13 Miles to Go!!!!
Posted on October 21, 2007
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I left my hotel early Sunday morning to meet Pam and Mikele at the Wellness Village to have breakfast and to leave as a team. As we left MacKay Park in Englewood on Sunday morning, I can safely say that all the walkers were feeling fatigued. Since delirium had already set in from Saturday, it didn’t take much to try our patience.
As we walked up the same hills we came down, we kept asking “how many more”? The Avon Crew members did a great job trying to keep our morale up. At one point, as we’re walking through the quiet streets of Englewood, we were told “go guys, you’re looking great, keep up the good work”. I then shouted back “yeah sure, you’ll tell us anything”, with a half smile to which everybody started laughing hysterically (at least we still had our sense of humor).
There are so many great stories that unfold during the Avon Walk. For me, meeting people from all over the country, all walks of life and sharing what brought us together is something that is hard to put into words but it is quite amazing.
As my team was trying to make it to lunch, a woman approached me and said “you look familiar” to which I responded, “so do you”. It turned out that I used to train her many years ago. She told me she recognized me by my muscles. I couldn’t help but laugh along with everyone else. It was great to see her after so many years because we had lost touch and she was so much fun to work with.
During lunch, I caught the end of a conversation that a woman in her 80’s was having with several women. It turned out that this older woman was walking by herself. I don’t know if she’s a survivor but I admired her for being there in the first place.
At around mile 10, I was so excited to see Frannie and Frannie’s Flock. Frannie is a spry woman of a certain age. She is dynamic and so inspiring to watch. Frannie is the woman my team and I walked behind last year at around mile 20 when we were complaining that we were hurting. When we saw Frannie walking and smiling, we looked at each other and started crying. If Frannie could make it, so could we. She was walking for her mom who was a breast cancer survivor for many years before losing her life at 92. When seeing Frannie this time, it gave me some much needed inspiration and made me aspire to want to be her when I grow up. 
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With a little less than 3 miles to go, Mikele and Pam wanted to pick up the pace to make it to the finish line. I was all for it. My heart went out to Pam because her blisters were really painful. I said okay and as soon as I picked up my pace my left knee gave out. It was the same leg that I developed the shin splints. I felt a sharp pain in my knee (I never felt that before) and the pain radiated down my leg. I wanted to let out a scream and start crying. Mikele and Pam looked at my face and knew I was in agony. They asked if I wanted to get swept by the crew and I said “No Way”. We made it that far and I was going to finish. I wanted them to go ahead because I felt bad for slowing down their pace but they refused and we continued on walking and limping as a team.
We saw the finish line up ahead and hundreds of people cheering for the walkers. As the three of us crossed the finish line we held each others hands high in the air and hugged and cried. We felt a sense of relief, “We Did It”. We all wished Anne was there but she crossed the finish line with us in spirit. Out of the four Avon Walks that I’ve done, this by far was the most physically and emotionally challenging. It was also the most fun.
I would just like to say that without the love and support of my family, mostly my husband who’s always cheering me on from the sidelines even during my training walks and suggested I wear a GPS system , my friends and colleagues, this would not be possible. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart and truly appreciate the support.
Love,
Jaena
203c
My Last Training Walk
Posted on October 1, 2007
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I did it!!!! I went for a 14 mile walk on Sunday which took me four hours. I didn’t break my stride at all (except to go to the bathroom). It was a gorgeous day and I felt really great. I ended up walking right in the midst of the Westchester Triathlon. People were cheering and I felt the excitement until they saw me walking away from the other competitors then the cheering died down.
The Avon Walk for Breast Cancer is this Saturday and Sunday, October 6th & 7th. I’m ready, I’m psyched and a little nervous. There will be thousands of people walking for the same cause. I can tell you from past experience that it will be a very emotional and long weekend. However, it is a great experience.
The baseball playoffs always take place during the Walk and this year is no different with the Yankees and Red Sox making it to the postseason. There are a lot of Yankee fans walking that walk and we long to hear scores from people coming out of sports bars. My husband calls me often and keeps me posted. When he gives me the updates, I yell out to the other walkers and we either cheer or become anxious.
I am quite proud of my fundraising efforts although I wasn’t as agressive as I’ve been in the past. To date, I have raised over $3,100 and the donations are still coming in. I thank all of those who have supported me for this very important cause. I will let you know how the weekend turns out. Stay Tuned!!!