Gearing up for 3-day '07

Some of you know that every year I participate in the Susan Komen 3-day walk in Atlanta doing motorcycle crew. Last year was my first time as a crew member and I had gotten that coveted position from being a walker the previous year and incessantly flirting with the woman in charge of crew assignments. ;-) I also brought with me three other motorcycle instructor/friends.

My buddy, K asked what it was all about when I was initially trying to talk him into crewing it with me. I was like "Dude! 3-days! Talkin' 'bout boobs! Seein' boobs! And having 5,000 enthusiastic women around you all happy to see you when you pull up on your bike and give them Bio-freeze and powerbars?! Common'!" I didn't need to say anything else - he was hooked. But, I still hadn't let him in on the secret. I wanted to see the look on his face at closing ceremony - which was also his 50th birthday.

For anyone who has ever been a walker, supported a walker or been a crew member you know what I am talking about. The 3-day (really 4-day if you're a crew member because you have training for a day) is a journey in itself. Not only in mileage but an emotional journey. You are never the same after it. In fact, you are better than you were before it. You smile and cry happy tears and hug and laugh not only for 3 days but for weeks after! It puts it alllll into perspective! And, you discover you have a MUCH larger family than what you initially thought.

With each step that each walker makes, each mile that they complete, each day that they walk you are thankful for them - that they are there doing what they do!

Pulling up at closing ceremony is the time where the walkers line up in a holding area. This is the tunnel they form that the crew members walk through. It's the last time the walkers and crew members will have together to hug, cry and thank each other for being there. And, it is a rockstar feeling walking through that tunnel. This was the part I didn't tell my buddy K about. It is literally impossible not to cry when walking through this. And, despite never having shed a tear the whole entire 3-days I finally got to see the man cry. Walking out of the tunnel I turned to him and said, "Yeah, Happy Birthday - I didn't tell you about that part." He later said it was the best birthday he had ever had.

Yes, it is all about the walkers - for 3 days and after but it's the walkers that make us feel so good - like rockstars.

PS: If you want to catch us live this Friday - Sunday check out our webcam@

http://07.the3day.org/site/pp.asp?c=pmL6JnO8KzE&b=3075531