Finally, we are less than a week away from the start of the Komen 3Day for the Cure, the 60-mile walk for breast cancer research and awareness than Jane and I are taking on in Chicago. I did my last long walk yesterday — 10 miles — and I am more than ready to get going. Andy and Tomas are eager for me to get going, too. Last week Tomas said, “Mom, do you think you are overthinking this?” Gotta love that kid.

I probably am, from the stuff I need to take to how I’ll pack to whether I’ll be in good enough shape to finish without misery. Here are a few things I’ve been thinking about.

First, I have really enjoyed having a big, audacious goal — like walking 60 miles — to train for. Not that smaller, incremental goals aren’t great (hey, I help run the St. Mary’s Annual Fund, after all), but I have realized that a certain kind of motivation for me has always come from thinking about doing something I wasn’t really sure I could do. Like help run the St. Mary’s Annual Fund (now that I think of it). Like trying out for field hockey in college. Like singing a solo in church on Sunday. I enjoy a challenge, obviously. But I am surprised how much I enjoy a BIG challenge.

Next, I am awed and touched by the number of my friends and family who have supported me by donating to my walk. As I write this, I have exceeded the required fundraising goal by more than $1,000 — I am currently at $3,410, thanks to all of you. (Click HERE if you’d like to add your support to my Donor Honor Roll.) I know that what you support with your money says a lot, and I am truly grateful for everyone who is “with” me on this walk. (Including Buster Caywood, our dear friends Mary and Dave’s golden, who was the very first donor!)

I have realized in the last few weeks that as people ask about the specifics of our walk, I have left out a key piece of information: We will be SLEEPING IN TENTS every night. Yep, after we walk 22 miles on Friday, we’ll pitch our pink Komen tents, head off to the showers they set up for us in semi-trailers, and sit down at picnic tables for our hot dinner. My race credential, which I downloaded Friday, has my “tent address” on it. So the challenge of this event is as much the camping as the walking. Above you’ll find a (not very good) photo I found of the tents at a past event. I can hear you all laughing at the thought of Jane and me sharing one. Me, too.

My last thought for the day, before I head off to round up the last of my event equipment: I sure do miss my mom. I don’t think about her every day any more, but that doesn’t mean I don’t think of her often, and getting ready to do this event has brought me close to tears — again — much more often than usual. She’s been gone more than 23 years now, but some days it still seems like last week. I have SO many questions I wish I could ask her, from the silly — was I as goofy in 7th grade as Tomas sometimes is? Should I spend the money to fix my front teeth? What should I make for dinner tonight? — to the profound.

Breast cancer has taken SO many good women and men too soon. Each week I hear about someone else who is fighting — Rachel, I am thinking of you — and I feel like doing this walk, raising this money and awareness, might make a difference for them.

More details before we hit the road … and maybe some photos of the intrepid walkers themselves. Thanks again, everyone, for your support.