RUN LIKE YOU MEAN IT . . .

Tomorrow morning, I will join 22 of my "NHF Fights Cancer" teammates to run and/or walk in the Revlon 5k Run/Walk to Fight Cancer. I'm excited and nervous all at once: I'm not the strongest runner, so I wonder how long I'll last. I'm slightly sick, so I wonder if I'll start wheezing or coughing or get sicker. I have a bum knee and an injured hamstring, so I wonder if my right leg will last me the entire 3.2 miles without something horrific happening. I'm the team captain, so I wonder if everything will go smoothly logistically, whether everyone will meet at the right place at the right time, whether everyone will be able to find their tshirts and goody bags, and whether everyone will have enough water and have a good time.

But I'm excited because I am part of something bigger than I can fathom with my small brain. Tens of thousands of people uniting in this great city with a single purpose: to raise awareness and funds to fight women's cancers. I never thought I would ever say this, but I have known women who survived cancer, who are fighting cancer now, who died from cancer. I bet by the time we hit 30 years of age, we all will be able to say that, and that just sucks. These little 5ks are so fun, but also so important for that very reason.

Our team has raised, to date, $1,455 of our $2000 goal. That's not the whole deal and so it's slightly discouraging. If you still want to give -- race date is not a deadline for giving -- please do so by finding our team at the Revlon Run/Walk website. It doesn't matter who you credit your donation to ... just donate.

Heck, you know what? I won't worry about the money now. It's not about the money. Tomorrow, I will run as best as I can, as much as I can, for Melanie, Soy, JKA, the 2 Mrs. Kims, and my aunt in North Korea, who have been scared, who are scared, who have passed on ... and for CA, Melon-y, Abby, Sarah, who will grow up knowing that people care about them and their health and their lives, and maybe won't have to be scared of anything.