AVON WALK...DONE!

It took close to 15 hours over 2 days, but on July 12-13, my Avon Walk team and I walked 39 miles and raised nearly $12,000 for breast cancer research and treatment. Overall, the SF Avon Walk raised about 7.5 million dollars, which went to various research centers and treatment facilities in the Bay Area.


When we got to the starting line bright and early Saturday morning, we were all a bundle of nerves and excitement, our minds on the physical challenge ahead. A competitive person by nature, I was determined to walk every inch of the 39 miles and as fast as possible (we aren't "allowed" to run, or I would have tried). But as thousands of men and women affected by breast cancer gathered together in Golden Gate Park, the real importance of the walk sunk in. I looked around at the pictures of family members and friends attached to backpacks and hats and thought about the loved ones in my life who have been affected by breast cancer.

With a deep breath and linked arms, our team began the walk. With different loved ones in heart and mind, but with a common goal, in the words of the Avon Walk motto, "For One Day, We Walked As One."

Along the route, the Avon Walk kept us fully supplied with snacks and water, which I hoarded like a Depression-era packrat, assuming that I'd really need them around mile 24 (my personal favorite was the peanut and jelly filled graham crackers! Yum!). With 26 miles to cover on Saturday, our team had a lot of time to talk and bond. After we exhausted all the typical topics that arise in conversation with fellow girls (boys, family, work, and boys), we began asking questions that hit a little deeper. My favorite was, "What is one thing you believed as a child that you now know is not true?" The responses were across the board, including "That everyone was married by 25 and had a child by 27," "that everyone was on their own and financially stable by 25," and "that if you exercise, eat right, and take care of yourself, you will never get sick."



Throughout the day, we walked over, under, and through some of the most scenic sites in the Bay Area, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, and finishing at Chrissy Field. After 26 miles on Saturday, the most welcome site was seeing the Welcome Village, where we would spend the night in tents. I had the unusual and most welcome experience of showering in a "shower truck," which essentially looked like a big Uhaul truck filled with shower stalls. We got cleaned up, ate a meal of spaghetti, and crawled into our tent for the best night's sleep I've had in a long time.

Up early the next morning, with sore muscles, blisters, and little energy, we trudged on to walk another 13 miles. We climbed Potrero Hill, hiked around Noe Valley, and eventually came within site of the finish line in Golden Gate Park. With tears in our eyes and holding on to teammates for physical support more than emotional, we shuffled along, telling jokes along the way to take our mind off the pain in our legs and feet. We crossed the finish line. All the emotions we had bottled up to make it through the walk came spilling out. Tears of physical pain, emotional strain, and of a vague realization of what we had accomplished together. And for some, tears of closure or loss.

The Walk was an incredible experience I'll never forget. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for supporting me along the way. Despite my generous use of words in this message, this experience meant more than words can say.

GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!

I've hit my fundraising goal for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!! Hooray! An enormous thank you to each and every person who supported me, either monetarily or emotionally, throughout the fundraising.

$1800 seemed so incredibly daunting at first. Before registering, I read all the fine print and details on what would happen if I couldn't come up with enough money in time. Luckily, the worst case scenario is that I wouldn't be able to actually participate in the walk; but the money I raised, however much, would still be donated to support and research centers for breast cancer. While not walking would have been incredibly disappointing after months of fundraising and training, at least I didn't have to fear that my wages would be garnished and I'd be turned out of my home to make up my deficit.

So I registered. At first, the option of not making the goal still hovered in the back of my mind. $1800 just seemed like such a huge amount to raise! And I was never great at asking people for money. I never sold the most girl scout cookies or won the prizes for school fundraisers. I am definitely not a natural salesperson. So I kinda just let people know what I was doing and crossed my fingers. I have never been more astonished at the response. It was kinda like Obama's campaign. Little donations started pouring in from everywhere, with a few folks giving a little extra. I am so amazed and appreciative of the generosity. Without sounding too cliche, I truly feel a renewed sense of faith in human-kind. (My faith had taken a little hit this year. My car was broken into, and my laptop was stolen recently.) But the tremendous out-pouring of support convinced me that the majority people are generally good and kind and have reminded me how blessed I am to have so many great friends and family members in my life.

Donors of the Day:
My uncle and aunt, Scott and Robin! Always so wonderfully supportive, my aunt and uncle's incredibly generous donation was the one that put me above my goal! Thank you for helping me have the opportunity to participate in this event. Your love and support mean so much to me. I hope we can all get together soon for a trip to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon!

Run Forrest!

I had to title a post that because nearly every time I do a training run/walk, someone smart alec kid yells it at me. Speaking of training runs, I enjoyed a fun 4 mile jog yesterday at the Forward Motion running club in Danville. We ran along a lovely route on Iron Horse Trail, and thanks to a great tip I got from a Prefontaine video I watched recently, I felt much better overall at the end. Here is that golden bit of information that I wish someone had told me earlier:

TIP: While running or walking, push your hips forward as though someone is pushing forward on the small of your back.

This was amazing for relieving pressure on my lower back, knees, and lungs. It is really incredible how one tiny adjustment can make everything so much easier.

Donor of the Day:
Today's donor is my wonderfully supportive boss, Sara Jane Todd. Even with a little baby on the way, she supported me in the walk and has even offered to join me on one in the future! Thanks a ton for everything! Your lil one is absolutely adorable! :)

To become a Donor of the Day, pledge your support online at: http://www.avonwalk.org - click on Make a Donation – then click Donate to a Participant – then click San Francisco 2008 and search for LAURA PEXTON.

"Training Walk" at Bay to Breakers

I'm considering yesterday's Bay to Breakers 12K a training walk for the Avon Walk. However, for those of you who've done B2B or have seen the video footage of this "race," you know how ridiculous it is to consider this training for anything other than increased alcohol tolerance.

This was my first B2B experience, and it was much crazier than I expected. The best description I can offer is that it seemed to be a very long, walking, frat party. Nearly everyone was wearing costumes, which ranged from elaborate vikings complete with a moving boat to what I can only presume to have been an Adam and/or Eve costume before the apple was eaten. (Use your imagination.)

One of my favorite costumes was a group of running protesters who carried signs with sayings such as, "If you run, the terrorists win." and "Running is a gateway drug." and "What are you running from?" Very clever!

Despite the enormous amounts of alcohol consumed by the walkers, and the overall feeling of lawlessness (I did not see a single police officer throughout the whole walk), the walk seemed to carry on peacefully and enthusiastically. The one fight I did see break out was quickly settled by other walkers who stepped in to prevent any violence. That was a breath of fresh air. I recalled images of fights in high school when everyone would just gather around and morbidly wait for blood to be drawn. This crowd, however, was just hoping to participate in a peaceful celebration and were not going to tolerate a few rowdy people ruining their day.

So while the calories I may have worked off were probably simultaneously reapplied with each sip of my malibu/cranberry juice (my alcoholic beverage of choice), I did feel sore at the end of the "race," so I consider this an effective and terribly entertaining training walk!

Donor of the Day:
Today's donors are my wonderful friends and B2B walking buddies, Kelly and Jodi! Thank you both for your donations and support! I had so much fun walking with you yesterday and witnessing the craziness of Bay to Breakers first-hand. The 70s ballers costumes were great! What should we be next year?

A great idea

With only $285 dollars left to fundraise in order to reach the requirement for the Avon Walk ($1800), I was doing some serious brainstorming to come up with new ideas to raise the money. My friend, Crystal, had a brilliant suggestion. Why not just ask everyone I know for one dollar? Then they can forward the email to everyone they know, and eventually, all those dollars will add up to $285!

I immediately began composing my email to all my friends. Just $1! Oh, and in return for your donation, I will highlight a donor a day on this new blog and will write the names of every donor on a shirt I'll wear the day of the walk. I added tons of emails and clicked Send!

No sooner had I sent the email than I received several responses that said that they were unable to donate $1. Or even $5. The Avon site kept saying "invalid." Well, that's weird. I sent an email to my walker buddy to see what the problem was. A technical glitch, perhaps? Much to my surprise, my buddy said there is, in fact, a minimum donation of $10. Super. And I just sent an email to everyone I know asking for $1! Oops! Quite the fundraising backfire. Note to self: Always make sure people are actually able to donate the amount I ask of them. Sorry everyone!

Donor of the Day:
I want to highlight my wonderful friend and ex-roommate, Crystal, for her great idea! Even if it actually wasn't technically feasible, it was a wonderful thought and I really appreciate it! Thanks so much for all your help and endless supply of brilliant ideas!

To become a Donor of the Day, pledge your support online at: http://www.avonwalk.org - click on Make a Donation – then click Donate to a Participant – then click San Francisco 2008 and search for LAURA PEXTON.

You're the Tops. You're the Tower of Pizza.

I can't begin to express how grateful I am to each and every person who has helped support me in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. And while I do plan to highlight and thank my donors here, I am determined to refrain from turning this blog into a glorified Oscar acceptance speech. :)

I'll share crazy training stories (like the training walk in SF when we cruised by a man simultaneously walking his dog and shaving his head with an electric razor), moments of inspiration (like when I went to the first Avon Walk expo and saw husbands and family members thanking strangers for their support), and maybe even a few tips and tricks I pick up along the way that may help another Avon walker, fundraiser, or athlete.

Donor(s) of the Day:
And the first donor high-five goes to...who else? My parents! Thanks, guys! You're the best! I am so grateful to have your support. In return for your generosity, I'll get back to playing the piano. Of course, as always, you were right. I should never have quit. Love you!

To become a Donor of the Day, pledge your support online at: http://www.avonwalk.org - click on Make a Donation – then click Donate to a Participant – then click San Francisco 2008 and search for LAURA PEXTON.

THANK YOU!!