keri's 3-day

today's walk was great until we were walking past the Constitution in Charlestown, where it started to sprinkle. the sprinkling was tolerable, but it turned into a deluge by the time we crossed the Charlestown Bridge, approximately 1/2 mile down the road. my leg muscle cramps came back with a vengeance as we were passing the new convention center in southie. i managed to limp into the rest stop at Mile 10 (the lunch stop) and crawl onto the bus.

i'm sad to say that i only walked 10 of 13.1 miles today. it was very disappointing for me, but a lesson to train more/better if i decide to do this again next year, which i am seriously considering. even though i didnt walk as far as i would have liked, it was a great experience. a lot of money was raised for a great cause. i also met a lot of neat people and saw parts of boston and the surrounding communities that i hadnt seen before. we walked by the Bunker Hill Monument this morning. if i'd had any energy to spare, i would've walked up the steps to get the whole experience and take some pictures. maybe next time.

and maybe next year i will do the walk in a WARM city (like LA).

thanks again for all the support, both mental and monetary.

this is keri pyke saying goodnight.

watch this space for some other incarnation of the blog. coming soon to a theatre near you.

well, the bad news is that i was only able to walk 13.1 miles today (a half marathon) instead of the full 26.2 miles before coming up lame with a charley horse in my right hamstring and hip flexor. however, the good news is that they have PT and massage services at the Wellness Village, which loosened the knots up sufficiently that I am going to walk another 13.1 miles tomorrow. while i am disappointed not to be able to walk the whole thing, i live to walk another day. other than the muscle cramps, i have a sunburn patch on each shoulder blade where i missed with the sunblock at 430 AM when i was applying it. it could be a lot worse: there were several people i saw brought into the Wellness Village on stretchers or in wheelchairs because it was 91 degrees here today! i managed to stay well-hydrated and fed. i even ate a couple bananas, which i dont really like, to keep my energy level up.

more good news: The Avon Foundation announced this morning at the opening ceremony that the 1,600+ Boston walkers (double the number they had participate last year) have raised $4.5 million for breast cancer care and research! and that's only one city out of six! woo hoo! yay us!

it feels really good to be a part of something where i feel like what i am doing will actually make a difference. Thanks again for all your support and well wishes. i have to go to bed now so i can finish tomorrow. i'm exhausted.

Final report tomorrow evening. More news later on this KBS station.

(which is a song by Europe that I HATE!)

2 days until the walk. I have mostly kicked the creeping lung fungus except for the cough, which makes me sound like a three-pack-a-day smoker. breathing seems to be easier when i exercise, so with any luck the stupid cough will not interfere with the walking.

Thanks to Janice McIntyre, Marketing Goddess of Vollmer Boston, and to my friend Susan Dellio for their donations. Total donations to the cause (barring any last minute donations) are $3,165. If you haven't donated yet, you can still do so, even after the walk this weekend. It's a great cause, and there are walks still to come in CHI, SF, LA and NY.

Thanks again to everyone who donated and supported me. Watch this space on Monday, May 17, for the final report.

Anyone who wants to cheer us on can check out the following spots on the walk routes:

Saturday, May 15

Mile 1.7 Pleasure Bay Picnic Area, Day Boulevard, small public parking lot
Peak viewing times 7:00 am-8:00 am
This area is not easily accessible by MBTA trains

Mile 4.0 Barking Crab Restaurant, 88 Sleeper Street, multiple $7 public parking lots available on Northern and Seaport Avenues.
Peak viewing times 7:30 am-10:00 am
By MBTA train: Aquarium Blue Line stop. Walk south on Atlantic and cross Evelyn Moakley Bridge

Mile 7.1 Museum of Science Rt. 28, Science Park, Boston. Paid parking garage is located at the far end of the museum building.
Peak viewing times 9:00 am-12:00 am
By MBTA train: Take the Lechmere Green Line to Science Park

Mile 15.5 Wild Women Outfitters 397 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington. Street parking is available.
Peak viewing times 10:30 am-3:30 pm
This area is not easily accessible by MBTA trains

Mile 19.3 Lincoln School - 161 Mystic Valley Parkway, Winchester. Residential street parking available.
Peak viewing times 12:00pm -5:00pm
This area is not easily accessible by MBTA trains

Mile 23.5 Stone Zoo 149 Pond Street, Stoneham. Public parking is available.
Peak viewing times 1:30am -6:30pm
This area is not easily accessible by MBTA trains

Sunday, May 16

Mile 1.3 Century Bank 140 Ferry Street, Malden. Bank lot and street parking available
Peak viewing times 7:30 am-9:30 am
This area is not easily accessible by MBTA train

Mile 2.5 Avon Product Store 360 Ferry Street, Everett, MA Street parking available; more parking across the street in shopping center.
Peak viewing times 7:30 am-10:00 am
This area is not easily accessible by MBTA train

Mile 4.2 Nathan Lynde Playground Broadway (Rt. 99), between Mystic and Lynde Public parking lot available.
Peak viewing times 8:00 am-10:30 pm This area is not easily accessible by MBTA train

Mile 5.5 Ryan Playground Intersection of Main and Alford Street, Charlestown, MA (next to the Schraft Building) Public parking lot is available.
Peak viewing times: 8:30 am 11:00 am
By MBTA train: Orange Line to Sullivan Square Stop

Mile 9 The Children’s Museum, 300 Congress Street, Parking garage available on Farnsworth Street.
Peak viewing times 10:00 am-1:00 pm
By MBTA train: South Station commuter rail or Red Line T stop. Cross Congress Street Bridge and look for the giant milk bottle. Or, State Street Orange and Blue Line Stops, or Aquarium Blue Line stop

Mile 12.5 John Hicks Memorial Parks between Carson Beach and L Street Bathhouse.
Peak viewing times 10:30 am-3:00 pm
This area is not easily accessible by MBTA train

Thanks. You've been great. It's been real. And now back to your regularly scheduled life. more news later on this KBS station.

9 days until the walk. My current fundraising total is $3,095. Thanks to Elaine Batzer from Vollmer Boston for her contribution to the cause.

i am still sick, which was probably not aided by my playing in vb tournaments both saturday and sunday last weekend, plus league monday night and league last night. last night i left early because i felt so miserable. being dizzy and shaky did not aid my playing ability, so my teammates soldiered on without me.

tomorrow (pending being able to breathe), i am going to walk from work to wellington train station, a distance of approximately 5 miles as the crow flies. i have to devise a route that is 8-10 miles. then i will see how my feet/legs feel on friday.

more news later on this KBS station.