Bodybuilding Mirrors All of Life

Stranger Things Have Happened

Last Sunday people gathered en masse in the quaint little town of Sylvania, Ohio to watch three hundred and ninety six women swim, bike and run.   And I was one of them.  Because among these three hundred and ninety six would-be triathletes was my client Liz and her daughter Fannie.

Out of my entire clientele, both past and present, I dare say that Liz was the very last person that I would expect to ever compete in a triathlon let alone actually enjoy it!  At the very beginning, to say that Liz wasn't thrilled with the whole concept of working out is a drastic understatement. 

She wasn't a big fan of pushing herself, she went to great lengths to avoid any sort of physical pain and she wasn't someone who necessarily enjoyed being uncomfortable.  For three solid years I chewed on this woman's ass to get her going and keep her going.  So, for her to voluntarily put herself way outside of her comfort zone and enter a triathlon, essentially a trifecta of misery, pain, and discomfort, of all things, was nothing short of jaw-dropping.  Stranger things have happened I suppose.  But not many.

Is Liz a natural athlete?  No.  Is she a swimmer?  Not even close.  Is she particularly adept at running? Not at all.  Can she bike?  Only if she really had to.  So right from the start, Liz could maybe pull off exactly one-third of a full-blown triathlon.  Did that stop her from entering?  NOPE! 

Armed with her own personal resolve and incredibly determined daughter, this proper, well-manicured champion of rest and relaxation jumped in stagnant lakes, biked until her rear end was numb and ran until her feet blistered.  If it rained, they trained.  If it was hot and humid, they trained.  If it was cold, they trained.  If it was windy, they trained.  Liz hit the gym with a renewed sense of determination and purpose; it was muscle and might that she sought and she aimed to get it this time.

After endless weeks of grueling training, the event was fast upon them.  These two awesome women swam 400 yards, biked 13 miles and then ran another 3 miles to the finish line. Exactly one hour and forty minutes after jumping into the water it was all over; they were officially triathletes.

I suppose that you never really know what you're truly made of until you give yourself the opportunity to find out.  I am glad that Liz and Fannie did. . . 

  

  

(Liz waving and riding the bike.  I love this picture.  Blow it up and take a look!)

Taken the moment they became bona fide triathletes.  Congratulations Liz and Fannie on a strong finish! 

Thank you both for the inspiration . . . .

  

The Last One

On August 2nd, Rachel and Diana competed in the NPC Central States Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships and thus closed out their 2008 contest season.    

Now, I know from experience how difficult it is to prepare for one of these contests.  For many months you have to train hard, follow an insanely rigorous diet and perform endless hours of cardio.  Then, as the contest date approaches, you have to tan, dye your skin, wax and dehydrate . . . all for approximately two minutes total on the stage.  For those of you that are not familiar, this process is mentally taxing, highly precise and largely scientific.  At any point along the way, a minor miscalculation or even a small oversight, could very well cause you to miss your "peak."  In other words, you will not look your very best on contest day.  And I will tell you that the margin of error is very, very slim. 

When I competed in the 2007 NPC Great Lakes,  I had my mind set for that contest and that contest alone. One and I was out.  Period.  I have to give Diana and Rachel a lot of credit.  These two ladies competed in not one but THREE contests this season and did exceptionally well in all of them.  These women stuck to their diets (for the most part . . . DIANA!), trained like every workout was their last, burned up the cardio machines and left it all out there on the stage!  These two are true competitors and I am enormously proud of them both!

At the end of the day, Rachel took third place in the short class and Diana took first place in the tall class.  This event was a National Qualifier with the top two in each class earning the right to compete in certain national figure events.  Because Diana took first in her class, she is eligible to compete on the national level in whatever event she chooses.  

Personally, I think that both of these remarkable woman have what it takes to compete nationally . . .  and WIN!  (Okay, maybe I am a little biased here but I will do what it takes to help them look their very best when they do compete nationally . . . and WIN! he he he!) 

Since I was backstage all day and all evening, Laurie was kind enough to attend the event and bring not one but two cameras! Thanks so much Laurie . . . I owe you one . . . or two!

Diana is #11 . . . third one from the left in the blue suit . . . can't see her number . . . FIGURES!

Diana's side pose . . . pretty sweet shoulders and triceps ay?

And there is an AWESOME shot of Diana's back.  She is right in the middle! Excellent width, thickness and detail.  NO ONE and I mean NO ONE beats this girl's back . . . and it's only going to get better in time!

In the following picture, Diana is right in the middle proudly sporting #21.  This is because right before she hopped on stage she noticed that she did not have her number affixed to her suit which required ME to RUN up three flights of stairs, dig through numerous bags and make it back in time for her to take the stage.  Well, I found a number all right . . . the one from the previous contest.  OOPS!!!  She was really #11.  FIGURES!

Here is the side pose.  Diana is the second one from the left.  AWESOME shoulders, triceps and legs.  NICE!

 

Rachel is #6 in the red suit.  Check out the sweet abs!  NICE girl!

I love this picture . . . you can really see her legs!  EXCELLENT!

 

And here is the back shot.  EXCELLENT detail.  Rachel is third from the left.

This is right after the competitors all received their trophies.  Angela (#7) took first place and then went on to beat Diana in the overall.  Rachel took a very respectable third place.  Nice job!

This is Rachel posing backstage with her trophy after the contest. 

And here is me backstage with Rachel right after prejudging in the morning.  One of my tasks was to apply the oil so that the girls "glistened" and didn't "shine" on stage. I must say, this was a very difficult task given the poor lighting backstage not to mention the nasty, filthy conditions.  Oh well, we all made it through the day.  In case you're wondering . . . after meticulous application, reapplication and a WHOLE LOT of dabbing . . . both Rachel and Diana GLISTENED.  ugh.

Once again, CONGRATULATIONS Rachel and Diana on a very successful 2008 contest season.  Both of you have a very bright and promising future ahead in this sport and we all look forward to seeing what you ladies will do in 2009!  For now, live a normal life and EAT!  (Within REASON DIANA!! he he he!).

 

 

 

More on Diana and Rachel

I know that it's been QUITE awhile since I've given everyone an update.  So, without any further delay, here goes . . . 

On July 19th,  Diana and Rachel both competed in the 2008 Natural Michigan Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships at the Redford Theater.  It is my understanding that this particular contest was a National Qualifier meaning that the top competitors earn the right to compete in national-level figure events.  Diana took first place in the tall class and Rachel took 3rd place in the short class. 

Because this event was a National Qualifier, BOTH Diana and Rachel qualified for Junior Nationals and Figure Nationals.  To earn the IFBB pro-card in figure, Diana and Rachel must compete in one or both of these national-level events within two years' time.  The winner of each height class at Junior Nationals (6 height classes total ) or the top two winners of each height class at Figure Nationals (6 height classes total) earns an IFBB pro card. 

These two remarkable women work extraordinarily hard and earned every single bit of their success thus far.  Though the competition at the national level is extreme, I truly believe that both of these young ladies have what it takes to be serious national contenders and look forward to helping them along that path.

Now, because I was backstage the ENTIRE time, I didn't have the opportunity to take any pictures.  Ugh! And, even though my wonderful colleague Jeff attended the evening event, he was way too far away from the stage to snap any decent pictures.  However, I did get a copy of the video that Diana's sister managed to take during prejudging and at the evening show.  I gotta be honest . . . it's not the greatest video in the world but at least you get the idea!  (Particularly annoying is this man's (or woman's . . . hard to tell) head right in front of where Diana is standing on stage.  It's a good thing that I was off to the side . . . I might very well have beheaded him (or her!))  Now, when Diana is announced the winner of the tall class, her sister went a little bit crazy and forgot that she was videotaping! 

Both Rachel and Diana will compete one final time this season in the 2008 Central States Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships (another national qualifier) on Saturday August 2nd at the oh so charming Redford Theater in Detroit (yuck!)  So, once again, I will find myself backstage helping them get ready to compete.  I will try to get some pictures this time but I really can't make any promises!

Listen carefully . . . bet you can here one insane trainer yelling in the background!

 

More Pictures from the 2008 Great Lakes Natural

Now that things have settled down . . . at least for the moment, I found some time to post a few more pictures from Rachel and Diana's contest.  Because I spent all of my time backstage, I didn't get a chance to sit in the audience and take pictures during the show.  These photographs are courtesy of my colleague Jeff and his client Laurie. (Thanks guys!)  Seriously people . . . is there really any doubt that my girls are the BEST? Hope you all enjoy!

And my personal favorite . . .

Uh . . . . not quite.  KEEP ON TRAINING DIANA AND NEVER STOP DREAMIN' GIRL!  (And if you're really good I'll tell you how I got such an AWESOME tan!)  

Next stop . . . the National Qualifier at Redford Theater on July 19th!

YEP! YEP!

Way To Go Diana and Rachel!

Yesterday I had the distinct privilege of attending the 2008 Great Lakes Natural Ironman/Lady of Iron Bodybuilding, Fitness and Figure Championships with two of my awesome clients:  Diana Sesto and Rachel Delmott.  Both of these women competed in the figure category though not in the same class.  Rachel, all of five foot two, competed in the short class while Diana, all of five foot ten, competed in the tall class.

Now, what do I know about competing in figure you inquire?  Uh . . . not a thing.  I am a bodybuilder and really didn't know much about figure.  Personally, I couldn't imagine putting on high heels let alone actually walking in them.  YIKES!  High heels, pink posing suits, lots of makeup, hair teased to the hilt and shiny jewelry I really just don't get.  Now training  . . .  that I do get!  So, I left all of the girlie stuff to Diana and Rachel and focused my energy on training which was a lot of fun . . . mainly for me!  Both of these young ladies made a firm commitment, trained hard core for months on end, stuck to a very rigid diet and showed up ready to compete.  And both of them deserve a lot of credit because it's certainly not an easy road. 

When all was said and done, out of the seven competitors in the tall class, Diana snagged second place.  And, out of the six competitors in the short class, Rachel claimed first place and then went on to win the Overall to become the 2008 Ms. Great Lakes Figure Champion.  My sincere congratulations to BOTH of these amazing young women and stellar athletes!

Here are some pictures that I took backstage in between applying posing oil and pumping them up!

CONGRATULATIONS DIANA AND RACHEL ON A JOB VERY WELL DONE!

All in a Day's Work

If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times . . . the clients that I work with really bust their rear ends in the gym.  And, those that are steadfast in their training, meticulous in their nutrition and committed to performing moderate cardiovascular activity really make some incredible gains.  I am very proud of each and every one of them.  I couldn't ask for a more dedicated group of people; they are AWESOME and we certainly have a lot of fun together during our sessions.  (At least I do!)  Every now and again, these people say the FUNNIEST things during their workouts; unpredictable commentary that catches me off guard and often sends me into fits of laughter.  With their permission of course, I thought that I would share some of these humorous remarks with all of you.  This is indeed proof positive that you can train until you all but bleed from the eye sockets and still have fun along the way!  Here we go . . .

I am an avid coffee drinker.  I love it.  Okay, okay, OKAAAAAAY ALREADY . . . I am an addict (grin).  Consequently, I often constantly carry my coffee cup around with me on the gym floor when I train my clients.  Along with my bandanna, New Orleans Saints hat (worn backwards of course), YEP! YEP! and BOOM BABY!, the Starbucks IV is yet another of my many charming trademarks.  On Saturdays, I teach an early morning fat burning circuit class consisting of varying forms of resistance training and cardio kick-boxing.  Well, during this class, we were doing a series of seriously physically and mentally taxing kick-boxing moves and everyone was working up a really great sweat!  The energy that we had going was simply AWESOME and I got really FIRED UP!  Patrycja was the next person on deck.  She is a five-foot-nothing prissy little blond:

See what I mean?  Dainty, prissy and girly.  Ugh.  Who would ever think that she could throw a believable punch?  NO ONE. And that assumption would be a monumental mistake.  Trust the person on the receiving end; the girl can drive a wicked punch.  So as Patrycja punched away, with each hit that she landed I would yell, "hit HARDER!" "Keep going!", "NO PAIN!" "YEP! YEP!" "BOOM! BOOM!" and as she finished up with 50 right-lefts, 50 knees, 50 kicks and then 50 upper-cuts she all but crumpled in a sweaty heap on the floor gasping for air.  As I moved on to the next victim person, I told her to catch her breath and nail 15 push-ups.  Just as the next person began their boxing sequence, Patrycja inquired, "would SOMEONE PLEEEEEEZZZZZZZZ get that girl a DECAF!"

Liz works out twice a week at 6:00 am.  To say that Liz doesn't like working legs is a drastic understatement.  It's sort of like saying that the North Pole is a bit nippy.  Simply put, when it's leg day at 6:00 am, Liz is one miserable woman.  Working legs takes a lot of energy to begin with and to marshal it at 6:00 am takes indescribable effort.  On this particular day, we were on the leg press hitting some pretty heavy sets.  We just got the most challenging set underway and I was getting into my regular ridiculously loud encouragement groove yelling "BOOM BABY!" at the top of the movement, "YEP! YEP!" on the way up and "OHHHHH YEEEEAAAHHHH" for everything in between.  No doubt the set was difficult and I was running every bit of energy that I had through her to get her to finish the set.  The weight was heavy and the concentration great.  When we were about three-quarters of the way through she was really struggling to get the weight to the top at which time I shouted, "squeeze your ASS and drive from the glutes!"  With an incredulous look she shouted right back, "SQUEEZE MY ASS?!?  I'M GONNA POOP MY PANTS FOR CHRISSAKE!"  And she did.  Naw. Not really.  Just making sure that you were paying attention. 

Now, I always try to keep training interesting and somewhat fun.  Toward that end, I constantly seek out new ways to create workout routines that deliver real results in the shortest amount of time possible.  While the students in my early morning "EXTREME WARRIORS" group training class were warming up, I proudly informed that my newest endeavor was to become a Certified Fitness Boxing Instructor.  I explained that I was learning increasingly more advanced movements to once again ramp up the intensity!  As the workout got under way and we got into our boxing groove, I would tell them 50 punches and then change my mind mid-set and increase the number to 75 or whatever I felt was necessary to push the person to the absolute outer limits of reasonableness.  And sanity. 

It was Geana's turn.  Like Patrycja, Geana is about 5 foot tall (a pretty generous estimate really.)  At the outset, I announced that I wanted 50 uppercuts.  However, when we reached 50, I knew that she had MUCH more inside so, I directed, "10  more," "10 more," "20 more," ect. to really make her work for it.  (As an aside, the way that Geana boxes reminds me of an Energizer Bunny hooked up to a Die Hard . . . never stops!  Her arms move like the pistons in a Formula One.  When she really gets going, her gloves are nothing but a furious red blur!)  Anyway, as I was pushing her through the set willy-nilly selecting numbers, without missing one single punch or otherwise disrupting her groove she blurted, "YOU can't count!  Study THAT chapter already!"

Patrycja also constantly takes issue with my counting.  Huh.  Seems reasonable to me . . . Anyway, I had her on a flat bench press holding the Olympic bar as if she were going to perform a standard chest press.  Instead, I had her lift her legs up toward the bar to really nail the abdominals.  When the set began, I asked for 15 reps.  She was doing a lovely job indeed.  Enthralled with her stellar performance, somewhere along the line while ensuring that her form remained perfect, I completely lost count.  Her set went thusly: " . . . 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 8 . . ." When I said "eight" after "eleven," she slammed on the brakes mid-rep, snapped her head to the side, glared at me and repeated, "EIGHT????? Since WHEN does eight come AFTER eleven?"  For a moment I took pause . . . . and then flatly responded, "when I say it does."  "Oh my God I HATE you," she screamed.  And then continued the set . . . from EIGHT! HA! HA! HA! 

Now that I think about it, any objective onlooker would rightfully conclude that I am pretty much out to kill Patrycja when we train.  Truth be told . . . I am.  Problem is that the girl just won't die.  I think that I am going to have to take her into the parking lot and run her over with a bus or something.  The other day, I came up with this INSANE total-body circuit and ran her through it three times.  The circuit's primary emphasis was on legs.  That is, in between every exercise, I made her perform a movement designed to hit the legs.  It was absolutely KILLER.  Half way through the first set, we made our way to the seated leg curl; not at all Patrycja's favorite exercise.  When we got there I was having a problem adjusting the machine to fit her body and wasn't quite certain what I was doing wrong.  For a split second, I was truly perplexed.  Just as I was figuring it out Patrycja bounced up behind me.  Wiping the sweat from her face, she peered over my shoulder and when she noticed the remote possibility that something may be wrong with the machine I saw an enormous grin momentarily flash across her face.  Trying to stifle her exuberance, she immediately exchanged her hopeful grin for a much more grave, appropriate-to-the-circumstances look. "Hummmmm . . .  What's wrong?" she inquired non-nonchalantly looking the machine over pretending to care.  "Is it BROKEN??!!??" she asked once again uncontrollably grinning.  No such luck.  I fixed it. 

If you asked, any of my clients would tell you that I change up their workouts quite a little bit.  I dare say that none of them are really ever the same twice.  And Mark just happened to be the first lucky recipient of my newest kick.  He was training chest.  Since he has an issue with his right shoulder, I decided to limit his range of motion by making him perform chest presses while laying on the floor.  Since there is absolutely no help from the shoulders, the chest really has to contract hard to move the resistance.  When Mark nailed the final rep of the sixth set, he slowly picked himself up from the floor, dusted off his sweaty, old gym shirt as if it were the nicest item of clothing that he possessed and shook his head in utter disbelief. "Ya know, we are in a brand new gym facility with all of this nice equipment," he said gesturing to the vast array of benches and machines.  "And YOU have me laying all over the F***ING FLOOR!"  True.  I sure did!

And then we have Brian's biceps routine.  After performing the third and final tri-set (which is really the ninth set) his biceps were absolutely on FIRE.  After he bullied through the final rep of the set (with impeccable form of course) he dropped the dumbbells and sat motionless on the bench staring into nothingness.  After a few moments he said, "Wow.  That was insane."

"GREAT isn't it?" I replied standing beside him feeling the unspeakable satisfaction that comes from completing a really hard set.

"Yea.  Just great."  He agreed with a slow, deliberate nod of his head still staring into nothingness. "Ranks right up there with poking my own eyes out."

Like I said, these people work hard.  But more importantly, they make my day SO MUCH MORE FUN!!  THANKS GUYS!  For all of them it's sheer misery most of the time . . . as for me?  Well . . . it's really all in a day's work.

Three Days . . . Sixty Miles . . .

and many, many lives so positively affected.  I am immensely proud to report that my client Jill Richman not only completed the Breast Cancer 3-Day without incident but out of the 3,300 people that actually participated, Jill was number 73 to cross the finish line. 

From the first, Jill undertook this personal journey to challenge herself; to consciously push herself outside of her own zone of comfort.  For three solid days, she walked among those she did not know; she slept outside in a tiny tent and laid on the cold, hard ground; she used porta-poties and public showers; she uttered not one complaint and continuously reached out to others spurring them on to the finish.  I know that the two teenage children who lost their mother to breast cancer only two months prior will never forget Jill and her kind words of encouragement; because of her, they found the inner strength and fortitude to keep putting one foot in front of the other to ultimately cross the finish line. 

Over those three days and with every step that she took, Jill not only grew stronger as an individual, but moreover, stood in solidarity with her fellow human beings for a purpose far greater than any one individual.  And in so doing, served well humanity. 

Jill walked for all of those who could not.  Certainly, she walked for me.  She walked for my mother.  She walked for people that she did not know and will likely never meet. And because Jill found the courage to take that one step, the step that put her far outside of her well-entrenched zone of comfort . . . the world will be a little bit brighter for someone . . . somewhere . . . someday.  I thank you Jill for using your life for the greater good.

My mother and I were among the hundreds of people that witnessed all of the walkers taking their final strides into Closing Ceremonies.  We stood their together proudly watching Jill make that final walk.  And as I stood their among spectators and survivors alike cheering all of these people on, the thought crossed my mind that none of them will ever really know how much respect and sheer gratitude that I felt inside for their act of selfless love.  And next year, I will walk along with and along side of them because indeed, "everyone deserves a lifetime."

The women all in pink were the final participants to walk into Closing Ceremonies . . . they are all breast cancer survivors.

   

Day 2

Okay then, I talked with Jill yesterday after she completed the second leg of the 60 mile journey and once again early this morning to make sure she was up and ready for the final day.  At 5:30 this morning, I just had to ask how her second night in tent city went.  Evidently, she had the tent all to herself which made her otherwise rustic accommodations a bit more comfortable.  Since her tent mate had to stay with a sick friend in a nearby hotel, Jill wasted no time pilfering the girl's air mattress which allowed her to get a much better night sleep.  Aside from her heels hurting a little bit, Jill informed that she is holding up just fine and ready to undertake the final 20 mile walk into Closing Ceremonies this afternoon. 

When I asked her a bit about the experience thus far, she told me that she made some nice friends along the way and "adopted" two young boys both of whom lost their own mother to breast cancer.  She also said that hoards of people lined the streets at all of the cheering stations; some shedding tears and all offering many words of thanks and encouragement thus spurring the walkers onward toward the finish.

And you know me . . . I just had to ask more about this entire experience paying particular attention to her introduction to rustic camping!  During the walk she said that she's never been so happy to see a porta-potty in her entire life.  In fact, she told me that she looked for the "little blue castles" at every turn.  As for life in tent-city, well that was a real treat apparently; on that topic she simply advised, " I can't wait to take a hot shower with a shower curtain.  I hate being naked in front of people!"  HA! HA! HA!!

Now, had I told Jill Richman in the spring of 2007 that in four months time she would walk 60 miles in three days to raise money for breast cancer research, come to not only appreciate but worship the porta-potty, sleep on the hard ground in a tiny tent with a woman that she never before met and shower in the back of a tractor-trailer with many others, she would have told me, "never in a million years." 

Huh . . .  guess she was wrong.  Amazing isn't it what human beings can and will accomplish given a little bit of time and honest encouragement along life's path?  Way to go Jill!  For you, this is only the beginning!  Way to  HIT IT BABY! 

And They're OFF!

Very, very early this morning, I met with Jill Richman and we made our way to the start of the Breast Cancer 3-Day!  According to event coordinators, 3,300 people registered to walk this year for the cause.  In fact, I do believe that I crossed paths with every single one of them getting Jill to her assigned area.  WOW!  Lots and lots of people!

After I dropped Jill off, I made my way to the center stage area where the walkers gathered for the Opening Ceremonies.  After about an hour and a half of standing out in the crisp, freezing cold, early morning air, Jill and I managed to find one another with the help of our cell phones!   As I stood there, I couldn't help but think how truly remarkable it was to see so many people standing together, united for such a worthwhile cause.

Here are some pictures that I took to share with all of you:

This is Jill all ready to go . . . I gotta say . . . LOVE the outfit!  In the next photo, Jill and I are freezing our collective rear ends off.  Please note, I did offer to give her my sweatshirt.  She declined advising that she did not want to carry it with her over the next 20 miles.  Just so that all of you know . . . I tried!

Pictured above: Jill freezing her pattotie off!  I couldn't resist . . . sorry Jill!  I also captured one of the many banners displayed at the event . . . very cool.

Pictured Below:  The Pink Panthers.  A group of volunteers all on bikes and motorcycles making LOTS of noise as the walk gets underway!  Rest assured . . . when I get my Harley . . . I will be right out there with 'em!

Pictured Below:  The women featured on the center stage holding the pink flags in the photograph below were all recently diagnosed with breast cancer and represent the non-discriminating demographic effected by this disease.  There standing was a young mother, a grandmother, a sister, a mother and an aunt.  Though all of these women bravely face an uncertain future themselves they nevertheless walk so that one day there may be a cure.  At the close of the Opening Ceremonies, with hundreds of cheering spectators looking on, these women filed off of the stage one by one and carrying their respective flags, so took the very first steps of the 2007 Breast Cancer 3-Day with all of the other walkers following close behind . . .

Jill's Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk

As many of you know, my client Jill Richman begins the Breast Cancer 3-Day very early tomorrow morning.  For those of you that inquired, below is a synopsis of the walk:

Friday, September 28th:  Opening Ceremonies

Opening ceremonies begin promptly at 6:45 am.  (I know, VERY early!).  Friends and family are encouraged to attend to show their support.  During this time there will be a group stretch along with some inspirational speakers to get things going.  These events will lead up to the exciting send-off!

Personally, I will be there right at the start . . . right at the very beginning to witness Jill take her very first step.  For those of you that asked, the Opening Ceremonies will take place at:  Oakland Community College - Orchard Ridge 27055 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, MI. 48334 at 6:45 am. 

In the event that you cannot make the Opening Ceremonies but would still like support Jill and her fellow  walkers, you can go to one of the designated "cheering stations" set up along the 60 mile route. (Do note that I will be at as many of these stations as I possibly can over the course of the three days.  So, listen closely . . . you may very well hear "HIT IT!"  bellowed out of NOWHERE!)  The Breast Cancer 3-Day organizers encourage spectators to bring signs, banners, music, blowhorns . . . anything to make noise and encourage the walkers to take that next step along on their amazing journey. 

If you are so inclined, take a look at the Michigan Supporter Handbook for the 2007 Breast Cancer 3-Day to see where these stations are located and by all means, if you have some extra time this weekend do come out and be a little part of it all!

Now, this epic event concludes on Sunday, September 30th at 5:00 pm.  After three days and 60 miles, all of the participants will take their final victory walk into Closing Ceremonies thus signifying their journey's end.  This will take place at 5:00 pm at the Henry Ford Museum.  If you are interested in attending, the organizers suggest arriving at least an hour early to secure a decent view of the program.  As in the beginning, I will be there at the end to watch Jill take her final steps and thus conclude her remarkable personal journey.

If you are contemplating coming out this weekend to show your support, please do consult the online handbook noted above as it provides all of the necessary instructions, directions and other details to enhance your experience.

Once again, I sincerely thank you all for your support, words of encouragement and very generous financial contributions which made it possible for Jill to have this once in a lifetime personal experience and for the ultimate benefit of my mother and so many others . . .

GO JILL . . . . WE ARE ALL BEHIND YOU 100% !!