This Blog Needs an Update....

It's been awhile, I know. Truth is, along with the 3-Day, we've had a pretty crazy summer. Adam was in Boston for 10 weeks. Yes. You read that right. 10. The entire time the kids were out of school Adam resided in Somerville, a suburb of Boston near Cambridge. He consulted this summer for the Boston Public Schools. He was offered the job last winter, and since it was inline with one of his specializations, we figured he should take the opportunity. Of the 10 weeks he was gone, we were together 4, so the weeks moved quite quickly. I was hesitant to say anything sooner since our picture is front and center on this website along with our city of residence. I figured the internet did not need to know that Adam was out of town all summer.

He liked his job, and we really loved Boston. It had been awhile since either of us had been there, and when you're there for that amount of time, you get to know the city far more than your average tourist. I have tons of pictures to upload and post once we finish unpacking.

We arrived home late Thursday night and today Adam resumed classes. Not much of a break. We did a lot of traveling during the summers while employed by Campus Crusade for Christ. Since this was our first summer not serving full-time with the ministry we thought it would be less chaotic. However, this one proved to be one of the busiest, but like all the others, well worth it!

More 3-Day Pictures

Friday morning we began with opening ceremonies in downtown Cleveland with lots of rain. Fortunately the rain stopped by about 7:30 am. It rained again Saturday night and for part of Sunday's walk. Aside from that the weather was fairly pleasant.
There were 500 of these pink tents all lined up at the Westlake Recreation Center. The 3-Day also brings in mobile showers, a dining tent, a full-fledged medical center, a lounge-type area, etc. Its quite impressive.
Reminders of why we walk.
We walked through many suburbs of the west side of Cleveland. This was fun for me because I am very unfamiliar with the west side. We saw some beautiful homes and some great views of the Lake. Westlake put up these signs for us, and when we entered Westlake for the first time, we were greeted by an official looking man in a tie. Nice touch, Westlake!
This was my tent-mate, and six year Breast Cancer survivor, Sandy. This was the beginning of the third day. We had 43 miles behind us at this point. In this picture my face was a little sunburned. I didn't even realize it until I returned home, because I hadn't looked into a mirror once the entire weekend.
This is my friend, and Crew Member, Polly. The Crew is an amazing group of over 250 volunteers who make the event happen. They hydrate us, feed us, bandage our blistered feet, throw away our garbage, watch for traffic as we cross the street, etc. They get up at the crack of dawn and go to bed long after we do. I think they work much harder than the walkers, and no one is cheering for them every step of the way.

By the way, this picture was snapped at the last pit stop (places along the route where we could stop to drink, eat, stretch, etc.) on Day 3. It was Mile 58. Trust me, at that point I felt like I had walked 58 miles. The last 2 miles were the longest 2 miles ever! On Day 3 we walked 17 miles. It took me 3 hours to walk 11 miles to lunch. It took me another 3 hours to walk the 6 miles to the finish. You do the math.
Energizer is a fitting sponsor. The bunny was always there to remind us to Keep Going.....

One element of the event that I didn't get many pictures of was the amazing crowd and community support. People were constantly out in their front yards cheering, handing out candy and lemonade, inviting us in their homes to use 'real' bathrooms, and more! My walking days are going to be a little bit more uneventful in the future because I won't receive a standing ovation, or hugs from an elderly lady in her pink survivor t-shirt, every time I cross an intersection.

I'm recovering well. I feel pretty good today. My muscles aren't sore at all, which must mean my training paid off. I still need to carefully select what shoes I wear for the next few days because of the last remnants of the blisters on my feet. At this point, I'm maybe 75% certain I'll sign up to do it again sometime in the future. I'll keep you posted.

Thanks again for your support. The Cleveland event, alone, raised over $2.3 million dollars for breast cancer education, research and treatment. Plus, the experience was definitely worth it.

60-Mile Feet

I snapped this picture last night after I returned home. It really looks worse than it is, and by this morning, most of the swelling has gone down. I had a great time, and I promise I will update you with more pictures in a bit.

3-Day Thursday

My money is raised, my camping gear is sorted, my bag is packed and my alarms have been set. (Two of them, since I will be rising at 4am). Tomorrow I'll begin my journey at 5:30 am near Brown's stadium. I'll be walking 22 miles tomorrow, 21 miles on Saturday and 17 miles on Sunday. Wish me luck....

3-Day Thursday

Days Until Event: 9

Actual Miles Last Week: 30

Training Goal This Week: 16. Not very many, however, I think Alex and Allison will be logging most if not all of those miles with me. I'll let you know how that goes.

Fundraising Update: I still have $93 left to raise.

3-Day Thursday

Days Until Event: 16. I seem to be getting everything lined up. I have a tent mate, rides to and from the event and my registration credentials. Now I need to begin thinking about what I need to pack. Past participants have written entire handbooks on how and what to pack. I'll need to consult those in the next two weeks. I'm limited to 35lbs in one bag, which also must include my sleeping bag.

Training Miles This Week: I'm shooting for 36 miles. I wanted to recommend the site Map My Walk for any avid walkers. There's also a running site, biking site, hiking site, etc. I've kept an online log of my miles this year. The site is free to use. Prior to even registering for the 3-Day, I had set a goal to walk 1,000 miles in 2009 (roughly 80 miles a month) which is why I began logging all my walks (although, recently, I do think I've missed logging a few miles). I've logged about 615 miles for the year. I'm pretty confident I'll meet my goal, considering I'll be walking 60 miles in one weekend alone!

3-Day Thursday

OK - so I know it's Sunday, but I figured you needed an update, and I haven't had much time in front of the computer lately. I'm 20 days out from the 3-Day. Unbelievable. I'm $93 from my fundraising goal. Oh so close. And, I just finished a 12-mile walk. I have plans to head out for a few more miles later today. Things are rolling along....

You Make Me Feel Like Dancin'...

Here's a past due post about Allison's dance recital which was on June 19th. She's had a great year at Miss Noreen's alternating between tap dancing and ballet. She performed one dance number in her recital, and did a fantastic job. We loved the costume.....

3-Day Thursday

Days Until Event: 37. Wow! I can't believe its less than 6 weeks away.

Actual Miles Last Week: I lost count, because it wasn't very many. Ooops!

Training Goal This Week: 25 miles. I'm also planning on logging quite a bit this weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday I have a 16-mile walk planned. I'll let you know how they go.

Fundraising Update: I'm waiting on a corporate matching gift, and if that appears, I will only need another $150. Keep your fingers crossed.......

One Belt, Two Belt, Yellow Belt, Purple Belt

3-Day Thursday

Days Until Event: 51

Actual Miles Last Week: 32

Training Goal This Week: My life has significantly changed this week. I have a few more responsibilities and a little less time to walk. If I could log 19 miles this week and 21 miles next week, I'd feel pretty good about myself. I'm trying to add in a little more strength training that I can do at home. I'll keep you posted!

3-Day Thursday

Days Until Event: 58

Actual Miles Last Week: 28

Training Goal This Week: 32 miles.

Fundraising Update: Only a little over $400 left to raise!

Go Orioles!

Alex had his first baseball game Wednesday night. This is new for him since he never played t-ball. Because of rain, the game only lasted two innings. He played catcher for both. He also got a hit, made it on base, and eventually scored a run (although, I'm pretty certain no one keeps track of the score). The most exciting part of the game came during warm-ups where, while trying to catch a ball, he missed, got hit in the face with the ball and it knocked out a loose tooth. He was a bloody mess for a bit, but he toughened up and went back on the field.

At the end of the game the coach awarded him the game ball. Here he is posing with the game ball and his newly missing tooth.

3-Day Thursday

Days Until Event: 65

Actual Miles Last Week: 24.5

Training Goal This Week: 28 miles.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day seems to be one of the holidays of choice here in South Euclid. There's a huge parade that comes right down the center of town and ends practically on our street. In fact, when we first moved here and were telling people where we lived, most replied with, 'Oh. You're right on the parade route. That must make it very convenient'. The joke is, how can there be anyone left to watch the parade, when everyone you know is in it....

3-Day Thursday

Days Until Event: 72

Actual Miles Last Week: 10. Last week was my second recovery week from the Flying Pig Marathon. I had planned on taking it easy for two weeks. This week I'm returning to my normal training plan.

Training Goal This Week: 24 miles.

Fundraising Update: I'm thrilled to report I only have a little over $600 left to raise before the event. If you haven't given yet, I'm asking you to consider becoming a part of my team. Every little bit helps. Even though I'm still a few months out from the 3-Day, I'm hoping to have the money raised by June. That way, in the 6 weeks prior to the event, I can focus fully on my training. You can make a donation online by clicking here, or you can mail me a check (made payable to The 3-Day) at our home address. (E-mail me Anne.Huminsky@gmail.com for address). Thank you so much for your support. I'm getting excited, and I'm really looking forward to the event!

License to Drive

19 years ago I took my first and only Ohio driver's test. I have a few memories from the event. There were three 'testers' at the location nearest to our suburb, two women testers (one had purple hair) and a man. Rumor was, you wanted the man. He passed everyone. If you had to have a woman, you didn't want the one with the purple hair. She failed everyone. When I showed up to my test, a woman tested me. But, not the one with purple hair. Thankfully. Even in my very large 1979 Pontiac Bonneville, I passed the first time, and immediately received my first Ohio driver's license. In my picture I was looking at the camera and behind me was a red background.

Four years later I returned to the DMV because my license had expired. The format for the license had changed. This time I had to turn my head to the right (maybe left...) on a red background because I was still under 21. This was a rip-off. I had to pay for this license that would only be good for one year.

I returned again at 21. I looked at the camera and smiled for my now 'legal' license which was legit because my picture was now on a blue background.

At 23 (1997) I visited a DMV in Athens County, Ohio for a new license because my last name had changed from Harvey to Huminsky. Ohio Driver's License Count: 4.

The next time I entered a DMV I was in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was the spring of 2000. It was easy to obtain a driver's license in Nevada. All you had to do was surrender a current, valid driver's license. The hardest part of the process was the wait. Sometime in the late 90's the population of Vegas went from 1.5 million to 2.5 million. They still only had 4 DMVs. I believe I waited over four hours for my Nevada driver's license which was valid for four years.

In May of 2004 I entered a Washington DMV. This time I had to take a test. Two tests. The first was the written portion. Most adults we knew failed the written portion of the test unless they read and studied the training book. I read the book and passed. Next I had to take the driver's portion of the test. I might have had to leave and reschedule this part. I have vague memories because I was spending my days (and nights) with a 2 1/2 year old and a 5 month old. Surprisingly, I remember more events about the test I took at 16 than the test I took at 30. What I do remember most is having to parallel park our minivan. Fortunately, I passed. However, throughout the test I wondered...if I fail, will they let me drive myself home? A Washington driver's license is valid for 5 years.

Fast forward 5 years to the spring of 2009. My license was set to expire on my birthday, May 10th. To obtain an Ohio license you need to retake the written portion of the test. No driving portion though. I had intended to read the book. We picked one up the week before my birthday, and I took a practice test. I passed the practice test so I assumed I was good to go. I was. I took my written test on My 8th, and I only missed 4 questions. I still don't know what the legal driving alcohol limit is, or how long points stay on your license. I also was unaware of how fast you are allowed to drive if you have children under the age of 16 in the bed of your truck. Honestly, I didn't even know you were allowed to drive around the state of Ohio with children in the bed of your truck. FYI - the speed limit is 25mph. I guessed 10.

So, 19 years later, my Ohio driver's license count is up to 5. The gal processing my license asked me if my height and weight were the same. I was assuming she meant off my Washington ID so I said yes. After she printed out the paperwork, I understood that she meant off the last records they had of me in Ohio, which I don't think I ever changed since my original license in 1990. Once I made that discovery, I made her reprint me out a new license. I told her that weight was from high school. She needed to update it a bit........

Busy, busy, busy.

We've had a busy week. We've been doing some of this....

And some of this....

While watching this....

We also spent a lot of time on this....

And finally ended the week with this.....

3-Day Thursday

Days Until Event: 86

Actual Miles Last Week: 9

Training Goal This Week: I have set no goal because of the marathon last Sunday. I'm taking a few days to rest and recover. However I do have a 10+ mile walk scheduled for Saturday. So, between the two, I'll still be logging over 35 miles this week.

The Flying Pig

We've returned home, and have somewhat recovered, from the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. It was a great (but hilly) course and a wonderfully planned race. The city seems to really get behind the event and the directors must think through every last detail. We had a rainy/drizzly start, but for the rest of the race the weather was acceptable. Not only does the race have aid stations at every mile, but the aid stations have themes and the volunteers dress the part. Check out Margaritaville at mile 18.

We went through many neighborhoods and the residents were out with their grills, radios and pig costumes having a blast and cheering us on. We heard that once you've 'Done the Pig' you wind up being a little disappointed in the other Ohio marathons because of how well you're cared for in Cincinnati. Once we check out some of the other events, we'll let you know if that rumor is true.

Adam ran the half marathon in a little under 2 hours, and I walked the full marathon in 6hrs and 20mins. Give us a few more days to recover (and to attempt to walk up and down our stairs) and we'll let you know if we'll do it again next year.