Houston Avon Walk 2011 - Looking Back

Passionately Pink Teachers of Mitchell Intermediate 2011

The Passionately Pink Teachers of Mitchell Intermediate participated in the annual Houston Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Here are just a few reasons for my walk.

It was my third year to participate in the Avon Walk.  I started Saturday morning with the plan of walking 13 miles and then completing 13 miles on Sunday.  However, at the lunch stop, waiting in line for a port-a-potty, a man walked up to me and put a pink sash around me and said, "It's your turn, hun."  (The pink sashes are handed out to random walk participants to represent that every three minutes someone is diagnosed with breast cancer.) That moment changed my entire day and a metaphorical journey began.

At the end of the 13 mile finish line I decided to see just how far I could go. Receiving that ribbon represented being diagnosed with breast cancer and made me want to continue to fight on.  The team members that I was walking with stopped at the 13 mile ending option and I told them I thought I would go on and see if I could go a little further this year. It was a journey I then began alone. I tried to be brave and look like I didn't care but inside I was a bit sad.

I had seen another walker also walking the same path alone.  Later our paths joined when we were both forced to stop at a crosswalk and wait for the signal so we could proceed. We began some small talk and seemed to suddenly become fast friends on the same path. We no longer had to make this difficult journey alone. We were experiencing the same trials and we both had the same goal in mind - to make it to the finish line. My new friend's name was Vickie.

With my new partner by my side we were able to walk and talk and take our minds off of the journey we were on.  It actually didn't seem that bad for a while and I thought I would be able to complete the next 13 miles with little difficulty.

Little did I know that I was getting ready to start slowing down.  I was losing my stamina and was starting to question why I ever tried to go on any further.

I had come 20 miles; I only had six more miles to go. I was tired and hurting and done. I wanted to give up.  I had already made it further and lasted longer than I or anyone else thought I would. Wasn't that enough?  But sweet Vickie was the Energizer Bunny and wouldn't let me quit.  She kept pointing out that if I had put that much effort into coming this far how could I give up now when our finish line was ONLY six miles away.

We began to quote scriptures to each other. Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

There were several times we had the "help vans" pull along side and offer to give us a ride to the end, but we were so close.  It was so tempting to quit even though we were so close.

As I prayed silently for strength and help, I felt prompted in my spirit to stop giving in to the pain and to stand straighter.  As I did this, the strain on my lower back and hamstrings started to ease.  I learned that if I held my head up and shoulders back and kept moving forward, the path became a bit easier.  If I started to give in again, and stoop and drop my head, the pain would begin to come back.  That was another amazing learning experience in facing each problem head on.

With God and Vickie's help and encouragement I had made it to mile 25.  There was an end in sight. I might actually make it after all.

There were two women just ahead of us at the last mile marker (mile 25) and one collapsed onto the ground. She said I just can't take another step.  We got up to the women and we encouraged her that there was just one more mile; she'd come too far to give up now.  We even said we would carry her if she wanted to cross the line or we could crawl in together.  She started crying and said, "I just can't make it anymore."  She told her friend to go on but her friend would not leave her side.  Then came the "Walker Assistance Van" and they both got in.

Vickie and I both looked at each other and we both had tears streaming and heads shaking.  We were sad for the woman in pain but I think we were both angry too. How could they give up now when they were so close?

In all honesty, the last mile was absolutely the longest mile I experienced. With every step and turn I knew the end must be there, but it wasn't.  I kept asking, "How much further?" There had to be an end but it didn't seem anywhere to be found!

Alas, we were greeted by Avon Walk representative on a bike that informed us that we were the last two walkers and we were close. Her definition of close and mine seemed to be much different.

Finally, we could see it! The walk and journey were coming to an end. Earlier walkers had crossed the finish line to cheers and fanfare.  Upon our arrival there was only an empty field at Rice stadium with two exhausted walkers that crossed in lonely silence. It didn't even seem to matter.  All we cared about is that we had  finished our journey and we were still standing.

So to those of you who are in the race of your life battling cancer or walking along someone who is, you are not forgotten!  Keep fighting the good fight; there is an end in sight!
2 Timothy 4:7
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 

In the end it's all any of us can truly hope for.