Day XLXII

Well, it's over.

We did it.

All six of us completed the 60 miles in three days. Amazing, isn't it? Of course, it wasn't without a few injuries.

One of us had diarrhea all day, every day, every pit, every outhouse.

One of us was severely constipated... well, more than one of us was severely constipated.

One of us caught a fungus in the community showers that didn't really bother her until she was back at work Monday.

One of us had one bad knee when we started and two bad knees when we finished.

One of us got severe sunburn -- so bad in fact that my leg was covered in blisters from where my pant line ended and my sock began. So why didn't I put on block you ask? Funny thing, I did. My burn was exactly where I must have missed a strip of my leg. It's was horrifying and everyone I showed for the next few days gasped. Some gagged.

Then there were my pesky arches. Around 1 p.m. Saturday, they decided they'd like to take a rest. They basically collapsed. Turns out it's genetic but neither parent mentioned to me their issues until late that night when I called to tell them what had happened.

Dad: "I have a lot of problems with my feet. That's going to hurt for a while."

Mom: "Well, I had to wear inserts in my shoes when I was a little girl."

Hmmmm... seems like that would have been good preventive information for me to have BEFORE I walked 60 miles!

Organizers told me at 37 miles in that I shouldn't walk anymore. I was devastated. Wasn't there anything I could do? I almost started to cry, I even teared a little. She said she'd tape me up again (it would be my third time that day) but she couldn't guarantee anything. She tried to tell me there was nothing to be ashamed about, walking more than half was a noble effort!
I guess. But when you spent the amount of time I did walking and training for this event, you want some closure. How many Saturdays and Sundays did I spend away from Jack and Husband walkin'?

This last tape job was awful. It killed to walk. My arches were so shot that they were trying to concoct some sort of fake arch with white medical tape. I was detroyed, filled with pain and I was slowing my team down. None of us wanted to miss one step of that 60 miles. I had to take one for the team. I had to sacrifice my own ego so that each one of those girls could complete their goal. I was hobbling and it was bad. In my brain I knew it wasn't worth permanent damage but in my heart I was destroyed. I needed to be iced immediately and I had secretly decided to rip the tape off my feet and walk it off. Literally.

I know now that if I hadn't taken the time to get iced then and to readjust my tape, I would not be walking now, almost a week later. Honestly, if I hadn't had the sunburn and arch issue, I would have walked away from the experience with zero aches and pains. I am so proud of my walking buddy and myself for the amount of training we did.

And even though every night that I called home and heard my Jackie babbling in the background I cried a little, I know the nearly $7 million I helped raise for breast cancer may actually allow me to be around a little longer.

Now I just have to find a physical therapist for Boston in '06 baby!