Day 2 started with my 5 am alarm. Ugh! I would like to say that I quickly got up and got dressed because I was ready and rearing to go. That was not the case. I wanted to stay in my bed. It was warm and cosy. It was not yet sunrise and I was not too enthused about walking in the rain that had been forecast for the early part of the day. But I was prepared for rain and I was looking forward to the walk, so I got up after another 20 minutes or so. It turned out to be a really good day weather wise. The first part of the walk was cold and crisp, with only a very, very light drizzle – like 5 rain drops. I didn’t even have to put on my rain jacket. From around 11:30 am or so, the sun started to peek out and it warmed up nicely. All in all, good walking weather.

I’m happy with how today went. My feet held up well and I completed 19.5 Komen miles (20.8 regular miles and felt like more) with just slight irritation from the one blister that comes up in the same spot every time I do this walk. It seems my training is really paying off because I’ve felt no major discomforts so far and hope day 3 is the same.

The route today was primarily through residential areas and though they were many gorgeous houses along the way, it was not as exciting as yesterday’s route or as tomorrow’s promises to be.

I like how the event organizer installed informative breast cancer related signs all along the route (all 3 days) that remind/inform walkers and the general public alike. I took more photos of these signs today.

So far on the walk support from local businesses and residents has not been as strong or enthusiastic as in the other cities where I’ve done the 3-day. This may be because the event has not been hosted in Boston for about 5 years, and with its return it encompasses a wider region rather than just areas closer to and within Boston – it is called the New England 3-day rather than the Boston 3day. Many people may simply be unaware of the event.

There were some exceptions like the supporters at the cheering station at Farlow Park in Newton, the folks who dressed their shrubs in pink, and some individuals who came out along the route. I am grateful for their support. They appreciate that we are walking. There were also many people who asked why we were walking and this presented an opportunity to quickly explain. A walk is scheduled for New England again next year and perhaps the support will be a lot more robust.

I am very happy that I had my own support on the route today. My mother came out to cheer us on and even though we could not stop for long, it was really nice that she was there. It took some extra effort and coordination on her part, but my team and I definitely appreciated it. I know mummy was happy she came out too.

Two of my teammates who arrived on Wednesday did a hop-on, hop-off tour of Boston and Cambridge and were surprised to hear that in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts there are about 114 colleges and universities. But this surprise was surpassed by our collective astonishment about the amount of churches of various denominations we saw on the route today, which took us through areas such as Boston, Brookline, and Newton. I wondered what size congregation they each have and how active those congregations are. Some of these churches are clearly quite old and many of them are very beautiful.

Time for bed. The time to wake up for day 3 will come way too soon. Enjoy the rest of the photos.