11. Complete 10K run, raise $1000 for cancer research (31x31)

On of my favorite cousins, Parker, was diagnosed with throat cancer earlier this year. I didn't know what to say to him, and apparently he felt like he almost needed press secretary for all the calls that flooded the house when the family was emailed the news, so I thought signing up for a LIVESTONG event would say what I didn't have the words for.

The last time I tried to sign up for a run as a fundraiser, it was the 2001 Mardi Gras AIDS Marathon in New Orleans. I learned my lesson about a month into it. I was going to school full-time and working a few jobs. I went to ONE of the team runs but after that first time there was something about the weather that I always blamed for not being motivated to train. I held a yard sale and it was a complete failure from lack of planning and advertising (and the fact that my mother won't let go of anything in the house, boarding hoarder). I was also under the impression that I was going to somehow participate in Mardi Gras festivities and then go RUN A MARATHON.

A decade later, I sort of just fell into Team For the Win. Since I had set a goal of completing the triathlon in September, I thought that running a 10K would be a good warm-up. Along the way for training, I have hurt my right knee by overextension while going home downhill. It means I can't run intervals, so I completely bonked around mile 4 on the course. I did make the cut-off time and completed the whole course, but I was the last of the 10Kers to walk (read: hobble) across the finish line.
There was a lot of mental mumble that went on as the police escort was riding alongside me, "I just raised $855 for cancer." "It doesn't matter when I finish, just that I don't quit." "I only wanted to complete, not make good time." But as soon as he drove away I cried because I wasn't tired, but I was hurt, physically and my pride. I had really wanted to do well. I've been trying to get out and run a lot this spring and summer and I'm just not fast. I want to be better, faster, not in constant pain. The triathlon is in three weeks but I can't train for the run if I want my knee to recouperate, so there is going to be LOTS of swimming and biking in the next three weeks :)