I haven't posted any of these yet this season. I need to rectify that.
So, starting now, I vow to post my weekly NBA power rankings.
Here are my week 13 ones.
1. Spurs- They still have the leagues best record. They took a mini tumble a few weeks back losing some games they shouldn't have, but they still hold on.
2. Celtics- Boston is clingling to the #2 spot. Can they hold on?
3. Heat- the "Big 3" have had their ups and downs this season but they are slowly climbing back up the rankings.
4. Lakers- they had a lackluster start and many including their own players were questioning their heart. They have a long road in front of them if they want that 3 peat. However, the Lakers are notorious for turning it on late so don't count them out yet.
5. Bulls- Depsite losing Jakim Noah to injury, they have still put together a 30 win season to date. They have major wins over some of the favorites including the Heat, Celtics, and Lakers.
6. Magic- I guess making that trade with the Suns etc was good for them. They have been turning it on and could be a major force in the playoffs.
7. Hornets- Got a huge win over the Spurs and have put together a nice run reminiscent of thier start. Can they keep it together or will they falter and fall from the rankings once again?
8. Thunder- A very young team going through some growing spurts but still a very dangerous team. Keep your eye on them this season and in the next few as the youngsters improve and gain experience.
9. Mavs-They topped the rankings just a few weeks ago but have tumbled far, and fast. If they don't turn it around they will drop next week.
10. Trailblazers- They are playing hard. Will they improve once Roy, Oden and Camby return? Aldridge is enyoing their time away as his game play has improved dramatically.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
My 3 -Peat 3 Day Experience
This is another article I had posted elsewhere but never to my own blog. (Could I be anymore of a slacker?)
Thank you!When I did my first Breast Cancer 3 day walk in 2008-I thought it would be a onetime thing. That bucket list item I could do, then cross off. Little did I know that it would become my passion?So here I sit…sore after doing my 3rd Susan G Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer 3 Day walk, in a reflective mood. 3 days, 60 miles, 1 goal…a world without breast cancer. It seems so simple in writing; however the reality is starkly different. There were over 1500 walkers and over 350 crew members in the Arizona walk. It was a mini town. There was the sea of pink tents we camped in. And let me tell you, while the “official” temp was a low of 41, I can guarantee you it was colder than that. My bag the next morning had frost on it and while my tent was zippered up tight, there was still dew INSIDE my tent the next morning. It was NOT 41 degrees.There was the post office where we could pick up any mail sent to us by loved ones. There was the dining tent (heated for the first time thank heavens!) where we ate and watched the program, there were the port-a-potties, the 18-wheeler shower trucks, the medical tent, and god bless the national sponsors Energizer, AT&T, Bank of America and New Balance for providing Internet access to check email and our social networking sites, for plugs to charge our cell phones, and for chair and foot massages!There was the Remembrance tent. As I stated, this was my third year walking, however it was the first year I found myself inside the Remembrance Tent. Outside were the white tents from the other cities…with messages written on them from loved ones, to those they had lost in the battle. Inside were the pictures of former walkers and/or crew members from 3-Days around the country in years past who were no longer with us. I don’t know why I was so afraid of going into this special tent in years past. Maybe because thankfully-I have not lost a relative or loved one to this dreaded disease…yet? Or maybe it was because I know how emotional I get on the walk anyways and I was scared? I don’t know why I avoided the tent. But I went this year. It was one of the few quiet places in camp. While it was steps away from the dining tent and the loudness of camp program, those sounds were drowned out. No one spoke in the Remembrance Tent. No words were needed. Our sniffs and soft cries were all that needed to be “said” as we looked at the names and faces of too many people lost. Of brave women who walked and crewed for years doing all they could to raise money and awareness to hopefully find a cure. There were women who had registered to walk in events in 2009 and 2010 that could not participate as their battle ended before they could walk. I have made a vow NEVER to skip this very important part of the 3 Day again. Shame on me for not visiting sooner. My resolve was strengthened Saturday night. I looked at those faces smiling back at me, some with hair, some without-and I knew more than ever why I take this sometimes painful journey. For them, for myself, for my nieces, for my sister, my mom, my friends, for you and your loved ones. So someday I won’t have to take that journey.Day one started out with stretches and Opening Ceremonies. While some of it was the same, there were some differences. As we dropped off our gear and walked down into Freestone Park where Opening was held, there were white strips where we could write the name and a quick message to those who have lost their fight with Breast Cancer. These strips were then attached and raised on the flag pole as a “Memorial Flag”. It was a touching site to see so many names…too many names.After Opening we were officially off to start our journey. I cannot say thank you enough to all the communities we walk through. The support we receive is amazing. From people standing in their drive ways with water, Gatorade, candy, stickers, or just standing there watching us pass by clapping and saying “Thank You”. It is an amazing and humbling site. We passed little kids handing out pink lemonade, Red Vines (my favorite!), passed messages written in side walk chalk to keep us going.The firefighters…oh my stars the firefighters! They come out dressed in pink to cheer us on. This year the Gilbert F.D handed out these beautiful key chains. It was a circle that said “Fight like a girl” and in the middle was a spinning pink boxer glove with a pink ribbon on it. Fight Like a Girl indeed. I gave this keychain to Michelle, my co-worker that I first started to walk for.Each year there are designated cheer stations. These are NOT to be missed as a walker. We get sprayed with water bottles to cool down, get applauded by strangers, but it is also a place to meet friends and family for a hug, some tears and a boost that keeps us going.There are the costumes the walkers wear, the spectators wear, and that the safety crew wears. Just when you have seen it all…someone comes up with something new. You never know WHAT you will see on the 3 day!But mostly, there is time to reflect, to talk, and to remember. Walking 20 miles a day leaves a lot of time to think. We talk with people we have never met before and soon, you are friends. We share stories about why we made the decision to walk in the first place. We share stories with the virgin walkers of what to expect, and why we keep coming back.This year, one of the teachers at my youngest son’s daycare walked. This was her first year. I had her join our team and we spent a lot of the 3 day walking together. Seeing the event through first timer’s eyes brought me back to three years ago when I was a virgin walker. Seeing her get emotional at the cheering stations, crying due to the pain of a blister she was too afraid to look at, seeing her laugh and smile…it all brought back memories. And while I still cry at the cheering stations, seeing her cry made me cry all the more. I was so proud of her! Being able to walk up to her when she came across the finish line and give her a hug and cry with her…I remember how I felt the first time I did it. Hell I cried again this year thinking “I did it”. I was honored to be able to tell her how PROUD I was of her, to hug her, and then tell her, “Let’s go get a victory shirt!”, then walk with her to do just that.We joke that as walkers, we’re cheap. We get so excited to come into a pit stop and get a sticker for our badge, or to stop for the Girl Scouts who are handing them out. We’ll walk for STICKERS! Well, I walk for those and the Red Vines. I admit to being a licorice snob and won’t stop for a Twizzler…but if someone has a case of Red Vines…oh, I grab one every time!Day one took us through Gilbert, Chandler and into Tempe. Day two took us through Tempe, up through ASU and on into Old Town Scottsdale. From there we went through Papago Park and back through Tempe to camp. Day three for the first time ever they bussed us to start our day. We started out in the shadow of Camelback Mountain walking past multi-million dollar homes in Paradise Valley and through the Biltmore area. We then passed through into Phoenix and came right down Central in the heart of downtown. We then crossed through the Willa and Encanto neighborhoods that are designated as historic districts. We finally arrived at Closing at the Arizona State Fairgrounds.I started this the day after the walk. It’s taken me until Wednesday to finish. I know there are sights and sounds I am forgetting. I’m sitting here 3 days out…still a tiny bit sore but not too bad. The worst has passed. My ankles are swollen as the excess water we took in and the extra salt starts to leave the body…but I don’t care if my toes look like sausages right now. I don’t care that my cute pedicure is ruined (to be corrected this weekend with a nice new pedicure). All I know, is I am looking forward to doing it again. I have already signed up for 2011. I just need to decide if I am still walking in Arizona or if I want to pick a new city. I am open to suggestions!I care that Arizona walkers raised over $4.4 MILLION dollars for the Susan G Komen for the Cure. A large portion of which will stay with the local affiliate to help men and women with little or no insurance get the care and treatment they need. I care that soon, I won’t have this event to look forward to each year as we will not need to have one…we will have found the cure. I care that because of some of the most amazing people…I was able to walk this year when I didn’t think I was going too. I care that with each footstep…we are closer to the cure. I care that each footstep is for the Survivor’s. For they are the TRUE hero’s. They are why I walk. They are my inspiration, my hero’s.I have one last request of everyone. Candy Coburn came to camp and did a concert as well as performing at Closing Ceremonies. She has a song titled “Pink Warrior”. She is donating 100% of the profits of the song to the Susan G Komen for the Cure. Please, go and download the song.
A toddler with Breast Cancer
I read an article in OK magazine about a toddler who is the world's youngest breast cancer survivor. Knowing OK is known mainly for its celebrity gossip, I had to search out the truth behind this story.
Enter google (seriously, what did we do before we had google?)
See the story here from the Today show:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41161182/ns/today-today_health/
What a brave and strong little angel. Her family will be in my prayers. I hope she never has to deal with this again, that it truely is gone for good.
Enter google (seriously, what did we do before we had google?)
See the story here from the Today show:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/41161182/ns/today-today_health/
What a brave and strong little angel. Her family will be in my prayers. I hope she never has to deal with this again, that it truely is gone for good.
What exactly is the 3 day?
This is an article I wrote back in August for Sportsjabber.net in honor of Cancer Awareness month.
What exactly is the 3 day?
As most of you know, I walk in the Arizona Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk.
However I get asked over and over again, "What is the 3 day?"
The 3 day is simple yet hard to explain. Let me tell you what it is NOT. It is NOT a race. In fact, no running is allowed. There is the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, but that is a 5k race. The 3 day is 60 miles in 3 days-averaging 20 miles a day and TRUST me, you do NOT want to run that.
It is also not an endurance walk to see who is the last woman (or man) standing. We don't walk all 60 miles at once, and yes we do get breaks, LOTS of breaks.
What the 3 day is however, is 3 days of love, hope, inspiration, laughter, tears, and making a difference. It is about the CURE.
There are 3 day walks all over the country. The official 3 day season has begun. Last weekend was the first walk in Boston, and this weekend Cleveland had it's 3 day walk. Next weekend...it's onto the Windy City. From now until November, there will be a 3 day walk in a city across this nation. Each walk will have thousands of men and women who have all raised a minimum of $2300 walking to find a cure. There will also be hundreds of volunteer crew members supporting the walkers.
There are a total of 15 walks each year. Each event is exactly 3 days and the walkers walk 60 miles. Some days it's more than 20, others (like the last day) it's less.
Day one starts off with opening ceremonies. It is funny, uplifting and inspirational. My first walk, a team member asked me if I had tissues. I said no and she gave me some. They were torn to shreds by the time we were done. Instead of having a moment of silece, we shout the name of the person or persons we are walking for, putting their spirit on the walk. To hear thousands of names being called out at once...you can't help but feel inspired...and shed a tear or two or three.
Now while we may walk 20 miles a day, we don't walk it all at once. Approximately every 3 miles there are pit stops. Each pit stop is themed and it's a big party. At the pit stops we re-fill our water and Gatorade, fill up on some food (man those peanut butter and jelly uncrusables are FABULOUS!),and take a much needed stop in a blue port-a-potty.
As we walk we have "walker stalkers" who follow us around honking and cheering while their cars are decorated with pink-bras, ribbons, whatever.We have people standing in their lawns telling us thank you as we pass, handing out popsicles and water. There are little girls with stickers, elementary kids with banners. They tell us "Thank You" when really, it should be us thanking them for giving us a much needed boost.
You see men and women in the most outrageous outfits in all varying shades of pink. Our safety crew motorcycle riders stop at intersections and guide us across safely, usually dancing the entire way. If the light is red? More reason to dance or stretch. People wear 46DDD bras OUTSIDE of their clothes, or on their hats. Men are dressed as women. Women wear tu-tus and feather boas (ok, so do the men). On the 3 days, fanny packs are in fashion! Although this year I have retired my fanny pack in favor of a Camelback.
After we complete the miles for the day, we walk into camp where we get to hear inspirational stories, hear surprisingly good karaoke, shower in 18 wheeler trucks, and sleep in 2 person pink tents. Sometimes, you know your tent mate ahead of time, and others you meet them that first day. However, you will be life long friends (even if they snore) by the end of the 3 days.
As fun as it sounds (and trust me it is FUN), there is a seriousness about the 3 day as well. When you come across a fellow walker with pictures on their shirts with the names and those all so final dates under them, or you are tired and sore and think "I can't do this" and the bald woman fresh from chemo pats you on the back in encouragement, you realize why you are there and why its so important, or the lady that is old enough to be your grandmother passes you by with a smile and again you think..."Well if she can do it, so can I" and take those remaining steps (although feeling a little bit like a slacker as she walks by looking to be pain free and you're contemplating sweeping...again). After all, it beats the hell out of chemo.
My first year I did not train and as a result could not finish days 1 and 2. I am stubborn however and walked day 3. I finished. I was last one in (I even have the LAST WALKER pin to prove it), but I finished.
Last year I trained...I was ready to finish all 60 miles. Day 1 I finished and walked into camp from the front entrance for the first time. I felt GREAT! Then day 2 came and I started to get pains in my foot. It felt like a sprain on the side. I kept walking because again, I'm stubborn. When the pain went from throbbing to stabbing, shooting pain I finally stopped walking. A few visits to medical and a trip to the ER later, I was on crutches and in a "post surgical boot" and red carded which means not allowed to walk.
I was in tears. Devastated. Until my team captain reminded me that it wasn't about walking. It was about raising the money. The people I walk for would have been proud of me. It took a while to accept.
It is about grit and determination. It is about the will to do something. Something that matters. It about saying "ENOUGH" to Cancer. It's about doing something to help bring cancer to its knees. It's about making a difference in the lives of people I know, the lives of people I will never know. The lives of people not even born yet. So a month of a walking boot and physical therapy after the walk, I was ready to sign up again for my 3rd walk.
Every day we go to work, we go home, watch TV. We eat way too much junk, don't work out enough (boy am I guilty of this), and worry way to much about things that really don't matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. Things that don't make a world of difference in whether or not the world is a better place at the end of the day.
It's not the walking in the 3 day that brings about the cure. The publicity helps. Of course it does. Think back to the time Susan G. Komen was first diagnosed with breast cancer. It wasn't talked about. It was taboo. People thought you could "catch it". So if I have to dress silly, laugh at team names like "Save the Magic Mountains", "Saving Second Base" etc, find the most different and interesting ways to say "Breasts". I mean there is the standard Ta-Ta's, Boobies, Titties, the aforementioned Magic Mountains and Second Base, there is all sorts of ways I never even thought of. If it takes all of that to remind men and women to do thier self exams, then I will do it.
So if the walking doesn't cure breast cancer, what does?
What is the real goal of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure? It's the fundrasing. Raising monies for research, treatment programs, education programs WORLD WIDE! How does promising clinical trials research studies around the country sound? A cure, or a vaccine for breast cancer is possible. IN OUR LIFETIMES.
That is what the Breast Cancer 3 Day is about. A lifetime...for EVERYONE. A lifetime without the fear of Breast Cancer. A world without breast cancer. For your wives, our daughters, our mothers, our sisters, OURSELVES, for the FUTURE.
It comes down to a WORLD WITHOUT BREAST CANCER. A WORLD WITHOUT CANCER. Why? Because everyone deserves a lifetime.
What exactly is the 3 day?
As most of you know, I walk in the Arizona Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk.
However I get asked over and over again, "What is the 3 day?"
The 3 day is simple yet hard to explain. Let me tell you what it is NOT. It is NOT a race. In fact, no running is allowed. There is the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure, but that is a 5k race. The 3 day is 60 miles in 3 days-averaging 20 miles a day and TRUST me, you do NOT want to run that.
It is also not an endurance walk to see who is the last woman (or man) standing. We don't walk all 60 miles at once, and yes we do get breaks, LOTS of breaks.
What the 3 day is however, is 3 days of love, hope, inspiration, laughter, tears, and making a difference. It is about the CURE.
There are 3 day walks all over the country. The official 3 day season has begun. Last weekend was the first walk in Boston, and this weekend Cleveland had it's 3 day walk. Next weekend...it's onto the Windy City. From now until November, there will be a 3 day walk in a city across this nation. Each walk will have thousands of men and women who have all raised a minimum of $2300 walking to find a cure. There will also be hundreds of volunteer crew members supporting the walkers.
There are a total of 15 walks each year. Each event is exactly 3 days and the walkers walk 60 miles. Some days it's more than 20, others (like the last day) it's less.
Day one starts off with opening ceremonies. It is funny, uplifting and inspirational. My first walk, a team member asked me if I had tissues. I said no and she gave me some. They were torn to shreds by the time we were done. Instead of having a moment of silece, we shout the name of the person or persons we are walking for, putting their spirit on the walk. To hear thousands of names being called out at once...you can't help but feel inspired...and shed a tear or two or three.
Now while we may walk 20 miles a day, we don't walk it all at once. Approximately every 3 miles there are pit stops. Each pit stop is themed and it's a big party. At the pit stops we re-fill our water and Gatorade, fill up on some food (man those peanut butter and jelly uncrusables are FABULOUS!),and take a much needed stop in a blue port-a-potty.
As we walk we have "walker stalkers" who follow us around honking and cheering while their cars are decorated with pink-bras, ribbons, whatever.We have people standing in their lawns telling us thank you as we pass, handing out popsicles and water. There are little girls with stickers, elementary kids with banners. They tell us "Thank You" when really, it should be us thanking them for giving us a much needed boost.
You see men and women in the most outrageous outfits in all varying shades of pink. Our safety crew motorcycle riders stop at intersections and guide us across safely, usually dancing the entire way. If the light is red? More reason to dance or stretch. People wear 46DDD bras OUTSIDE of their clothes, or on their hats. Men are dressed as women. Women wear tu-tus and feather boas (ok, so do the men). On the 3 days, fanny packs are in fashion! Although this year I have retired my fanny pack in favor of a Camelback.
After we complete the miles for the day, we walk into camp where we get to hear inspirational stories, hear surprisingly good karaoke, shower in 18 wheeler trucks, and sleep in 2 person pink tents. Sometimes, you know your tent mate ahead of time, and others you meet them that first day. However, you will be life long friends (even if they snore) by the end of the 3 days.
As fun as it sounds (and trust me it is FUN), there is a seriousness about the 3 day as well. When you come across a fellow walker with pictures on their shirts with the names and those all so final dates under them, or you are tired and sore and think "I can't do this" and the bald woman fresh from chemo pats you on the back in encouragement, you realize why you are there and why its so important, or the lady that is old enough to be your grandmother passes you by with a smile and again you think..."Well if she can do it, so can I" and take those remaining steps (although feeling a little bit like a slacker as she walks by looking to be pain free and you're contemplating sweeping...again). After all, it beats the hell out of chemo.
My first year I did not train and as a result could not finish days 1 and 2. I am stubborn however and walked day 3. I finished. I was last one in (I even have the LAST WALKER pin to prove it), but I finished.
Last year I trained...I was ready to finish all 60 miles. Day 1 I finished and walked into camp from the front entrance for the first time. I felt GREAT! Then day 2 came and I started to get pains in my foot. It felt like a sprain on the side. I kept walking because again, I'm stubborn. When the pain went from throbbing to stabbing, shooting pain I finally stopped walking. A few visits to medical and a trip to the ER later, I was on crutches and in a "post surgical boot" and red carded which means not allowed to walk.
I was in tears. Devastated. Until my team captain reminded me that it wasn't about walking. It was about raising the money. The people I walk for would have been proud of me. It took a while to accept.
It is about grit and determination. It is about the will to do something. Something that matters. It about saying "ENOUGH" to Cancer. It's about doing something to help bring cancer to its knees. It's about making a difference in the lives of people I know, the lives of people I will never know. The lives of people not even born yet. So a month of a walking boot and physical therapy after the walk, I was ready to sign up again for my 3rd walk.
Every day we go to work, we go home, watch TV. We eat way too much junk, don't work out enough (boy am I guilty of this), and worry way to much about things that really don't matter all that much in the grand scheme of things. Things that don't make a world of difference in whether or not the world is a better place at the end of the day.
It's not the walking in the 3 day that brings about the cure. The publicity helps. Of course it does. Think back to the time Susan G. Komen was first diagnosed with breast cancer. It wasn't talked about. It was taboo. People thought you could "catch it". So if I have to dress silly, laugh at team names like "Save the Magic Mountains", "Saving Second Base" etc, find the most different and interesting ways to say "Breasts". I mean there is the standard Ta-Ta's, Boobies, Titties, the aforementioned Magic Mountains and Second Base, there is all sorts of ways I never even thought of. If it takes all of that to remind men and women to do thier self exams, then I will do it.
So if the walking doesn't cure breast cancer, what does?
What is the real goal of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure? It's the fundrasing. Raising monies for research, treatment programs, education programs WORLD WIDE! How does promising clinical trials research studies around the country sound? A cure, or a vaccine for breast cancer is possible. IN OUR LIFETIMES.
That is what the Breast Cancer 3 Day is about. A lifetime...for EVERYONE. A lifetime without the fear of Breast Cancer. A world without breast cancer. For your wives, our daughters, our mothers, our sisters, OURSELVES, for the FUTURE.
It comes down to a WORLD WITHOUT BREAST CANCER. A WORLD WITHOUT CANCER. Why? Because everyone deserves a lifetime.
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