Day 3

Terrain: Road
Path: Brewster (Sea Camps) to Dennis (Wixon School) / Shuttle to Main St. Hyannis
Time: 3 hours
Mileage: 9.6 miles
Blister Count: 0

Saturday night Jill sternly warned me not to stay up all night writing. I’m glad I heeded her advice. I didn’t see 10pm that night!

We woke up in the morning and took our time getting ready. We had plenty of it. I slept well the night before, but Jill woke up a few times from the pain of her blisters. At one point she said her legs were even shaking from them. Ouch!


Jill was frustrated that her feet weren’t working for her, because she felt so great otherwise. She noted, however, this is something people with MS deal with on a regular basis, and saw it as therapy as opposed to misery. If I needed anymore motivation to finish the 50 miles, that was it.

Becky wasn’t sure Saturday night if she was walking because she was so sore. But a good night’s sleep was all she needed. She joined us in our room once she was ready.

Becky was just in time to witness my sister attacking me with mole skin. I had a hot spot on the bottom of my left foot. My left knee was sore from Saturday too. I think my knee was sore from compensating for the hot spot. Either way, Jill insisted I put mole skin on it.

I’ve never touched mole skin, never mind touch it. The name of it was enough to turn me off. I quizzed Jill on the makes of it. No, it’s not actually made out ‘mole’ skin. No, it doesn’t feel funny. Yes, you must wear it. I made her put it on me. I was too squeamish to do it myself, and almost too squeamish to let her do it. I kept pulling my foot away. Becky kept laughing.

We went to Bagels & Beyond again for breakfast and headed to the Sea Camps. We were hoping to catch Rachel, but she mentioned starting at 7:30. It was just after 7am and Becky wanted to hit the road. She said if she didn’t start early, she wouldn’t be able to do it.

Based on Saturday, I figured I’d start with Becky and then go at my own pace. I thought that Rachel and Becky might catch up with each other and I’d just go ahead to get it done. I was feeling good. But before the first mile was in, my moleskin was falling off my feet. I ripped it off and threw it away at the first stop. I didn’t even feel my hotspot anymore.

The news in the morning at the hotel was saturated with 9/11 memorials, testimonials, and videos. We had thought about wearing shirts or something as a team to mark the day, but decided not to in the end. I didn’t see much to do with 9/11 on the walk except at the first rest stop. They had decorated the stop patriotically and had posters to sign. One was to support the victims of recent local tornados, and the other was going to the Military as a thank you. It was very tasteful.

Before leaving the first stop one of the guys told us as we were exiting to watch our ankles due to all the street walking on this day. I asked Becky if she knew what he meant. She replied without hesitation that the alligators might attack our ankles while we walked. Smile. Nod. Keep walking.

Up the street Becky mentioned that somewhere (such an elusive word on a 50-mile walk) along the road was a Reggie look-a-like horse. It seemed we walked a while before finding him. He was almost on the last leg of the walk, after at least the first and second rest stops. But it all blends together now.

Aunt Irene and Baby A greeted us at the second rest stop. Baby A took a few steps with us and was very happy to see Becky. Aunt Irene mistook me for Rachel and asked where I was. After reintroducing with myself to my aunt, we parted ways with Aunt Irene and Baby A. We were almost done and could feel the end nearing.

We were going down hill when we spotted a sign ahead. Organic Manure. Before I could even comment about making manure organic, Farmer Becky was asking if it was horse or cow, and suggesting we sell some for a fundraiser. We decided it was horse based on their mailbox, and Becky explained that in order to be ‘organic,’ the horse must be fed naturally organic foods. We’d name our manure sales, Palmer’s Pals Poops. - and I can’t guarantee the organic-ness of it.

Cousin Jake called us as we were nearing the end. He and his fiancee Brooke were going to meet us at the school where we’d have lunch and relax for a bit. She explained to him the name of the school so he could find it. “It’s like ‘bison’ but with a ‘w’ and ‘x’ - wixon.” Uh-oh, the bison was back….

On the road up to the school, we finally found some Palmer’s Pals signage. My mother decorated a piece of the sidewalk with our names (all spelt right!) just in time to push us to the end.

A small crowd cheered us and gave us high fives and thank-yous as we turned into the school lot. It was surreal and didn’t seem like it was the end. Becky and I headed toward the school to check in and get our shirts. Jill met us outside in her fuzzy socks and slippers. She had just had a well-deserved massage by one of the therapists.

We picked up our blue shirts. Jill had already gotten her orange one and we picked a spot on the field to settle. Becky and I left Jill with our belongings and went out to the sidewalk to greet Rachel. As we were waiting, people kept asking Becky if she was ok. She was. It was good to see though that if she wasn’t, everyone was there willing and ready to help.

Rachel was easy to spot. Her hands were going a mile a minute. My mother had joined her at the last rest stop and walking with her. We caught up with them and all walked in together. This time there were more people at the finish cheering on everyone. It felt like more of a finish.

But it wasn’t over yet.

On the field at the school, we had a catered lunch and relaxed for a while. The DJ kept playing upbeat music to keep our muscles fresh. One song that seemed to be on repeat was “I Would Walk 500 Miles.” Finally it made sense - 10 years x 50 miles per year = 500 miles. See, we aren’t awful at math after all!

Once everyone, all 600+ walkers, safety teams, crew members, crossed the finish and had some lunch, we boarded school busses. The busses transported us to downtown Hyannis for the final ½ mile.

A sea of orange (for those with MS) and blue (supporters) streamed out of the busses and gathered on the sidewalk by the transportation center. We then moved like herded cattle along Main St. to the Village Green. The street was lined with all our families and friends cheering us on in gratitude and pride for our journey over the last three days.

Our family was easy to spot. The first one I saw was Captain, my Godmother’s dog. Then my father was on the step getting as tall as he could to get pictures with my sister’s boyfriend next to him pointing us out. My mother and Godmother, Beth, greeted us street side with flowers.

We progressed under the arch of orange and white balloons to the spot we started at on Friday. A few people in wheelchairs on the sidelines thanked us for walking, and I could see the sincerity in their eyes through their tears.

As the officials proceeded with the closing ceremonies, the team photo shoot began. We had to get our pictures taken in every which way and with everyone around us: my parents, Rachel, Becky, Jill, Jay, Robin, Declan, Patrick, Aunt Marylen, Aunt Mary, Aunt Irene, Baby A, Beth, Glen, and of course Captain.  

Before heading home, my father had to make sure I knew where I was going. He tested me by telling me to get on Rt 6 East. I told him, “No, West.” He smiled and nodded (must be where I get it…) and told me to follow the sun.

It was just afternoon and the sun was not arching west quite yet…

Thank you to everyone who supported us!! 50 miles closer to a cure!

Day 2

 My Challenge is to walk - Your's is here!
Terrain: Road / Bike Path
Path: Cape Cod Sea Camps to the National Sea Shore and back
Time: 8.5 hours + lunch
Mileage: 21.30 miles
Blister Count: almost 1...

My alarm went off at 5:50 this morning. Good thing too. I did a double take at the time, tried to orientate myself, and remember what time we were leaving. Jill’s alarm was supposed to go off at 5:30am, but she never switched it from ‘weekdays’ to ‘weekends.’

By 6am we were both stirring and readying our day. Jill worked on taping her feet again while I did circles in the room trying to remember what I needed to grab.  Becky and I walked out to my father’s car at about the same time. It is important to note that this was the second time in Becky’s walking career she has been ready before us.

Jill came walking out with my water bottle in hand (oops), her feet taped, and her new Fit Flops on. She said she had too much tape and wrapping on to fit into a sneaker. We went to Bagels & Beyond right down the street for breakfast and then continued to the Sea Camps where we met Rachel.

Once we were all together, we took off. The route went down the road and then onto the Cape Cod Rail Trail where we spent much of our time. Maybe too much…all the trees start to look the same after a while.

Rachel and I channeled our grandmother’s pace and left Jill and Becky trailing behind us. They stopped at the first rest stop area and almost took home a baby squirrel. The rodent had been lost or abandoned. It was in the pathway crying. They cooed it and it let Jill pet it. Later, as they walked away, they heard someone scream. That’s all we know…

We waited for them at the impromptu second stop. It was really going to be a stop on the way back but everyone was stopping now for the bathrooms. Jill and Becky come hobbling up; Jill shoeless and Becky taking care with each step.

Jill was going to get taped up by the medics at the next stop down the road. Becky told us she didn’t mind if we went ahead. So after refueling, making sure Jill made it to the Med Tent, and Rachel’s toe wiggle, Rachel and I continued down the trail.

Crew members had decorated the trails and roads with chalk drawings and saying throughout the walk. Rachel and I were just moseying along when we looked down. The chalk read ‘25 miles in.’  We kept walking a few steps, then we realized that that was significant. It was half way!

Along this section of the trail there was supposed to be a geocahce, ‘CCRT Bare Boned.’ The hint only said ‘bison.’ I had done a pocket query the night before, as Rachel suggested her older son would be interested in geocaching. We took this hint and kept our eyes peeled through the walk.

At the end of the section where the map showed it should be was the Mother Hen. She stood by two large rocks and a stone bench. Rachel thought that might be the bison, but as we approached it definitely was not. We considered asking the hen if she’d seen a bison…the mere notion of it made us laugh too much to make it happen.

We continued on the road to Herring Pond and around the corner to ‘Care-a-lot’ where I went to the gallows. The team at this rest stop goes above and beyond. They were decked out in their medieval garb and even had the porta-potties decorated. Rachel verified the inside was also decorated when we passed through on the way back.

Somewhere between ‘Care-a-lot’ and the National Seashore, Rachel decided that we need to do ‘Segways for MS.’ It’d be much easier than walking. At the Seashore, Aunt Marylen joined us for the walk to lunch at Duane Rock. Rachel explained her segway idea to her, and being the English guru she is, her mind went right to the literary term, segue. Once she knew it was the transportation device we were referring to, it made much more sense.

At  lunch we met up with everyone. Jill and Becky arrived not long after we began to eat. Jill’s feet were done, and Becky was aching. They decided to take the afternoon off.

A loop to the ocean followed lunch. Rachel’s family, Aunt Marylen, and my mother joined us for this loop. We left most of them at the sand. My mother trailed off from us after the loop to meet up with my father and sister.

Everyone wanted to know what we were doing after the walk. Rachel and I didn’t even know what we were doing during the walk; we were just doing what the arrows told us. Don’t ask questions. Follow the arrows.

Walking back through the National Seashore, Rachel had to stop for more toe wiggles. It was the downside of wearing point shoes in ballet she kept saying. This path seemed to be the most hilly of the day. The bikers were encouraged to test their brakes. I suggested we do the roller-skate-stop-stretch down the hill.

The path for Saturday was mostly and out-and-back. However, we were quite confused when we did not go past the pond again, rather stayed on the trail. We took it as a sign to pick back up our bison hunting. Again, we had no luck, and this time there was no Mother Hen to ask.

What we did find though were Conchitas and Condoms. Teams had their names chalked on the trail encouraging them to continue on. One of the teams Rachel kept reading as ‘condoms,’ and the other as ‘conchitas.’ I wonder how she read ‘Palmer’s Pals.’

We crossed the 25-mile mark again and knew the rest stop at the District Court was near. We could hear the kids blowing horns and ringing bells. It seemed like a mirage. The bells reminded Rachel of the Olympics. This stop meant there was less than 5 miles left in the day - single digits on a single hand! I was excited.

At the second to last rest stop (it was the impromptu one from earlier) we did a quick stop. A gentleman was handing out ‘Stop Multiple Sclerosis’ orange tie-dye bracelets and we got more stickers on our name tag. It was one of the last times I saw Rachel before the end.

We had less than 3 miles to go to the end and I was done walking. I went into what I realized was Nascar-mode. My pace quickened. People would pass by me, and I drafted them before making the pass back around them. Then I eyed the next group and did the same, draft and pass.

The trail crosses over Rt. 6 on a bridge shared with cars. When we crossed the bridge earlier in the day, Rachel had said this would be forgotten about later. I was so confused when I got to the end of the trail and the arrows pointed to the left.

Across the street it appeared the path went off into the woods and naturally that’s where we should be going. But once I peeped my head around the corner and saw the bridge I realized where we were. I waited a minute for Rachel to catch up to share this with her, before taking off again.

Crew members positioned themselves along the final part of the path. The 2 miles they said we had left seemed to take forever! I continued with my draft-and-pass method. Bikers passed by me and I heard one of them comment, ‘They’ve walked further then we’ve biked.’ It was then I realized how much we’ve walked and how cool it was.

I could see Colbie’s ahead with a crew member. We had joined the trail about here in the morning. I expected she’d be telling us to turn right here and continue out to the road. But yet again the arrows threw me off. They were pointing straight ahead just beyond her.

Don’t ask. Just follow the arrows.

As I passed by her, she told us we had .53 miles left to go. Sweet, I thought. I turned to someone I was passing, and said, ‘That’s less than ½ a mile.’ And then I thought of Becky and our fraction issues….

Finally I was at the end. I crossed the street at the Sea Camps and walked along the string of balloons. The crowd was cheering and people were high-fiving all over the place. My support crew wasn’t there yet so I hung out on the corner and waited for Rachel.

Rachel came across about 5-10 minutes after me. At some point, Robin, Declan, Patrick, and my parents pulled in. Guess they didn’t see me at the bottom of the driveway. Rachel and I walked up to our families and enjoyed some popcorn on the grass while they worked out whatever was next.

Thank you everyone for all the support you’ve given, and continue to give us! 40 miles closer to a cure, 10 to go!

Day 1

My Challenge is to walk - Your's is here!

Terrain: Road / Bike Path
Path: Village Green to Cape Cod Sea Camps
Time: 8 hours + lunch
Mileage: 19.83 miles
Blister Count: 0!

We arrived at our hotel last night and spent some time by the pool with our Aunts Irene and Mary, Becky, and Baby A. Jill and I were tired so we didn’t stay up too late. Almost right after our parents showed up at the pool, we went to bed.

We were up early. My sister was excited and energetic. I laid in bed until I had to get up.  Jill clearly thought about making me a coffee after hers, but then stopped. She decided that I could make my own and turned to tape her feet. Under her socks, her feet were wrapped with Vaseline and zebra duck tape. On my feet I just wore my Fit Flops.

My father met us and Becky out at the car. He chauffeured us to breakfast at Dunkin, then to the Village Green. On the green we met up with Rachel, registered, and celebrated opening ceremonies. Over 600 walkers gathered to stretch and motivate.

In no time, we were on our way. We all took off at the same time. It was very clustered. My father was taking pictures and my mother was walking with us for a bit. My aunts stayed at the hotel while Baby A woke up.

The route took us just pass our hotel so Baby A joined us early. Becky strapped her on her back and we kept going. It took a few people saying hi as we passed by for us to realize they weren’t saying hi to us, but to Baby A. We’re not the cute ones; she is.

We went through the first rest stop onward to the second. The rest stops had porta-potties, water, Gatorade, peanut butter & jelly, granola bars, and fruit. They were also fully staffed with Crew Volunteers, and most stops had themes.

Between the stops, crews were spotted cheering us on. One member told us we had done about 5 miles. Becky turned to me and to tell me that meant we were 1/5 of the way through. But before she finished getting those words out of her mouth, she already called herself out on it. 5 is not 1/5 of 50, miles or anything else.

After the second rest stop, Becky and I continued to walk ahead of Jill and Rachel. We admired the beach cottages and talked about buying a second home or traveling. Becky would prefer to travel in an RV than hotel hopping, but sometimes, she said, “You just need to drink in the shower.”

We powered through until lunch. The time flew. Crew members drove by serenading us with their car radios. My parents and aunts would randomly pop out of bushes, or stumble through parking lots. I think they were at most rest stops.

Just after Mile 11, it was lunch time. Good thing too - we could feel the delirium setting in. I grabbed a rice & bean burrito, chips, granola bar, and cookies. It hit the spot. By the time Becky and I sat down, Jill and Rachel joined us. Baby A enjoyed being on her feet, while we all took the time not to be.

Jill looked like she was hurting. When she took her shoes off she had blisters along the sides and tops of her feet. Her pinky toes were swollen to the size of her big toes and she had no interest in putting her shoes back on anytime soon.

All the stops have a medical tent for blisters and whatever else might happen. Jill went over to get her feet wrapped, but then decided to just return to the hotel, soak them, and rest.  My parents took off. Rachel, Becky, and I continued on. 8 miles and change left.

We stayed together for a while. Rachel and Becky discussed parenting for a while and then we merged into our families and grandparents, who have all since passed. The funny vegetation lightened the conversations.

The second half of today was mostly on the Cape Cod Rail Trail. Along the sides of the trail were large fields. Becky asked if it was a drive-in, and I kept looking for a screen. Rachel suggested that they were the cranberry bogs. This made the most sense. Or Cape Cod has a lot of drive-in movies and people with wild imaginations.

We stopped a few times. Becky told us she was getting tired and didn’t mind if we walked ahead of her. For a while we stayed paced near each other. In the last 3 miles, we lost sight of Becky but contacted her to be sure she was good.

Soon we could hear shouting and cheering to the left. Rachel and I heard it at the same time as the team, Kat Attacks, did behind us. We all knew this meant we were close and the finish line was just around the corner.

We turned off the trail and went up the road. The fence posts at the Sea Camps were lined with balloons and streamers. Aunt Irene peered over the hedges to greet us. My parents and Aunt Mary were further down, but in a good spot too - at the porta-potty.

Shortly after we arrived, Rachel’s family pulled in (Robin and the boys). They drove up to the top of the driveway, while we waited for Becky at beginning. She arrived less then 10 minutes after us with Emilie, who Becky and I met before lunch.

Congratulations and thank-yous went around. Jill sent out a text from the hotel room too. We marched up the hill to see Rachel’s boys and get popcorn.

Now to bed to do it all again tomorrow, but a different route and with ocean. Cross your fingers the blisters stay away!

Thank you everyone for all the support you’ve given, and continue to give us! 20 miles closer to a cure, 30 to go!

Bluff Butterflies

My Challenge is to Walk - Your's is HERE!

Bluff Point is always a scenic walk. From the planes clipping the tree tops to land at the airport across the bay, to the strangers climbing the massive rocks at the point to fish, something new or different always pops up.

Or hops. A small bunny was supervising the trail this day. He hopped along with us for a few feet before scurrying into the woods.

It was Monday night, before the big walk. Jill and I met at Bluff Point, the trail of many of our early training walks. I'm not sure how far or long we walked. I didn't track it, nor do I think that my sister did either.

The trail is good for 3-4 miles. If I had to guess it took us just over an hour. But it's all minute in comparison.

We've been doing the double-digit miles since at least July and they take quite a few hours. After the long walks, nothing beats a good nap. When I got home from Bluff Point, I was energized and ready to do more.

It may have been the most quiet walk we’ve done. Sure, each walk has its lulls, but this one, Jill and I maybe spoke a whole 15 minutes. I was busy collecting my thoughts about the big walk and thinking what other questions I needed to ask. I don’t know what she was up to in her head.

By the time I was driving home, I had a pretty good packing list in my head and I felt ready to walk.

The next morning, however, it seemed to hit me. It took a short jaunt in the woods for me to realize how far we’d be going this weekend and how far we’ve come.

During the days to follow, my arches began to ache and my toes felt anxious. I can only chock it up to butterflies in my feet. As if they were separate from the rest of my body and knew they had many things riding on them this weekend.

After work, I’d rip my socks and sneakers off and go barefoot as much as I could to let the butterflies out. It didn’t make sense to me. I knew I could go the 20 miles on Friday without a problem. My feet would be ok. But they apparently had their doubts.

So much of the preparation for the walk is focused on the feet and then the legs. The right shoes, the blister treatment, the massages offered. My feet were feeling the pressure.

The result: In packing on Wednesday night, I managed to fit every foot care product I own into my bag, as well as a variety of shoes. I gave myself  a good stretch in each foot on Thursday and could feel the tension release.

Let’s see what Friday brings to my feet!