Raincharm’s Weblog

1st of all – thanks to Ashlan for covering for me while I was away.
And I have always known she is a better writer.

The 2010 Seattle 3-Day Walk for the Cure is now in the books. Over $6 Million raised.

Seattle 2010 Closing - over 2000 Walkers, plus the Crew

My fourth walk, plus one crew experience. Each one has been quite different. This walk was different for two main reasons. 1) I was not on a team (solo walker). 2) It rained.

1) I was not technically on a team. I had signed up intending to walk with a woman I had walked with twice previously in Seattle. But then she could not make it, so I became a team of one. But I found that another woman I had walked with previously was in need of a tent-mate, and bingo – I was affiliated with a team of 3. Two of the three developed blisters, which slowed the pace. And my mate was a speedy walker. I can keep up with speed, generally, but also like to smell the roses. We did keep meeting up at pit stops and lunch stops along the way.

The Flamingoes Sally, Dana, and Amy, and Me,

But, I also found that I was running into a lot of people who I knew from training and previous walks, both in Seattle and Michigan. So occasionally I would break off and walk with them for a bit. On the 3rd day, especially, I kept running into people I knew. It was great fun and although I bounced around a bit, I ended up finishing the walk with the Hotties, a team I trained with many times. But I also found the Flamingo Road folks, and the Kindred Spirits Michigan folks I walked with last year (in Michigan), and crew folks I worked with in Seattle last year.

2) It rained.
Two of the three days. Different rain, but both were wet.
On day 1 it drizzled, rained for a bit, then drizzled and finally stopped.
When we arrived, after 22.5 miles, Camp was damp in the grassy areas but dry elsewhere. One remanent of the rain was that they were unable to erect the big tent over the dining area. So we dined under the stars. Or where the stars would have been if there were no clouds. The walk was good, but I was TIRED, and went to bed after dinner, shower, foot massage (one of those automatic – stick your foot in a half boot like things). I slept well.

Day 2 was GORGEOUS. Sunny, in the 70’s, and clear the entire walking day. The 21.7 mile walk was in Everett – which put on a wonderful welcome. Dinner, shower and massage was followed by a dance party. Yes, we moved some more. It is really stretching by another name, and uses different muscles.

Day 3: Well the rain started as Day 2 was officially ending. We were fairly dry in the tent, but the side pocket holding my glasses and phone got wet. We are trying to dry out the phone. The rain also influenced our decision to get up when we woke up (wet cell phones do not make good alarm clocks). Then we proceeded to pack up, stowed our luggage on the trucks, took down the tent, and got in line for the busses. [To finish in Seattle, the walkers are bussed to North Seattle, and then walk around the city.] What we did not do was visit the dining area where breakfast was being served, but with no roof. Instead we dined on energy bars and raisins and nuts. The rain continued into the morning. Many different styles of ponchos and I think more people had blister issues.  By lunch break the rain had pretty much quit. There was even one brief sun-break. But it did dry out and only misted on us near the finish.

My personal physical experience was one with tired and hot feet on day 1. Day 2 mirrored day 1, but a callused area on  my heel started to make itself known, and a pain started on the lower shin of my right leg. Day 3 continued on the end of day 2. The lower leg pain would come and go as my stride and speed changed. At lunch I discovered there was a blister in the callus on my heel. But as blisters go it was not bad. I put a bandaid on for padding, and walked on. I was limping on any downhill by the end.

Reasons

And now, if I sit for a bit and then stand up, it can be amusing to watch. But I have a great in-house foot rubbing partner, so I have hope to not be too gimpy tomorrow.

There is much I have not mentioned, and I did not take too many pictures. I tended to try to enjoy it as it was happening, without stopping to find the camera. I may go back over the 3 days in the next few, as I think of all of the things that I saw. Like the pair tree. Or the woman gardening with a sign of thanks, noting that she had lost her daughter. Or all of the small world findings.

Update: Or like taking your shower, getting out, and then realizing you only got your hair wet but forgot to do the shampoo thing.

Mom has been pushing me for a while now to do a guest entry on her blog, and I naturally have been putting it off.  With her off on the 3-day now though I figured I should give her something thrilling to come home to.

well, maybe not THAT thrilling

She asked me to write about my summer vacation, which should be easy enough seeing as there wasn’t all that much to it.  A 40 hour a week job punctuated by baseball, boys, and booze.  I also slept on occasion but I found that it was rather overrated.

i save it for the school year

It turns out that Seattle is a ridiculously fun city when you’re finally upgraded to that magical horizontal drivers license.  Lots of great bars to see bands or just hang out – bars that are significantly cheaper and more relaxed (translation: Ashlan friendly) than any I have found in Vancouver.  (Damn this expensive and disgustingly image conscious city!)  It also consistently amused me when servers were shocked that “such a new drinker” would have my affinity for dark beers.  Because apparently flavor is just for old people.

and racist toucans

The Mariners didn’t do too well while I was home (First 7 games I saw – all losses) but I had a great time at the games anyways, hanging out with friends and still managing to fall in love with my fair share of players – I prefer the term “consistent” to “predictable”.  Plus BRANYAN!!!! made his triumphant return in July which made me just about delirious with happiness.

my personal messiah

I also played softball in what can only be described as a beer league.  My team was really fun and I even got a few hits!  We also ended the season with a team barbeque at the beach on a spectacularly sunny day, where I learned that volleyball is NOT my sport (short +not into diving does not a v-ball player make). That said, I think I succeeded at proving my aptitude at hamburger and hot dog consumption.  Pretty sure that means my future is set (not the card game – though I totally rock at that too).

this is the first time i've seriously wanted a smart phone

Our vacations were pretty sweet this summer as well.  One to Tennessee (the unflooded side) to visit the boy, and one to Yellowstone and Dylan, Colorado (with not insignificant stops in Helena and Boise along the way).  I’m not gonna go into detail about these trips, except to say that Rey now knows that he is 23 thanks to the sheer amount of cupcakes I frosted that fact onto, and that WE SAW A BEAR.  It was awesome.  Also I took away from these sun-soaked locations that pretty much everywhere outside of Seattle is warmer than Seattle.

blatantly photoshopped. we don't get sunny days.

As great as my summer was and as much as I absolutely did not want to leave my lovely home (and lovelier family) I must admit I’m enjoying being back in Vancouver.  It’s been wonderful seeing all of my friends, and my roomie and I are partying super hardcore.

we play cribbage almost every night before bed. not a joke.

Well mom, there ya go.  My summer in a nutshell.  I was going to thank you for giving me a valid reason to procrastinate from my homework, but I think I’ll go the good daughter route and rather thank you for what you’re doing this weekend (or I suppose by the time you read this – what you did this weekend).  Your efforts are making a difference and are genuinely appreciated by me and by many others.   I hope it went wonderfully and that you didn’t have to use all of your ponchos.

Love, Ashlan