This past weekend was the Avon Walk in Houston, and I am happy to report, that I survived.  We actually had a couple of almost perfect days.  Late April in Houston can be muggy and hot, but Saturday was breezy and chilly, turning lovely later in the day, and Sunday was a bit hotter, but nice.  Friday afternoon it POURED down rain, right through our check in at Event Eve and our ‘carbing up’ cupcake stop.  But by the time we made it to P.F. Chang’s for dinner, it had cooled considerably, and the rain was gone.

We stayed at my MIL’s townhouse in the city so we’d be closer to the starting point, and despite being oh-so-tired, I didn’t fall asleep until after midnight.  Our alarms were set for 3:45 a.m. to give us time to drive to shuttle pickup, park, take the bus, and get to the Opening Ceremonies at 7:00 a.m.  It. Was. Freeeezing out there!  We shivered our rears off, standing in a wet field for over an hour before the ceremony started.  My feet were sore before we even began.

And then we were off.  And there were people all along the route out there, cheering us on, saying thank you.  Local bikers had signed up to help us with traffic, and they were at every busy intersection, always with a smile.  Then there were the Porta-potties.  But I survived those too.  The second day I tracked my progress with the number of Porta-potty stops I had left.  It was thrilling when I had none left, even though I was still three miles from the finish.

A couple of my walking buddies went off the beaten trail for another cupcake run.  They got me one too, and I enjoyed it thoroughly at Mile 26.2, while sitting in a massage chair, my feet propped up on a massage machine.  It was actually a really lovely walk–mostly.  We got to see A LOT of Houston.  A whole lot.

The stairs at my MIL’s were rough on the evening of the first day (I was sleeping on the third floor).  But once I was warmed up, I wasn’t overly sore for the second day’s walk.  And today I’m not too bad.  Better than expected.  I’m just glad it’s over.  New nicknames were used on that walk, and I hope they don’t stick…

Houston raised $2 million for breast cancer research and care.  And I was part of it.

Yesterday was the last long walk before the big day, which is next Saturday, April  21st.  We met at 7:00 am and walked until 2:30 pm, stopping about an hour for lunch.  Twenty miles.  It was meant to be 22, but we had to pick up the kids from school.  (Thank goodness!)  This was my favorite of the long walks.  It was a nature walk and a walk along the Gulf combined.  We saw all sorts of critters, picked wild dewberries (on the run), got eaten by mosquitoes, kicked up gravel, and were cooled by balmy breezes.  I almost got locked in a park bathroom at one point.  And, best of all, I managed to stay civil for the entire walk.  I admit to getting a little grumpy around the 16 mile mark on every long walk.  It’s hot and muggy, my fingers have swollen up like sausages, my feet hurt, and I just want to be DONE.  But yesterday, I powered through the cranky and was still smiling at the end.  I consider that a victory.

In other news, I’ve added new pinboards on Pinterest for AUSTENTATIOUS, the sequel, and the book I’m working on right now, if you’re interested…