Walk the Cancer Walk

Now, class, I’m going to say this one more time, and don’t make me repeat it again: walking is good for you. Yes, good for YOU. The only requirement is the ability to move yourself from point A to point B. Other than that, you don’t have to be healthy to walk. You might have weight issues, heart issues, time issues, emotional challenges… or breast cancer. Whatever it is that’s trying to lure you to a nice comfy seat on the couch, be strong once a day, and take a walk. Short, long, doesn’t matter; just putting one foot in front of the other is what counts.

Once you start walking, it’s easy to really get into it. You see things, smell things, experience stuff you never would riding in a car. Watch the sun gradually sink into the horizon late on a summer evening, the sky blazing red and orange, fading to coral and rose, then to teal, navy blue, and finally black, as night comes on: you won’t see that on TV. Smell the roses–literally. If you’re not out walking, you’ll not have the opportunity to plunge your nose into a rose in full bloom, its early morning dew cold and sweet on your lips. And the daily symphony of birdsong is only audible if you’ve left the house early enough to hear it before the rush of traffic drowns out every other sound. 

Walking is good for your health. And exercise helps reduce your risk of breast cancer recurrence. Now, take it a step further: walking can help raise money for breast cancer research, awareness, outreach, and patient services. Surely you’ve heard of Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure, but there are many, many other walks for breast cancer out there. And lest you feel daunted by the 3 Day–who wouldn’t, 60 miles!–there are plenty of shorter walks available.

Your own community may sponsor a local walk; as I write this, I’ve been training for our cancer center’s fund-raiser, a challenge that involves over 3,000 walkers/cyclers who last year raised over $1.7 million; this year’s goal is a cool $2 million. (Hey, any of you with deep pockets, want to sponsor me? I’m walking 20K this year, Arimidex be darned! Click here to help.)

Check with the marketing department (or social services) where you receive your cancer treatment; they can fill you in about any local events. Walks are usually non-competitive (e.g., walk as slowly as you like), and often offer a choice of distances. The requirement to participate is raising sponsorship money (or donating your own funds), which many walks make easier by offering Web sites where you can set up your own page and take donations by credit card. Oh, and one more thing: the longer, more challenging walks offer lots of support and advice on training.

Here’s a sampling of some of the better-known national walks.

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the American Cancer Society’s premier event to raise awareness and dollars to fight breast cancer. There are scheduled walks in 35 states; average distance is about 5 miles. Most Making Strides events are scheduled for October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month.