Cuz it only serves to make me - more determined to make my final goal

Here we are, the last training weekend for the three day. It's bittersweet for me. On the one hand I'm so very glad to have the training over - the hours and hours of walking. On the other hand, I'm truly going to miss the fabulous people I've met (Warming Hut Hotties) and the bonding with BigBro and Blueberry. We've learned way...and I mean WAY... too much about each other over the last 9 months. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's truly been a journey. One I won't likely ever forget.

As I sit here and write, my mind is racing of all the things I need to do before the 3 day - now just two weeks away - in fact, two weeks from this moment I'll be stuck in a chair and won't be able to get up to walk to the bathroom without any pain. The project manager in me is trying to plan out every single minute / day. The old familiar fear of missing something has crept into my mind and I just know if I plan, then I won't miss a thing. Where as the reality is, if I just be then I'm most likely to see everything more clear. My goal for the next two weeks is to just be.

This weekend, as I mentioned, was the last "official" training walk. We walked with the Hotties both days. Saturday saw us traversing some extremely difficult parts of Seattle. Parts I didn't even know existed and quite frankly don't need to see again. Thankyouverymuch. Yet these parts had a strange way of putting a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment in my cap for a day or two.

Saturday we took off from our beloved Greenlake and headed south-ish to Fremont. We walked along the main road in Fremont to the West and ended up at the Locks again. I've seen the Locks more this year than I think I have my entire life combined. A short rest there and we were off toward Golden Gardens. Golden Gardens is a waterfront park that is frequented by sports enthusiasts, beach combers, and people who just want to exist with the sea. It's a large park and is surrounded by water on one side and woods to the other. In those woods, are what I'm affectionately calling "The Hell?"

What is 290? That would be the number of stairs contained in "The Hell."

Yes.

Go back.

Read that again, I'll wait.

Two hundred and ninety! I didn't even know I could count that high, let alone climb that many steps. Truth be told I lost count around 140 since breathing became more important at that point. But faithful Blueberry kept up the count. We did it. I had a slight Energy Burst on the last leg and "jogged" up about 20 steps. Regretting it immediately since I had another 20 or so to go and was out of breath...but that was AFTER the previous 270 so I felt I deserved to be out of breath.

Despite the UP part of the stairs - it really was a beautiful path. Seattle is full of green and this path felt like we were in the middle of the wilderness just passing by. This photo is of the beginning of the stairs. They wrapped around and went up even more steep than this. Ugh. To see all the stair photos, visit my flicker site. They are truly a site to see. (Side bar: I've also put ALL my three day photos out there - but the most recent are the stairs and this last weekend)

At the top everyone is greeted by a cheering Hotty team. In fact, at the top of every massive hill they wait and cheer on the slower of the walkers. Guess who's always getting cheered up?

Once we finished The Hell, we wondered away back toward Greenlake. And then I saw it. There it stood, The Hill of Death (aka 65th Street Hill). This beast and I have met twice before and I survived. I knew this time would be no different. Our battle march was one foot in front of the other - Blueberry and I made it. BigBro was up in the front of the pack so he was again - at the top - cheering us all on. At the top I was not only greeted with cheering fans, but chocolate! I mean really? If I knew there was chocolate at the top of every hill, I'd climb them all!

Sunday was crisp, and over-cast. But the Hotty Window prevailed and it held the rain at bay until we finished our trek. Sunday had us wondering the Mapleleaf area of Seattle, and then through part of the University District. The only hill on this route was in the very beginning and it was a gradual climb that I'm guessing was about 2 miles or so (most likely less, but it felt like 2+). Nothing steep, but continuous.

Of special note to Sunday is the fact that BigBro and I were the LEADERS for about an hour. I'm not sure what kinda of time shift continuum thing happened to put us in the very front, but there we were none-the-less. Then after a stop, BigBro had to switch socks and band aid up a blister - which put us behind again! Ahhh, my old friend caboose.

And so the training has come to an end. BigBro, Blueberry and I will most likely do a couple of 5 miles next weekend just because. According to the "training schedule" next weekend is supposed to be walk free, but we figured we might as well just do some little jaunts for old time sakes.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go obsess and worry and plan for the 3 Day in two weeks. The Hotties warned me the "3Day Nightmares" would start, and I think they may be right.