Keeping up with the Seven-Year-Olds

I've been running since I was 14, but this will be my first time participating in an organized running event. This is primarily because I have a strong aversion to running along-side throngs of people.Actually, I have a strong aversion to throngs of people, period. I don't like crowds, and they're generally no more appealing after they've been sweating and panting for an hour.

 I am also cursed with a keen awareness that, in any running event, someone must come dead last. And frankly, there's no reason to believe it won't be me. Watching the wonderful Paula Findlay at the Olympic triathlon earlier this month did nothing to assuage this fear. If it could happen to Paula, who could out-run (or bike or swim) me any day, it could definitely happen to me.

Of course, the Terry Fox Run is non-competitive, so I shouldn't be stressed out about this. Still, it would be nice to avoid total humiliation if at all possible. So, I've decided to set a running pace goal of 6.3 mph, which will have me finishing the 10 km in just under one hour. This isn't a particularly ambitious goal, but it should keep me from being out-paced by 7-year-olds. Hopefully.

A word on fundraising goals

Here we are three hours later, and I've already reached my fundraising goal! This is, I believe, a testament to how many people remember Bryan fondly, and want to support this endeavour in his name. It is also a testament to the fact that cancer has touched so many people's lives. It's also a testament to the fact that I set a crazy low fundraising goal.

A word about that. You may well be thinking, "Krista is a moron. Why did she set such a low fundraising goal?" If you know anything about nonprofit fundraising, you are definitely thinking "Krista is a moron. Why did she set such a low fundraising goal?" If you work at a nonprofit organization, you are probably thinking, "I may hire Krista for our next fundraising campaign, provided all the Cocker Spaniels in town are otherwise occupied." 

That...is a fair reaction. I did set the bar low. This is partly because I hate asking people for money. Not because I feel this cause isn't worthwhile, but because of the proliferation of fundraising campaigns that already barrage people every day. Ads on the bus encourage us to "text" a 5$ donation to a homeless shelter, and grocery clerks ask us to give 2$ to the Make A Wish Foundation.  I feel like people are solicited enough without being met with my pleas every time they sign into Facebook. So that's part of it.

The other reason I set the fundraising bar low is because I wanted to meet my goal quickly; I wanted people to be able to donate without the pressure of an external "goal" goading people into giving a certain amount. Fundraising goals stress me out. They remind me of watching Fawlty Towers marathons with my dad during PBS's telethon season.  Basil would be yelled at by his wife, the credits would roll, and an earnest man with a tote bag would prattle off all the reasons why I SHOULD be donating to public television AT THIS VERY MINUTE. I felt like he was talking to me and me alone. That by sitting on the couch eating Zoodles, I was not only letting him down, but the entire Western Civilization. It was all very stressful for an overly-sensitive seven year old.

But I've had feedback from people saying I should raise my goal, and they may be right. I seem to be letting my own hangups fundraising get in the way of the generosity of others. People are being exceedingly generous, and I should accept that generosity and chill out. Just because I have hangups about fundraising doesn't mean that others do. Obviously.

So, I will raise my fundraising goal to 250$. The same rules apply - I appreciate all donations, regardless of the size. Thank you again for your support, and for reading this.

Link to my fundraising page

It's entirely possible that you want to make a donation without reading my thoughts on cancer, charity, and Costco*.  Does this describe you? Then here's a direct link to my fundraising page:
Krista's Fundraising Page

*With any luck, Costco won't be making any more appearances in this blog. I will try to stay on topic, and keep my disdain in check.

The Terry Fox 10km

This is my first time participating in a Terry Fox Run, and my first time fundraising since elementary school. Like so many young children, I was often enlisted to fund raise for nebulous school-related causes. The purpose of our efforts was never explained to us kids; we just dutifully marched off and sold wrapping paper to our parents, and cookie dough to our neighbors.

 OK, that's a lie. I never actually sold any of the cookie dough to our neighbors. I did, however, eat a lot of cookie dough, a skill that I've maintained to this day. Running for cancer research with the Terry Fox Foundation will undoubtedly be a more useful endeavour – not to mention less preservative-laden.

There are a number of reasons I'm participating in the Terry Fox Run. The most important reason is this guy:

By "this guy", I mean the guy on the left, named Bryan. Bryan was my partner Matt's dad. He was also one of the most genuinely great people I've ever known. Bryan passed away from cancer two summers ago, and his absence is still felt by his family every day. Much is made in grief literature about the horrible first year that follows a loved one's death. But the grief doesn't necessarily dissipate after the first year, it just changes form. As caring as extra-familial friends often are, their lives move on, and the extra calls, letters, and prayers dwindle. Life moves on for the family, too, whether they want it to or not, and family members are left to navigate life without their loved one.

 I only knew Bryan for a little under two years, but he made a sizable impact in my life. Participating in the Terry Fox Run is one small way I feel I can honor his memory. I may write more about him later, provided it doesn't seem too maudlin. I'm not interested in carving out a narcissistic sob story, but in remembering a life that was, I believe, excellently lived.

So why the Terry Fox Run, instead of any of the other myriad cancer fundraising endeavors out there? Allow me to prelude my answer with a full disclosure: I am a grad student who studies charities. This doesn't mean I'm The Definitive Judge of Charitable Worth (though that would be an awesome title). It does, however, mean that I spend a good portion of my days reading and thinking about charities, often with a fairly critical edge.

Everything I've read about The Terry Fox Foundation leads me to believe it is a very trustworthy organization. Their website (http://www.terryfox.org/ ) provides an transparent breakdown of all the research projects that receive funding. I entered a few terms in their searchable database, and was impressed with the variety of work receiving their support. Moreover, 84 cents of every dollar raised by the Foundation goes to cancer research - an extremely impressive proportion!

As far as the Terry Fox Run itself goes, I like the fact that there's no entry fee to participate. At the risk of sounding like a horrible person, I hate when organizations charge you to raise money for them. To use an imperfect metaphor, it feels like charging someone to shop at your store. (Which is of course what Costco does, but this blog is not about how much I hate Costco, so let's move on.)

 Finally, I appreciate the fact that the Terry Fox Run doesn't set a minimum fundraising goal for it's participants. I like this not because I am a cheapskate, but because I am a wuss who hates asking people for money. It also helps democratize the Run. This, and the fore-mentioned free entry, allow pretty much anyone to participate in the run or donate to the Foundation.

Speaking of which...I have set the fairly low fundraising goal of 50$. At the bottom of this post I'll put a link to my fundraising page; please consider donating if you have the money, time and inclination. If not, please check back here from time to time. I will continue to write about running, charities, Bryan, or other things that may seem relevant as the days progress. I'd also love it if you left a comment, either here or on my fundraising page. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and come back soon!

Krista's fundraising page