Cathy Miller

Previously posted at blog.millercathy.com

Things Are Heating Up

I would love to tell you that I’m smoking the trails in training, but it’s more like melting. I admit the 90-degree and 100-degree days definitely put me off my training plan.

I am a morning person. I usually hit the keyboard by 6:30 AM. My training plan for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day, 60-mile walk for breast cancer, consists of weekday training walks at 3:00 PM. On weekends, I walk in the morning.

So, as a person who HATES heat-I don’t care if it’s dry, humid or mild – I HATE heat – I quickly stopped my weekday walks. I thought about taking my training walks in the early morning, but that’s my most productive work time. As a writer, you go as the words flow.

See my dilemma? Any ideas?

Plan B

I am trying to come up with a Plan B to get some kind of weekday training in during the summer months. What I am thinking about is keeping my early morning walks on weekends.

I’ll fill in the week with training on my Air Stepper – no, I don’t plan on walking on air – unless it’s air-conditioned air.

The Air Stepper uses air pumped into flat, long pedals for resistance. Here’s a picture – it gives you a much better visual than me trying to describe it. And I call myself a writer!

I guess they’re calling it an Air Climber in some circles. Does climbing air take more effort than stepping on air? Hmmmm…
Let the Begging Begin

I want to thank all my contributors for donating so I can participate. Right now, I call them my Sweet Sixteen! I hope it will turn into much bigger numbers.

I have to raise a minimum of $2, 300 even to be eligible to walk. I’m way off target.

In my past 6 events, raising the minimum was not a problem because 1) times were better for everyone, and 2) I had a lot of corporate contributors.

Now that I am a freelancer, the fund-raising has been tough. I am so thankful to all who contribute, as I know how difficult it is these days. If you can help, I would really appreciate it.

You can click on the 3-Day Donate button on the right or click here . I also have the Donate button on Facebook and on my two business blogs, Simply stated business and Simply stated health care .

Loved Ones

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Also, please remember to email me with the names of loved ones you would like remembered. I wear their names on the 3-Day Walk and so far, I have not received any names. You don’t have to contribute for me to wear their names, so please let me know. After all, they are the reason we walk.

My sister, Terry, a 10-year breast cancer survivor, is my inspiration. We also lost my Aunt Mitzi to lung cancer. and my Dad had prostate cancer. Let’s help find a cure for cancer!

Thanks to my Contributors

• Linda Barney
• Elaine & Joe Conway
• Aaron Loring-Davis
• Karen Fondaw
• Ken Lautsch
• Marsha Linbeck
• Rosemary Lopez
• Rose Morrison
• David Ott
• Terri Parson
• Vicky Richards
• Jan Shapard
• Lori Widmer
• Laura Wiggins
• Dianne & Steve Wingfield
• Heather Woodruff

Live…Laugh…Love

Originally posted on blog.millercathy.com

Remember the 3-day – Apparently I Need a Reminder

Well, color my face the color of this scroll. The plan was to post about my training for the 3-Day, 60-Mile Walk for Breast Cancer at least once a month. It’s been 81 days-oops!

I didn’t want to bombard supporters with posts, but I think even you would agree I’ve fallen down – but I can get up!

You’re Not in Kansas Anymore

My first post had to do with 5 Things I Forgot About Training for the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk . Well, this time, I thought I’d share what I learned about training for the 3-Day in Boise, Idaho. It’s much different from my 6 years of training in San Diego.

1. Weather-Weather-Weather – Did I mention the weather? Have you ever noticed when you move somewhere how everyone tells you that “this is really unusual weather for this time of the year”? I really am not so egotistical to think I have anything to do with it, but come on – training here. I would prefer not to deal with hail on multiple days, continuous rain, and even snow in May. Okay, it didn’t stay on the ground, but it’s the principle of the thing. And yesterday we had a tornado warning!
2. Animal Kingdom– My last post  included a video of some of my cheering section. It has expanded beyond the horses and geese. I have been cheered on by ducks, doves, quail, goats and more horses and geese. They eye me as I walk by with a “what are you doing out here” quizzical look. When the weather gets crazed, I ask myself the same thing. In San Diego, I trained near the beach, so I saw sea gulls, but I didn’t have such a variety of fine, feathered friends. I definitely did not run (or walk) into four-legged friends, beyond cats and dogs.
3. Garage Sales – Okay, it’s not that San Diego did not have garage sales, but I swear it’s a religion in Boise. On many a weekend training walk, I encountered signs for Garage Sales. Let me tell you, you better not get in the path of a garage sale shopper. Those are some serious fanatics. Since a good part of my training route does not have sidewalks, I’m taking my life in my hands when I near a sale. On one walk, there were 5 garage sales on one block! It sure got the cardio going – and that’s from dodging shoppers – not hills!
4. Apparel Shift– This follows closely with #1. Did I mention the ever-changing weather? The thing is, the morning can start with pouring rain and then the sun comes out and it’s in the 70s. So, I race to grab my training togs and head out for my walk. A block from home, the only thing I’m racing for is cover, as I start getting pelted by hail – really! Now how do you plan for hail? Carry a football helmet? Hmm, wonder if they come in pink. I’ll have to talk to the Shop 3-Day.
5. Race for the Cure – This has nothing to do with my training, but I wanted to give a shout-out to the Boise Race for the Cure . They had nearly 16,000 participants and raised (so far) over $365,000! Way to go, Boise! I have to be sure to participate next year.

Thanks to my Contributors for supporting me in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. I really appreciate it.

I have a long way to go in raising the minimum I need to walk. So, please help if you can. Donate here  – or – click on the button in the sidebar. If you get the 3-Day Home Page by mistake, you can search by participant – Cathy Miller-Fight Like A Girl team in San Diego.

You can also donate at my business writing blog, Simply stated business  or my health care blog, Simply stated health care.

Well, now comes the begging part. Since leaving Corporate America to freelance as a writer, I’ve lost some of my big corporate sponsors. That means the amount of donations are lower, so I just need more contributors. Didn’t know I was so good in math, huh?

You can also send me a check made out to: Susan G. Komen 3 Day for the Cure. I swear that gets longer every year. You can send it to me and I’ll get it mailed to the right place. Let me know if you need my address.

As always, thank you for your support. Remember to send me the name(s) of loved ones you would liked remembered on the Walk as survivors or those you lost.

Thanks again to my Contributors!

Live…Laugh…Love

Previously posted at blog.millercathy.com

I have a few weeks under my belt-or maybe under my feet would be more appropriate. The biggest challenge has been the weather. My training for the past 6 Walks took place in San Diego. The biggest news was my 1st year when air quality was the concern from major fires. Not so in Boise, ID.

We have literally had snow, rain, hail and wind – not to mention temperatures below freezing (after the 1st day of spring!) Isn’t there a law that spring means no more winter temperatures or precipitation? I’m sure I read that somewhere. I was forced (and it comes so easily in the beginning) to delay training outside. No excuses – I start again. The weather is back to gorgeous!

Back to my Training

You know you are in trouble when just stretching before the 1st day of training causes pain. Undeterred, I put on my sweatshirt with the pink ribbon, my baseball hat with the pink ribbon, my pink & white socks (don’t think I’m overdoing the pink bit, do you?) and my MBT sandals. Yes, I had pants on but they were just plain old black-but drywick! Does that count? I’m such an athlete!

It didn’t take long into my 1st day of training to have past training memories rushing back. Here are 5 things I forgot about training for the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walks.

1. Running-not Walking– What is it about walking outside that gets the nose running, the eyes tearing and whatever other places I don’t want to think about? We have always teased my Mom about her habit of stuffing kleenex in every pocket she owns. Who’s laughing now? Note to self-take kleenex. You never know when a hot guy may jog by – as if kleenex would help – not even if I stuffed it in my bra!
2. Hills Hurt – I’m not talking about the big Torrey Pines-type hills in the San Diego 3-Day. At this stage, street curbs are challenging. Even the slightest incline has me wondering how my lungs dropped out of me when I wasn’t looking. I’ve always hated hills. My Fight Like A Girl teammates are hikers and just love hills. Hills are their favorite part of the 3-Day. I’m sorry, that is not normal – but they love me anyway. They take pity turns by trading off who lags behind with Cathy on the hills.
3. Muscle Mania – The body is an incredible machine – or so I’ve heard. But, really, does it have to have so many muscles? So many just waiting to pull, strain, spasm and generally whine! And then I had to inherit Dad’s big calf muscles that I swear have a bulls-eye on them in case the pain forgets to grab them.
4. Isolated Bliss – Once I get warmed up, the muscles stop screaming and I’m actually walking upright like a fully evolved human being. I am strong – I am woman – I am so lame.
5. Reality Bites – So wrapping myself in the bliss of a training session where I actually feel good, I then make the mistake of sitting down. Oh, the sitting’s okay. It’s the standing up where reality returns. Did I really think after one training walk I would be turned into the lean fighting machine of an Olympic athlete? With my MBT and socks on the floor, I drag my body to the shower and let the sweet heat of the water beat my muscle mania back into place.

Just another day in my journey towards the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.I took some pictures so you can see part of my Boise training environment – really just awesomely beautiful! Later I may try video – after I can walk and talk without sounding like I escaped from a T.B. ward.

Thank you for taking this journey with me. If you can help with a donation – no matter how small – please do so by clicking here. And even if you can’t donate, let me know the names of loved ones you would like remembered on the Walk. Thank you as always for your continued support. Walk on!

Live…Laugh…Love

Previously posted at blog.millercathy.com

Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure

I’m thrilled to announce I signed up for my 7th 3-Day Walk for the fight against breast cancer. I’m back with my team,Fight Like A Girl. I can’t wait to do the Walk again. I had to miss 2009, so I am excited to rejoin my team.

Starting Early

I need to get myself back in 3-day, 60-mile shape so I have next Saturday, March 6th, as my start date for training. The Fight Like A Girl team is participating in the San Diego Walk. It’s not until November 19 -21, 2010, but, hey, this old, out-of-shape body needs all the time it can have!

Since the whole point of this blog is my journey since taking on my second life, I’ll use this blog (instead of my usual 3-Day Newsletter) for keeping everyone up to date on my prep for the 3-Day journey. Now my supporters and contributors can just ignore the link to my blog instead of my newsletter!

Need Your Support

I plan on starting with my pleading, begging, pitiful tugs at your heartstrings for contributions soon. You didn’t think you would get off that easy, did you?

We have to raise a minimum amount (this year it’s $2,300) to even participate in the Walk. I have always had the most supportive people in the world. Even the smallest amount helps. But, if you are unable to contribute, I do ask you for your mental support – Lord knows I need all the mental help I can get – but I was thinking more along the lines of “think good thoughts.” Like no blisters!

Honoring Your Loved Ones

Whether you contribute or not, I would be honored to wear the names of loved ones you would like remembered on the 3-Day Walk – survivors or those you have lost to cancer. They are the reason we walk. I am happy to say my sister, Terry, is doing great as a multi-year breast cancer survivor. So, send me your loved ones’ names and they will take the journey with the Fight Like A Girl team.

Details…Details

So, I’ll let you know when I post an update. If you would like to help, just visit my Personal Page of Cathy Miller at the San Diego 3-Day for the Cure.

There are all kinds of payments accepted – credit cards, debit cards, monthly payments.

If you want to pay by check, I would be happy to handle the paperwork. Just make  the check payable to Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure and send it to me. I fill out the paperwork and take care of the mailing. If you need my snail mail address, drop me an email at cathy@millercathy.com or give me a call at (858) 344-9959.

Thank you, as always, for your support. Walk on!

Live…Laugh…Love

Originally posted at blog.millercathy.com

Think Pink

Those of you who know me may be surprised that you have not received my annual begging for donations for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk.

Sad to say, I cannot participate this year as my Mom is having knee replacement surgery in early November.

I participated in the 60-mile, 3-Day Walk six years in a row. So, I am really going to miss the event. Since this blog is all about the journey, allow me to share this one with you.

How It Started

I was living in Channel Islands Harbor (Oxnard/Ventura area of CA) and used to see the Avon walkers coming down the coast.

I so admired their drive and every year I said, “I want to do that.” Like so many of us, my heart was in the right place but I always managed to wait too long to sign up.

Then I heard my older sister, Terry, had breast cancer. It was time to get off the couch.

San Diego 3-Day Walk

By this time, I was living in San Diego. It was 2003, and I heard an ad on the radio for the 3-Day. I signed up. At the time I was on a huge work project traveling all over the U.S. but I was not going to let that stop me.

I trained on many treadmills in hotels. The project was for the Fairmont Hotels so I feel somewhat guilty that those treadmills were in the beautiful Fairmont properties – including the Kea Lani in Maui and the Plaza in New York. Talk about suffering for the cause.

I trained “by the book” and was ready for my 1st Walk.

Because of my crazy schedule, I was walking on my own. On the second day, I was walking behind 3 lovely ladies from northern CA when I overheard Penny talk about her sister-in-law.

Penny used her sister-in-law’s full name. Turns out I had worked with her for 11 years at Prudential. What are the odds that I would be in that place, at that time and Penny (who never used her sister-in-law’s full name) used it that day?

Penny saw me behind them and asked me to walk with them. So I did and they walked right into my heart. Penny was walking with her best friend, Sue, a breast cancer survivor, and their friend, Diane. Despite a billion blisters, the event was the most inspiring, fulfilling thing I had ever done.

Can’t Walk Away

I had business cards with me and asked Penny to write down her address and phone number on the back of one. We promised to return to the 3-Day Walk in 2004.

So I signed up for the Walk. Somewhere along the way, this Baby Boomer brain misplaced the business card with Penny’s information. But I knew I would see my northern CA friends at the Walk.

I did the Walk in 2004 but was unable to find Penny, Sue or Diane. I was so mad at myself for misplacing that business card.

Once again, fate stepped in.

A client sent me an email saying, “I just noticed that your business card you gave me had an address on the back.” She sent me Penny’s address!

I sent a Christmas card to Penny and received one back. There was a very good reason they were not at the 2004 Walk. Penny had developed breast cancer.

Sitting here now, I have goosebumps all over. I am happy to report that my sister, Terry, Sue and Penny continue to be the strong women I knew they were as breast cancer survivors.

Penny told me they would walk again in 2005. From 2005 through 2007, my northern CA walker buddies would come stay at my place and we would all do the San Diego 3-Day together.

Diane missed a few years due to back problems but others took her place with Penny, Sue and me. We had Michelle, Kristin and Julie – more new friends! What a joy!

In 2008, they reopened the 3-Day in San Francisco so my buddies signed up for that Walk. I was injured in training so I settled for the Head Cheerleader role and flew to San Francisco to cheer our Fight Like a Girl team that had grown to Penny, Sue, Julie, Diane, Jennifer, Kristin, Martina, and I so hope I’m not forgetting someone!

I was able to transfer to the San Diego Walk later in the month so I did participate in 2008 but walked without my team. Well, that’s not entirely accurate.

My Blackberry dinged with the many text messages they sent my way throughout the Walk. And I managed the last two years to beat the blisters! MBT shoes (the sandals) did the trick (and prayers to the great No Blisters god!)

Support the 3-Day

My northern CA walker buddies are continuing the Fight Like a Girl tradition in the Phoenix Walk in November. They are seeing the USA the 3-Day Way. My heart, prayers and thoughts will be with you, my friends. You ladies rock! I love you all!

So all my good friends, family and supporters, if you haven’t already, consider donating to this great cause. Here’s a link to my team’s web page: Fight Like A Girl

I could go on forever with the stories I have from 6 years of participation. Truly inspiring! Please join me in supporting all the survivors, walkers, volunteer and crew of the 3-Day Walks. And special thoughts to my sister, Terry, who continues to inspire me. I love you!

Live…Laugh…Love