WEBC Wrap-up

By the numbers:

4,616 = walkers participating this weekend
$11.6 million = total money raised to end women's cancers for the Princess Margaret Hospital
$37,561 = money raised by Team Harlequin
$1,510 = amount I raised through the very generous donations given directly to my campaign
$255.58 = funds raised from donations from the Kensington Market Community
$34.68 = price of the awesome dri-fit Team Harlequin T-shirt we wore
3 = times I used a port-a-potty on my 1-day +30 km walk
10 = hours it took me to complete the walk
4 = ibuprofen tablets I took within a 24-hour span
17 = hours it took to get the stiffness out of my legs


Highlights of the walk:

It was way more than 30km. After the first 4km, the sign said: "30.43 km to go!" and 4 km later, at the next stop, it said "30.4 km to go!" So I probably walked closer to 40 km that one day.

The route takes you through several residential neighborhoods, and people tie pink ribbons or decorate their properties, or sit out on the porch and say thank you and cheer you on all along the way. A number of them lay out spreads of cookies, fruit, snacks, water, chocolate and more. One house handed out little cups of beer. After 28 km, it was the BEST. BEER. EVER.

You wouldn't believe the vast array of people who turn up at these things just to give you high fives and cheer you on. There was this woman on a motorcycle who'd had a mastectomy and way wearing this leather metal-studded one-boob bra who was right in there, all smiles, her hog decorated with boobs and bras.

Lunch was a box set of grilled chicken, pasta salad, a dinner roll, and a lemon tart, plus some Lipton Green Tea drinks. It didn't matter if they didn't taste perfect--at that point, ANYTHING tasted good.


The route:

Starting at Exhibition Place, through Princess Gates, along Lakeshore Blvd., north along Parkside (next to High Park) and then through some residential streets, through Bloor West Village (why we had to walk along the busy Bloor Street stretch from Keele to Humber River, I really don't understand) and then a whole bunch north...I got lost since we doubled-backed a few times. We crossed Islington several times, in fact. We ended up at Downsview Park.


The day:

Hour 1: WOOOO!! YEAH!!! BOOBS!!!!! WE CAN DO THIS!!!! WOOOOOO!!!

Hour 1.5: Wooo! Wooooooo!

Hour 2: *Stark silence as the realization of how long this walk is hits*

Hour 3: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE OUT OF GATORADE AND PEANUT BUTTER? *eats bagel dry, downs water, regrets the bloating combination*

Hour 4: Shoulda stopped at the last convenience store for Gatorade...I'm drowning in water, but I'm STILL THIRSTY.

Hour 5: Terrible hunger pangs lead to discussions about food. *Word games to pass the time commence to distract us from hunger*

Hour 6: Lunch! WOOOOO!!!! YEAH!!!! FREEBIES!!! WOOOO!!! BOOBIES!!! YEAH!!!

Hour 7: Are we there yet? Oh, God, Are we there yet? *cries a little*

Hour 8: You said it'd be 4 more kilometers FIVE KILOMETERS AGO!!! WHY ARE YOU PLAYING WITH MY MIND???

Hour 9: Support SUVs (of shame) start to look really appealing. Thinks driving one is the better option. Someone in a swank neighborhood hands me a Rocket Popsicle. I am rejuvenated.

Hour 10: WOOOOO!!! WOOOOOOOOO!!! I'm done! Oh, thank you, jeebus, I'm done!!! *hips collapse, calves seize, spine accordions, pass out on ground*


Overall:

This was a personal endeavor for me, and of course it was important. But I'm not sure I'll do this again next year simply because hitting up my friends and family for that kind of money regularly is draining. Maybe in another year's time I'll do it. I will, however, continue other fund-raising efforts in order to help those members of Team Harlequin who do this every year. They are inspiring and awesome.

For a more interesting (and invariably more emotional) rundown of the WEBC from someone who walked the (omigod, how she did it, I will never know) 2-day walk, go to my pal's blog at RockItLoveItLiveIt.worpress.com.


Short segment featuring a few of my co-walkers on CTV News here. (Go to Sunday, September 13, and start the clip at 11:47)


Thanks again to everyone who supported this fantastic endeavor! If you're interested in signing up for next year, go to www.endcancer.ca.

One week left

Training is stopping pretty much as of yesterday. I walked 23.31 km in 5 hours, to and from the new house. I was exhausted by the end of it, and had a pretty dark tan despite the sunscreen. It wasn't until the next morning that I was really feeling it.

And, oh, boy, do I hurt right now. I guess I know what to expect next weekend now: pain in my gluts, back, ribs, spine, shins and knees. My feet are miraculously fine, thanks to double-layer frictionless socks and my New Balance shoes.

Meanwhile, a shout out to the community of Kensington Market and patrons of CAAM United Hardware. They helped me raise $255.58 for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer! Thank you everyone in the market!

So You Think You Can Cry

I saw a story on Yahoo about an emotional tribute to breast cancer on So You Think You Can Dance and decided, hmm, this might be good to put on my blog.

Now, I'm fairly cynical when it comes to watching dancers and dance routines. Dancing ranks just above mimes and poets on my art-I-don't-really-get scale (sorry, Fi), so you'd think go into this with a fairly jaded point of view. After all, if the headline said "Tribute to bad smells" or "Tribute to Gummi bears", I probably wouldn't have shed a tear. Context is key in a performance like this, so really, I shouldn't have been all that moved.

I was wrong.



At first, it wasn't so much the dancing as it was watching the stiff-upper-lip British judge Nigel swallow down his emotions like a Vulcan chugging vinegar that made my eyes get all hot. Then I rewatched the performance then and said, hey, wow, that is a really good show.

And then I spent the next ten minutes chewing on my tongue so I wouldn't sob out loud.

Watch the full piece, including the judges' reactions here.

30 km might be easier if there was lots of shopping on the way...

Since I've been sick with laryngitis, I haven't been able to do my usual workout, but I got back into training for the big Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk today, and boy howdy, gravity and my weak stomach were really trying to take me out. Did 14.31 km in about 5 hours (with lots of shopping and a couple of quick bathroom stops.)

Found that the khaki shorts I was wearing--casual things I got at Bluenotes--were a little too long and didn't give me much in the way of comfort for a walk this "intense". So I stopped at Old Navy and picked up a pair of teeny-tiny running shorts for, like $7.25 (they had a 50% off summer hot picks sale. Woot!) I even got the matching running bra top so that I'll be forced to work off some of my gut before I can wear it in public...which will likely be never.

A lot of people don't really understand why I'm training the way I am. They don't have a concept of what 30 km is to walk.

Well, here are some examples of 30 km walks, mapped out via Google Earth:

• If you started at Exhibition Place and headed north via the most direct street route, you could walk to Vaughn Mills/Wonderland in 30 km.
• If you started at the bottom of Yonge Street and kept heading north, after 30 km you'd be in Richmond Hill, just north of Gamble Rd./19th Ave.
• If you were to drive 30 km on the 401, you could start at Yonge and 401 and end up at Brock Road in Pickering.
• If you were to travel 30 km on the TTC Bloor/Danforth subway line, you could start at Kipling station, ride all the way to Kennedy station, and continue on the Scarborough LRT to Ellesmere station.

So yeah. I'm training. Good thing shopping is a good incentive for all this exercise.

Run for Liqueur 2009

This Canada Day garnered me the most fascinating fund-raising contribution ever--donations from people willing to drink beer (or milk) and run laps around a track...at the same time.




I acknowledge the following, and thank them for their support and sacrifice:

Joe (technically came in second place since he managed to drink his beers and run)
Denise (finished two laps after drinking two glasses of chocolate soy milk)
Roger (who did 5 laps, but couldn't quite get through his beer)
Mike (who completed all four laps and finished his Canadian)
Attila (I had my money on the MMA fighter in training, but he, too, quit after 2 laps and two glasses of rice milk)
Jon (who didn't run, but very kindly donated)
Kristeen (who has been diligently raising funds for the WEBC and came out in support of Roger and the rest)
Yvette (who kept score)

Thanks to Xiao Pangzi for organizing a successful--albeit kinda disgusting--fund-raising event for the WEBC via the Run for Liqueur. The proceeds were donated to my teammate, Ivana, on my behalf.

Conquer Cancer in Our Lifetime

Knowing I've some cheques in the mail and a wad of cash collected from the good people in the community of Kensington Market, I am happy to announce that I've reached my $1500 goal for the Weekend to End Breast Cancer!

Hooray!

The fund-raising won't stop, of course--every penny counts, and I would like to thank everyone who has been so generous towards my campaign.

To those of you who would still like to donate, there's plenty of time! But since I've made my goal, I urge you to go to my team's web page and sponsor one of my colleagues who has yet to meet their goal. If you still want it to be "for me" you can add a note saying, "On behalf of..."

Donate to my team members here!

Meanwhile, Flocons de Mais sent me this great link for this awesome video for the Princess Margaret Hospital. I like that the song is the opening to "Bittersweet Symphony."

Thanks once again to everyone for all their wonderful support and donations. Updates will continue right up to the day of the walk!

Wish my feet luck!

OW...

Did the dreaded walk from work to home today.
That's roughly Don Mills/401 to Christie/Dupont.
Mapped out my walk on mapmyrun.com:

I walked a total of 16.86 km in 4.5 hours (including rest stops).

And now I know: no matter what gear you have, after a certain point, it doesn't matter. You're still fighting gravity and your own (i.e. my own) decrepit body.

You win again, gravity. Curse you, decrepit body.

Save me, ibuprofen, save me!

BBQ for Boobies!

Thanks to everyone who came out for P.S. Kensington! Jenny's game raised a total of $37! Woo hoo! Stay tuned, because there will be more events over the rest of the summer during Pedestrian Sunday.

And now for another random fund-raiser!


Our very generous neighbors in Kensington Market have donated 50 barbecue spatulas to the campaign! CAAM United Hardware is now offering these unique and useful items for only $2.00! The entire amount for each spatula purchased will go towards my WEBC campaign!

Hurry and get one today! You can't have summer without barbecue, and you can't have barbecue without burgers. Why not flip a patty and save a boob at the same time?

Thanks, as always, go to brilliant little sister Jenny, and my parents, without whom this campaign would not be possible. Special thanks to the guys who donated the spatulas...as soon as I find out their names, they're getting thanked!

CAAM United Hardware Limited...on the Web?!

I was weirdly surprised when I started Googling my parents' hardware store and came up with all kinds of stuff, including this commercial, as provided by Yellow Pages:



I guess after 25 years in business, it's nice people are saying good things!

And speaking of good things, check out the first Pedestrian Sunday of the year in Kensington Market this Sunday, May 31. Jenny will be hosting a fun little game to help me raise funds for thee WEBC.

WOOT!!!

$1250, baby! YEAH!!!

I'm over the top now, but I wanna reach that $2000 goal, and I have a whole 3 months to do it!

Thanks to everyone so far for all your support and donations, and all your advice with training!

New goal until mid-July: $1500.

Let your family and friends know! Together, we can save the boobies!

Donate to my campaign now!

Right Gear, Wrong Body

Walked about 11.5km today around the city. Had my new shoes, a new jacket, my yoga/running pants, workout T-shirt, cap, backpack, bottle of water, and two granola bars. Temperature hovered around 14 Celcius today; bright sun and a medium breeze kept me alternately warm and cool.

Made it to my halfway mark at the Eaton Centre for my break. And then my bowels rebelled. I cramped up and nearly didn't make it to the washroom, where I proceeded to break out into a cold sweat as agony seized my abdomen.

I figure it was the sudden change in temperature that did it. Or possibly the six or so kilometers I'd briskly walked. It wasn't until later that I clued into the Raisin Bran I had for breakfast. Of course, as I was eating it, knowing I'd be training later, I knew it was a bad idea. And yet, I just kept on eating it....

Took a long while to rest, continued on with some stomach squelching. Hadn't eaten lunch, I realized about halfway in, but since dinner last night was so big, I didn't think I'd need it. Changed my mind about three kilometres from home and ate a stuffed grape leaf.

By the end, I was tired and headachy (from cold wind blowing through my ears), and my feet felt like pancakes, but I know it's barely a fraction of the total distance I'm going to have to walk in September.

Note to self: no Raisin Bran before the walk.

Cans for Cans, Bins for Boobies...

So the Cans for Cancer campaign is underway, a project spearheaded by my little sister, Jenny.

The story goes like this: My cousin Ka Kan's company was getting rid of their garbage cans--perfectly good black plastic wastepaper baskets, such as you'd get from any office supply catalogue. She took these orphan cans in and brought them to my parents' hardware store to sell. Jenny decided they'd be better served for the WEBC's purposes and made up some signs. She also put a donation jar at the cash register, the contents of which will be donated on behalf of the Kensington Market community. She also made donation forms available to those who wanted to donate more.

So, yay, little sister! Thanks for all the hard work!

The Cans for Cancer campaign will run until they sell out. You can pick one up at CAAM United Hardware, 160 Augusta Ave., Toronto, Ontario. One hundred percent of the money will go straight to the Princess Margaret Hospital's Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

These Shoes Aren't Made for Walking

Me out having dinner with two close friends, both of whom are avid runners:

Me: Yeah, so I'm thinking about getting new shoes for the 30k walk in September.
Friend 1: Don't you already have a pair?
Me: Yeah, but when I walk in them, my feet get really, really hot, after, like, 1 km. And when I take them off afterward, steam comes out of my shoes.
Friend 1: That' not good. But it'll take some time to break in new shoes.
Me: I know. The ones I have are pretty comfy. I mean, I put in two pairs of insoles inside them...
Friend 1: O_o WHY would you do that???
Me: Cuz' I don't have enough bounce in my step. And I felt like I was leaning backwards all the time.
Friend 2: That's not right. Those shoes aren't right. You're not supposed to do that.
Me: ...Yeah...well...I guess...

You'd think that, having worked at Foot Locker, I would have clued into the whole these-shoes-aren't-good-for-running thing. I actually have another pair of running shoes from those old days which I wear at work, but they're boys' size 6--about half a size too large and not great for long- distance anything. They're great for standing in, and for short jaunts, and they're damn snazzy; but not so good for much else.

So I went out today and bought new shoes. Nothing fancy--these New Balance WT460GPs were on sale ($59.99), and they fit. I've never been one to spend a lot on running shoes. The sales guy told me off the bat to put the Nikes down, despite my long-standing success with them for comfort, since I was doing a long-distance walk. As it is, these seem to be comfy enough, and give me the necessary support on the outer edge of my feet since I tend to supinate. I'm testing them around the house as I write this.

I also splurged on some fancy double-layer anti-blister socks (no, not the rainbow ones in the picture, though wouldn't THOSE be AWESOME?) as recommended by many of my colleagues who have done the 60k walk before. Interestingly, the sports shop had a pair that cost $1 extra and had a pink ribbon on them. I didn't buy those. I'm going to be surrounded by enough pink that day (it was unavoidable with my shoes). No need to remind myself why I'm doing this with socks.

On the fund-raising front, little sister Jenny has informed me that my cousin Kan is brining in a whole bunch of clean, still-in-good-condition garbage cans that her company is getting rid of for some reason. They're going to sell them at the hardware store (CAAM United Hardware, 160 Augusta Ave. in Kensington Market, celebrating 25 years in business!) and donate the proceeds directly to my campaign.

I asked her to give the project a classy, marketable name like Trash for Titties, or Cans for Cans.

Okay, maybe not.

More details to come!

Good News on the Boobie Front

From CTV.ca:

Hospital offers same-day breast cancer diagnosis

Canada's biggest cancer hospital is set to announce a clinic that can offer what no other hospital in this country can: same-day breast cancer diagnosis.

The rapid diagnostic breast clinic at Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital can provide a patient a diagnosis in a matter of hours instead of the more typical five-week wait. Patients also receive an immediate treatment plan based on their diagnosis, which explains their treatment options: surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.

Women in Canada typically wait weeks for a diagnosis after finding a suspicious lump in their breast. But at Princess Margaret, almost 500 patients have quietly been undergoing rapid testing at the clinic as part of a pilot project that began in the fall of 2006.

The idea for the rapid diagnosis centre came from David McCready, a breast surgical oncologist at Princess Margaret. McCready had noticed that patients referred to him from Toronto and elsewhere typically waited about 37 days for a diagnosis after first seeing their doctor.

While that kind of wait does not typically compromise a patient's recovery as long as treatment begins soon after, it can cause enormous anxiety for the women who are waiting to hear if they have cancer. The clinic at Princess Margaret aims to change all that.

The key to rapid diagnosis is a costly piece of equipment, called the Xpress Rapid Tissue processor, which can prepare a sample of breast tissue for analysis in a matter of hours.

On that note, I'm up to 82% of my fundraising goal for the WEBC already! I'd love to get to $2000 by September to match the 2-day walking event, even though I'm only doing the one-day event. If you can donate, please visit my web page!

Thanks to everyone who has supported me through this!

Hair altruism FAIL

As some people know, I've been growing my hair out for the past two years or so so that I can donate it towards making a cancer wig. A coworker of mine does it regularly, and she inspired me to follow her lead. After all, I have hair. It doesn't cost me a thing to grow, and probably saves me money since I don't have to visit the salon as often.

But yesterday, in an effort to tame the split ends and dryness, I went to a stylist at the Eaton Centre. A master stylist, in fact, since no cheapy juniors were around. She sat me down and played with my long, wayward locks for a while to figure out what to do.

"You have hair like white people's," she said. "Thin and silky. Very thin."

She was Asian--Korean, if I'm interpreting her name right--and it wasn't offensive. It just seemed like a weird way to start off the conversation.

She started to tell me that I should have more layers to lift the look, and I had to explain for the second time that I was donating my hair to cancer wigs. She took me to wash my hair and as I had my head bent into the sink, she said, "It's very kindhearted of you to do this...but quite honestly, I don't think you should. You have very thin hair...you should think about yourself first."

In my head: WTF? Altruism FAIL!

I shrugged and said I was going to do it regardless, and that I wasn't worried about my hair. After all, SOMEONE doesn't have hair, and I have an excess. And I'm not going to shave it all off, just cut it once it's long enough.

She went on to fix my hair very nicely, gave me a reduced rate (Master stylists are priced between $55 to $65 while Juniors charge $35). She was quite good, and gave me some tips on how to keep it nicely styled with the weight and flatness of it. Still, I couldn't help but think that she is probably not the only stylist with this opinion of hair donation for certain clients: in an industry that is all about vanity and making you look good, would they have a care towards someone other than the client?

WEBC Walking Update

Walked home from Pape Station today, which amounted to just a bit over 7 km in my effort to train for the WEBC. I haven't decided if my running shoes are the right ones to wear yet, though. They served me fairly well in Vegas walking up and down the strip, but I feel like I need more spring in my step. Maybe a few extra insoles will help.

Got my first call from my walking coach today, and received a package from the WEBC people with a pair of pink retractable earbuds I can use to listen to podcasts with. Pretty nifty.

Thanks to a lot of generous donors, I'm up to 62% of my fundraising goal, but I want to raise as much as I can. I've been toying with the idea of getting some custom magnetic poetry made up with romance words to build Harlequin Presents-esque titles. The only problem is that the minimum order would be, like, 500. I don't think I can sell that many...or have the funds to cover that amount. I could use some of them to give away as gifts/promos, etc. But I'm not certain this is the way to go.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Of Great Import

I'm taking time out from my regularly scheduled irreverence to write about something very important to me and to thousands of women (and men) everywhere.

This past year, two women very close to me were diagnosed with breast and uterine cancer. They are both currently receiving treatment and care. I have been in awe of their strength and courage, and now, I am finally able to do something more than just stand at the sidelines and watch helplessly as they endure rounds of surgery, radio, chemo, and hormone therapy.

On September 11, 2009, I will be walking in the 30 km event at the Princess Margaret Hospital's Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

This annual event draws thousands of people every year and encourages them to raise funds for breast cancer and other women's cancer research and therapies.

As a participant, I am required to raise a minimum of $1,250.00, but I hope to raise more.

I'm asking anyone and everyone to please donate whatever you can at my web page. It'll only take 13 donors contributing $100 each to get me to my goal; or, if you prefer, 25 people donating $50. But any and all donations are welcome, and you will receive a tax receipt for all donations.

The last day for donations in September 14, 2009. So if you're thinking of donating and just aren't sure if you can, try putting aside $2 a week until September. Like I said, any amount is welcome!

I'll be posting regularly about breast cancer and keep you all apprised as I train for what is surely going to be the longest and possibly the hardest walk of my life (I haven't been in great shape lately, but I'm committed and I want to do this, even if I can't do the 2-day event)

Until then, please visit and give what you can:

Donate to Vicki So's End Breast Cancer campaign now.

http://www.endcancer.ca/site/TR/Events/Toronto2009?px=2947244&pg=personal&fr_id=1323

Thanks go to Crisitina Li, a dear friend, whose first generous donation has bolstered my belief that I can reach my goal and surpass it!