The day starts before dawn. The man in the tutu is actually a member of the crew we will see every day. When we dropped off our luggage I saw the best slogan of the day on a luggage handler: breaking our backs to save your racks.
This was all pretty and cute on the first day. Not so funny on the 2nd day when I couldn't think clearly, much less positively, or form complete sentences.
This is a pic of someone in toe socks. And ugly sandals. But if she ended up blisterless, then she had the last laugh.
All smiles and beaches a few miles in. Little did we know we would be heading up Torrey Pines during the heat of midday.
The route was gorgeous.
A view of the line of walkers stretching up the hill, to the left you can see a group we walked with for a while--a husband, daughter, niece and friend of a woman who died of breast cancer last year. Her picture is on their back.
Cross dressing is perfectly acceptable and encouraged on the 3-Day path.
This pink bearded cross dressing man and his pink-wigged lady companions cheered us on each day and provided some much needed laughs.
A great sign on the Torrey Pines Hill.
I didn't really understand why these ladies were dressed up as statues of liberty. Maybe freedom from breast cancer? Anyway, they were with us and this slogan was chanted by a tattooed woman on our last day to great effect.
I had the same shoes as many other ladies. I think Road Runner sports was a winner. This lady has moleskin on her foot--something with which I became well-acquainted.
Angels, haloes, and the sign that says "hakuna Ma Ta-tas" I don't know where the term Ta-tas comes from, but it was one of the most popular among walkers and cheerers.
End of the first day. 24 miles. The beautiful sunset was a nice distraction from our feet, which were raging against us at this point.
Karina had pre-emptively put moleskin on certain sensitive parts of her feet. There was a huge blister under there at the end of the day. Moleskin FAIL!
Our team lives up to its name! All showered and ready for bed, the team provides some delicious red wine as a nightcap.
BRILLIANT!
My right foot on day 2 after a visit to the medical tent. Multiple bandages covering lanced blisters and pink foam to keep them all in place.
5500 pink tents were spread all over camp.
The shirts kept you choked up--just in case you forgot why you signed up to do this ridiculous thing.
These white vans were called sweep vans and when people couldn't go on they put their hands over their heads in an X and they took them to lunch or the next pit stop. The van crews all had themes, one was a 50s diner, one had shirtless men on it.
The pimp-themed wagon. You be laggin, we be snaggin.
These flags were passed to different walkers as the days went on.
"For My Surviving Mom"
We had various girl scouts along the way passing out thin mints! yay! Karina and I felt that this was a perfect event for a girl scout troop.
Inspirational signs along the way. And Charity was waiting around the bend with inspirational starbucks and chocolates for us! yay urban family!
In loving memory of my mother.
Pink boas were nearly the official uniform. The lady in front of these ladies is a 4x cancer survivor.
Girlfriends never forget.
Mom, Aunt, Aunt, Cousin, Cousin.
The San Jose Police come down every year to do route safety--they were such a cool group of guys.
This cop was the one around our group the most. He was both very sweet "that hill was nothing compared to your heart, ladies" and very smarmy "ladies, time for some stretches, bend over and grab your ankles" at the same time. Please note my sexy support strap.
Another excellent view.
Just painting some faces, living through some breast cancer.
"I'm a breast man."
Karina's biggest blister has an epic 3rd day finish.
The essential self-portrait--only 2 miles from the finish!
Our team captain on the right poses with the Young Survivors club.
One inspired cheering team put pictures of hot latin men all around with sayings like this.
We were behind this blind woman the first and last day. She was a trooper.
We did it! We got our rose and our shirts and about 500 high fives from other walkers.
At the holding area before the closing ceremony. Women in pink shirts are breast cancer survivors.
Thousands of steps, thousands of new freckles...I literally couldn't sit down or I wouldn't have been able to get back up.
