Several months ago I filled out a form to be an online ambassador for the Breast Cancer 3-day. I was already blogging about my experience in the 2008 3-day. I wasn’t really sure exactly what I would need to do, but I was up for the challenge. The journey began with this post. It was about a month and a half after that when I discovered Twitter and the 3-day on Twitter. This was incredible! Before that, I wasn’t actually sure anyone was reading my 3-day posts. Once my posts hit Twitter and Facebook, I was motivated to write because I knew people were actually reading my posts!
It wasn’t about becoming 3-day famous. It was all about helping people. I was passionate about sharing my experience with others so that they could have the best 3-day experience possible. I wrote posts like these about fundraising, packing, my favorite products, and community. I love getting comments and feedback from other walkers, especially first-time walkers. Hearing questions, concerns, and fears of first-time walkers and sharing my experiences makes me feel like I’m helping ease some of their anxieties about the walk. Walking 60 miles, raising $2,300, and preparing for the 3-day is daunting. Thankfully teams, blogs, message boards, Facebook, and Twitter bring walkers closer together even before the event.
All this is to say, I love being a 3-day ambassador. A few weeks ago I ran out of topics. I didn’t get any questions, so I put posting about the 3-day on the back burner. Afterall, I’m getting married in 11 days. 
Today, I received an e-mail that made me feel like a winner and brought tears to my eyes. The subject is “A Special Thank You” and it is from Celeste, Social Media Strategist for the Breast Cancer 3-day. I had just come out of a work meeting, so I scanned the e-mail, figuring it was “generic” (Sorry, Celeste!!). I had to read it three times before I realized what it really was!
Breast Cancer 3-Day sponsor New Balance is kindly allowing us to offer one Online Ambassador an outfit and shoes provided as a thank you for their dedication to the cause. Because you’ve done such an amazing job with all of your useful and relevant blog posts, I’d like to extend the offer to you.
…
Thank you so much for being such an integral part of the Online Ambassador program.
Celeste asked me to respond with my sizes, name, address, etc. to receive my outfit. I am honored, humbled, and in awe. First, obviously I LOVE New Balance. I have no idea what this outfit will look like, but I am thrilled. I feel like I won a contest that I didn’t know I entered! Beyond that, I had to really think about where to send this to and to whom. I don’t imagine that Celeste will have everything ready to go before Friday, so I had her mail it to Leanne Johnston at my new address. Crazy!
Another note, we’re moving. Jarrod gets the keys to our new place on Friday and we start moving immediately. Saturday we have friends helping Jarrod with the heavy lifting and I’m unpacking and organizing in the air conditioning. Sunday we’ll do church as normal, continue unpacking and repacking, Monday and Tuesday are normal work days, and Wednesday I’m working until noon and then driving to Dallas to pick up my sister and stay with my future brother and sister in law in Dallas to prepare for our wedding!!!!! It’s absolutely nuts how quickly it snuck up on me. I’m getting more and more excited, but I’m also getting more and more absent minded. I’ve begun packing my bag for the wedding and have lists everywhere. I made a folder and printed out my schedule and any directions that I might need for the weekend. Organization for the win!
But I am. I guess it never occurred to me how a bride feels 17 days before her wedding. I’ve invisioned the moment before the doors open and I begin walking down the aisle about 1,983,727 times. But I’ve never thought about what it feels like to order business cards with my “new name” on them. I’ve never thought about what it will feel like to unpack in a new home. A new home I will live in with my husband. It’s a strange feeling.
I’m doing my best to live in the moment, not get too stressed out, and calm down. Unfortauntely, Jarrod has received the brunt of my NOT being able to do that 24/7. Overall, I’m maintaining my sanity by making lists. (I made a VERY detailed schedule for myself from Wednesday at noon through the wedding on Monday night. I might go past the wedding if I start to panic again…) I’ve also been walking with Lucy-the-dog a few times a week. Not as much as I should be according to the training schedule, but I’m doing the best that I can. I’m sure once the wedding is over I’ll have more time to walk.
This post doesn’t really have much of a point… Just wanted to get some thoughts out there. Life is good. Chaotic, but good. Hopefully I’ll have some good news soon about a visitor joining me in the south. More on that later.
Jarrod and I had a crazy whirl-wind of a weekend. We planned this weekend several weeks ago because we discovered that we would need to make a special trip to Dallas to get our marriage license. We decided to make it the weekend our friends Jared and Alina got married! I took Friday off of work and Jarrod, who already gets Friday off, took Thursday off. Jarrod drove his pick-up truck and arrived at Tom and Jessica’s house in time to head to the Ranger’s game with his borther. I flew in after work and arrived at Love Field at 9pm, completely exhausted.
Friday morning we woke up early and got ready to go get our marriage license! We had absolutely no idea how long this would take, so we made a list of MUST DO errands and a list of WOULD BE NICE errands. We got to the justice of the peace before 10am and were out of there by 10:30am or so. Of course we had to take some pictures, even though there were signs everywhere telling us to turn off our cell phones. 
After securing the marriage license, we headed to the mall to 1) return make up that I paid way too much for to hate as much as I did 2) get little bro a graduation gift and 3) get Jarrod a new cell phone. Check, check and check!
Then we headed up to lunch with our dear friend Laurie. We adore Laurie. I love that she and Jarrod would have had a lovely time and plenty to talk about even if I wasn’t there. We are so thrilled that she will be leading the music at our wedding. Besides the amazing company, we also had a delightful meal. No Pei Wei in Slidell, so we had to get it in Dallas.
After lunch we made a quick stop at Michael’s for a craft supply that they didn’t have… Then we visited with our favorite flower girls and ring bearer. We delivered birthday gifts as the twins are now THREE! We left 90 minutes later after jumping on the trampoline, lots of hugs, and with our engagement pictures and water color paintings for our fridge. From there, we went to visit with Jarrod’s aunts, our amazing florists. We cannot wait to see the incredible things they are going to do with our flowers. They will be vibrant, gorgeous, and striking. I am thrilled. And we really enjoy spending time with them, so that’s awesome too.
After our flower appointment, we went to run more errands. We picked up the craft I was looking for at ANOTHER Michael’s, got a wedding gift for Jared and Alina, and picked up a take-and-bake pizza. Before we got to Tom and Jessica’s, we stopped by my old house to get the last of my wedding supplies to organize them in the room I’ve taken over… We baked the incredibly delicious pizza and crashed. I was asleep by 11pm. Lovely, but busy day!
7am Saturday morning my alarm went off and I jumped into my work-out clothes and Jarrod and I headed to my old house to load up the truck with my bed and a few chairs. I’m officially moved out, but don’t want to talk about it because it’s very sad. 
Then we ran back home and showered up for breakfast with the family. We had poor service but great food and fun with Tom, Jess, the boys, Will, and Jarrod’s parents. Awesome. After breakfast we ran back to the house to finish packing up, changed clothes into wedding attire, and drove downtown to watch Jared and Alina get married!
The ceremony was absolutely gorgeous. Alina was stunning and Jared was beaming. Jared’s parents (my Jarrod’s pastors) looked so proud. It was incredible to see them officially join their lives together. However, just 3 weeks before our own wedding, I was a basketcase through the ceremony. I balled. The bridesmaids processed to Canon in D, my own processional. I couldn’t hold it together. Hearing them share their vows, knowing that in just days Jarrod and I will be making the same promises was too much for me. I hope that sobbing through their ceremony means that I will be able to hold it together for ours. I pray there won’t be ugly crying like there was about 11 months ago!
Life is busy, but definitely wonderful. It’s going to be a busy week of VBS, packing, work, and cooking. I’ll update you with our new favorite recipes soon!
When I was younger I imagined what my engagement and wedding process would be like. I imagined being engaged at 22 and married 10 months later. I wasn’t living in reality about money and assumed that I’d have tens of thousands of dollars to spend on a gorgeous wedding for everyone I know. I dreamed of mashed potato martinis, a carving station, and romantic lighting at our evening reception. When I wasn’t even seriously dating (not for lack of trying!) at 22, I began to wonder if I would ever get married. By 24 I was thrilled to be living alone with my cats. I loved my job and was enjoying my relaxing life.
Then BAM! I left my job, started dating someone seriously, and was suddenly an adult. I started seminary and was living a life I never thought I would. I was back dreaming about weddings again, but this time it was location (and groom!) specific. When our relationship ended I was crushed for many reasons. However, it only took a month or so for me to come (back) to the conclusion that the single life forever wouldn’t be the end of the world. I settled back into the single life. I got excellent grades, grew spiritually, and had a very full life. I was planning trips, taking interesting classes, walking a TON, and spending time with friends. Life was grand.
Then…BAM! I went to a best friend’s wedding, was reunited with a friend, and fell in love. That was late July 2008. Less than a year ago. Jarrod and I dated for 3 months before we got engaged. Unlike my earlier fantasies of wedding planning, we had limited finds, focus on the important things, issues of distance, and family dynamics. Somewhere in my idealistic mind, I thought that once a ring was on my finger all issues of family relationships and finances would be erased. Sadly, no. These issues are highlighted under the stress of planning what is essentially a huge party for everyone we know. Not everything has been stressful about being engaged, but it certainly has been more difficult than I imagined. Don’t get my wrong, I am THRILLED to be engaged and in 27 days will be marrying the man of my dreams. I couldn’t be happier and I thank God everyday for this incredibly rich life.
But… Being engaged is hard and I’m SO ready to be a wife. I’m more than ready for this glorious wedding to be over. I don’t think there will be wedding withdrawal around here. I’m ready to throw myself into other things…like church, work, and the 3-day! All that’s to say that being engaged is not entirely what I thought it would be and I’m excited that it’s about over. I care very little about dresses, shoes, sparkles, makeup, flowers, etc. I care very much about seeing all of my friends and family in the same room having a great time. I care about the communion liturgy and the hymns. I care about spending the rest of my life with the love of my life. I am so excited to be an official family. With Lucy, Sophie, and Oliver, of course!
153 days until the Breast Cancer 3-day! Lucy (the dog) and I have been walking and found some great paths that include forests, new houses, and sprinklers. She is an AWESOME trainer because she walks very fast and always wants to be in the lead. She only gets tired if it is REALLY hot and even then only at mile 3! She’s a trooper.
I’m going to have to start training harder than Lucy can go pretty soon. I told my sister yesterday that all the 4 mile walks in the world aren’t going to teach you as much as one weekend of back to backs. 12 miles on Saturday and 10 miles on Sunday. That is what will prepare you to walk 20 miles three days in a row. I have already purchased all of my socks, clothing, camelbak, sports bras, and one pair of shoes. I’m training in those clothes because what will moderately irritate over 4 miles will be unbearable after 10. I am hoping that next month (after the wedding and the move) I’ll be able to train more regularly and go further than I am now. Time is precious these days.
Fundraising is also going well. I have one pending company match which puts me at $1,620. That’s AWESOME with 5 months left to go! I still need $680 to meet my goal of $2,300. I’d love to meet that sooner rather than later so that I can focus my fundraising attention on my sister and the rest of the team. If you want to help me meet my goal, please consider donating whatever you can. If everyone who reads this blog donated just $10, I’d meet my goal and we’d be that much closer to finding a cure for (breast) cancer.
Training in Louisiana is hard because it’s so dang humid. If I got up before work to train or lived in a neighborhood where I could train after dark (and wasn’t already so dang tired!) this would not be a problem. I’m hoping when the wedding is over I’ll have more energy to train and by then we will live in a gorgeous apartment complex on the water that hopefully has some great places to walk as well.
I did not meet my goal of $500 in May, but I did get $300 and one on the way in donations. Not terrible at all! Still want to donate? It’s NEVER too late!
I’ve run out of things to write about as a Breast Cancer 3-day Ambassador. Do you have specific or general questions about what you will experience on the 3-day, best fundraising techniques, or training? Send them to leanne.lindgren (at) gmail.com and I’ll do my best to answer them! You can also leave questions in the comments section here. If you haven’t read my previous posts about the 3-day, you can see a topical index here.
I look forward to hearing from you!
With the wedding just 5 weeks away, I figured it was time for me to post just a regular old update. Here are some things that are relatively new in my life…
- I started working full time last Tuesday. Same place that hired me part time, they just decided to hire me full time. I knew it was coming at some point, but did not expect it as early as it came. I am learning so much because it is in a field I have never really worked before. Working part time left me spending most of my hours training and feeling pretty dumb. Now that I am full time I feel like I am catching on quicker and doing thihngs that are actually helpful. My commute is only about 30 minutes, so I am loving that too!
- Jarrod and I found a place to live! The lease is up at his current apartment at the end of June, so we will move to a gorgeous complex across town on June 27th. If you’re keeping track, that’s a week before our wedding. The apartment complex is absolutely gorgeous and we both fell in love with it on our first visit. The price went up a little bit while we were debating, but with me working full time, it isn’t more than we can afford. We’re on the second floor with a gorgeous view and the complex is right on the water with a boat dock. I think I am most excited about having a place that is OURS.
- Jarrod and I joined the church. He’s been working there a year but never joined. We had planned to join “as a family” after the wedding. I couldn’t wait, so I pushed him to join earlier. I just wanted to feel like I really belonged somewhere. I know it might sound silly, but moving all the way here, leaving my friends and good grocery stores, and not really knowing what life looks like in 6 weeks, I wanted to say that I was a member of the church here. So we joined. It was beautiful.
- It is SO humid in this part of Louisiana! It’s like 98% humidity when the sun is shining and the sky is clear. I don’t really understand it, but I do not like it. Training outside has become difficult because it wears me out so much more! The full time job is cramping my training style, but I do manage to get out several times a week (usually with Lucy!) for a several mile walk. There’s a park near our house so we take a walk through the forest there and through a neighborhood before heading home. She LOVES it!
- I miss my friends. I miss Dallas. I miss my little friends. (“Twirl, Lele, twirl!” makes me cry most days.) I miss not knowing people and people not knowing me. I mean, people here KNOW me because I’m the music minister’s fiance. But they don’t really know me. I am so thankful for Jarrod and some of the close friends we have here. I think I’m doing pretty well. I really like my job, I like our church, and I’m going to LOVE our new apartment. I’m keeping a positive attitude like 95% of the time. But sometimes I just really miss Dallas. I can’t wait to see everyone in less than 5 weeks.
There’s the update. It is hard to believe that in 5 weeks the wedding will be over. Time is FLYING, but I’m glad for that because I’m pretty ready for the wedding to be over so we can get on with our lives. It’s stressful, but I’m so looking forward to it. We’ll be in Dallas in two weeks for another wedding and to get our marriage license. I’m looking forward to seeing folks again. Then we’ll just be 3 weeks away! Totally nuts.
I’ve been cooking a lot lately (Jarrod has too!) so I plan on sharing recipes soon. I’ve been making whole wheat sandwich bread from scratch, homemade pizza, and I’m starting to try out some new recipes. We’re getting into the groove of cooking together and for each other, which is helpful…especially after a long day of work and a night of walking and TV!
Fundraising
Packing Information
Training
Community/Teams
Why to walk
My Story
I’ve been searching the 3-day message boards to try and find some friends in Louisiana to train with. I’m looking for friends in general in the area and thought this would be a great way to make friends separate from Jarrod. (We did join the church today, though, and I’m hoping that helps me feel more connected here. More on that later.) While I was searching the boards, I found a link to this website. Perhaps you’ve already seen it. I find it incredible. These men have dedicated more than just 3 days of their life, they have dedicated years. They walk, crew, and raise money. It’s a full-time hobby I’m sure. I’m especially impressed with Pink Beard Barry.
People who commit to walking in ALL the Breast Cancer 3-days around the country really astound me. Not only have they committed 15 weekends of their life to walking, 30 nights in a tent, walking 900 miles (not including training!) but they will raise $34,500 this year ALONE! Absolutely incredible.
I love the calendars that the 60-mile men sell. GREAT fundraising idea! And the t-shirts!I especially like the shirt that says “My wife is a 60-mile woman.” I also loved reading about each of the guys. They walk for their wives, in honor of their mothers, and so their daughters don’t have to live in a world with breast cancer. I am reminded why I walk when others articulate why they walk. I’ve written many times before about the sense of community the 3-day establishes and how proud I am to be part of something so awesome.
Inspired yet? I’m halfway to my goal of $500 in May. I have between 60 and 600 viewers each day. Consider donating just $5. If everyone did, we’d be $300 closer to a cure for breast cancer. Please donate today.
I’ve never regretted signing up to walk in the 3-day. Not for a moment last year and not at all this year. (Well, maybe at mile 57, but that was just a passing thought.) However, that doesn’t mean that I am always totally excited to walk. Life happens between monumental mountaintop Breast Cancer 3-day experiences.
I walk for a variety of reasons. I walk because 30 years ago my grandmother died because there were not adequate treatments for breast cancer. I walk for the handful of dear friends who have lost their battle with breast cancer. I walk because I do not want to live in a world where 1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States alone. I do not want my future children’s lives to be ripped apart because of breast cancer.
Occasionally my mundane life will be interrupted by a monumental breast cancer experience that reminds me why I walk. Several months ago I saw a woman driving a car with 3-day window clings and a breast cancer survivor license plate holder. Just driving to school, suddenly my eyes are filled with tears and I am reminded why I get up early to train. This weekend I had a very emotional experience that reminded me why I’m raising, training, and taking time off of work to walk.
Let me back up for a minute. Jarrod has a Blockbuster subscription that allows us to rent one movie at a time, but as often as we want. We love lazy weekends because we can watch at least two movies. We take turns because we can never agree on movies. He picks one and then I pick one. I picked Living Proof because it wasn’t a romantic comedy, stars Harry Connick, Jr. and I thought Jarrod and I would both like it. I knew it was about breast cancer research and I knew it was based on a true story, but had no idea that I would be sobbing like a baby through the entire thing.
The movie is about a doctor who devotes his life to creating, testing, and getting FDA approved, a drug for the treatment of cancer that treats tumors without the horrible side-effects of chemo. He fought for women who couldn’t fight for themselves. The movie followed the lives of several women, some survived and some did not, but all were heroic, strong, and pioneers in the treatment of cancer. I’m tearing up again just thinking about it.
I literally cried through the whole movie. But I’m a crier. Usually Jarrod can calm me down with jokes and reminding me that it’s just a movie. Last night he just held me while I cried. This is why I walk. Because it is NOT just a movie. This is real life. Everyday women (and men) are throwing up because of chemo. Everyday women are going to Mexico to spend time with family because there is no more treatment for them. I remember that I walk for those women, but I’m also walking for the doctors and researchers who are devoting their lives to finding a cure for breast cancer. They need funding to continue their work. While $5 seems like a drop in the bucket in the grand scheme of finding a cure for cancer, think about what would happen if everyone donated $5. Or if everyone just donated what they can.
Finding a cure for cancer means community, coming together, and giving everything we can. Community was a consistent theme in the movie, which I appreciated because community is such a huge part of the Breast Cancer 3-day. Walking 60 miles in 3 days is the least I can do. Raising $2,300 is the least I can do. Taking time off of work, getting up early, training, buying expensive shoes, etc. It’s the least I can do. $2,300 is cheaper than expensive treatments that may or may not work. I am so blessed to be healthy. I am capable of walking, so I will walk.
If you need a monumental breast cancer experience to remind you why you are dedicating so much of your life to 3 days, rent Living Proof. The movie is decent, but I’m not necessarily just advocating for the movie. If you need a reminder of why you walk, find one. If you can’t walk, donate.
