Anna, Editorial Assistant

Confession: Although I consider myself pretty fit, I have NEVER been a runner. But, I've always admired people who actually believed running was fun. For me, running is anything but fun--it's sweaty, makes it hard for me to breathe, and I feel like I'm never going fast enough. I remember, one time, when I was 10 or 11, I entered a 1-mile fun run in my town, which gave out medals for every age group. I was absolutely determined to win a medal for the 12-and-under age group. Nothing else mattered. I sprinted as fast as possible, but ended up just shy of third place. After the run, I told my mother, in between gasping for breaths, that I would NEVER run again. Too hard!

Fast forward to the present. Last year, I decided to do a triathlon to raise money to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which required me to run a 10K--after a 1 mile swim and a 25 mile bike ride. And I did it--(and did pretty well, if I do say so myself in 3 hours and 12 minutes)--while raising over $2,500 in sponsorships from friends and family. Not only that, but I actually had FUN--even during the last mile. This year, I've gotten competitive with myself. I am planning on raising over $3,000 AND going under 3 hours. So, to shave minutes off my time, I need to tackle the running. I just did a 10K in Central Park on Sunday, and, I'll admit it, it's sometimes hard for me to do these things knowing I won't be THE BEST, and, unlike my tiny town's fun run, there's not even a CHANCE of placing. Still, my times are getting better and knowing that I can take on a challenge is awesome.