeds and part of rep's commission will go to my fund.

(breath)

Plus I am focusing on doing more training walks. It's really fun to meet the other people and definitely feels good to be out and about. So many great trails and parks in Minneapolis area. I just need to keep it up to stay in shape for AZ in November. Hopefully the snow comes late this year in MN!

2009 Breast Cancer 3-Day journey is starting

2009 will be my 3rd year of participating in the Breast Cancer 3-Day. This year I will be a repeat crew member in Twin Cities in August - Pit Stop 3 ROCKS!! I also am walking the 60 miles in Arizona in November.

It is an amazing event. In 2008, the Twin Cities raised over $7.3 million!! I am very proud that I am participating to helping find a cure. It's unbelievable how many people's lives have been touched by breast cancer and it needs to be stopped.

This blog will help me document my journey through fund raising, training walks and the actual events. Come back often to see learn about the latest happenings!

Any donations to support me are appreciated!

New to blogging

I am new to blogging but thought I would try it out. I've read some really interesting blogs that others have written and realize that you don't need to be a professional writer. You just need to be willing to share thoughts, ideas, information that others may also be interested in. So this site will be my attempt at being part of the online community!