The first steps

It's always difficult to take on a new challenge in life. Change is hard, plain and simple. Adopting new roles and routines isn't easy. Trudging forward through the mud and the muck on the way to the finish line isn't pretty and sometimes, it is downright painful and ugly. But we do it in order to seek accomplishment.

When I crossed the finish line of my first 5K, I felt a wave of accomplishment - and a wave of exhaustion. Knowing that I pushed myself to stay strong through those last final steps and only slow once I knew my feet were well beyond the line was something to be proud of for sure. I finished my race in 47:02, crushing my anticipated 55 minute goal. It doesn't matter that I was among the final finishers of the race (I wasn't last though), what matters is that I finished and I did my best. I pushed myself beyond my limits and accomplished more than I thought I could.

Another challenge I have taken on is the Susan G. Komen 3-Day 60 mile walk. It's an incredible thing to know that you can walk 60 miles in three days. Not just anyone can do that. The biggest challenge for me though is fundraising. In order to complete the walk, I must raise $2,300.

Talking to folks about this event has been frustrating. The lack of excitement and encouragement has been astonishing. There are some words of praise for making the commitment, but more often than not I hear negatives, about the walk, about the fundraising and even about the SGK foundation.

Why would you want to walk 60 miles? 

I would never put myself through that.

That's so far. 

That doesn't sound fun. 

I could never raise $2,300. 

What if you don't raise the money? 

I'm so over the Susan Komen foundation.

I'm tired just thinking about it. 

Isn't there something else you could do?

There's a part of me that is ready to give up, accept that I may never be able to raise $2,300 by the end of July. The truth is, I may not be able to raise the $2,300 I need in order to walk in the 3-Day. I will try, I will work hard and ask for donations, keep my donor page open until the last minute possible.

But what if I don't make it? I'm still going to walk. Even if I can't walk with the SGK 3-Day group, I'll still walk 60 miles in three days, on my own. While one of my goals is to support a good cause, my primary goal is to accomplish an amazing physical feat, something that a year ago I could have never dreamed of doing.