Blog 3 of September

Ok, I am alive.  I made it.  The walk is over.....
  This time last week, I was in the middle of the KidneyMarch 2013, and it was pouring rain.  What a difference a week makes.  But let me give a short synopsis.
  Friday, September 6 :  My girlfriend Jean and her husband picked me up at the house around 5:30 a.m. and we head for the Delta Hotel in the South.

That was the meet up point where we boarded a couple of buses and head to the Millarville Race Track, the starting point of the March.  As you can see, we were certainly not the first people to arrive.

There were approx 158 people registered to walk in the March and probably 75 - 100 more that were crew members.

We did a little warm up with a very enthusiastic Zumba instructor.  Thank goodness these are still photos and not video, although it would have been a lot more entertaining for you.

It was a little chilly before the walk started.

The March was supposed to start at 8:00 a.m.  I think we were probably about 15 minutes late in getting started.

As the sun came out, the day got very warm.

Following the road signs helped me to see which way we were headed (not really, it just gave me comfort to know we were actually heading someplace.  The lovely weather lasted right up until about 5 km left in the walk.  Then it started to drizzle and that lasted until just before bed time.

Our camp city was located in the Boy Scouts campground.  The only facilities of the boy scouts that we used were the showers.   Everything else was a tent, put up and provided by the Kidney Foundation.  This was our dining tent and also used for the nightly karaoke.

This was "tent city."  Our tent was A1.  You can see the wall of port-o-potties in the background.  I was slightly disappointed in the "sleeping situation."  The tents were too small for two people.  Let me rephrase that.  The tents were probably just the right size for two people, but too small for two people and their "baggage."  The first night, I got cramps in my legs because I couldn't stretch me legs out as my bag was at the end of my sleeping bag.  The second night, Jean and I figured out that if we piled our bags on top of each other in the middle, we could at least tightly squeeze our legs to the bottom of our sleeping bags.  I also then found out at the end of the walk, that some people requested their own tent.  I guess as a newbie, we didn't have this knowledge!!!!

Day 2 we boarded a bus that took us back to where we had finished the day before.  It was raining when we woke up in the morning ............

And it continued raining for the entire day.  Many people I talked to said they felt bad for us, but really, the rain wasn't that bad.  We weren't cold; we didn't have to walk in mud (until we got back to camp),  and it made the hot shower at the end of the day that much more special.

There was a slight break in the rain for about 30 minutes - perfect timing for our Kananaskis picture.  One of the walkers made a good point.  There is no such thing as a water proof runner!!!!

This lovely clown was one of the medical volunteers.  They were a special group of people.  They took care of all our aches, pains and blisters.  I developed many blisters on the Saturday (the rain day) and I'm pretty sure it was from walking in wet shoes.

This was the last night in our tent (the night we discovered how to make for leg room - hence the smiles)

Sunday Day 3, and 100 km later, we arrived at COP (Canada Olympic Park).  We arrived at the top of the hill, went through the finish line, received our red-T-shirts) - our badge of glory I guess.  Then we as a group, marched down the hill (which I'm sure was at least another 1 km - or felt like it after 100 km)

Jean's husband was there to greet her.  Bill and Maya came to greet me.  (Ashley was working and Patrick in Victoria), but Maya's enthusiasm made up for them.  I was ready to go home, soak my weary feet and get some much needed sleep.  We first had to attend the closing ceremonies and then retrieve our gear.

  I was glad for the experience.  I can now cross that "5 km" walk off my list - 20 times.  Would I do it again?  It is sort of like childbirth.  If you ask me right now, I'd say no....... never again.  But give it a few months, who knows what my answer might be.

It's been a week since the walk, and a lot of things have happened so I will do my best to update things on the blog.
Stacey