All my bags are packed I'm ready to go...

This time tomorrow we will (hopefully) be about 6-7 miles into Day 1 of our walk!! I am so excited. I can't even imagine I will sleep well tonight knowing that the alarm will sound at 4:00am and I will wake up, lather up with Vaseline and blister pads and hit the pavement. I live a life of glamour.

Last night as I was packing I was praying for my teammates and thanking God for all of you who have continually supported us. We are now at $11,200 (collectively) raised for breast cancer research!! That is truly amazing and we can't thank you enough. I was also laughing as I made my packing list and realized I am traveling with items that I have never before needed to travel with. Items such as Blister pads, Vaseline, bunion pads (I don't even have bunions!! They just help with certain pressure points) a zillion pair of socks, 2 pair of tennis shoes....the list goes on.

The more I packed the more excited I got. This is it. The time has come. Someone else realized the time has come....I had a little helper who got rather pouty as he realized my intent was to leave town....but notice he is lending his support! :) (Hint: His collar...)

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. ~ Galations 5:25

Tales from the road...

Last weekend I had the pleasure of walking White Rock Lake with Tiffany and Coleen in what was our longest training session to date. Popping up with the sun on Saturday morning, we started our walk dressed in our warmest gear (everyone except for me...oops!) for the chilly 50-degree weather that had moved in town to greet us. We started the trail at 7:15 and noted that the "bridge" was our landmark. We were able to know how far from the finish we were with respect to our proximity to the bridge. In usual fashion, what started out as a loving landmark quickly turned into the the dreaded reality in the eyes of three very hungry/tired women, "Ok y'all, WHERE is the bridge?!"

We powered through a Walk & Wag marathon, the eventual temperature change and several new blisters to complete our walk with a restored calm that we can, in fact, do this. We now have a 9 day countdown until we start our race and we couldn't be more excited. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support - we couldn't do it without you!

Sunrise...sunset (FYI - these were taken from the bridge)

We've Got Spirit Yes We Do! We've Got Spirit How 'Bout YOU!

Training is coming to an end and the walk is near!! In T-12 days we will be on our 3-Day journey surrounded by many with a common mission We are SO excited and we are so thankful for your prayers and support! We would ask that you continue to pray for us over the coming days as we prepare mentally and physically for what awaits us!

Next Friday (November 6th) we will begin at 5:30am with check in and opening ceremonies and we will begin walking around 7am. We will walk 20.2 miles on day one and then we'll do it all over again on days 2 and 3. This weekend I was in Dallas and had the privilege of walking with Coleen and Kristen for our 18 mile training walk. It was so great and Kristen got some great photos! Hopefully she'll share that with y'all! Mom had to walk alone, but she had a great walk Saturday too. I was home on Sunday and mom and I were able to walk that one together. We were SO lucky to have 2 gorgeous days this weekend. We are PRAYING each day for the same fortune next weekend! I would honestly ask you to pray for that as well.

Again, THANK YOU for your constant support of us! We wouldn't be able to do this without you! I am going to post some information I found on the 3-Day website below. It lists the cheering stations, so if any of you are in the area and would like to stop by we would be so glad to see you! You can also click here to follow us on Twitter!

XOXO,
Tiffany

Before the Event

Getting ready for the Breast Cancer 3-Day is a big job. Here are some ways to support your participant before the big day arrives.

• Write a letter expressing your love and support to your walker. Send it to our P.O. Box, and we'll collect the letters and deliver to them on the event at the Breast Cancer 3-Day camp. Send letters to:

Breast Cancer 3-Day Post Office
ATTN: INSERT NAME OF PARTICIPANT
P.O. Box 126496
Benbrook, TX 76126

Envelopes only, please. No boxes or large packages. Mail must be postmarked no later than October 27th in order to ensure delivery. Any mail that is not retrieved by the participant by November 20th will be destroyed.

• Organize a group to host your very own private cheering station. (Contact scarrillo@event360.com for more information.)
• Help raise money.
• Go on a training walk.

Cheering Stations

Public cheering stations are a great way to show your support along the route to encourage walkers and let them know that you are with them every step of the way. Seeing familiar faces cheering them on can provide that extra burst of energy that gets them to take that next step or go the next mile. Create banners, hold up signs, bring some music and make some noise - anything to make them smile, get energized and keep walking.

• Friday, November 6:
  8:00 am - 9:30 am
  Haggard Park
  901 E 15th St.
  Plano, TX 75074
  
• 12:30 pm - 4:30 pm
  Manhatten/ Office in the Park
  14831 Midway & 14677 Midway
  Addison, TX 75001
  Please do not park in front of Ferrari's restaurant or Mattress Giant Corp HQ building.
  
• Saturday, November 7:
  7:45 am - 9:00 am
  Unity Church of Dallas
  6525 Forest Ln.
  Dallas, TX 75230
  
• 10:45 am - 2:15 pm
  Prestonwood Village
  5505 Arapaho
  Dallas, TX 75248
  
• Sunday, November 8:
  8:45 am - 11:00 am
  Bank of America - Park Cities
  5500 Preston
  Dallas, TX 75205
  
• 11:15 am - 2:00 pm
  Historic West End
  N. Market St., from Munger to Elm
  Dallas, TX 75202

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. Please allow extra travel time due to expected traffic congestion at the site.

• Sunday, November 8th
  4:30 pm
  Fair Park
  1300 Robert B Cullum Blvd.
  Dallas, TX 75210
  Enter Gate 10, by concert venue

Cupcakes for a cause!

There is nothing more that I love than a good cupcake!

Sprinkles happens to be a Dallas favorite and just recently I came across their Komen-themed strawberry cupcakes...too cute! Sprinkles baked their Pink Ribbon cupcakes during the week of Oct. 1-7 and donated all of their proceeds to the Women's Cancer Research Fund.

Just think, you can cure your craving all the while helping the cure! Here is a picture of the festive little post-race treats :)

Guitar Hero...

I was in Nashville this past weekend and was excited to see the Hard Rock Cafe "Rockin' out" for a cure! This guitar is HUGE and was spinning around for the city to see. It's exciting to see so many people and companies involved in raising awareness about the fight against breast cancer. I think one of these days we're gonna win!!

Retail Therapy...

I hope you like pink, because you'll be seeing a lot of it for the next 31 days! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it's time to spread the word and fight the fight! We're walking, and walking, and walking and praying and hoping for a cure, and we hope you are shopping for a cure! We'll be sure to do our part to help out on that front as well! ;)

Retail therapy is just what the doctor ordered to find a cure. This month you'll see pink everywhere you look and retailers everywhere will offer special products and purchases that benefit breast cancer research foundations. Buy, buy, buy!!

Please support the stores and vendors that give proceeds to breast cancer research. Take a moment to tell managers "thank you" for their support. Spend money! :) Go hit the stores and remember to THINK PINK!!

Here are a few of my favorite pink products I have seen so far this year....

I'm loving this necklace!

Yes, that's a pink Snuggie!

GUESS is donating 10% of the sale from each watch sold!! I think this will look great on you!!

When everyone is looking at your watch you'll want your nails painted in this fabulous OPI color! And don't forget your lips!

Tell everyone at the country club to think pink....

Be sure to invite me over to share whatever you whip up with your new KitchenAid products! KitchenAid has fabulous pink products which are part of their Cook for a Cure product line.

Click here to see some of the products I featured last year for breast cancer awareness. Some of the same vendors will have a 2009 line! And click here for a fantastic (and comprehensive) list of products offered by retailers everywhere! Happy shopping!

Does my backpack make me look fat??

This weekend, mom and I had the privilege of meeting John, a fellow walker in the Austin area. He recently moved here from Dallas and is training for his 3rd 3-Day walk! He has walked the DFW 3-Day since 2007 and was able to give mom and I great training tips, give us a lot of insight as far as what to expect during the walk and it was so nice to meet him and walk with him.

John has put together a website aimed at spreading the word about the 3-Day and the fight against breast cancer. He is really a champion for the cause and I think his website is a wonderful tool to bring awareness about the 3-Day and as a resource for those walking, those thinking about walking, and those supporting walkers. He asked mom and I to do an interview at the end of our walk to answer a few questions and we were glad to help.

Although, after looking at the video I do wish we had been able to do the interview before the walk, have a bit of time for lipstick application, and been able to review our Saturday Night Live skit before the taping....truly, we look like we're on SNL....and does my voice really sound like that in real life??



In all seriousness, thank you to John for doing what you're doing. It is so inspiring to hear other stories of those working to find a cure! To visit John's website go to http://60miles3days.com

"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." ~ Norma Desmond, Sunset Boulevard

Who Are You!!

Children are a gift from God....yes they are! Oh how I love my kids, we all do. I could go on and on about how special, wonderful, thoughtful, etc., etc., but we all know our kids hang the moon - right?!?

But have you ever thought about the things you don't know? I think there is a reason some smart person said...what you don't know won't hurt you. I mean, yeah, makes sense, if I don't know well then it really can't hurt me.

Well, I know it now! Right there...on the last leg of our long walk today. I stop with 'precious' aka, Kristen to take a little breather, let her right hip stop hurting, get a drink, re-group. I said this spot is good, this is where Tiffany and I stopped on Sunday, a little shade.

She says, it sure is a good spot...where I smoked my first cigarette! ......

Wait...what?!? One more time....

She is laughing so hard she can hardly tell the "story" but it went a little something like this...she was 18, scared to death, blah, blah...I said, I'm taking your picture and this is going on the blog.

She is still dying laughing and said, that won't be good since this is a blog about breast cancer - well you know what, there are consequences for your actions little girl~even if it was 7 years ago!

xoxo,

Vicki

Don't Leave Home Without It...

All I'm saying is that even walking costs me money! We are in the midst of serious training for the upcoming walk and that means we have reached the 10 and mile weekend walks. We found out the hard way that you can't just take off and assume you'll be okay, especially in this heat.

In an effort to look the part, we made a smart purchase of a Camelbak...meaning, small backpack and water...cold water, all you have to do is open up a handy little tube. Hey, they may not be the cutest accessory you'll ever purchase, but believe me when I say, they do serve a purpose.

Water, Tylenol, energy beans :), dry socks, phone, bandanna, we are good to go! Tiffany and I head out last Sunday (we waited for the temperature to reach the high for the day) and have our little "cabbie" Mother, Nana, aka Danny DeVito from Taxi, drop us off at 183 and Avery Ranch for our approximate 8 mile walk. We chose this particular route because it has sidewalk access almost the entire way back to Tiffany's house, our stopping point...home sweet home.

The route was actually pretty good, things went well, except this little camel ran out of that cold water about 4 miles into the walk! It's at that point I realized I had forgotten to pack one very important item...money! I did try at one point to get some water, but something about that sink in that little bathroom in the back of a not so clean utility room at the corner store made me re-think that in a hurry. It was in that moment I decide that Neil Diamond was right, money does talk and my next trip would include not just money for water, but a $20 should cover anything you could need on a walk! Right?...

Tuesday...Kristen rolls to town and we decide to get in another tough training day. Good deal, and we'll start early to avoid some of the heat. Great idea (and it was). We roll out of the driveway around 8:25 am and much of the walk was not only pleasant, but productive.

Productive...how so you ask? Well, we managed to walk past a possible site for Kristen's wedding reception. Yes, you heard right, wedding reception, and no, she's not dating anyone...it was just for fun. Big Daddy...breathe. And then about 3 miles down the road we visited with someone from the Chapel she might use for the wedding service. That was harder since we met the sweetest woman, she invited us in (yes we went in silly!)...we had to NOT make eye contact when she smiled and said he must be a very special young man! Yikes...we're taking a different route next time, but she was very nice. As you can see, we were very productive and then back to business. And...we're walking.

Back on track, several miles down the road and sun beating down on us, we decide that we will finish our walk at about the 8-9 mile mark, take a load off, call for a ride home (something we didn't actually plan out), and hey...we have $20, we'll eat lunch at Waterloo since it's conveniently located at our stopping point. We're not totally stupid when we plan these routes. We were actually thinking we were pretty smart...for about 5 minutes!

We situate ourselves on the patio, order our drinks, start tossing around our ideas of what sounds good, and it's about that time that we realized a "little" something...either 1) their prices have increased significantly in the past couple of weeks or 2) we've never really paid much attention to how much it costs to each lunch at Waterloo!

Faith...it's all about faith people! We've done our mileage, we're tired, deserving of a break and some grub, there has to be a way. We sort of went with the attitude of it will work out somehow. We plan to call "DeVito" to pick us up, surely she will have some cash. I guess it was on our 3rd attempt to reach our ride that we realized we hadn't actually mentioned needing a ride, we just assumed she would be available. I'm not sure the exact moment we acknowledged that we were approximately 10 miles from our house...by foot, $7 short of paying our tab, and didn't really have a plan B...but I think we were both borderline "concerned"

Enter Tiffany :)

The call went a little something like this:

Me: Hey Tiff, we're in a bit of pickle...you may have to "get sick" at work and come get us

Tiff: What...where are you guys? What's going on...did you walk the 10 miles?

Me: Yeah, we're at Waterloo, but we can't reach Mother, we have no ride and we don't have enough $ to pay for our food...IDEA!!!! Hey, could you maybe twitter and see if anyone is in this area and could come get us, bring us some money??

Tiff: Which Waterloo?

Me: Parmer and Avery Ranch

Tiff: OMG...that's awesome! Send me a picture. Me, okay, don't leave your desk, my phone is almost out of battery!

Me: (to our waiter)...um, could you take our picture (with the phone that's almost out of battery)...and can you be sure to get the food in it...we are trying to twitter and get some money because we don't have enough to pay you!

We eat, start throwing around names of people that might be able to come get us, bring cash and not judge us too harshly! Susan Bennett, Leslie Curlee, The Loj...she was actually the reason I reached out to twitter! Gotta love the people that actually look at that thing.

But...all's well that ends well! DeVito finally turned on her cell phone...turns out my dad had been (still was) on the phone with his brother. Our little "cabbie" came to the rescue! She said she wanted to be our coach not our taxi - we love her!

I guess American Express was on to something when they said don't leave home without it! I know I won't, even if it is just a walk in the park :)

xoxo,

Vicki

It's hardly fair...

It has been difficult to get in all of my walks this Summer because my schedule has been so stinkin' crazy. Saturday's are the "big mile" days and not kidding I have been out of town like 9 of the last 11 weekends. It's always a challenge to try to map out routes and find the time when you're away, but it CAN be done. It just so happened that last weekend was our longest walk to date and my sister was in town. We were really glad to be able to spend that 3 hours of walking together! Mom, on the other hand, was on vacation visiting my brother in Oregon. She assured us she would walk too!

So Saturday morning rolled around and Kristen and I woke up and began the madness. Not gonna lie, I haven't had much difficulty with the walking until now. I had done my 6 and 7 miles and while I felt tired I wasn't totally spent. But this weekend....well, we only made it to about the 9 mile mark and we called for backup. My Nana came and picked us up and rescued us into air conditioning. Here were our problems:

1. We didn't take water with us. I'm not going to carry it for 10 miles, but I either need to hide it or maybe even get one of those things that goes around my waist to carry a water bottle. (NO, not a fanny pack....give me a little credit) The fact of the matter is I was very, and I mean very close to passing out and I didn't even realize it until we stopped. I have passed out before and I had ALL the symptoms...it was kind of scary.

2. We hadn't eaten anything. Which is fine until you're gone until 11am and you have burned 800 calories and had no water. We were running on empty.

3. Kristen's hips were hurting. Bad. She was sore for about 3 days. I think she is going to try taking Advil before her walks from now on.

SO, there were a few miscues but that's why we train. So we know the good and the bad and what to do and what not to do for next time. In other news I was completely blister free which is a huge plus. Upgrading to the thicker socks really helped. I have 3 miles to do tonight, 5 tomorrow and then this weekend is 10 on Saturday and 6 on Sunday. My SIL is in town from New York and claims she is going to do the 10 miler with me. I'll see if her tune changes tonight when she steps off that plane into all 105 degrees of her "welcome home."

In other news, mom had a pretty decent walk this weekend in Oregon. It was interesting to see the photos she took along the way versus the landscaping Kristen and I saw along the way....

She said she took a lot of pictures with her real camera too and not just these with her phone. She'll share them when she gets back!

In case you're wondering, we didn't take pictures of the dead grass and the dried up ponds here in Texas. Maybe next weekend!

The Dance....

Last night I was watching So You Think You Can Dance like I do every Wednesday night, and I was picking out my favorite dances and deciding who I would send home...and then....

And then choreographer Tyce DiOrio stunned me. He put together the most moving, beautiful, heartbreaking, fantastic piece about a woman battling breast cancer a friend standing by her side during her battle. I watched it twice and cried like a baby. It's just phenomenal.

Reminder....

I received this e-mail today from the Austin affiliate for Susan G. Komen Race for the cure. That is the 5K that many cities support. We have had a team for the last 4 years, so I receive many e-mail updates and reminders when they are gearing back up for another race. This e-mail in particular caught my eye. I'm sure it was her photos. I'm sure it was her precious 4 year old kissing his mommy. His very sick mommy. Please take the time to read her story below.

It's a gentle reminder of why we walk....

Michelle Bynum is the honorary race chair for the 2009 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure.

As I sit in this big recliner watching the clock on the wall tick, I am emotionally conflicted. I am planning a wonderfully happy event. I am planning my little boy’s birthday party. He is so excited and I can’t help but be excited for him. Reid is turning five years old this weekend. I never thought I could love something so much. He is funny, frustrating and fantastic, and at four and contrary to his wishes, I want time to stand still. Like every parent, my heart aches as I realize my baby turned toddler has disappeared…my “big” boy has emerged and is growing by the minute. However, as a mom diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, time has an entirely different meaning to me.

When I was diagnosed with late stage breast cancer in 2005, I was so worried Reid would never know me, much less have me at his side blowing out five candles. Ironically, “time” is both my friend and my enemy. Each morning that I wake up, I am so thankful for the time I have with my friends and family. Life is so very good. On the other hand, time is running like sand through my fingers. I am desperate for a cure to this dreaded disease or at least for more medical options to extend my time with Reid. We scan next week to see if my current chemotherapy is working. My tumor markers are up, so there is need for concern. If this chemotherapy is not working, there is only one drug left to try in the current “FDA approved” arsenal.

NOW is the time for a cure. If we can put a man on the moon, surely we can figure out a way to stop this madness. I pray I get the opportunity to plan Reid’s 6th birthday. Actually, I will shoot for the stars and pray that I get to plan his 16th birthday. So it is time to climb out of the big recliner. Chemotherapy is over for today….time to get on with life and on with the party!!

With all my heart,
Michelle Bynum

Let's find a cure, friends.

Fading...

Last night I was out doing my walk and I started fading around the 6.5 mile mark. I was tired after a fun weekend at the lake and I knew I was only about 10 minuted from home. That's when, as luck would have it, my iPod saved me. It was on shuffle and "Love Lockdown" came on. I immediately thought of Jeanine and Phillip's routine last week on So You Think You can Dance and I got hyped! I popped my shoulders and did my pathetic version of their dance and it totally revived me. Next up on my iPod was Battlefield by Jordin Sparks and then I was home! I'm so hyped about my new downloads!

Big Daddy...We Need An Air Conditioner!

Let me identify myself. I am Vicki, the mom and this is my first post to the community blog...yay! What you'll need to know when I post: 1) I am not blessed with 'technical' skills of any kind - my children usually add my attachments and Coleen comes to Austin to download my pictures from my camera and update my digital photo frames...sad, but true. I actually purchased PC for Dummies but don't know where I put it! 2) I will post like I talk. Long, multiple thoughts, random thoughts, not always on topic, BUT, I do try to punctuate and insert smiley faces that let you know the feelings behind what I'm writing :)....see how this is going to work!


Since this is my first official post, let me say that I am excited, grateful and blessed to be a part of this 3-Day team...our God is very good! I am still a little nervous about my own personal training. I do love my tennis, Diet Cokes, Hershey Nuggets and nachos from any Tex-Mex in Texas, and this training is just a little, well, healthy. But I am trying, and actually this week I have been doing all training in order. This is only because I canceled tennis due to Big Daddy, aka Steve, my husband being off work...for 2 weeks. Our temps this week have been in triple digits and walking with the sun beating down makes my head just about split in half! I decided to head out super early in the morning, that works, but 2 problems...1) I have to sneak out because my dogs are so sad that they don't get to go, and sneaking out is very hard at 7 am .....2)Wimbledon....for those that don't know, the world sort of stops for 2 weeks, 4 times a year...like I said, I love my tennis! Walking in the early morning meant missing 1.5 hours of prime time tennis coverage. And then I remembered this neat little set-up in our 3rd garage, it's our mini 24 Hour Fitness, complete with equipment, mirrors, television, weights...it's actually great - not sure why we don't go in there more often! So I decided to do my walking 'indoor' this morning so I could watch Wimbledon. It was awesome! I realized that I could actually walk anytime during the day or night....if Big Daddy would spring for one of those portable air conditioners from Lowes, because it is HOT in there! We have a couple of heavy duty fans in there that have been sufficient in the past, but I just don't think we rushed to work out when it was 105 outside! So what do you say BD...can we get a/c in the gym??? Safety first people, safety first:)
I'll let you know how it works out.


~My Cup Runneth Over and I'm Drinking From My Saucer~

xoxo

One for the road...

Sometimes I walk with my mom, and we all know she can talk from doorstep to doorstep! And sometimes I walk with Dave, and we know I can talk from doorstep to doorstep. :) But when I walk alone I get bored, especially with these longer walks. I start to get all ADD and I'm just ready for it to end. Insert my iPod....I have really enjoyed my iPod when I'm walking alone, but I have had the same songs on it for 2 years now. It's time to spice things up!! I hate it when I have it on shuffle and something slow comes on. Sure I love me some Lyle Lovett, but not when I'm on my 4th mile in 101 degree heat....I need a little Christina Aguilera belting out "stronger" or Britney "singing" just about anything!

Do tell....what's on your workout playlist??
bmetwv6zy4

Woo-Wee! Time for an update...

Well friends, these last few weeks have been C-R-A-Z-Y!! I've been to Ft. Worth, Dallas, and Florida all for work, my brother and sister were in town, and my brother got drafted!! (MLB draft...) It has been tons of fun, but also very hard to find free time and walk time. But I have done it! Outside of my 5 mile walk on Saturday...I was in Florida and had to work and there just wasn't time to walk and sweat and re-shower, etc....

But this week we are back on track. Mom and I walked last night and it was a really, really nice night. Hopefully you are all having a great week and looking forward to the weekend! Also, we have had a few very special donations come in....one was from the Lady Thunder youth soccer group in the amount of $150! THANK YOU! And several others from close family friends supporting us every step of the way. We can never tell you how much it means to have your support.

I'll leave you with this picture of my walk on the beach last week in Florida last Friday...it was H-O-T, but it was gorgeous!

One Down....

And 23 to go! We just finished our "official" first week of training! It's funny because I really didn't walk anymore than I have been (since this week was 12 miles...4 3 mile walks), but it felt so official! It was so fun knowing I was walking with a purpose. I walked one day with my mom, one with Dave and 2 by myself. And the 2 walks that I walked by myself I prayed for my mom and for the other women, men and families that have been effected by cancer.

We had fabulous weather this week and I can only hope it would continue during our 6 months of training!! Something tells me July and August are going to give me a run for my money!

In other news, my friend Courtney told me about this cool website where you can track walking/running routes in your neighborhood/city. You plug in the mileage you want to walk and you can make up your own routes to get in the number of miles you want to. I have played around on this and it is so great for this training! When we are walking between 5-18 miles it's helpful to not have to get out and drive a million routes to try to make it fit our needs. The website is http://www.walkjogrun.net/ . Whether you are also training for the Komen 3-Day or your on your own personal journey to health, I hope you find this website helpful!

Team in training....

We've decided that our "serious" walks (3 miles or more) need to be done without the dogs! :) Although they make the journey interesting, untangling leashes for more than 3 miles would be less than fun. Not to Mention we'd need to bring Maggie home on a stretcher! But they sure make our team cuter!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to CBrown! You are the proud winner of 4 tickets (2 per game) to the A&M v. UT baseball series this weekend! Thank you for your generous donation to the Komen foundation!

Not only have you contributed to a wonderful cause, but you are now in for a great sports weekend. We thank you for the support and hope that you have a great time!

WIN Tickets to the A&M vs. UT baseball games this weekend!!

Get excited because we have the perfect way for you to spend your Saturday and Sunday afternoon! Two of the top collegiate baseball teams in the country will clash this weekend in our very own, Austin, TX, and we are giving away 2 tickets to each game!!! The #8 Texas Longhorns will take on the #20 Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th at the UFCU Disch-Faulk Field on Campus at the University of Texas. Texas is currently 15-8-1 on the season while A&M is 13-8. Not only are these 2 teams heated rivals, but this series could determine the regular season Big 12 Champion. The weather is going to be GREAT and you won’t want to miss it!

Aggies, don't let this scare you away! My mother, the Longhorn fan, took this picture. Kristen and I are fightin' Texas Aggies class of '03 and '07...Whoop!

This picture was taken from the actual seats!

There are only scattered singles tickets for Saturday’s game and Sunday the tickets are going fast as well. Good thing we have your tickets right here! We are going to give all 4 tickets (2 for each day) to the highest bidder/donor to our Komen 3 Day efforts between today, May 4th and Thursday, May 7th at noon CST!! We will place all 4 tickets for the lucky winner at will call to be picked up on game day. This is the perfect way to make a difference and donate to breast cancer research and treatment development and also get to see some great baseball!

How do I win these fabulous tickets? I’m glad you asked! We are treating it like a silent auction, so just leave a comment between now and Thursday at 12 noon, and the tickets will go to the highest bidder! At that time the winner can place their donation, and as stated above, the 4 tickets (2 for each game) will be at will call when you go to the game.

We’ll start the bidding at $5!!! Good luck!!

PS….if you’d just LOVE to donate to this cause even if you don’t win, you can do so by clicking on our individual fundraising pages on the right side of this page. THANK YOU!!!

These Chucks Were Made for Walkin'

Lots of changes around here!

As Tiffany mentioned in the previous post, I have finally relocated back to Texas! With the anticipation of the "big move" I have let a few things slide with the hope of focusing on them at a later date. For one, I have not done much walking. And by "not much" I mean, I have.not.walked. Nothin', zilch, nada...you get the idea. It's not that I hadn't entertained the notion of a crisp walk through Central Park, it's just that crisp turned into freezing very quickly this Winter and I was not on board. Knowing that Texas (and 3-Day training) were in my near future, I felt that in due time I would get all of the walking I could handle. So just like that, came idleness. And with idleness, came one excuse after another, leaving me with the following habits that I now have to break/fix:

1. My training gear. Something tells me that my favorite NYC shoes are not going to get me very far...

My Chuck T's

2. My diet. I am fully aware that I have put on a fat suit and zipped it up in my final weeks of NYC residency. This, unfortunately, will be one of the first things to fix.

My weakness - Magnolia Cupcakes

3. My stamina. Today I rode my Nana's bike back to her house (approximately 1/4 of a mile) and thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I am ashamed for so many reasons, age and expected athletic ability being chief among them.

4. I finally have an iPod. I know it seems ridiculous, but after getting my iPhone taken in February I was left with no technological device to keep me company. Melodramatic? Sure. But who wants to know what would race through this mind after 20 miles on the road? With that said, proper "Training Tunes" will be necessary so any suggestions would be wonderful!

And lastly,

5. No excuses. Walking should be a daily practice now that I have settled back into my "comfortable" zone of 90-degree weather. God bless Texas.

Technically...

So technically, training doesn't start until the week of May 25th. We will be doing the 24 week training program that starts with walking about 12 miles a week and works up to walking 44 miles in a week. That is the longest week (mileage wise) before we do the 60 mile event. The 12 miles in a week isn't as much a challenge, but it will be the beginning of my full dedication to this event. It is making the time 5-6 days a week to train that will be difficult. I speak only for myself that that will be my greatest obstacle. The miles I believe I can do. I'm certainly NOT saying 60 miles will be easy, but I do believe that with training, I can achieve that goal. But I do know that carving out the time to diligently train will be vitally important to my success.

I have been walking lately in anticipation of the actual training regiment, and I have been walking about 3-3.5 miles a day. It has been very sporadic. I thoroughly enjoy walking when I come home from work. It relaxes me, and now that the weather has been so fantastic it is really a nice way to spend the evening. The trouble is all of the "other things" that tempt me. Like last night....a fun time with my friends. And tonight....dinner with my family because Kristen moves back to the Lone Star State today!! She has spent almost 2 years in NYC and we are so excited to have her back. So that takes care of this evening's events, and then tomorrow night is another dinner with family friends to celebrate Kristen. Weeknights tend to fill up quickly and I am taking notice of this as I begin to get ready for weeknights filled with walking. I'm committed and I'm ready, and I have thought through some action items to help me achieve my goal:

1. Instead of dinner with friends, we could walk together. We still get to hang out and chat, but we're getting active.
2. Our dinner meetings might need to occur later in the evenings to accommodate an after work walking session.
3. Remember what is important to me and make wise decisions!

Those are all of my action items. Pretty simple really! And, in other exciting news, Coleen has MET HER FUNDRAISING GOAL!!! This is so exciting for our team. Now we have 1 team member complete and 3 team members still fundraising to meet the $2,300 EACH minimum. And, as I briefly mentioned, my sister, my best friend, and fellow team mate will hit Texas soil tonight! We are so proud of her for her time spent in New York. She followed her dreams, had the time of her life, and is now ready to come home to Texas and start something new. We're looking forward to having her back and enjoying this journey together!

Breast Cancer Has a Name...

Today, we are honoring those that have been effected by this disease. I had heard the words "Breast Cancer", I had seen the ribbons and the pink products all over the place in October, I knew that it had effected many, but I never stopped to really, deeply care until it hit my home. Until I cried the tears over it, I never stopped to really think that there is a face and a name with every instance of breast cancer.

Last year when we walked in the Austin Komen Race for the Cure we had 40+ people on our team! It was amazing!! All of our friends and family walked to support my mother and our family, but many walked for other men and women. They walked for their own mothers, their own grandmothers, sisters, aunts, etc. We made a banner with the names of those that our team was specifically walking for. It was truly amazing. To see those women's names, both survivors and those that bravely fought the battle they couldn't win, really reminded us of why we were walking.

We will walk the 3-Day for our mother, but we will be walking for everyone touched by breast cancer. Take a moment to leave a comment and make it personal. Give breast cancer a name. We will be walking for each and every one!!

Mom and Dad

Our 2009 Race for the Cure Team in Austin, TX

Well I'll be-dazzled!

You would think that mom would initially be captivated by the thought of raising thousands to support breast cancer, taking a challenge with her precious daughters and best friend, and pushing her mind and body beyond what she thinks is possible. But when first presented with the idea of walking the 3-day, she was hesitant. The hesitation only grew stronger when she found out that you actually sleep in tents at night. Then, it was brought to her attention that there would be a "tent decorating contest". Well why didn't you say so? Pack your feathers, leopard print and rhinestones...You had me at hello!

Something tells me you'll be able to pick us out of the crowd!

Photo by Bruce Stoehr

If the Shoe Fits....

If you're going to train for 28 weeks and cap it off by walking 60 miles you might as well get some new shoes out of the deal, right? We decided that our first purchase better be a good pair of shoes, so mom and I spent a decent portion of Saturday morning making best friends with the guys at the Georgetown RunTex. Many of you know that mom has NEVER met a stranger, and this was no exception!

We explained that we needed some running/walking shoes and that we would be putting a LOT of miles on those bad boys over the next 8 months. If only it were that easy! Mom proceeded to tell him that "This and this is where it hurts when I play tennis." Pointing to spots A and B. "And this is where I need lots of support," pointing to spots C and D. And, oh by the way, we need them to be CUTE! James and Donny (our new BFFs) chuckled only slightly and accepted the challenge of finding us the perfect pair of shoes.

After watching us walk and measuring every possible place to measure on our foot, the "trying on" began. Y'all, I have a weird foot. My foot is wide and I have a really high arch. Can SOMEBODY make a cute shoe for people with wide feet and high arches? Somebody?? Every shoe that came out for me was practically a space boot. A space boot with lots of orange. Mom, on the other hand, had every cute shoe in the world to choose from because she didn't need a wider width. Some girls have all the luck.

I did have one decent looking pair of shoes that I tried on, but James told me that I HAD to choose my final shoe based on comfort and not looks. I tried on about 6 pairs of shoes and found my perfect match. And they were the UGLY ones! I told James that I think I grew up a little bit during that process...you know, choosing the ugly shoes over the cuter shoes simply based on the extra padding in the heel.

James moved on to mom, and he had no idea his fun was only beginning. She tried on a lot of the same shoes I did, but had more to choose from because she doesn't have such a high maintenance foot! James told her the same thing he told me, "Choose based on comfort, not looks. If we get down to 2 shoes that are equally comfortable then and ONLY then, you can choose based on looks." OK, James. Simmer down! So mom started trying on....and trying on...and when James wasn't looking she opened the box of admittedly the ugliest shoes EVER. I wouldn't have bought them if they had been made of clouds! She gently shut the box and pretended the whole thing never happened. James came back over and mom had selected what she deemed to be the perfect shoe for her! Victory!

As James was packing up all the boxes, he opened the box with the hideous shoes still neatly in their place. He said, "Oh, did you try these? I didn't see them on you." Mom hesitated for a moment as I was deeply curious of what excuse she would use, and then she sighed and said, "James, I'm going to be honest with you because we're friends now. I didn't try those on because I can tell you right now I wouldn't wear shoes that ugly."

She did always tell me that honestly is the best policy. Love it. And we LOVE RunTex! Our new shoes are SO comfy and I know they will serve us well. So when you see me walking around Austin with my Oklahoma State Cowboys orange and black shoes please don't point and laugh. Know that I made that fashion decision based on comfort and not the opinions of others!

She swears these weren't all her boxes. That some were left from the woman before her. I swear they are all hers!

Mom trying on the cute shoe that I turned down for the comfortable shoe....

James. Our super friendly, "shoe-law abiding", shoe fitter extraordinaire! (Who bears a striking resemblance to Woody Harrelson!)

"Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes" ~ Jack Handey

A Step of Faith...

Thank you for visiting Our Sole Purpose!

Many of you reading this know our story. You know our family, you know our mother, you have walked our journey with us. You have prayed with us, encouraged us and shown strength, hope and love when we needed it the most. For those of you that do not know us, our story is one of hope… Our Mother, Vicki Rogers, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in the Fall of 2005. As many of you probably know, as a child, hearing your parent has cancer is not an easy thing to swallow. Knowing your mother is sick, and fearing the unknown is a tough place to be. After undergoing weeks of intensive chemotherapy followed by a double mastectomy and radiation, she pressed on with the hope of becoming cancer free. With the love and care of a wonderful Doctor and the encouragement of family, dear friends and even strangers…she was healed.

Four years later, we walk. On the weekend of November 6th, we will gather together in Dallas with thousands of other participants for a 3-day, 60 mile test of endurance, faith and tennis shoes! We will walk side by side with our mother, and mom’s dear friend Coleen Davis with the mission of finding a cure. Each walker must raise a minimum of $2,300. You can see that as a family of 3 walkers, we will need to raise close to $7,000! That will be a wonderful donation to the Komen foundation! Imagine the opportunity for advances in technology, new treatments, or even a CURE because of the financial contributions raised through this walk. To the right of this page you will see three links for our personal Komen pages. This page is where you will find information about the 3-day walk and where you can make a donation should you want to. Please join us in our journey by prayer, a donation, or both, and we will bring you along for every shin splint, iced knee, and memory along the way.

Many of you have joined us for Race for the Cure in Austin over the past three years and we will be walking for you. We will represent Team Zsa Zsa through the 3-day and we will share our journey through this blog. We will keep you updated on our training progress, share stories from “the road”, and hopefully entertain you with our antics and inspire you with our hope for a cure. Thank you so much for your support – you are our strength, after all.

As Cinderella once said, “The right shoe can change your life,” and that is our prayer. Lord, guide our steps.

Love to you all,
Kristen, Vicki and Tiffany

Team OSP

Tiffany, Kristen and Mom (Vicki)

Mom and Coleen