The Last Day: Life is a Gift

The final 26.2 miles (42km) of The Victory Walk seemed to be the shortest of them all. I started somewhere in Farmington Hills and walked through Southfield, Berkley, Royal Oak, and Ferndale before finally turning toward Detroit...and home. When I got to the Fox Theater, there was Jana waiting for me with other family and friends and then we all walked the last 1/2 mile together. Amazingly, the pain in my feet went away...mind over matter. I knew that I was near the end of the trek and nothing was going to stop me from walking to the finish line with anything less than a full stride and my head held up high. It was a heartfelt ending to a challenging and painful journey, but as I entered Campus Martius Square to see more family, friends, and Karmanos team members, I thought about what I had just done. In my mind, I glanced back at the road behind me and realized that I wouldn't have had it any other way. It was difficult, but that is what makes it so rewarding. If it had been easy, then my statement about cancer would not be as strong as it needs to be. I am completely at peace with myself and I can finally let go of what happened in the past.

Although The Victory Walk was the end of one part of my life, it is also the beginning of another. While it has laid to rest the demons of years gone by, it is the first step that I have decided to take toward helping others in the years to come. My goal is to establish, or collaborate with, a charitable organization that helps to prevent and treat cancer among children in developing nations. Sadly, 90% of pediatric cancer cases in the world are in developing countries, but only 40% of them receive treatment. Something must be done about this and I can't just sit back on the glory of what I have just done and watch these children waste away. Prevention through improved nutrition and education coupled with finding ways of providing treatment to those who are already diagnosed with cancer will be the focus of my efforts for many years to come. Ideally, I'd like to make it my life's work. Is that possible? Of course, it is....walking over 450 miles to help others has reminded me that, although it might not be easy, I can accomplish any goal that I set for myself and believe in my heart. Oddly enough, I am thoroughly convinced that living through cancer was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. It taught me at an early age that life is not all about the material things you can buy, in fact, that is probably the least important thing.

Day 18: Just Over The Horizon

This is Day 18 of the trip, but only the 17th day of walking. It's hard to believe that I have walked 426 miles in just 17 days. It's amazing what the body can do when the mind allows it to be free of negative thoughts.

I started the day exactly where I left off yesterday...in the charming town square of Plymouth. Of course, it was completely empty at 6 a.m., but I was ok with that. I like to have the chance for quiet reflection early in the morning. Usually, by mid-morning, my head is already full of a thousand ideas for what I want to do in the future and I barely have the opportunity to let my mind take in the beauty of the start of each day. Due to a series of miscalculations, I ran out of road to walk on today. I walked 21 miles and stopped. I wanted to be sure that I will walk exactly 26.2 miles tomorrow, so I just took the 5-mile loss for the day. My original goal was 472 miles (765 km), but the actual total by the end of tomorrow will be 452 miles (732km).

I am still having issues with my left foot as it continues to cramp along the top. The nail on the big toe of my right foot is getting worse and I really don't expect to keep it much longer. The pain is not as bad while I'm walking so that's why I don't like to stop.

17 down, 1 to go .

I can see the finish is just over the horizon...and it feels great!

Today I spent most of the day walking with Brian, a cancer survivor who contacted me on my website and covered 11 miles with me. We talked about everything from what we had been through as pediatric cancer patients to computers and politics. It was a good day.

This evening, we are at the home of my sister's friend, Cindy. She and her husband have opened their home to us and words can't describe the generousity. Tomorrow will be the last day of The Victory Walk....and it will be a long day, but I'm looking forward to stepping across the finish line at Campus Martius.

Day 17: Plymouth

First thing this morning, I ran into some construction between Chelsea and Ann Arbor which shaved a few miles off of my route to Plymouth. This could not be avoided and actually worked out in my favour. It allowed me to make a quick stop in Ann Arbor to have a doctor look at my feet just to make sure I'm not putting them at too much risk by trying to finish the walk. Thank You so much to my friend Karen, a nurse, who organized the whole visit for me. Also thank you to her co-workers and Dr. W for being so helpful and supportive.

I have walked well over 400 miles so far and am looking forward to finishing. Although my original intention was to walk 472 miles, the final number will be pretty close. Due to injuries, road construction, and a few miscalculations, I estimate that I will fall short by approximately 15 miles for the entire event. I can live with that.

I finished today in Plymouth at Kellog Park where I was greeted by some friends, family members and strangers for some moral support. My pace was pretty solid at about 3 miles an hour. It was a great day. Also, thank you to my cousins Greg. Lori and Rachel for the fantastic dinner and letting us stay the night.

16 down and 2 to go!!

Info for the finish line:

The Victory Walk will end at Campus Martius (800 Woodward Ave)
in Downtown Detroit on Thursday August 14.
My estimated time of arrival is between 5:30 and 5:45 p.m.
All are welcome!

Day 16: Chelsea

After a very positive finish yesterday, I was surprised by the difficulties I had today. My left foot has been cramping intermittently for 3 days and is now swollen and tender making every step a challenge. The nail on my big right toe is very angry with me and will be leaving me very soon - so now both feet hurt. The hills and curves on the road into Chelsea are hardly noticeable, while driving a car, but on foot it's hell if you are approaching the 400 mile mark in just 15 days.

A friend of mine from work grew up in Chelsea and her parents have offered us a place to stay. I am so grateful to Ron and Kathy for the wonderful dinner and for opening their home to us.

I am looking forward to arriving in Plymouth tomorrow night, Tuesday August 12th where we will meet up with some family and friends at Kellog Park at 6pm - all are welcome!

Since I had to take a day off of walking back on July 30th, I have tried to make up the mileage along the way to finish in 18 days. Despite my good intentions and effort, it has been impossible to do so. With the equivalent of 15 marathons behind me and 3 to go, I am confident that I will finish the 18, but unfortunately, I will be 1 day late. Therefore, my current projected finish will be in Detroit on Thursday, August 14th at 6pm at a downtown location to be confirmed by tomorrow- sorry for the short notice. I would be delighted to see you all at the finish line.

Day 15: It's All Good

The road from East Lansing to Stockbridge was long and lonely, but that's okay... I'm looking forward to walking into Chelsea tomorrow. Today's total was 26.2 which brings me to 368.9 miles since July 27th. 14 down, 4 more to go. It's all good.

Day 14: The Wind At My Back

A fairly strong wind followed me for most of the day today. It felt great and helped me keep my pace.

I found a baby bird on the side of the road sitting next to it's nest. It had been blown out of a tree so I used a few sticks to scoop it back into the nest and placed it at the base of the tree. What else could I have done?

That bird was the only other living soul to cross my path today until a man on a bicycle stopped to say hello. He had seen me in Traverse City last week... in fact, I had stopped him to ask for directions. It really is a small world that we live in.

I crossed the 300 mile mark yesterday.

Day 13: Into The Sun

As I walked out of Grand Rapids today, I had a really fun conversation with Kim and Cheryl. They were walking a dog and really made my day with some light conversation. So often, it's the simple things in life that make us happy.

I also felt great because this was the first day that my morning started with walking into the rising sun. That means that I've turned East and I'm heading home - 12 down, 6 to go.

I met some very nice people in Grand Rapids, but I was disappointed that the local media refused to cover my story because I am not walking for the local cancer center. Politics has no place in finding a cure for cancer!

Day 12: Cookie and Corky

I was surprised by the huge hills in and around Grand Rapids. By the time I got to the 22 mile mark, I had to stop. I just couldn't go another step. Although the shin split has almost completely healed, I have two infected toes on my right foot that makes it very difficult to walk. I think I have few extra miles from other days that I can add to today's junior marathon to make the average.

Fortunately, my sister Gail, affectionately know as "Cookie" since she was five, arrived from Vancouver today. Her friend Kathy a.k.a. "Corky" brought her to Grand Rapids from the Detroit airport and already things seem to be getting better. They have taken charge of the situation and are helping me with everything from foot care to public relations.

Day 11: Half Way There... Better Days Ahead

I started just a few miles before White Cloud and walked 26.2 miles to a little village called Casnovia. Although it was a tough walk because of small, but numerous hills, I started to feel even more optimistic about my situation. My left leg felt so much better than yesterday because of the weight shifting technique I started using a few days ago.
I have walked a total of 248.3 miles which means that I crossed the half way point sometime today. I didn't even look back to think about it. Sometimes it's better that way, not to look back on things, even in life. I believe that sometimes it's better to just take things in stride and concentrate on the road ahead of me. With every step I took today, I tried to think about the fact that tomorrow I'll reach Grand Rapids where I'll make a sharp left turn and start heading for home. Although I've met some very kind and interesting people so far, I'll be happy to leave the pain behind me.

Day 10: The Breeze

Today brought the same relentless heat and humity until the twenty mile mark when the breeze of my life hit me... I appreciated all 30 seconds of it. Not much else happened as I travelled along M-37. I did see some wild turkeys and deer and spoke with a cyclist from Kentucky. Homes were few and far between in this remote part of Michigan and many displayed an American flag.

My right leg has been forced to work much harder to relieve the pain in my left shin and allow it to heal. Unfortunately, this has caused some severe blistering to my right foot and toes. I'm dealing with this the best way I know how, but I am concerned for the days ahead. The miles became progressively more difficult with the last 2 of 28.2 feeling nearly impossible.

I really felt like quitting today but I didn't.. and I won't!

Day 9: Mind Over Matter

I sat on the edge of the bed in the hotel room this morning wondering how to motivate myself to get into the shower. The infection in my foot has essentially healed, but my left shin is still in agonizing pain and definitely feeling the effects of yesterday's 30 miles. I stared into my reflection on the tv and questioned what I am doing here and how I am going to get through this? After about an hour, the answer was clear -- to convince myself that my leg doesn't hurt and to just get on with it.

The late 9am start brought 87F and very humid conditions. A dog that looked like Old Yeller wanted my walking stick and chased me for about 100 yards until finally giving up and turning around for home.

At one point, a group of guys on their motorcycles stopped to ask what I was doing. One of the guys did not seem like much of a talker, but explained his mom had also died of breast cancer and said "way to go". I could see by the expression on his face that he really appreciated my efforts.

At about the 20 mile mark, I planned to stop after going over the next two hills. When I got to the top of the second hill, I looked ahead and saw the land was flat. That made me smile! I turned around and looked at all the hills behind me that had tried to break my spirit, but did not, and that made me smile even more. I walked another 2.5 miles and felt great doing it, ending up just 3 miles short of Baldwin.

Two years ago today, I met Jana and I wish we could be together to celebrate our anniversary. I was happy to speak with her on the phone and grateful for her ongoing support. I realized that I am also doing this for her so that she may never have to go through what my mom did.

Day 8: Ed, Boo and the Manistee Forest

I started 8 miles south of Traverse City and walked 30.2 miles today still trying to catch up for the day I lost on Wednesday but it has really taken it's toll on me. The only two souls I met along the way was a man named Ed and his dog Booboo. He was selling cherries at a corner stand and gave me some for a snack. The road then led me into the Manistee National Forest where I continued walking for the rest of this lonely 11hr day - 10hrs walking and an hour's worth of breaktime. I'm exhausted.

Day 7: Turning south

The road from Kewadin to Traverse City was much of the same narrow highway with lots of traffic and no place to walk. I struggled with that and the pain in my left shin for most of the day... the first 20 miles and then I finally reached Traverse City and turned south. As I passed by "Hooters", two of the waitresses who were in the parking lot promoting a boat show started talking to me... I decided it was time for a break although I did pass on wings and Dom Perignon. After five minutes of light conversation I decided to be on my way.
I cut through the suburbs of Traverse City and stopped at a garage sale to ask for directions. A guy named Dan from Grand Rapids lent me his map and started talking to me about his father who has cancer and only one month to live. It was a reminder to me of the unfortunate truth that no one is unaffected by cancer. I walked 28.2 miles today and have finished 161.2 in total.

Day 6: No where to walk

I've walk a total of 133 miles so far. I started walking late today at 8:40 am. I woke up with a severe cramp in my calf muscle .... no doubt related to the infection which is slowly healing and the shin splint in my left leg. I spent more than two hours wondering what the hell to do. I was afraid that I would lose another day which would be impossible to make up. I called Chris, my trainer and he suggested some heat rub cream. It worked, but why didn't I think of that? I've noticed that I am having trouble remembering little things lately and thinking logically, especially in the morning. I believe it's related to the stress I am putting on my body and the constant focus I must place on the road. I have to concentrate with every step because the shoulder of the road is very narrow and at times non existent. That has been the story of highway 31 from the beginning and is only getting worse as I move further south along this narrow strip of land between two lakes from Charlevoix to Traverse City.

My intention was to walk 28.2 miles today, but it started pouring rain at the 25 mile mark. Since I was already soaked, rain gear would have been pointless so I finished last last mile of 26.2 and called it a day. I miss Jana.

---Moderator Note---

Hello fellow readers.  If you agree with what Sean is doing, please show your support by leaving comments after his posts.  Encouragement, comments and stories from friends, family and even complete strangers can help motivate and lift a person's soul and help drive them forward in their quest.

Think about what Sean is doing for a moment.  He is walking 26 miles (or more) every day, battling weather and physical conditions.  Most of us don't even walk 1 mile a day.  OK maybe just some of us  ;)  but my point is this...  Sean has committed to something here that will push his strength, his endurance and his mind to the limits.  He has chosen to do it all for the greater good of finding a cure for this horrible disease that has caused so much pain and suffering to so many people.

Way to go Sean!

Day 5: Pushing The Limits

Given the fact that I had to take a day off yesterday because of the infection in my foot and the severe shin splint in my left leg, I decided to start making up lost miles by adding 2 miles to the usual 26.2 that I intended to walk each day.  By doing that, I can still arrive in Detroit on August 13 and have walked the equivalent of one marathon each day.  My plan was to start where I left off on Tuesday and walk just under 3 mph on average.  I started out slowly because of the continued rough road leading into Petoskey and then I increased my pace to 3.5 when I got onto the paved walking trail.  Surprisingly, that allowed my shin splint to start healing.  I am now more optimistic about this journey than ever before.  I'm glad that I was able to come up with a plan that seems to be working.  I'll know for sure in a few days.

Walking 28.2 miles each day for the next 13 or 14 days will be a true test of my endurance and determination to follow through on my original plan to finish in 18 days.  I'm loving every minute of it because I'm LIVING every minute of it. 

Even though it was one hell of a long day, and there were moments when I questioned how much I wanted to do this, one brief moment on the main street of Charlevoix reminded me of what this means to me.  A woman, about my age, stopped me as I was walking down the main street of Charlevoix....and she asked me, "Are you walking to benefit breast cancer research?"  The moment I responded she told me that she is a recent survivor, and then she just started crying right there in the middle of the street.  No more words were necessary.  I reached out, put my hand on her shoulder, and asked her to tell me her name.  "Susan," she said...and then our conversation began.  After talking for a few minutes, she invited Patrik and me to have dinner with her and her family tomorrow evening as we make our way toward Torch Lake.  I accepted and continued to walk.  I had 24 miles behind me with 4 more to go and didn't want to risk injury by standing still too long.

At that moment, all the rough roads, aching legs, humid weather and long miles didn't even seem to have ever been a part of the day. 

I'm so looking forward to whatever tomorrow has in store for me.

Day 4: Just A Bump In The Road

Instead of walking to Charlevoix this morning, I had to go to the urgent care center in Petoskey.  I woke up with a very swollen left foot and inflamation on my shin.  I was very tempted to try to walk on it, but I had to consider that I have a long way to go and that it's better to take care of it now before it gets worse.  My instinct was right.  The doctor told me that I have an infection on the bottom of my foot and it's starting to travel to the ankle area.....that's why it's so swollen.  Fortunately, my white blood cell count was normal so the infection is not as severe as it would be if I had continued to walk on it without treatment.  I started antibiotics immediately with a shot and will continue to take capsules for the next ten days.  I spent the day just hanging out at the hotel napping and watching The History Channel. 

Despite this setback, I have permission from the doctor to continue the walk tomorrow.  Fortunately, there is a flat walking trail for the entire route to Charlevoix.  Instead of extending the walk by one day, I will first try to add two miles to each day remaining.  There are 14 days left so the math works out to allow me to still finish in 18 days.  My feelings range between optimism and determination, with some confidence and tenacity in there somewhere as well.  I see the road ahead of me and, more importantly, I see myself on it.  I might have to walk slower for the next few days, but I will walk.  

Once again, no one said this was going to be easy. 

I just keep reminding myself that I have been through much worse.

Day 3: My Left Foot

Well, my worst fears from yesterday have come true. Although the blister on the bottom of my left foot has taken a break, the shin splint has gotten much worse. A combination of favoring that foot, a gradual uphill slope, and absolutely unwalkable roads sloping to the left for the first twenty miles have made my shin scream at me with pain for most of the day....

Then, something came over me at a village named ":Brutus" of all places on Earth. I had been dragging myself along on the gravel shoulder for 17 miles, barely going 2.5 mph instead of my expected 4 mph, when I decided to just stop bitching about the road and my leg. I told myself that I would just continue the best I could and let it go. Much to my surprise, 300 meters later, I arrived at Brutus where the State of Michigan had recently resurfaced the road and widened the shoulder, which was almost even with the rest of the road, and above all, it was almost flat. It took all of the pressure off of my left shin. It allowed me to finish 26.2 miles today, but my shin was so swollen I could see the bump through my walking tights. I'm icing it now and will continue to do so until the morning when I'll see what happens next. As far as I know, I'm walking 26.2 again starting at 5:30 a.m.

I'm going to walk with a lady named Louise and some of the staff reporters from the Petoskey News and Review after 9 a.m. so that should be fun. It will be a nice break from the lonely roads I've been on so far. As an added bonus, the last 16 miles will be on a paved, flat, even, smooth walking/biking trail between Petoskey and Charlevoix.

I'm going to put my right leg in the jacuzzi and leave my left leg out of the water with an ice pack tied around it. I know I'll look silly, but that is what my life has become these past few days......and I love it. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Day 2: The Wilderness

I started out a little late this morning because Patrik and I had to drive to the starting point 4 miles south of Rudyard. The first few miles were fine, except for the 3 dogs that jumped out of nowhere and challenged me at the edge of the road. I stopped only long enough to check for traffic and cross to the other side. They stayed at the edge of their territory, but barked like the hounds from hell until I was well out of site. After that bit of excitement, I was stopped by a woman named Florence who recognized me from the local paper. We chatted for a few minutes while I stretched my hamstrings. She told me how she had gone to visit a friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and then she politely excused herself and I was on my way. The road then took me into an area of forest that seemed to go on forever. I didn't see another soul for at least 5 miles...not even a deer.

I'm worried about my left leg. I developed a huge blister on the bottom of my left foot so I favored that side while walking and that led to a mild shin splint. I just have a bad feeling that it's going to get worse on that leg because of the angled slope of the road. I'm favoring the foot and putting more pressure on the outside muscles of my left leg.....that can't be good. Despite the drama with my leg, I am determined to walk a marathon each day. No one said it would be easy, right? I guess if it was easy, more people would do this type of thing. Tomorrow should be interesting.

Day 1: The First Step

Wow....this day flew by very quickly. Although I barely slept last night, I wasn't lacking energy this morning. The whole day was one big adrenalin rush and before I knew it, it was over. I wish I could write about some drama that happened along the way, but it was fairly uneventful. I used the paved shoulder when possible, or just walked along the white line where the road is most level. There was very little traffic so I rarely had to move over to avoid getting hit.

At one point, I started to cry....and haven't really figured out why, but I think it was just one of those Hallmark moments. All of the emotions that had been building up since I started planning The Victory Walk just let themselves out for a little while. I got over it and kept on walking.

I feel great despite the huge blister that is growing on the bottom of my foot. I think it's going to get even bigger tomorrow, but we'll see about that. I'm so used to treating blisters now that I just tend to accept them as a part of the event.

I'm very optimistic about finishing in 18 days.....I guess if anyoneis going to optimistic about this, it should be me.

One last thing before I go.... When a photographer from a newspaper in Sault Sainte Marie stopped me on the road half way to Rudyard for a few pics, she asked me why I was doing this walk. I paused, and then told her that I hope to help people who are, and will be, going through what I went through as both the son of a cancer victim and as a cancer survivor myself.....and that was the absolute truth, but deep down, after everything is said and done....this is for my mom.

The Night Before...

The last three days have just been a blur.  Thursday was all about packing and making sure I had everything I thought I'd need for the trip and Friday was spent picking up the RV and driving to my cousins' house in Rochester.  I had a tearful goodbye with Jana and I'm already looking forward to seeing her at the finish line.

Patrik, Jana's brother, volunteered to come with me on this trip as my driver, videographer, photographer, and all around good friend.  He came from Slovakia to visit for the summer and is just learning English, so our conversations are interesting and lots of fun.  We spent most of today driving to Sault Sainte Marie, preparing for tomorrow, and then relaxing by the pool. 

I have been thinking about tomorrow non-stop.....tomorrow and the following 17 days.  I'm as ready as I'll ever be for this trek across Michigan, so now I just have to do it.  I'm feeling optimistic and positive, especially after driving all that way today. We took the most direct route to get here, but I will walk a different route which is more than 100 miles longer than what we drove today.  So what!!  I'm just going to do it.  The only thing that can delay me is severe weather, and that doesn't seem to pose any problems for the next 5 days so at least I'll have a good start.

Beyond thinking about myself and the challenge ahead of me, my thoughts are occupied by the people I'm trying to help through this walk.  The way I see it, walking consecutive marathons is a lot like it was when I had cancer.....and I know it's the same for people who are now facing "it" today.  I wake up everyday and wonder how I'm going to make to the end of the road on that given day...and then, somehow, I manage.....and then I do it again the next day, and the next, and the next.  The big difference though, and my main motivation for walking all these miles, is that people who have cancer and are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation do not have the luxury of knowing that it will be finished in 18 days.  When you are undergoing treatment, it's hard to think that it will ever end.  I just have to remind myself, while I'm on the road, what they are going through everyday.

I'm sleepy now and I have a long day ahead of me.  Good night.

Four Days To Go

I'll start walking from Sault Sainte Marie on Sunday at 5 a.m. At this point, with only 4 days left until the start of my journey, I feel optimistic and very much at peace with myself. I've already met so many positive people just preparing and organizing this event, I can't help but to think that many good things will come from its completion. I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead of me...