Editor’s Note: The Journal-World’s Andrew Hartsock will participate in the Breast Cancer 3-Day, a walk to raise money for research, on Sept. 15-17. He’ll be keeping a diary of the event and preparations for LJWorld.com. Read part one of the diary.

The start of the Breast Cancer 3-Day Walk is just hours away, and my wife and I are casting wary eyes on more than one kind of weather.

The first is the most obvious kind: environmental conditions.

We have said throughout our preparations we hoped for three cool, sunny fall days as we walk a total of 60 miles during the breast-cancer fundraiser. We “trained” in the summer swelter, so we would be somewhat accustomed to it, but more than once we worried aloud how unfun the walk would be if it stormed.

Well, the last weather forecast I saw called for windy conditions for Friday’s first day (gusts to 35 mph), a 30 percent chance for storms Saturday and a 40 percent chance for storms Sunday.

I wouldn’t mind a little precip, but I’m not looking forward to a frog choker. So it’s off to the store to pick up a couple of panchos, just in case.

And I sure hope those gusts turn out to be tailwinds.

The other weather we’re watching is that which my son is under.

Brooks developed a sore throat and fever midweek and missed two days of school. Though the fever’s gone and sore throat is better, we hope the strep test comes back negative — the quick test did — and are keeping our eyes on our daughter.

We don’t want to ship sick kids off to the folks, and we really don’t want to slog through a gullywasher while battling strep throat.

At least we’ve had some distractions from worrying about the walk itself.

In the 11th hour, I’m starting to worry that we didn’t do enough long walks, that my shoes aren’t broken in enough, that we didn’t explore our resistance to blisters enough, that, in short, we’re not ready to walk 60 miles over three days.

Then again, I’m something of a walking snob. I figure humans are meant to walk a long time. It’s not like we’ll be running, and there are rest stops every couple of miles.

I figure we’re fit enough.

My biggest concern now is mental preparation. We’re going to spend five, six, seven hours — straight — walking around greater Kansas City. For three straight days.

Headphones are prohibited, so my iPod’s out. We might have to — gasp! — converse for hours on end.

The Breast Cancer 3-Day starts early Friday morning at Kansas Speedway, and Day One ends 21 or so miles later. Well, I’ll just let the 3-Day folks explain it:

“Opening Ceremonies will be held at the Kansas Speedway with the first 2 miles of the route on Speedway property, including a lap around the track with the official pace truck leading the way. The Day One route will cover about 21 miles through park systems, country roads, suburban neighborhoods and trails.

“On Day Two, walkers will cover about 21 miles in Johnson County, utilizing the extensive park and trail system, walking though suburban neighborhoods and retail areas before returning to camp. Day Three will cover about 17 miles, passing through highly visible suburban areas, historic neighborhoods, the Plaza and Westport on the way to Liberty Memorial.”

I plan to file a report from each day of the 3-Day … providing, of course, I have anything left to say.