Every so often, when we were walking in the Chicago 3-Day 2007, my friend Danielle would mention that her boyfriend Ryan was planning a surprise. One that bubbled. And plugged into the cigarette lighter in the car.

(I think that's what she said, anyway. The exact events are blurred by the intense heat of that weekend. Very intense heat. If that's exactly what she said, I likely stopped paying attention when she mentioned the car, because, you know, there's air conditioning in cars.)

But the actual surprise definitely grabbed my attention: one of those little bubbling foot baths. He plugged it into the cigarette lighter and filled it with water, and she soaked her feet during the whole car ride home. He repeated the entire process after she walked the 3-Day again last year.

In a way, I wonder if that's better than the foot massagers they have at the 3-Day camp (which walkers invariably use to massage their legs and any other body part they can maneuver onto the vibrating box.)

Or friends who love you enough to rub your feet after a day of walking.

Or really, really moisturizing lotion.

I have yet to invest in a bubbling foot spa, but I did find some warming "thermal pedicure treatment" on clearance at Wal-Mart that will be all over my tootsies after Sunday's 12-miler. And my feet will be propped up on pillows as I watch Army Wives on Sunday night.

You have to love your feet, or there's no way you're going to make it through three days of long, long walks. And if you love a 3-Day walker, you should help them find ways to love their feet. It's worth the effort -- Ryan and Danielle got married last weekend and are presently honeymooning in Mexico.