Packing for the 3-Day...Part 1

So I have thought long and hard about this particular post.  It is mainly for my team mates who will be walking for the first time this October.  Others of you just might be curious too.  I get asked all the time...What do you pack for the 3-Day?  Do you have to carry your bag 60 miles?  Do you really camp?  How do you walk 60 miles after sleeping on the ground for 2 nights?  So now, I'll answer your questions here.  Please, remember that the following is my opinion.  What I pack and how I do things may not be what's best for you.  Always pack for your comfort and of course follow the 3-Day guidelines.  I decided to make a couple of post, just because it could get long....

Packing for the first time in 2011

For the 3-Day, you have the option of staying at a hotel (you pay for it) or sleeping at the 3-Day Camp (which is free).  Camp is amazing and I highly recommend staying there!  It's a part of the experience that you don't want to miss.  Just because I know you are wondering...No, you do not have to carry your bag for 60 miles.  At each 3-Day you are assigned a tent address.  Example: B-36  This is the letter row and number you will set up your tent at.  The letter is also your assigned truck.  When you are dropped off at the Opening Ceremonies, you take your bag and check it in with the truck that has your letter on it (truck B).  The truck take your things to camp while you walk the first day.  On the third day, you load your bag back into the truck and it takes your things to the Closing Ceremony.

 
At most 3-Day events you camp outside.  At the Atlanta event, the last two years, we have camped indoors.

For 2 nights, the above was my home.  How did we sleep on concrete floor?  If you look closely you will see an air mattress.  Yes, it takes up the entire tent, but it sleeps well and you really do need your sleep to be able to walk 20 + or - miles a day!

Camp is one amazing place!  Not only do you sleep there, but you eat breakfast and dinner there too.  You will not go hungry at the 3-Day!!

The above was my dinner on night. They pile it up!!  Camp also, has a store, post office, massage chairs, stretching center, photo booths, remembrance and reflection tent, and more.

Each night there's a camp show.  During the camp show you will sing, dance, laugh, cry, it's so emotional.   Yes, people do dance after walking 20 to 40 miles.  Everyone dances at the Closing Ceremony (yes, that's after 60 miles)!  It is just an emotional experience and the love, joy, and hope of all the people gets you through it!!

This ends part 1!  Come back soon to read part 2!

Fundraising!! Help Me Reach My Goal

We are 6 weeks away from the 3-Day and I still need around $650 to be able to walk.  There is no donation too big or too small.  If you can help, please click here to donate!   I must meet this goal before October 15, to be able to participate.  I'm not worried.  I know my God is faithful and is in this.  This cause is very important to me and I know that God is blessing all my efforts.  Though I am just a small part of this, I know with our efforts combined we are making a big difference in the fight again breast cancer!

I'm also having 2 more fundraisers.  My sweet friend Angie is having a 31 Fundraiser to help me meet my goal.  31 is a company that sales various bags and organizational totes.  These products have additional accessories and can be embroidered.  I love what this company stands for as they strive to encourage and reward others for who they are.  They rely on God and commit to provide women with a fulfilling, enjoyable and rewarding experience one person at a time.  I personally have several of their organizational totes.  They are sturdy, beautiful, and have so many uses.  I love their products and know you will too.  I would love for you to attend my party.  It will be Tuesday, September 10, at 2:45 in my classroom at school.  If you are coming, please email, call, or send me a message.  If you can't attend then you are welcome to shop online.  To purchase online click here. 

I am lovin' the Pink, Black, & White pattern in the top middle of this picture!

25% of the proceeds will be donated back to my 3-Day Walk Account. 

The September Special is...

Spend $35 and get a Organizing Utility Tote for $15 or Super Organizing Tote for $25.




My second fundraiser is with Premier Designs Jewelry!  This company is near and dear to my heart because before I started my teaching career, I too was a jewelry lady.  Again, another amazing company that believes "nothing is more important than service!"  This company's main focus in on people and relationships.  The jewelry line is amazing too.  This is a special fundraiser because the jewelry lady hosting it is my friend Emily who is also participating in the 3-Day walk with me.  This will be her second 3-Day Walk.  Emily is donating 50% of the profits to our 3-Day accounts.





You know you want one of these!!  There's two bracelets here I really want!!

If you are in the Covington area and your interested in purchasing some jewelry to help us reach out goal.  We are having a show on Saturday, September 14, at 6:00 at our church.  Please call, email, message me and I'll give you directions.  If you are interested in purchasing and you are not in my area, please message me and I will tell you how you can place an order.

Not only will you receive an amazing product from either of these two companies, but you will be helping provide awareness and assisting in research towards finding a cure for breast cancer.  Christmas is only a couple months away.  Why not get a jump start on your holiday shopping?

I can't ever thank you enough for your support!  I wouldn't be able to participate in this event without friends and family who support my fundraising efforts and lift me and my team up in prayer.

Thank you for your support!!

Ever Wonder What It's Like at the 3-Day? Come Find Out!!

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be on the 3-Day?  Come find out at Opening/Closing Ceremony or a cheering station!  Cheering stations are AMAZING!!  The come along just when we walkers need them.  You have friends, family, and total strangers all gathered together thanking and cheering you through each day.  My team and I would love to see you on the route.  If you would like to come cheer us on check out the cheering station locations and times.

Once the big weekend has arrived, there are any number of ways to show your support.

 

Opening Ceremony

Friends and family are highly encouraged to attend this emotional celebration, which starts your walker’s 3-Day journey. Please note that seating will not be available, so if you are unable to stand for 30-60 minutes, you may want to bring a folding chair. Please allow extra travel time while coming and going due to expected traffic congestion at the site.






Friday, October 18 - 7:30 a.m.

Stone Mountain Park
1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd.
Stone Mountain, GA 30303

Driving Directions: Take Highway 78, then take exit 8, Stone Mountain Park Main Entrance. Follow exit ramp to East Gate Entrance of Stone Mountain Park.

After the Opening Ceremony is over, participants will begin walking the route and start a journey of a lifetime.

Cheering Stations

Public cheering stations are a great way to show your support along the route. Encourage walkers and let them know that you are with them every step of the way. Create banners, hold up signs, bring some music and spread the love - anything to make them smile, get energized and keep walking.

On some portions of the route you may find areas that are deemed “quiet zones” which will be indicated by signage on the route. Please assist us in respecting our neighborhoods and communities during this time.




Friday, October 18
 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Opening Ceremony
Stone Mountain Park
1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd.
Stone Mountain, GA 30303

8:45 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.
Stone Mountain Village
Main Street
Stone Mountain, GA 30083

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
DeKalb History Center / Old Courthouse
101 East Court Square
Decatur, GA 30030

Saturday, October 19

10:45 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Lindbergh City Center
520 Main Street NE
Atlanta, GA 30324

11:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Peachtree Street between 3rd Street & 8th Street
701 Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30308

Sunday, October 209:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
John Howell Park
833 Virginia Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30306

11:00 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.
Freedom Park between Euclid Ave & Moreland Ave.
1284 North Ave.
Atlanta, GA 30307

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Closing Ceremony

Turner Field

755 Hank Aaron Blvd.

Atlanta, GA 30315

Closing Ceremony

After three days and 60 miles, participants will take a final and incredibly emotional victory walk into the Closing Ceremony. Friends, family and supporters should arrive at the Closing Ceremony site at least one hour early to get the best view of the program. We encourage you to carpool or take public transportation. Not only is it better for the planet, but it will help lessen traffic congestion for everyone as you arrive and leave.

Sunday, October 20 - 5:00 p.m.

Turner Field
755 Hank Aaron Blvd.
Atlanta, GA 30315
Parking: Parking is available in the Blue or Gold lots at Turner Field.

It's Mail Time at the 3-Day Post Office!!

After a long 20 miles (or more), there's nothing better than getting to camp and finding mail at the 3-Day Post Office!  Letters with encouraging words help remind you after a tiring day why you signed up to walk 60 miles. The last two years, your letters have brought tears to my eyes and have given me so much motivation and encouragement to keep walking.  I'd love to hear from you this year too!!

Post Cards from Mrs. Jones' 3rd Grade Class!  It was so sweet to have my Superstars cheer me on.

Walking 60 miles in 3 days is not easy...your love and support means so much to me.  Thank you to everyone who wrote me letters and sent words of encouragement last 2 year (some even sent a card for each day). 

Here are some suggested ways to support me and my team.  These suggestion are from the 3-Day Website!

• Write a letter expressing your love and support to your walker, which we’ll deliver to her/him on the event. Getting mail on event can provide a big boost to their spirits. Take a few minutes to write a note which will brighten up their Komen 3-Day experience!
  Send letters to:
  Susan G. Komen 3-Day Camp Mail
  ATTN: INSERT NAME OF PARTICIPANT
  P.O. Box 1101  
  Woodstock, GA 30188
  Envelopes only, please. No boxes or large packages. Mail must be postmarked no later than October 8 in order to ensure delivery at the 3-Day Camp Post Office. Please note: This address is not the actual location of camp, but a PO Box for mail delivery only. Any mail that is not received by the 3-Day^® by October 15 or retrieved by the participant by November 4 will be destroyed.
• Organize a group to host your very own private cheering station. (Contact mhowell@event360.com for more information.) You have the potential to turn any tired 3-Day walker into a happy participant by surprising them at a cheering station!
• Send your participant sweet dreams with a personal note and a treat. Click here for details.
• Help raise money. Ask your participant how you can get involved in her/his fundraising plan to help your walker exceed their fundraising goal.

I really appreciate everyone who has made it possible for me to walk the last 3 years!  I have been so blessed to be a part of the 3-Day family and walk.  I am glad that I can do this for my mom and know that my efforts help to promote awareness and save lives!  I am going to close with a quote from a card I received from a sweet lady named Donna during the 2011 Event.  I dream big!  I hope you do too!

 

Dream higher than a mountain, deeper than the sea, wider than the world - for the size of our dreams tells not how big we are but how big our God is.  Holley Gerth

 

Praying, hoping, believing, in a cure!

 

God can do anything, you know - far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!  Ephesians 3:20



Me and My Camelbak

Well, there it is...my Camelbak.  I love it and I hate it.  Well, there's more love than hate.  I guess to be honest the problem is not the Camelbak, it's the Camelbak Operator (yep, me).  If you remember back to my first 3-Day, you'll remember day 2.  On day 2, it was cold, sweat shirt cold and I had a bumped up knee.  I stopped at Pit Stop 2 sat my pack down and headed to the restroom.  When I arrived back, I put on the backpack only to soak my back with water.  Not a little, but it went straight through the sweat shirt and t-shirt.  I took it off the pack and notice that it was wet and it was sitting in a puddle of water.  I quickly looked to see if there was a leak and there wasn't.  What happened was I sat the bag on top of the straw and the water came on out while my bag was on the ground creating the puddle and soaking the outside of the bag.  I clean the straw and refilled the water and walked that cold, cold morning with a wet back and pack too.  After that little experience I have been careful not to sit the bag on the straw again.  I love carrying the water on my back during the walks.  It is easy to get a drink of water when needed through the straw and it holds tons of stuff.  You would be surprised what all I can pack into this little bag.  My pack is actually a cyclist pack.  There's even enough room to put a bike helmet in it.  I carry water, foot care items, rain jacket, extra socks, and more in mine.  It is one of the best things that I have bought for my 3-Day journey, only second to my Road Runner socks, Road Runner fitted shoes, and molded insoles.  I haven't had any more trouble (again, it was my fault) with my pack since that day back in 2011.

Well, the other day, we went for a 15 mile training walk at Stone Mountain (trust me, I need water to complete a walk at Stone Mountain, especially for 15 miles).  I double checked as always to make sure that I didn't sit it on the straw.  I was ready to walk.  I got out of my car, put the pack on my back and then I felt it... yep, water.  I thought maybe it was dripping from the car door, but it hadn't rained!  I looked in the floor of my car and there was NOT a puddle of water.  I quickly took off the bag...too late, my back was wet.  I unzipped the pack and the section that holds the water bladder was filled with water, there was hardly any water left in the bladder of the bag.  This time, I didn't put the lid on good when I filled it with water.  On a good note, my stuff inside the bag (other compartments) was totally dry!  I refilled the water, put the lid on tight, and walked on.  Lucky for me it was a hot morning so a wet back wasn't so bad after all.  Lesson learned...I will always double check to make sure the lid is tight and watch where I sit it.  :-)

Again, it's one of the best things I have purchased!  I really prefer it over the fanny pack, but I do encourage other walkers to try both and then make the best decision for them as to what to carry for the event.  Practicing with your gear is important in preparing for the 3-Day!   I look forward to carrying my Camelbak another 60 miles in October.  Although, I may need someone else to check it before I put it on.  Yep, definitely a problem with the operator!! ;-)

    

Walking, Walking, and Walking Some More...

Training is so important in preparation for the 3-Day!  How could you ever think of walking 60 miles without practicing it?  This year, I was once again selected as a Training Walk Leader (TWL).   I have been blessed to walk with several ladies and gentlemen this year.  Meeting new people is the best part of being a training walk leader.  I love encouraging walkers and seeing the look on their faces when they complete a set number of miles.  The miles and time passes faster when walking with friends too!

The training plan for the 3 day totals over 500 miles.  That's not including the actual 60 miles in 3 days.  Due to life, I can't do it all.  But, I do what I can to prepare.  So far, as of today, I have completed over 220 training miles this year.  It's not easy, but the 3-Day Spirit shown by the 3-Day Family keeps you going all the way to the closing ceremony!  I am so excited to walk this year.  I am so excited to meet the new faces put in my path!  New faces to encourage, to support, and to show God's love to too.  Thanks to everyone for supporting me.  Thank you, God for allowing me this opportunity, the strength to walk, and for shining though me to help others.  I am so blessed by being a part of this team and being a small part to help find a cure to end cancer!!  I just want to make a difference in this world and I hope my life, my story, will give hope and strength to others.  I'll continue to walk, you keep walking too....

 

Live your life from your heart, share from your heart, and your story will touch and heal people's souls.  M Beattie