I've always been a walker, but I never thought when one my colleagues approached me 7 years ago about doing the Avon Breast Cancer Walk - 20 miles a day for 3 days - that there was even the remotest chance I would participate. Not only did it seem daunting to contemplate that distance, but you had to raise almost $2000 to do the walk (or pay it yourself). But, then I started thinking about all the women in my family - my mom, my sister, my first cousins, the mothers of my two daughter-in-laws - who had suffered with this disease, and I decided I needed to at least try. And, so I registered. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

I figured since I usually walked 4 miles or so every weekend I could just increase my miles according to the training manual and get to the requisite 18 or so for 2 consecutive days I needed to be able to do in order to finish the walk without injury. And, I figured I could do this training all by myself. All went well until I hit mile 10 - which took almost 4 hours -- and then I knew there was no way I was going to get through this on my own. One, I hurt all over and two I was bored with myself after about mile 6. How was I going to make this work?

Team work. I decided to contact one of the training teams in my area and discovered a whole new world. Literally. Walking 4 or more hours every Saturday (and later on Sunday too) with a group of (mostly) women was a life changing experience. First of all, what you talk about is everything. These were women that I never saw except when we walked, but we shared every aspect of our lives. And, I do mean every aspect…more on that next time. Maybe you've had a similar experience you can share.

I also learned how connected everything actually is….on one training walk with three other women, we realized somewhere around mile 9 that even though we thought we just met, I actually had a strong connection with each of them. One woman's husband had worked on a project in another state with my ex-husband, one I had done a presentation to years before in her former corporate life, and the third was being coached by a friend of mine. So, I realized that there really are only six degrees of separation, and if we're open and take the time to look and listen, we can discover many ways we're connected.

I have continued to do the Breast Cancer Walk for the last 6 (I missed last year, but more on that another time) years. It has become a metaphor for me about much of what's important in my life - friendship, health, how I choose to spend my time, enjoying the outdoors, giving back, sharing, and caring for others, and on and on. Doing this walk has clearly has become a major part of my life, affecting not only my physical and mental health, but also my work and my family. I wonder if you're involved in something like that. Write and let me know and I'll share more of what I've learned through this incredible experience.