The 3 Day

We've been talking a lot about getting involved with the Chicago 3 Day in 2009. The dates are Aug. 7th-9th. I thought I'd talk a little about the committment involved and how to take the plunge.

The Basics

The 3 Day's primary benneficiaries are the Susan G. Komen Fund and National Philanthropic Trust. Every advancement in breast cancer research, treatment, education and prevention in the last 25 years has been touched by a Komen for the Cure grant. A report card on the over $86 million raised in 2007 can be accessed here:

http://www.the3day.org/site/DocServer/3-Day_Report_Card_3_28_08.pdf?docID=341

The cost to register as a walker or crew member is $90 and can be done at: http://www.the3day.org/site/PageServer

It is not considered tax deductible, as it's not a donation. It's used to cover expenses of running the event.

Walkers must raise $2,300 by one month after the walk date. Donations can be made by: 1) the walker facilitating mailing of checks and donation forms (donors will then get emailed or mailed an official receipt from Susan G. Koman/the 3 Day) or 2) via your website you set up after registration. There are tons of fundraising tools and a message board filled with ideas when you register.

Crew members have the same $90 registration fee, but have no fundraising requirement. The must also do an additional day of work on the Thursday before the walk (Crew Training Day).

There are local clinics in walk cities to help you prepare for the event as a crew member or walker.

As I live within 3 hours of Chicago, I'll be driving and can pick people up at the airport. Hotel for the night before and/or after will be about $140 for a room. Four people could probably fit reasonably comfortably in the room.

Day one has an early rise time (shuttle buses will be gone and loaded by 6:30).

You must pack everything you need (sleeping pad, tarp, sleeping bag, gear) in a single bag-can attach sleeping bag, though-weighing approximately 35 lbs.

During the event, you'll sleep with a partner in a 2 person tent. The tent is supplied by the 3 Day. You can specifiy you tent partner, or one will be randomly assigned to you. Camp is in the same spot for the entire 3 Day, so no taking down and setting up things repeatedly. You will have to set up you tent on the first day and take it down on the last morning.

You'll need to invest in good shoes, good socks, shorts that won't make you easily chafe (we saw NASTY, PAINFUL thighs), and a fanny pack with 2 bottles or camelback for hydration.

There is medical staff available throughout every day, every stop and at night. You are in good, safe hands. You do not have to walk all 60 miles. There are "sweep vans" along the route and busses back to camp during the day. You can leave the event at any time by checking out of camp.

Meals and snacks are provided by the 3 Day and are pretty good.

My Experience

As you can tell from Boo and I, the 3 Day is an amazing, personally rewarding experience. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll meet great people. Words really can't explain it.

Training is tough to squeeze in. Those long training walks take time. The 3 Day provides several training plans, depending on when you start the training process. I recommend starting in February at least. But training is important. It's important to know if you have the right shoes for 20 miles/day and that they won't cause blisters. I trained for 16 mile walks (never made it to 20), and at mile 17 my blisters were forming on Day 1 of the 3 Day. It's important to train in the clothes you'll wear. After 20 miles, a shirt can rub you the wrong way.

I will be working on fundraising this fall, and training in the spring. Doing both at the same time takes A LOT of time and effort. And neither is easy. Starting early on fundraising is my number one tip. See first what you get just by asking friends, family and coworkers for donations. Then use other fundraising ideas to supplement or exceed your minimum donation.

There are lots of shoes walkers use. I want to try really good walking sandals and see how they work. My shoes, although a good brand, bought from one of those stores that analyzes your gait, gave me awful matching blisters and made my toenails fall off. I need something different.

This is an extremely physically and emotionally draining event, but so worth it. Don't think it's a walk in the park. It's a committment, but one you can be proud of. You won't regret it once the weekend wraps up, but you have to work hard to get there. There's a reason that even after all the grumbling, Boo still wants to come back. There's a reason that despite four months of ugly feet, and debilitating blisters, I'm still coming back. It's being part of something bigger than yourself and pushing through challenges.

I hope we can have a big team in Chicago. Every walker raising that much money amounts to incredible results.

Walkers crossing the finish line

Some of our fabulous Pit 2 Crew!

Me, Boo and Aaron at our Food tent. We'd take bets on the first food to go (we passed the time by betting on a lot of things). I won with carrots. :-) Boo's cheese was strangly slow on betting day. Poor Aaron went the underdog of raisins and tried his darndest to push em.

Boo and I at a cheering station in the afternoon.

This is Boo feeling cold and miserable in the rain, early in the morning of Day 1.

P.S. There may, or may not be, some surprising, exciting news in the comments of my last post. You might want to go look.