My PINK Family

Hopefully you've enjoyed my past several posts about the Dallas 3 Day. (Maybe even enough to sign up to walk or volunteer one day?) As I bring things to a close I want to write a little bit about friendships.

Prior to me joining my 3 Day team, Angels for the Cure, I had never been a part of an organized team before. I didn't play sports in high school or college and my team participation has been limited to corporate America. When I joined the Angels in 2009, I never imagined the genuine friendships that I would make. And I never thought about the PINK family that I would be joining with other 3 Day participants.

I’m sure you've all heard about Superstorm Sandy that made landfall last week. I work for an insurance company with their catastrophe response division and my scheduled time off for the Dallas 3 Day was in jeopardy of being cancelled. In the end everything worked to my advantage and I was able to keep my scheduled time off. Although it’s probably hard to understand, I know that I would have been heartbroken had I not been able to be at the 3 Day this past weekend. I really wanted to be there for my team mates knowing how hard they had trained for the event, and to be able to give them the support that they needed.

Over the past few years, I have been able to meet more of my PINK family through Facebook and Twitter. I’ll be the first to admit that I was a bit hesitant to ‘friend’ people who I didn’t actually know. But the commonality that we all share is our passion to find a cure for breast cancer (which will lead to a cure for other cancers).

While at the event I had the chance to finally meet the following people:

·         

      Mark – Mark and I first connected on Facebook through pictures that he took during the Dallas 3 Day a year or two ago. Over the past year we started following one another on Twitter. And we were finally able to meet on Day 1 of the walk! Mark's wife is also a Survivor.

Me and Mark at Opening Ceremony

·         D’Lyn – D’Lyn and I first connected over Twitter. She is a member of Team Tiara and they were promoting a website called Pinktober365.com. The focus is that breast cancer isn't just the month of October and that it is every day of the year. D'Lyn also lost her mother to breast cancer. I ended up submitting my PINK story which lead me to be connected to…

Me and D'Lyn

·         Mike – Mike and I are very recent Twitter followers. Although Mike read my story on Pinktober365 and made a donation to my 3 Day account earlier this year. It wasn’t until we connected on Twitter that I put two and two together. (And on a side note, Mike made a commitment to donate to 100 walkers this year…WOW!!!)

·         Betsy – Betsy and I are also Twitter followers. And at the last minute I realized that she was in Dallas as a crew member for the 3 Day. So on the final day of the event I stopped by the pit stop she was crewing at so we could meet face to face.

·         Jay – Jay and I are Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare friends.To be honest, I can’t remember which came first or how any of it came to be. Jay and I first met face to face in DC about a month ago when I walked there. He wasn’t hard to find since he wears a pink construction hat. What I didn’t realize is that he was going to be at the Dallas 3 Day….in disguise! Jay a.k.a. Pink Man Walking walked the event in a motorcycle helmet and didn’t unveil himself until he walked into holding at the end of the walk. If I had been a bit smarter I should have figured all of this out when he took my picture at Camp on Friday night and posted it to my Facebook page!

Jay a.k.. Pink Man Walking

Believe me, I have definitely come out of my social media shell. And since I took a lot of pictures during the 3 Day and posted them to the Dallas 3 Day Facebook page, I have made some more new friends!

And just in case any of you are interested in even more random things from me, you can find me on Facebook (Shannon Underwood), Twitter (indygirl_1997) or Foursquare (indygirl_1997).

Walker Stalking

If you’ve been following my posts for the past several days, you already know that I was at the Susan G. Komen Dallas 3 Day Walk. And yes, it was AMAZING! There’s so much to talk about that I am going to try to devote the next few days to different elements of my experience. Today is about Walker Stalking (and the only time that it is acceptable to stalk another person!).

Since I started walking the 3 Day in 2009, this was the first year that I haven’t walked in my home city of Dallas. I decided early on that I wanted to be a Walker Stalker for my team, Angels for the Cure. In case you’re wondering what a ‘Walker Stalker’ is it’s a person who’s out during the walk to cheer on the walkers as they continue on their 60 mile journey. And I had a blast! 

My official duties started early on Friday morning meeting the majority of the walkers at our team captain’s home. From there we left in a small convey to the Opening Ceremony were the official walk would begin. The energy was high while walkers were reunited with other walkers and waited for Open Ceremony to begin.


Summa and Debra on the bus

Before I knew it the walkers were off and we were cheering them out from the Opening Ceremony! On my team we had a lot of first time walkers which made me think back to my very first walk and the combination of anxiousness, fear, and happiness that I felt as I took my first steps.

My team, Angels for the Cure, before the walk started

Throughout the three days of the walk, there are seven official cheering stations for spectators to come cheer the walkers on (and countless unofficial places where people just come out to cheer on the walkers). My personal goal was to be at all of the official cheering stations from the time they started until they closed to cheer on all of the walkers. All of my team mates knew that there would be a group of team Walkers Stalkers at every cheering station in case they needed to drop off anything or pick up anything. My group of Walker Stalkers had water, Gatorade, chips, and candy for the walkers to stop by to get if they needed it. And Friday turned out to have temperatures in the high 80’s which was unseasonably warm for Dallas!

The great thing about being at the cheering stations was that by the end of the first day, I was seeing some of the same walkers over and over and they were noticing me too. It was nice because it gave me people to look forward to see (other than my team mates) and to check to see how they were doing or if they needed anything.

This is Dali supporting Angels for the Cure at a cheering station

This is Molly a.k.a. Pink Stuff. The walkers LOVED stopping by and taking pictures with her!

Before I knew it Day 1 of the walk was over and I was cheering walkers into Camp. I ended up going into Camp to see my team mates and have dinner with them too. By time I left camp, it was 9 p.m. And by time I was able to stop at the store to get more Gatorade, rearrange my car, and get myself something to eat it was around midnight before I went to bed. Whew! Talk about a long, yet exciting day!

On Days 2 (and 3) I got up early to cheer the walkers out of camp. It was great to see the walkers first thing and wish them a strong day of walking. Especially since Day 2 is typically a longer route and the hardest day for the walkers. I was also able to get some great shots of them as they started their day and give out lots of hugs!

Day 2 was probably as hot as Day 1 of the walk. My group of team Walker Stalkers had even more water and Gatorade to pass out, and we were making a point to let the walkers know we had it. Thankfully the 3 Day is one big family and we share things with all walkers, not just our team mates.

On day 2 I did have a chance to drive the route a bit to cheer on walkers form my car. I ended up stopping about a mile from the camp site to cheer walkers in for their final mile of the day. Remembering how tough Day 2 has been for me, I knew the extra cheer would go a long way. There was a small group of us cheering, and you could see the walkers spirits lift when they saw us.

A Mother and Daughter Team that I met on Day 1. Here they are gettin ready for their last mile on Day 2 of the walk.

Finally Day 3 was here! Day 3 is great since its shorter route miles and the walkers know that the end of their journey is near. My team had a private cheering station along the route, and we had a pretty good turnout of family and friends for it. My former manager even came out, and I think she might have been bitten with the 3 Day bug as she is talking about actually walking next year!

I went to the very end of the route to cheer my team in to the Holding Area. I was beyond proud when I saw them all walk in together and the big smiles on their faces. As I started to cheer them in and hug them, the tears started out of happiness for them. Believe me, it’s hard not to get emotional watching the entire group of walkers walk in knowing how much they have gone through with training for the walk, actually walking 60 miles, walking through blisters and other injuries, and whatever their personal connection to breast cancer might be.

I’ll have to admit that I might be bitten by the Walker Stalker bug! I think that it’s a great way to show love and support to the other walkers. And I’m already thinking about doing it again next year. Instead of walking two cities every year, I think I’m going to focus on always cheering on the walkers in Dallas, and then walking in another city.

Dallas/Ft. Worth SGK 3 Day Walk - Day 3

Here are some pictures from Day 3 of the walk...

Me and Smooch waiting for Day 3 to begin so we can cheer on the walkers!
 



Me and my Twitter friend Dy'Lyn, I was so happy to finally meet her at the walk!

Me and Kim a.k.a Pinky

 




Showing off our bras!

Dallas/Ft. Worth SGK 3 Day Walk - Day 2

Just a few pictures from Day 2 of the walk....

Me and my Walker Stalker mobile are ready!

 

Maryiln, Dr. Sheri Phillips (National Spokesperson for the 3 Day) and me at one of the cheering stations

 

Tina, Smooch and Dayzee - three of my wonderful team mates ready to cheer on some walkers!

 

A mother and daughter team that I had the pleasure of meeting on Day 1, and cheered them all through Day 2. This picture was a mile from the end of the day for them. Fabulous ladies!

Dallas/Ft. Worth SGK 3 Day Walk - Day 1

Just a few pictures that I took from Day 1 at the SGK Dallas/Ft. Worth Walk!

 

This picture sums up what the 3 Day Family is about....we have big hearts and we take the walk one step at a time. It's so cool how the walkers, crew, and spectatorsare brought together for three days of kindness and pinkness!

 
Me and my new friend Lollie. She's a beautiful Labordoodle who belongs to the family of one of my team mates. And yes, she LOVED posing for pictures with EVERYONE!

Two of my wonderful team mates Smooch and Cheryl! They were out cheering everyone on. Love these ladies!

 The pink sparkle bra makes its debut! And yes, there were a few photo opps involved too!

 

DC Bound

The big day is finally here…I’m headed to Washington, DC this morning for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Walk!

Even though this will be my sixth walk, I’m looking forward to it with as much excitement and anticipation as I have all of the others. I’m excited about going to our nation’s capital for one thing. I haven’t been there since probably 1987 (wow, am I dating myself!) when my Dad was graduating from the FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. And the presidential election is mere weeks away. I am certain that the city is bustling with lots of extra added energy based on that fact alone. And now throw in hundreds of walkers and crew members fighting breast cancer? It’s going to be great!

I’m excited to be walking in this event with some of my really great friends from my Dallas walking team. This will be the second year that we have traveled together for a walk and I know we’ll have a great time. We’re going in early before the walk and staying later after the walk to take in some sites. It’s really going to be great to see some of the sites while on the walk. In case you want to get an idea of where I’ll be walking, here’s a journey map for you to check out.

The biggest reason I’m excited is the impact that my PINK family will make on creating awareness about breast cancer and raising money to find a cure for breast cancer (which will certainly lead to a cure for all types of cancer). Breast cancer has personally impacted my family and the families of a lot of my friends. It's time to find a cure!

If you’re on Facebook please send me a friend request and you’ll be able to check out what I’m doing. I’m also on twitter as @indygirl_1997.

See ya next week when I return!

You Wanna Do What?

Since 2009 I have been walking in the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure. And since that time all of my family and friends have probably heard a lot more about ‘The Walk’ than they have wanted to.  This year I have been blown away that a few of my friends have approached me about walking this year!

I know it might not sound like a big deal, but to me it is. The 3 Day has become so important to me for a few reasons. One, the awareness that the event creates is just amazing, and early detection is key with curing breast cancer. The 3 Day has also made me feel connected to something. When I moved to Dallas, I only knew a few people and I wasn’t involved in community events like I had been before making my current career choice.  I now have this amazing PINK family and my circle of friends grows through it.

I think I am even more amazed that somehow I have influenced my friends to want to be a part of the 3 Day. I do my best to tell them the good, the bad and the ugly about the event in order for them to make an informed decision. And to be honest, I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to walk my first year. All I knew is that once I had walked my last step into Closing Ceremony that I would be back again the following year. It certainly helped me to join a team that had members who had previously walked the event to answer all of my questions (and I had a lot of questions!).

One friend, A, did walk with me last year. Overall I think she was amazed by the event itself, yet she’ll probably admit that she could have trained a bit more than she did. I do my best to let my friends know that training makes the walk better, and they’ll still feel some aches and pains once it’s all over. But the aches and pains pale in comparison to the feeling they’ll have once the walk is finished.

So if you’re thinking about walking the 3 Day, let me know! I would love to answer any questions that you might have. And I’ll let you know later which of my friends decide to walk with me this year!

Pinktober365.com

I recently submitted my PINK story for a wonderful website, Pinktober365.com. The website is a collection of stories from breast cancer survivors and breast cancer warriors, and the goal is to create a daily awareness for breast cancer. If you know of anyone who would like to share their PINK story, please let me know and I can place you in contact with the website's creator. The following, is my PINK story:

It has been said that someone doesn't become passionate about something until it affects them personally. Finding a cure for breast cancer is personal to me...my grandmother, my great aunt (my grandmother’s sister), my aunt, and stepmother are all breast cancer survivors!

I have always walked and volunteered for the local Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure events in cities that I live in. Once I learned about the Susan G. Komen 3-Day I really wanted to walk it. But there was never a walk close enough to where I lived. Then my luck changed...I relocated to Dallas, Texas!

In January 2009 when I first registered for the 3-Day, I had no idea about the journey I was beginning. During the next 10 months I learned so much about myself, the things that are really important in life, and what I can do when I put my mind to it. I also learned of many more friends and friends of friends who had won the fight against breast cancer.

As I walked the last mile of my first 3-Day in November 2009, I kept saying to myself over and over "I can't believe I just walked 60 miles!". I also knew that it wouldn't be the last 60 miles that I would walk to find a cure for breast cancer.

Including my first walk in Dallas in 2009, I have walked five different events in three different cities (Dallas ’09, ’10 & ‘11, Chicago ‘10, and Tampa ‘11). I have walked multiple cities in a year, including walking back to back events in 2011. All of the walks are special to me, although walking Chicago in 2010 tops the list. While my stepmom and I were training for the walk, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She was six weeks post-op from her mastectomy when we walked, and she was able to participate in the Survivor’s Circle for opening and closing ceremonies. And the cherry on top was having all of my family there to cheer us on and experience it with us.

I walk for my family members and friends who have beat this disease. I walk for all of the fighters of this disease who I will never have the honor to meet. I walk for the awareness and education the 3-Day event creates in communities. I walk because I know that one day a cure for breast cancer will be found!

Consider doing something extraordinary and join my PINK 3-Day family for the 2012 Susan G. Komen 3-Day!

Friday the 13th Update

A few days ago I posted that I received my first ever mammogram. The following is the message that I received from my OB/GYN today:

I hope you are doing well! I am happy to inform you that your mammogram is within normal limits. Please continue yearly screening.

 So see, great things can happen on Friday the 13th!

First Mammogram

I typically don't write about things too personal, although today I have decided to. (And I promise that I won't get too personal either!) Today I went to get my mammogram. Actually I should say my first mammogram. EVER.

Over dinner tonight I told a really good friend that I went to have my first mammogram. She just looked at me for a few seconds before saying 'I am really surprised to hear you say that. I thought if anyone had had a mammogram, that it would be you.' Later when I shared my news with my mother, she also said that she was surprised. She too assumed that I had been getting a yearly mammogram.

The reason for the surprised responses from my friend and my mother is that I have been a breast cancer awareness advocate for as long as I can remember. I have participated in too many to count Susan G. Komen for the Cure Walks; and over the past three years, I have participated in 5 Susan G. Komen 3 Day Walks raising over $10,000 to create awareness and find a cure for breast cancer. And more importantly, breast cancer runs in my family.

To be honest, I don't have a reason for why I have never had a mammogram before today. Yes, my OB/GYN has repeatedly talked to me about it. And no, I wasn't afraid to have a mammogram. And most importantly, I know first hand that early detection is key since this is the reason that my family members and friends are survivors of this deadly disease.

I share my story with you today to create awareness and with the hope that you will not prolong having your yearly mammogram or to encourage someone you know to have theirs. A mammogram only takes 15 minutes...15 minutes that can give you with a lifetime.

2011 Dallas 3 Day Walk

The night before every 3 Day Walk is kinda like the night before Christmas for me. There is so much excitement, anticipation, and anxiousness for what the next three days will bring! I was feeling a lot of anxiousness since I had just walked in Tampa the previous weekend, and I didn't know if I would be able to walk all of the miles in Dallas. I was excited to walk in Dallas with my team, Angels for the Cure, and my friend (and first time walker!) Adrianne.

Adrianne and I arrived at Opening Ceremony and it was cold! But like the rain in Tampa couldn't dampen my spirit, neither could the cold temperatures in Dallas. There was so much excitement in the air! We took pictures, danced and waited for Opening Ceremony to begin. Four members of my team participated in Opening Ceremony which was really awesome!

One of my team members in the Survivors Circle

Walking out from Opening Ceremony there were so many people there to support and and cheer everyone on! The spectators in Dallas really come out, especially with the first day being a Friday. The schools are kind and they allow the students to come out to cheer us on. The angel wings we wear are always a hit with the kids (heck, even the adults too!).

When we arrived at camp I was able to show Adrianne around since we wouldn't be spending the night at camp. I'm not a camper and neither is Adrianne, so we opted to stay at the Crowne Plaza. We ate dinner at camp and then headed to our 'camp' for the night. Just the thought of a comfortable bed was all that I needed!

Day 2 started nice and early for us. We arrived at camp in time to have breakfast and talk to other walkers. One of the walkers shared a story with us about the fall he had on Day 1 (very soon this will become quite coincidental). From the scrapes he had on his head I could tell it was a painful fall. Yet he was there to walk on behalf of his wife who was fighting breast cancer. As Adrianne and I left camp, I was was talking to her when I decided to walk right off the track we were walking on and took a tumble myself! I hit the ground hard,and thankfully I aimed for the grass and not the track we were walking on. As I lay there I was silently praying that nothing was broken since I put my hand out to brace my fall (I know, bad move!). My right hand was in a lot of pain, yet I could kind of slowly bend my fingers and move my hand and wrist so I knew nothing was broken. I decided to forgo seeing Medical (I had miles to walk and wasn't going down over being clumsy!) and keep pressing on.

Adrianne was beginning to feel some of the affects from walking Day 1. She wanted to walk slower which was fine with me since I was starting on mile 80 of my 120 mile journey (in a weird way I think my painful hand helped me forget about my sore tootsies). Thankfully I had some personal spectators in the crowd today! My friends Tanya and Claire came out with fabulous signs and smiles to cheer us on.

Adrianne, Clare, and Tanya

As the day progressed on, we were moving slower and slower and I started worrying about staying on pace with the route time. Adrianne started experiencing blisters that she had been self treating but wanted to go to Medical to have them treat them. I encouraged her to take one of the sweep vans to go to the next Pit Stop and gain us some time on the route. But by time I made it to the Pit Stop, she decided she was done walking for the day. I decided to continue on since it was important to me to walk all 120 miles. So I set off to finish the remaining 10 miles. During the 3 Day one is never walking alone, and I met up with some other walkers to finish out the day. Then it was off to the Crowne Plaza for a hot shower and a good nights sleep!

Day 3 started and I knew we were in for a long day. My body was starting to feel like it had walked 100 miles and Adrianne's blisters were giving her lots of problems. Thankfully we only had 15 miles to walk (ok, I know that's still a loooong distance!) and I knew we could get through it. I did meet an amazing man, Jim, who is walking all 14 cities this year! Yes, that means 840 miles....unbelievable!!! So when I want to complain about anything, I just think about Jim and what he is accomplishing one step at a time.

The amazing Jim!

As we continued walking Adrianne and her tootsies were not doing well. She decided to take a sweep van and I would met her at lunch. We fueled up and decided we had plenty of time to walk leisurely to make it in. As always it is such a wonderful feeling to see that there is only one mile left to go!

1 mile to go! I can hardly believe that I have walked 120 miles!

We made it to Fair Park and then waited for the rest of the team to make it in. Then a big group of us walked in together. I can never explain what a wonderful feeling it is to walk into holding. This year it was a mix of emotions for me: I thought about all of the people I met during the 3 Day, actually walking 120 miles, the survivors that I walk for, the people frightening this disease that I will never know, and just doing something amazing to make a difference!

In case you're wondering, yes I am going to walk next year AND I have already signed up. I've already decided that I will only walk one city. Stay tuned to see which city that will be!

2011 Tampa 3 Day for the Cure Walk

By now everyone who knows me knows that the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure is 'just my thing'. Who knew that walking 60 miles over 3 days would be something that I would enjoy doing?

This year I decided to walk in Tampa and Dallas. Although I knew the walks were back to back weekends (yes, that means walking 120 miles over the course of 10 days), I don't think I realized that I would have so much going on in my life right before the Tampa walk (the last week of classes for my masters program and ending a seven month work assignment). Nonetheless, I was looking forward to each and every step! I walked in Tampa with three friends from my Dallas 3 Day team, Angels for the Cure. In the end, I can't think of three better people to have shared this 120 mile journey with.

Getting ready to leave for Opening Ceremony

Day 1 of the walk started with rain although it would take a lot more than rain to dampen our spirits...we came too far for rain to keep us inside! The first day of the walk was beautiful walking in the Clearwater area. The spectators were pretty awesome too!

After a good first day of walking, we headed into camp to set up our tents for the night. Unfortunately the cot I rented to sleep on didn't have all of its parts, and I ended up sleeping on a pile of sleeping bags for comfort. Once I was able to get comfortable I was able to drift right off to sleep.

Our tents

Day 2 of the walk also started with a little rain, and some fatigue. Sleeping on sleeping bags didn't allow for the most comfortable night of sleep that I've ever had. One of the bright spots of the day was meeting Judy, one of my 'I've never met before Facebook friends'. Judy and I 'met' through a mutual 3 Day and Facebook friend Barbara (who I actually have met - long story - although Judy has never met Barbara in person) and had hopes of meeting up during the walk. Judy found me by the pink sock monkey that was attached to my fanny pack. We were able to talk and walk for several miles which helped the time to pass.

The Day 2 scenery was as equally beautiful as the day before, yet my tootsies were beginning to say 'Do you really think we can walk the next 80 miles ahead of us?'. I was beginning to have my own doubts too. By time I got to camp, I knew the tent wasn't going to work for me. I ended up getting a hotel room for the night which certainly helped! I asked my teammates to join me, but they wanted to stay to camp.

Day 3 was met with much excitement since it meant that half of our 120 mile journey would be completed! The four of us took our time and just enjoyed the walk. Although our happiest moment was probably seeing the sign that said we were one mile from holding also known as the end of the walk!

1 mile to go!

Walking Tampa was an awesome and emotional experience that I will never forget. It started with seeing a male survivor at Opening Ceremony in the Survivors Circle, all of the people I encountered during the three days, and ended knowing that I helped to create awareness for breast cancer education and finding a cure.

Finished with our 3 Day shirts

On the flight home, I couldn't help but think 'The Dallas 3 Day Walk is in 4 days...can I do this again???'

Dallas Rock ‘N’ Roll ½ Marathon

After the Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure Walk in Dallas last November, I was given a coupon for a free registration for the Dallas Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure. (“Free” that I didn’t have to pay the $85 registration fee, although I did commit to raise a minimum of $250 for Susan G. Komen.) This past weekend the big event finally got here!

On Friday I kicked off the weekend by volunteering at the expo for the race. This is where race participants picked up their race bib, event shirt, swag bag, and visit vendor booths for all things fitness related. Race expos are a great way to prepare for a future event (let’s say the 3 Day!) since there are vendors who offer GREAT discounts on running and walking gear. My local outfitter, Luke’s Locker was there, and I was able to get my 2011 3 Day shoes and new socks for 20% off! You might be thinking that the prices are inflated for the expo, at Luke’s Locker they were not. It always helps to know what you need and what you would normally pay before going to an expo (or any type of shopping) to know if you are really getting a deal or not.

My volunteer assignment was to hand out race bibs for participants who decided to participate in the Susan G. Komen Marathon for the Cure. This was pretty cool since there was a special VIP pink table set up for the participants. It was also a great way for me to meet other 3 Day Walkers and Crew. In addition to the event shirt, SGK also provided Marathon for the Cure participants a special event shirt and VIP parking for race day. And did I forget to mention a very cool pink race bib to wear during the race (picture to follow later)!

On race day, Susan G. Komen had a special meeting place at a local downtown hotel. Race participants met there, took a team picture, and then walked out together to the start line of the race. Everyone was honored for their fundraising commitment in addition to pumping up the crowd for the race. I met up with my walking team, Angels for the Cure, and we were ready to begin!

As many people know, I do not consider myself an athlete. Walking in the ½ marathon was a personal challenge for me since this is a competitive race for runners. Walkers are able to participate as long as they can complete the event in 4 hours. So needless to say, this is no leisurely walk full of stopping to take pictures and eating snacks every 2 – 3 miles like the 3 Day! I had been training for the race, but not nearly as much as I wanted. Although I was determined that I would complete the race before the course closed. And I am happy to report that I did finish!



My official chip time was 3:59:01. I consider my time to be 3:45:00 which considers the stops that were made along the way…like the McDonald’s stop that my team mates just had to make.:-)

Although I am a wee bit sore today (a 2 hour massage earlier today really helped), this didn’t stop me from thinking about my next ½ marathon. The Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon Series has marathon and half marathon races all over the country, some benefiting a different charitable organization like Susan G. Komen (the next SGK marathon event is a week after the Dallas 3 Day…I don’t think I am going to be that adventurous to sign up for that one!). Stay tuned, I just might sign up for another one later this year!