Thank You

So I guess this is it.  This is a journey we began together back on March 30th when I had signed up for the Avon walk and decided it would be nice to blog about it as I went along the way.  Thank you SO much to all of you who have followed along and thanks for all your kind words of encouragement, donations and time that you have invested in helping us not only reach my goal of $1,800 but in playing our part in the $4.2M raised this year in the San Francisco walk.  I am totally humbled by your generosity and by the support that I have received. Thank You.

Some stats (this is America after all), along the way there I walked 670 miles in training and walked up a vertical distance of over 13,000 feet, this blog has been viewed over 1,200 times by friends from countries that span the entire planet.  I did training walks in three states and two countries, snow, heat, beaches and mountains......I had a blast I have to admit.  There were times though (normally at 5am or tired after work) that I questioned what the heck I was doing and thank you to all of you both on this blog and on social media for reminding me what was important.  .........I saw a sign on the walk last weekend that I wish I had seen earlier in my training.  It said quite simply "Blister Don't Need Chemo".  I posted it on Facebook for the folks that were following along there.  It's a simple statement that kept me going through the walk and probably will through life for a while..

Once again, thanks you so much for your support.  I wish you all the very best and hope one day to be able to make the same impact in your lives as you have in mine.  Be safe, be happy.  God bless!



Mark


Real men do indeed wear pink! 

Finished!!!!

Yay! Well that was fun. I admit I'm about done for the day today. I need to go soak in a bath, but what good fun and a genuine sense of achievement.

...yay!  Phew!!

A problem solved

So the issue is that we are in the north bay and the finish line is way the other side. Whatever to do. Wait!

OH LOOK! That's handy. Let's use that!

Sausalito

Back in Sausalito again. Mile 32 (well36.5 cus of my stupidity yesterday) and the first glimpse of the finish line, over there, under the skyscrapers....the other side of the bay

Wetlands again

Man! That march through the wetlands is a long one. It kicked my ass yesterday and was quite the pull this morning. At least this morning it was cooker and the sunrise yielded some nice shots. 

Warming up

Mile 2 ish I guess and the legs are beginning to loosen up a little bit.the feet feel like they'll be giving me a problem later but that's later. For now it's a pretty dawn and a great atmosphere

Day2

Good morning!

Great sleep and woke to a heavy due in a pre dawn tent village. A good breakfast and repack the bag then take dawn the tent and we are off into a wonderful dawn sky. 14 miles to go :-)

Evening activities

Had a shower and got my right leg working..yay. Settling in to evening entertainment. 

Guess how much you all helped to raise for breast cancer research....

.....$4.2M.   Totally awesome!!!

Thank you!

Destination!!!

Yay!!!! 26.3 miles. Destination for the night...Wellness Village. As far as I can tell, a few big food tents and a sea of pink camping tents. I've attached a few pictures of the half constructed village. More to follow. For now, phew...a right knee that doesn't seem to want to bend and a matching blister on each ancle. That's cool. Damage control overnight and we're good for the way back.

Doing it

Nothing more to say. Just mind over matter and getting it done. What's an extra 2.5 miles?

Decision time

Turns out that the walk today is 24 miles and tomorrow 16 for the 40. At the next rest stop they have made an option of an additional 2 mile loop to make today a full marathon. It's totally optional since that makes it a 42 mile weekend but how can you not walk the full 26. 

Problem is I'm not sure I can at this point. That would be stupid right?

A forced march

Wow!! This is starting to hurt. It's really really hot and people are visibly just hunkering down and putting one foot I. Front of the other. Remember "Leaving Gikroy"...yeh, like that. Phew. And ouch

Into the unknown

Lunch done it was up over a hill and down into Saulsalito. A lovely little walk through the downtown and then a long pull out of town to a rest stop at 17.5 miles. That is pretty much exactly equals the longest training walk I did. Everything from here on out is new territory. Hmmm..

Half way!!!!

Ok, down the hill under the golden gate and a much needed lunch stop exactly on the half way point. Chance to sit for a moment, eat a sandwich and rest some feet that I have to admit are starting to get sore :-(

The golden gate...finally

Mile 10 and we are finally leaving San Francisco. Past Tit Stop 3 and into Marin County

THAT end of town again

Ok, so I don't know the miles but I'm guessing 8 or 9 and we are back in the area of town where we should have been to start with.... And a great view of what's next

Hills hills and more hills

So the route headed back into the city and at mile 7 we are still zigzagging back and forth going up and back down every hill in the city. For those who know SF, you feel my pain. Really? Isn't 26 enough?

Back to where we started

So that was nice. A six mile walk all around SF and we are back at the park where we started. Ok, let a guy lead yeh?

Chinatown

Ok four miles in and we're on a big old tourist tour of SF. Through the financial district and now in Chinatown!!! We are so lost lol

Going the Wrong Way

So aparently the walk starts off heading through the city towards the bay bridge. Fisher mans warf and embarcadero, miles and miles of people in pink...all going in the wrong direction. The golden gate is behind us....

And we're off

Dang it's good to get moving. An hour standing on wet grass and I'm freezing... But we're off yay!