Rain. 42 degrees. Feels like 28 degrees. I would be a liar if I said that I was thrilled with the conditions. Or that I was psyched to start walking. But as I listened to the 36 year old survivor tell us that the first time she participated in this walk was 7 days after completing chemotherapy, I realized that as I looked around at the 2800 other people that were walking, there would always be someone worse off than I was. So with my knee taped up and my rain poncho on, off I went.
Through the pouring rain we walked through parts of Boston I have never seen. Old manufacturing plants, beautiful old apartment houses-right in to the north end of Boston. Despite the pouring rain, it really was beautiful. The first day we had the option of walking 13.1 miles (a half marathon) or 26.2 miles (a whole marathon). As much as I wanted to walk the whole 26.2, I knew that if I tried, especially in this weather, I would probably hurt myself, so I took the smart route (and for those of you who know me well, know that this didn't come easy for me) and at 13.1 miles I got on the bus back to camp.
This camp was familiar to me as it was the same place I camped last year when I walked the 3 day event. However it was completely different this year. It was wet and very cold. Did I mention wet? 2 of my sisters were at the event with me-one of them walked with me and one worked as a member of the crew. My sister on the crew had brought her car to the camp, so when we got back, we crawled in and took a nap. Not the most comfortable, but a) it was dry and b) remember...there was someone always worse off than me. A few folks had hurt themselves, a few people didn't take care of themselves on the walk and ended up sick. I was just cold. However, we made the decision after dinner that sleeping in a tent was not in the cards for us that night. Many folks did. I did hesitate a bit before leaving to find a hotel- I mean, I don't really consider myself to be that big of a sissy, but I wanted to be sure I could finish the walk the next day and I am not sure I could have if I slept in a wet tent or in the back of my sister's truck.
The weather channel said that the rain was supposed to let up on Sunday. It appears that the weather didn't get the message. At least it was a bit warmer. On the second day, we walked through the towns of Canton, Milton, Quincy, Dorchester and back into Boston. Another 13.1 miles. As we made our way back to UMass/Boston the road was lined with people cheering us on and wishing us well. I had been surprised with myself that I hadn't gotten emotional at any point during the walk-until now. As I crossed the finish line I was crowded by cheering people and I started to cry. Not because I was tired, or because I was in pain but because I was overwhelmed by the fact that these people were cheering for me. And I didn't really feel as if I had done much. But when I thought about it, it wasn't about what I had done. It was about what we had done. Over 2800 people coming together to make a statement. To raise awareness and to raise money. Thousands and thousands of people in the Boston area saw us and knew why we were walking. Thousands and thousands of people donated money to the walkers and together we raised over 6.7 million dollars. Just in one city! Much of this money goes right back to local programs and hospitals, including Baystate Hospital in Springfield.
So here is what I learned from this weekend. A hot shower and a good night's sleep can cure pretty much everything. So can a dry pair of socks. That one person might not be able to make big changes but when you lump a whole bunch of people together...they can move mountains. That I can tape my knee pretty well. That I love Men with Heart (menwithheart.org). That walking 26.2 miles can really help to clear your head. That sometimes miracles occur and you don't get any blisters even though you walked a marathon in wet shoes. And that every time I participate in an event like this, I realize that I have to do more.
Thank you so much for all your support. I think my next goal is to do a walk in a different city. A destination “vacation”. I'll keep you posted.
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