Dear Interweb,
I have returned from my wanderin’ about these here Twin Cities. The 3day this weekend was so incredible. I don’t think I can describe how uplifting and grueling it was. I hurt like hell and I’m happy. I’m very proud to have finished, and I’m proud of the work I put into the training and fundraising. Arriving at the end of the 60 miles this afternoon was so emotional. There were just under 2000 walkers, and together we raised over 5 million dollars. The event was so well-organized, it’s hard to believe there were only 300 people on the crew. It was amazing to see the varied array of people who participated; it made it hard to complain about the pain, seeing what some of the others were up against. We walked until we wanted to die, we stopped and rested, and then we walked some more. I’m hobbling around like an old lady right now, but I’m in way better condition than a lot of people who left there today. My worst affliction is that I can’t straighten my right leg. That’ll go away. I hope. [Note: since I’m pretty sure I’m the only person out of the 2000 who didn’t get a single blister, I’d like to pledge my undying affection to Saucony and the staff of Marathon Sports.] Favorite moments: Walking up the LRT trail in Chanhassen, looking across the river to see the place where we started, way off in the distance. Realizing using port-a-potties for three days wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Not even close. Finding out that they had excellent food options at every stop and all the meals. I didn’t have to break out the Tofurky Jurky or protein bars once, and had absolutely no blood-sugar-related issues all weekend. With the combination of physical exhaustion and heat, that’s unheard-of. The hundreds of people we met along the way who cheered, honked, thanked us for walking, high-fived us, handed us water and treats and little gifts they’d made themselves, and who reminded us of how far we’d come. Meeting Jen (who had flown in from New Mexico just for the walk) early in the day Friday, and deciding to do the whole thing together. I cried saying goodbye this afternoon, but I know we’ll stay in touch. Showering in a semi truck. Being cheered in today as we arrived at the end, then cheering for the other walkers. Seeing the very last group arrive, knowing almost every single person who started managed to finish the walk. Crossing from Lake Calhoun to Harriet, and arriving at the 30-mile halfway point, conveniently located at one of my very favorite places, and scene of my many, many miles of training walks. Making good time when we felt like we were crawling. We came in in the top 250 the first day (when we walked 22.5 miles), around 600 the second day, and under 500 today. We had the luxury of napping on the state capitol grounds before closing ceremonies. The end-of-day-two death march to camp. That last mile, there wasn’t a single person not limping or trudging. Best moment of all: walking up to the Harley-riding safety guy at the corner of 50th and Lyndale. He yelled, “Hey, ladies! You peeing?” We all cheered, “YEAH!” And now I’m going to go pass out with my hot water bottle. Night.Jenni