Run for Haiti

Last Saturday I ran a 4 mile benefit race for Haiti relief. Truthfully, I was terrified of it. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a mild case of asthma and it makes running in the winter unbearable. I feel like I’m breathing through a straw. It was in my head that running four miles continuously in the dead of February was something I couldn’t do. It's something I’ve struggled with ever since I can remember. I believe in a lot of cases, the fear of failure holds us back from accomplishing things that we aren’t sure about. Sometimes we’ll even do things half-heartedly so that when we fail, you don’t blame yourself. You can make excuses and move on. I decided that morning that I was going to try and finish the run. I set a goal for my mile pace and did my best to stick to it. The results were even better than expected. I beat my projected pace and felt great after I crossed the finish line. I went from thinking I couldn’t finish to knowing that I could at least run another 2 or 3 miles before hitting the wall. Physically, the race told me that I’m headed in the right direction for my training. The biggest benefit to the race was proving how much of this is mental. When you mentally limit yourself, you will be limited physically. You never know what you’re capable of until you drop your concept and just try. All you have to do is set a path and move forward. If you fail, learn and try again. I’ve let fear limit me in so many ways. 4 miles through central park may seem trivial, but taking a chance on this race was game changing in a lot of ways for me. I like being certain of my abilities. I like to play it safe. In the past few months, I’ve learned that if you play it safe, you’re cheating yourself out of everything that can happen when you allow yourself to fail. Allowing yourself to risk failure and getting up when you do is probably the greatest gift you can give yourself.

Good luck with that.

When I tell people that I’m going to be swimming in the Hudson River, they all have the same reaction. It’s a mix of disgust, shock, and pity. Some follow it up with worry for my physical health. Most people have a story of how a friend of theirs fell/jumped into the river and came out reeking of stale garbage and used condoms. Nevertheless, it’s going to be home for 20-30 minutes on the morning of July 18^th. I’ve lived in Jersey my entire life. I know what the Hudson is. Luckily for me, after that mile long swim, I’ve got 25 miles of biking and then 6 miles of running to get through. Smelling or being fresh is not something that was going to happen anyway. I’m going to be dirtier than a frat house after freshman orientation. As a warning to all, if you make it out race day, I am going to hug you. I am going to get as much grime as possible on you. With that said, I hope you all forget about this notification and show up in 5 months.

Seriously guys, they tell me it’s not that bad.

The Reason Behind the Madness

I recently had to write a letter asking for sponsorship. To be honest, I thought I'd pop out a bit of fluff that made me seem like some charitable powerhouse bent on saving the world. Once I started writing, I started thinking about the real reasons why I chose to run the triathlon. The following is why I'm running and why I've chose to fund raise to the American Cancer Society.

I will be running the New York City Triathlon on behalf of the American Cancer Society on July 18, 2010. I am part of the ACS DetermiNation team and have committed to raising at least $2,500 for their cause. My reasons for undertaking this grueling physical competition range from pushing my own physical and mental limits as well as the opportunity to provide support to those who need it in their darkest hours. Even if we don’t know someone personally who has been affected by cancer, we don’t usually have to dig very far into our social networks to find someone who has been touched by some form of this disease. Nobody is exempt from this threat. Cancer affects both the young and the old, across every type of lifestyle imaginable. A few months ago, I met a woman named Karen. Karen was a happily married mother of two with an intense passion for endurance events. She competed in several marathons and triathlons a year. Two years ago, she was diagnosed with breast cancer three months before a national triathlon competition. If she had decided to put her athletic goals on halt and focus on recovery and treatment, I don’t believe anyone would have faulted her. Instead, she chose not let cancer stop her from attaining her goals. She continued training even through her chemotherapy treatments and eventually completed the triathlon. When she spoke to the group I was with, she said what kept her going was the determination that nothing would stand in her way. Even though she had cancer, she never saw herself as a victim. She never gave up hope, and with that tenacity, she became an inspiration to everyone around her.

Most of us will never know what Karen went through, but her struggle is one of the reason I’ve chose to run for the American Cancer Society. In addition to funding for research, cancer screening, and prevention awareness, ACS provides a practical service for those affected by the disease today. Their network of Hope Lodges provide housing near the nation’s premier cancer treatment facilities for patients currently receiving treatment. Depending on the length of treatment, lodging can cost thousands of dollars that many people simply cannot afford. This service provides hope for those facing overwhelming odds. I believe when you give someone hope, amazing things are possible.

I am asking for your support in helping me raising money and awareness for the American Cancer Society. I have a personal webpage set up to track my progress in both training and meeting my fundraising goals. Any type of support is welcome and I hope you will join me in their cause. Thank you.

Patrick Satterfield