Chicago 2014

In five weeks I’ll be in Chicago for my fourth Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. The first physical fundraising event I ever participated in was Spin for Hope in 2010. It is an American Cancer Society fundraiser and basically a three hour spin class. A year later I participated in my first Avon Walk in Houston, Texas.

Before 2010 I had never trained for any physical event. I trained for the California Bar Exam (CBX), but never a physical challenge. During bar prep time our professors held bi-weekly web-based chats to help guide and encourage us through exam preparation. One of the analogies that was regularly used is that the CBX is like training for a marathon.

The CBX is the most difficult bar exam in the nation. Not just because the examiners are tough, but also because it is a three day event. Every other bar exam is only two days. In the end, the exam is 18 hours long and we were taught to think of the exam as six, three-hour segments. You can do any three hour exam.

In comparison, the Avon Walk is a marathon and a half. I always commit to a marathon. I know I can walk 13.1 miles each day. Last year I surprised myself and walked 31.4 miles over the two days. I am going to try to do the same or better in Chicago but I won’t get discouraged if I only walk a marathon.

The Avon Walk is a test of endurance. I think of endurance as “slow and steady wins the race.” However, it is more than that. Like the CBX there is both the physical endurance to make it through both days but there is also the mental energy needed to stay focused. Also, there is a learning curve. Having walked before I know what to expect. And as I train I know how to challenge myself.

As I go into the final weeks of training I will focus on my goal and remember why I am walking. I want a world without breast cancer. A world without any cancer. No more deaths and many, many more birthdays.

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