This was the weekend of the Breast cancer 3-day in San Diego. I was a participant as I shared with everyone awhile ago. When I found out that the closing ceremonies would be at Petco, I invited you guys down and told you to look for a Gaslamp Baller shirt (no way anyone else would be wearing one, right?) Flash forward to today and let me tell you how a fellow Gaslamper absolutely made my day.

I've done 2 other 3-days in '02 and '03. Camped each time and finished with nothing more than stiffness and sore feet. Not one blister or pulled anything. This year I had already decided to go home each night since Sat night I had to see my son's final pop warner game in Murietta. Day 1 on Friday went from the Del Mar Fairgrounds to Crown Point. I was fine until lunch at La Jolla Shores when I felt a blister on the bottom on one toe on my right foot. Funny what that does to you! I must have changed my normal walking gait. In fact, I know I did because I was purpsefully leading with my left leg going up and down curbs. Saturday I returned to the campsite at Crown Point and got myself onto the route when it opened at 6:15. By 7:30 my left knee was barking badly - most likely from changes made due to the blister. A tightened IT band was diagnosed by the medical crew. I walked through it until mile 15 when another blister formed on my right foot and the right knee started having the same pain. I had to take a van back to camp. This depressed me greatly and I felt like a failure and hated giving up. This morning everything was actually worse and I knew I could not even try to do the route today. Still, I had told you guys I would be there! And I had friends still on the walk and I DID raise the money and wanted to be in the closing ceremony. So at 2:00 I went downtown. The knees were cooperating enough to allow me to slowly on level ground and I went in search of the finishing area for the walkers to cheer them on. Then a woman walks up to me and point to my t-shirt and asks if I am looking for Christina. I told her it was me and she introduced herself. It was ABY!  I was floored! I had no idea any of you would seriously go down to greet me. AND - she had a gift bag with tissues, soothing bath salts and Absolut Mandarin Vodka!!! Well, she really lifted my spirits because I was seriously wondering if I could even rejoin everyone at the end since I had not been with them all day. So I carried my gift bag from ABY and went through the finish line. The Park at the Park was filled with walkers. All of them cheering as more filed through the line. Music was playing and miraculously every was bouncing along despite the miles on their shoes. At one point we were all waving our arms for the survivors who did the walk and I looked back at the grassy hill where fans usually sit and saw all these arms waving in unison. Our ballpark was a fabulous setting for this event.