"Embrace the Suck" is an expression that has been part of popular vernacular for a couple of decades.  Supposedly it was born in the military during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and since then it has become fashionable from boardrooms to basketball courts.  The premise of this delightfully innocent and playfully vulagar phrase is simple:  If you must go through something that you know will be difficult, painful, scary, and long, don't just accept it.  Appreciate it.  Embrace it.  Love it.  Understand the transformational process that you are going through.  This will make the journey better and a more positive outcome much more likely.  This is the way of the cancer patient.  They must percevere.  Day in and day out, it is a grind but they must keep going. It's even harder if they are going through a second or third bout of cancer because they remember the previous battle.  

Training for the PMC is a less-severe simile to battling cancer.  It involves regular amounts of effor that increase over time to get you where you need to be.  The physical training is hard, but also rewarding and sometimes actually fun.  The part that sucks is the fundraising.  Asking people for money is never fun.  But since I am here to Embace the Suck, I must do it with vigor and enthusiasm, so.....GIVE ME YOUR MONEY!!! There's no point in being subtle.  I have to raise a lot of money.  I'll do the hard physical part, you send money.  We both can feel good about what we've done and cancer patients benefit. It's a win-win-win situation.

For those of you who do not know, the PMC is a two-day bike ride that covers about 190 miles and supports the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. It is the largest athletic fundraising event in the US, having raised OVER $1 BILLION since its founding in 1980! The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is internationally renowned for its equal committment to cutting-edge research and providing excellent patient care for both children and adults. The PMC donates through The Jimmy Fund which is the primary fundraising vehicle for Dana-Farber. The Jimmy Fund receives a 4-star rating (highest possible) from Charity Navigator who recognizes its prudent financial management and low overhead costs. The Jimmy Fund sends 88% of all money raised directly to cancer research and patient care. The PMC sends 100% of all money raised by the riders to the Jimmy Fund. This is where you come in. Each rider is required to raise a minimum of $6,000 for the event. I need your help. This isn't a requested donation. Riders have to commit to raising the $6000 and we give them a credit card number. If I don't get to my goal, they charge the card. That's the real suffering.Please consider supporting my ride.