Monday, June 18, 2012

Challenge Walking; 10 Years; 360 Miles

** One more in a series of USAFit/Philly 2012 member profiles by our lovable mascot, Perki.**
This week Perki interviewed Candy Cain, one of interpid Purple People.


Perki: How many years have you walked with Phillyfit?
Candy: This is my second year.

P: How, what and/or who started you on the road to training for distance?
C: Ten years ago I decided to walk the MS Challenge Walk; 50 miles in 3 days

P: What is your motivation?
C: The way I feel after I'm done. Yes, I'm tired getting up so early but I know I'll feel great when it's done.

P: What has been your hardest lesson to date?
C: Self-motivation

P: Tell us about a Eureka! moment.
C: Before Phillyfit I trained on my own. I walked 1000 miles in a season before Phillyfit and never took breaks. Walking with the group, we take breaks, and I realize they make sense. I can go farther if I take breaks. I learned there is a discipline in training. It's like the runners doing run/walk.

P: Tell me about the MS Challenge Walk. How did you get started with that?
C: I started with the MS Challenge 10 years ago. This is the 10th year for the Philly walk. I heard a single ad on the local country radio station. I thought it was a good reason to get off the couch and also I had a younger brother who suffered from a similar disease - SSPE . I lost him in 1986 and ever since I've been looking for a way to deal with that.


P: So You've walked every year that there has a been a Challenge Walk in the Philadelphia area.
C: Yes. I've walked 360 fundraising miles with MS.

P: Tell us more about the MS Challenge. How does it work?
C: The MS Society supports you for a two day walk and you raise money to help them find a cure for MS. All you have to do is raise the money and show up. MS takes care of everything else including making sure you don't have to sleep in a tent.

P: The walk has changed since you started.
C: Yes. It was 50 miles in three days in the beginning. They shortened it to 30 miles in two days to get more people interested I think.

P: What else would you like our readers to know
C: This year the walk is the weekend of October 13-14 and most of it is along the Perkiomen Trail.

I am raising money for it. In past years I've put together a cook book of recipes from my co-workers and then sell it to raise money. I think it's funny that they give me recipes and then by the book. I'm not doing that this year. Maybe I should do a Phillyfit cookbook.

The first year my feet were hamburger at the end.  They don’t get as bad now, but they sure are ready to get out of my shoes by the time I am done.

Last year we finished our walk at the Comcast Center. It was nice to finish the walk through the streets of Philadelphia. But there was an unexpected detour which added 5 hilly miles to the route. So last year we walked 35 miles.

P: Ok. to finish off the interview I'll ask you some questions that others have answered before you. What is your favorite sound in training?
C: Nature. I bring my ipod but I like listening to nature and watching the animals.

P: What is your least favorite sound in training?
C: Cars

P: What is your favorite workout?
C: Walking

P: What is your least favorite workout?
C: I was in the Navy for 10 years. They have this thing a called 8 point body builder. I hated it. Still do.

P: You were in the Navy? Cool. Did you get to travel a lot?
C: Yes.  I’ve lived in Florida, Mississippi, Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and Texas, and I’ve been all over the Pacific ocean from Panama to north of the Arctic Circle.

P: What or why the Navy?
C: I wanted to get out of a small town in Michigan and see the world, that seemed the way to do it.

P: If you could spend a day with any athlete present or past, who would it be and why?
C: Bob Harper. He's a very motivational personal trainer.

P: When it comes to your training or events that you do what would you love to hear someone say to or about you?
C: I have no idea.
P: Ok. Another way to say that is what would be a compliment to you.
C: If someone told me great job, I'm glad you're here.

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