Last year, around this time I wrote about the MS Challenge Walk (2 days, 50K closer to a cure). Well I just completed my 4th Challenge Walk this past Sunday. I just re-read my post from last years walk and I realized that both people who I mentioned (Joy & Ann - not their real names) participated in the event again. There are SOOOO many repeat walkers in the event, it just amazes me.

The walk this year was as good as in the past. I had a chance to walk with Ann this year for about an hour on Saturday. She is inspiring. We only got maybe 4 blocks in that time. But she did it. She would take a few steps (really shuffling her feet) and then take a break and then start the process all over again. I am put to shame by her. Walking comes pretty easy for me (just the occasional slow day, but I am not convinced it is MS related as it is my crazy life related). Walking does not come easy for her. And yet she does it year after year. I am actually a bit ashamed in that I was hoping she would take the S.A.G. so I could walk faster. But she, another team mate and I kept walking until she was ready to get in the car. Then I had to make up for the time and my body HURT when I got to the overnight. I was on the route for 9 1/2 hours and had I gone the pace I had trained, I would have been done in 7 hours. Luckily my hips returned to a reasonable amount of pain so I was no longer limping by the time it was lights out at the end of the first day. And I am so glad I had a chance to walk with Ann.

I actually got to walk a bit with Ann again on Sunday. I am so proud she made it as far as she did that day. She was great and very inspiring.

I wrote a song to the tune of "Because of you" by Reba & Kelly Clarkson. I actually wrote the song when the Challenge Walk was a 3 day walk so I will have to make some changes. I have copywrited the words and shown enough people that I thought I would share it here as well. I sing it in my head a lot during the walk. I tried to  capture the different perspectives of those walking.

Because of You

When I can't see, you are the one who reads to me at night
When I can't walk, you are the one who helps me get around
When I fall down, you are the one who helps me stand back up
All of these horrible things because the doctor said one day you have MS

Because of you, I hurt all 50 miles but I still walk
Because of you, I raise a lot of money so they'll find a cure
Because of you, I hope and pray that one day they will wipe out this disease
Because of you, I fight on.

When I am weak, I think of you and it gives me my strength
When I get blisters, at least I can walk so I do not complain
When my legs are heavy, I know that's how your legs feel every day
And so I walk, and join the others in their fight against MS

Because of you, I hurt all 50 miles but I still walk
Because of you, I raise a lot of money so they'll find a cure
Because of you, I hope and pray that one day they will wipe out this disease