Avon 39: The Recap

Yes, the sign at the finish line says I crushed it. I feel a bit more like I survived it, but either way, it's over!

I did a brief update during the walk, but here’s the long and involved recap of the weekend, including at the bottom tips for other (crazy) people considering taking on this endeavor!

Saturday

Saturday morning the Opening Ceremony began at 6:15 and the walk started at 6:45 at Pier 97 on the West Side of New York. I took a cab over from my hotel and arrived there around 6:30, in time to hear really touching stories from survivors and those who have lost loved ones to breast cancer. The CEO of Avon Products spoke as well, and told us she’d be out there walking with us for her 5th Avon Walk. For those who don’t know, my mom was an “Avon Lady” for most of my childhood so the fact that they sponsor this walk and are so supportive of breast cancer research is actually a nice tie in for me.

 A lot of people who do this walk do it in memory or honor of a specific person in their life who has fought breast cancer. While my motivation was more general, finding a cure and supporting those currently fighting, I did have a number of women in my life who have been impacted and they were on my mind during the walk. Family members, friends, the mother's of two close friends, current and former neighbors, current and former coworkers - women from all aspects of my life. 

the slow, crowded start

There were around 4,000 people participating in the Walk, (my guess is 75-80% women) from 44 states and DC. I ended up talking to a few women on the course who had come from Bermuda to do it, so perhaps there were other countries represented as well! It was amazing to see the big crowds, but less so when we officially kicked off and all had to walk the first three miles along the Hudson River Greenway, a two lane walking/bike path. It was slow going at first and very bottlenecked with people trying to get by. We exited the riverfront walk at 115th street and then started heading south again, still in Riverside Park, but along Riverside Drive until the park ended at 72nd Street.

After exiting the park we zig zagged through the city, mostly staying on the west side on 9th and 10th avenues, down into lower Manhattan to Hudson, then Bleeker, then Lafayette Streets. It’s funny, this is the part of the city I never seem to stay in, but almost always eat in when I’m in New York. It was nice to walk through some neighborhoods I had a tiny bit of familiarity with and be able to remember seeing Ron Pope at the Bitter End with my friend Eleanor as I passed it, or being on the same streets I vividly remember walking with Samantha during our trip to NY a few years back or just blocks from where Nicolette and I had dinner the night before.

crossing the Brooklyn Bridge

From there we did something I had never done before – walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. It was pretty cool to see it up close and I loved the architectural detail, but it was SO crowded. Not just with the 4,000 walkers doing the Avon Walk, but mobs of other tourists and locals enjoying the gorgeous weather on a Fall day. Near the Brooklyn side of the bridge was the 13 mile mark and the lunch stop at 13.1 was immediately on the other side.

After I took longer than I should have as a lunch break (about 40 minutes) it was back to walking through Brooklyn Heights and onto the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which afforded some great views of Manhattan! We wound our way back around to the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge and used that to get back over the East River, the second, but not final time I’d cross that body of water on Saturday!

view of lower Manhattan from Brooklyn

View of the Brooklyn Bridge from the Manhattan Bridge

Back in Manhattan it was more zig zagging, all on the East Side trying to make our way north. We walked by Astor Place, Grammercy Park and eventually made our way up to Grand Central Terminal. This was near mile 20 and where my friend Nicolette was waiting to keep me company! She walked with me for about 2 miles and it was so nice to have someone to keep me moving, in addition to the supportive and encouraging texts I was receiving from afar!

The final leg on Saturday was past Gracie Mansion, the mayor's house, and then along the East River to Randall's Island where Basecamp 39 was set up. This was the last time for crossing the East River and involved a steep ramp to get to the top of that bridge and then a short, but steep hill *just* before the actual finish line. Not cool Avon Walk planners! Not cool. 

Mile 26ish. Yes, I walked so long the sun rose and set while I was out there.

I finally crossed the finish line at 6:30 p.m., 11 hours and 45 min after starting. Ugh.

I took a shuttle bus back to the event hotel and then a cab to my hotel where, thanks to Nicolette, I rode the elevator up to my floor with the lovely man delivering our dinner, which was great as there was no way I was venturing out of the room the rest of the evening!

Sunday

Sunday morning started at 5:30 am again, with a complete reverse of Saturday night - cab from my hotel to the event hotel, then shuttle back to Randall's Island. I left the island Saturday night as it was getting dark and returned as it was getting light out! 

Crossing through Time Square

The first two miles on Sunday was a backtrack of Saturday night as well, but then once we got out of the park at 84^th street we started heading north to 110^th and ended up walking along the top of Central Park, back to Columbus Ave and started heading south again, with more zig zagging, over to Central Park West, through Columbus Circle and over to Sixth Ave, across the top of Time Square and then back to Eighth (or possibly Ninth) Ave to 22nd street and then back over to the West Side where we followed the trail along the Hudson, past The Intrepid, and back to Pier 97.

That makes it sound so simple and easy, but it wasn't. Sunday was HARD. The start wasn't bad, and I got through the first three miles in just under an hour, which was great, but the next 10 were sloooowww going. By 6 miles in I was contemplating hopping in the "sweep" van and getting a boost by cutting out a mile or so, and at another point  I seriously considered hailing a cab, but like it or not (I did not) I kept going. In the end it truly was circumstance that I actually completed 39.3 miles and not 35 or 36.

Why was it so hard this time? Last year was hard too, but this time I think being alone did make a big difference. I walked with other groups at times, and chatted with people here and there, but it wasn’t the same as doing the entire walk with a friend and being able to set a pace together and stick with it.

I also didn’t train as diligently as last year. I definitely made sure I got the long walks in, but those were always supposed to be followed by roughly half as long walks the next day and that just didn’t happen nearly as much as it should have this time.

But, as hard as it was, I did finish. And I even ventured out of the hotel Sunday evening to get a yummy dinner at my favorite NYC restaurant (Otto Enoteca) , which involved taking the subway and walking several blocks on either end of the trip.

Surprisingly, considering how bad I felt both Saturday and Sunday evenings, I woke up feeling pretty OK on Monday. I’d say I was at 80% at the start of the day and by evening the only time I really had discomfort was going up and down stairs. Since I had the time I ended up walking the mile and half from my hotel to Penn Station to get my train home. I definitely was surprised by how well I recovered!

And now… some random asides and tips:

• I never got any blisters, during training or the Walk. Amazing, I know. I did buy the expensive, running store socks (both Balega and Feetures – which advertise “No Blisters!” on the packaging) in the high cushion variety. I also changed socks midway through the walk on Saturday and wore different sneakers Saturday and Sunday.
• I’m pretty sure the fact that I kept going, heading out to dinner on Sunday night, walking to Penn Station Monday morning, really did help me recover faster. I wasn’t moving fast during those “keep going” times, but it kept my muscles from just locking up which helped.

It's amazing how many survivors
complete the walk each year

• I can see how people get swept up in the spirit of the event and worthiness of the cause and continue to do the event year after year. There were so many people on the course wearing pins indicating it was their 5th, 7th, 11th Avon Walk. I really really need to remember how time intensive the training was, how bad I felt at times during the event and just how hard it was to walk for so long. I don’t want to do this event again. Twice was definitely enough. But with a little space, and an easy recovery…. I can see why people keep coming back.

This man in the cow suit was one
of several volunteers I remember
from the DC Avon Walk!

• I would consider joining the “Crew” in the future. They have a pretty intense few days as well, but not the same as the walkers. I saw some of the same volunteers in NYC that were on the DC route which was pretty cool. The crew also has a fundraising requirement, though it’s not nearly as much money. That’s the door I’m leaving open for the future. Not the walking door. No, nope, not gonna happen.

And finally, in case anyone is actually still reading this marathon (and a half) of a post…

Thank you!

Your support and encouragement, via FB, texts and phone calls kept me going. You all believed in me
and that I could do it when I had some serious doubts on my end!

Your generosity is reason I was able to raise $4,148 to go towards breast cancer research and support for those currently in treatment. I’m proud of myself for walking the 39.3 miles, but I’m even more proud that I was able to raise those funds and I appreciate each and every donation I received.

13.1

I made it to the halfway point. Yay!

I have a ton of photos but can't seem to post them to the blog from my phone so they'll come later.

The route so far has been scenic for sure, going up the west side of NYC through Riverside Park, then across 72nd street to 9th Avenue and down 9th onto Bleeker, through Chelsea, the meat packing district, soho and then across the Brooklyn Bridge.

Lunch is just past the bridge and that's where I am now. Things are going slower than I expected - big bottlenecks of people at the start and crossing the bridge definitely slow things down!

I feel ok and hope the remaining 13.1 for today goes smoothly!

Thanks for all of the texts and FB posts, I truly appreciate the encouragement and support!!

Logistics & FAQ

As the walk quickly approaches I've had a lot of questions from friends and family about logistics and am happy to answer, as talking logistics is (dorky) one of my favorite things! 

Does the Avon Walk offer tracking like most marathons do these days?

Nope. But, if you have an iPhone and you really want to be able to see how I'm doing I'll turn on the "share my location" service with you for the weekend so you can follow my progress. I learned last time that's not especially helpful, since you won't have the full context of the route, but... the offer is there. 

You can also text me for updates, or check out social media. I'm sure I'll be posting to FB and instagram as I go. Last year I did a blog post at the half way point and then end and I plan to do that again as well. 

What is the route?

They don't tell us the specific route, there is a general map but it is missing lots of detail. We begin and end at West 57th & 12 Street at Hudson River's Park Pier 97. On day one we walk up the west side, along the Hudson up past Columbia University and into Upper Manhattan. Then we head back down, still on the West Side, through mid-town and into Lower Manhattan where we cross the Brooklyn Bridge into Brooklyn and then return on the Manhattan Bridge. From there it's up through the East Side of the city to Randall's Island, in the East River, which is where Base Camp 39 is. We start from Randall's Island on Day two and circuitously make our way back to Pier 97. Here's the link with the map if you 'd like to check it out. 

Are you doing this alone?

I am. My friend who walked it with me last year thinks I'm crazy to be doing it again. I agree. I do have a wonderful friend and former coworker Nicolette who is traveling to New York with me. She'll meet me at a few of the rest stops and walk along with me a bit, as the course is all open and on public sidewalks. She'll also be at the finish line on Sunday. I know I'll have a lot of support and cheers from far away, but it's SO nice to have someone who is able to be present!

Do you have to carry your own food? Do you take breaks?

As I learned last year, you are definitely well fed during this event. There are rest stops every 2-3 miles, some with just water and others with snacks. They have these great graham cracker pb&j sandwich things they hand out that are SO addictive. Lunch is set up at the half way point on day one and is a sandwich, fruit, chips, cookie bagged lunch. In terms of breaks, last time we did 30 min for lunch and no more than 10 min at any of the other rest stops. That will likely be the plan I try and follow again this time. 

What time do you think you'll finish the 26.2 miles and reach Base Camp 39?

I looked back at my time stamped photos from last year and we finished at 5:30. I'm not sure if I'll be faster or slower since I won't be walking the whole thing with a friend. I do think the fact that NYC isn't hilly will increase my pace some. Those crazy DC hills, especially by Sibley Hospital, certainly slowed me down last year!

What about on Sunday, when will you cross the finish line?

Based on last year I'm expecting to cross the finish line on Sunday between 12:30 and 1. 

Are you camping?

Nope. I don't camp under other circumstances so I'm certainly not going to walk 26 miles and then sleep on the ground. And then get up and walk 13 miles. Nope, nope, nope. I'll be staying at a hotel and taking a shuttle bus back and forth between there and Base Camp on Saturday evening/Sunday morning. 

Will you get to do anything fun in NYC? 

Well, we get into the city on Friday mid-day so I'll have a bit of time to be a tourist, and we are definitely planning for a yummy meal on Friday night. Nicolette leaves on Sunday late afternoon and I'm staying until Monday as I didn't think my muscles would like it very much if I sat on a train for 3 hours shortly after finishing the walk. If, and it's a very very big if, I'm feeling up to it I plan to get last minute tickets to a show Sunday night. It's hard to imagine spending 3 nights in NYC and not seeing a show, but.... sleep and not moving may win out. 

Can you believe you've raised so much money?

No, I am pretty blown away. When I set my stretch goal of $3600 it seemed possible, but still like a stretch. So to have met and exceeded that a few weeks out from the event, and now to be closing in on $4,000 raised. Wow. I'm thrilled. 

And, eager to get to see how much more I can raise between now and Sunday. So, if you haven't given yet, now's your chance... Stacy's Donation Page

Will you do this event again next year?

No. Absolutely not. I am done! I love the cause and raising funds for it, but committing to that much walking... nope. Not happening. Ever again. And I'd really like everyone reading this to hold me to that this time!!

But, you could do it in Chicago! Or Boston! or Santa Barbara! 

Nope. No. Not Happening.


Thanks again for all the love and support!

One Week!

If all goes as planned one week from now I'll be somewhere around mile 14 on the Avon Walk at this point.

I am definitely ready for it to be here, and to conquer it a second time. As of now the weather forecast is looking great, mid 60s, sunny the first day, partly cloudy the second.

And my fundraising has been beyond great. Earlier this week I hit my stretch goal of $3600 and more donations keep coming in. Now $4,000 seems possible, maybe even more.

I've been thinking a lot about where the money goes and how important it is. The Avon Foundation gives significant amounts to research but also to groups who are supporting those currently battling breast cancer. I know I've said it before, but I truly appreciate all of the donations that have come in and am so thankful I've been able to raise a significant amount for such a worthy cause.

I've been getting a lot of logistics questions in the past few days and I'll do another post with logistics answers later in the week so if you have any questions about the event send them my way and I'll include the answers in my post.

7 days to go!

Every Donation Makes a Difference

I'm lucky enough to be "Aunt" Stacy to a bunch of terrific kiddos, the oldest of them being eight year old Annabelle. In her young life she's already had countless fundraisers for school and activities she's apart of and often requests support for those projects.

Last year her grandmother decided to turn the tables and request a donation from Annabelle for a 5k she was participating in. The kiddo rose to the challenge and did extra chores to raise money and donate to her grandmother's walk. I decided to follow in her wise Oma's footsteps and asked Belle for a donation for the Avon Walk as well and when I saw her last weekend she had something to give me.

I've been thankful for and so appreciative of every donation I've received, but I do believe this $3.90 is my favorite.

With the walk just under 2 weeks away I'm $101.60 away from my truly ambitious goal of $3600. I am confident I'll reach that number, and just may exceed it, thanks to your continued generosity and support!

Remembering the Why

In the spring, after I had already made the commitment to do the Avon Walk to End Breast Cancer a second time one of my teammates at work was diagnosed with breast cancer. She's the second person in my office currently battling the disease, and among double digits of women in my life to be faced with it. 

Shortly after she started treatment my whole team got these bracelets, and got one for her. We all wear them often and as of a few weeks ago I've been making sure to wear it on my training walks as well. 

It's been helpful for me to look down and see the visual reminder of why I'm putting in all of this effort and why you, my generous friends, family and colleagues are donating money to the cause. 

This weekend I'm headed to the mountains and will be taking a break from the structured training schedule, but I'm still feeling so confident that I'll be ready to walk 39 miles on October 15 & 16, with all of the encouragement and support from wonderful people near and far and the reminder on my wrist the whole time of my reason why. 

Pushing On!

Yesterday's plan was to walk 17 miles. But somewhere around mile 14 I got the idea that I should do more and ended up wrapping up the day with 19.

Waking along Rock Creek Parkway

There's something about having to cross one of the bridges into DC that makes the walk mentally more challenging, especially at the end, so I decided to eliminate them from the route altogether this week.

I drove in to the city and parked in East Potomac Park and then headed down around Hains Point, along the Tidal Basin and into Rock Creek Park. I've driven Rock Creek Parkway countless times, but had never been through on foot before. It's a really cool space, and I'm sure the trails that aren't along the busy roadway are even nicer. When I exited the park, along the VERY steep hill onto Calvert Street by Woodley Park I was 7 miles in to my route.

The Ecuadorian Embassy at my
half way point... well, what I
thought was my halfway point.

I stayed along Calvert into Adam's Morgan and then over to Meridian Hill Park. This was another area of the city I hadn't spent time in before and it was nice to walk through. There were hundreds of people doing a work out class in Meridian Hill Park which was also cool to see. From there I headed east on W to 14th Street and then down into Logan Circle, where I shifted to Rhode Island Avenue and walked through Shaw, another DC neighborhood that is new to me. Once I reached 7th I headed south, back to Massachusetts and onto a route pretty similar to last week's.

I went a few blocks further into Capitol Hill this time, and ended up walking past Eastern Market where I did a bit of browsing and came up with a few ideas for holiday presents as I walked by the artisans set up there. Yay for multitasking!

I stopped in the Capitol Hill Starbucks for a snack and to refill my water and ended up taking a decent break and reading a chapter of a book on my phone. Once I snapped out of reading mode and realized I needed to keep moving was when the idea of making the walk even longer came to me.

Last year I followed a 16 week training plan and that had two weeks between the two longest (20 & 22 miles) walks. The 12 week training plan doesn't do that, and has me walking 20 miles next week and 22 the weekend after. I decided if I could push on and do 19 or 20 this week then I could make next week a short walk and give myself a bit of a break. The idea of skipping a crazy long walk next weekend was incredibly appealing, so I did some quick rerouting and decided I could do 19 miles.

Walking by Jefferson during the last LONG mile

Back down Pennsylvania, past the White House and down 17th to Constitution and then on to my bestie Lincoln who I seem to walk by on a very regular basis these days. From there it was just over a mile back along the Tidal Basin to my car.

And yet again, the last mile was ROUGH. I really do think it's completely mental. I'm moving along at a decent pace, with sore feet but not terribly so and then I realize I only have a mile to go and my feet hurt SO much. And my pace slows down. And it's hard. Really hard.

But then I'm done! And back to my air conditioned car where I can sit and not walk.

Once I got home I rested for a few hours, but then actually made it back out later in the evening to visit some friends at their house and then get some errands done at Target. I was happily amazed that I was mobile and not really in pain last night!

Today's plan called for 9 miles, but improptu free Redskins/Cowboys tickets called for a revision! I got up this morning and did a short, 2ish mile walk just to make sure I really could keep walking. My FitBit unfortunately was left behind so I didn't capture how much walking I did today at the game but between the parking lot and the long hike to the upper level I definitely feel like I got a good bit of walking. And again, I feel good. Not even sore!

I am definitely so much more confident about this event now. And I'm really happy it's 2 weeks before I had to attempt another super long training walk!