Thursday, April 4, 2013

Go! Information

Photo from the Go! Website

Hey Team!  On Tuesday, y'all should have received an email from Go! with information about race weekend.  If you didn't receive this email, let Rich B. know!  You can click this link to review a copy of this info.  I don't know about y'all, but I'm so excited.  But it's a bit bittersweet because, with the exception of the 5k participants, this race weekend marks the end of our Go! season.  I hope to see many of you on future Team in Training teams!

- Jen

Workout Wednesday for Week 18 -- Event Week!

Wow, your work in training and fundraising has been impressive and you should truly feel good about your efforts.  Whether you are a first timer or an alum, you will feel just how much of a positive impact you're creating more and more with everyday you participate.  I'm proud of you, but I'm also humbled by our work as a team.  It feels good to be a team with you and you should feel good too!

As you've learned throughout the season I like to keep these emails as succinct as possible using sections.  Please do take the time to read these sections, attend the Inspiration Dinner, read the know-before-you-go information from Rich B, and contact me with any questions.

Next Training:
  • Due to the traffic congestion of the GO! 5K race at Forest Park, the location within the park for GT and time is different than normal
  • Forest Park Ball Fields (South side of the Park - As you enter from Hampton, go right at first roundabout and straight across at second roundabout)
  • 7 am start time

** Wish our 5 K runners good luck!  They run Saturday morning!  Cheer them on at Group Training because they'll be running in Forest Park near our meeting place **



ATTENTION 5K Runners:
  • Coach Jen will be meeting you on the steps of the visitor's center at 7am
  • Please RSVP with her directly if you would or would not like to meet at this time before the race

ATTENTION marathoners and half marathoners:
  • Please be sure to read all of Rich B.'s messages about important pre-race information because this is vital for successful getting what you need to participate
  • We are meeting on Sunday at 5:30 am in the Lobby of the Westin Hotel downtown.  Please be there on time so we can provide you with last minute information that is important on event day and to get a fun group photo before we walk on over to the start line
  • While there will be on-course nutrition and hydration, it never hurts to carry your own.  Remember what we talked about before, if you find yourself hungry or thirsty during the race, it's too late.  Better to be safe than sorry.
  • Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate all week long.  Try not to let your urine become anything other than clear or pale yellow to make sure you're hydrated come Sunday.
  • Don't eat or drink anything new.  Stick to only what works and what you know.
  • Make a conscious decision to eat more carbs through the remainder of the week.  You do not need to go overboard, just have one serving of pasta, whole grain bread or other complex carbohydrates each day.  
  • Ultimately, just stick to what we've discussed and what you've come to know.

Coach Zones on the Half and Full Marathon Course:
  • We will have five coaches on the course to support you!  Look for us because it can be hard to see you!  We will have GREEN TNT coaching jerseys on
  • Zone One - Coach John:  Miles 4 through 8 (same for both Marathon and Half Marathon)
  • Zone Two - Coach Jeffrey:  Miles 8 through 12 of the Half Marathon
  • Zone Three - Coach Jen: Miles 8 through 10 of the Half Marathon plus Miles 10 through 12 of the Marathon
  • Zone Four - Coaches Sharon and Amanda will be additional support for full marathon miles 12 through 23.  Amanda will be between 12 and 18; Sharon will be between 18 and 23.

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT ADMINISTRATIVE POINTS FOR ALL PARTICIPANTS:
  • All participants MUST attend the race expo to pickup your race packets.  These contain your official race bibs (race number that affixes to your jersey) and other race information.   You MUST bring your divers license and confirmation email from the race organizers (STL GO!).
  • REVIEW the "know-before-you-go" information that was provided to you last week by Rich B.  ALL OF THE information is important, trust us!
  • Just like a Group Training, at the end of the race you must "check out" at the TNT tent so we know you've been finished.
  • If something comes up and you decide not to participate on event day then you must contact Rich B. as soon as possible.
  • I really hope to see all of you at the Inspiration Dinner because it is both, well, inspirational and also fun!  We will also go over one last time important points for event day

All of my best regards specifically to each and everyone of you for doing what you've done to improve the lives of our patients, families and friends.

Jeffrey

Mentor Monday from 4-1

Team,

Well…… we have officially made it to race week! (First race week for our 5K teams!)

We are looking so forward to all of the fun race-week activities this week from the Inspiration Dinner, to the 5K race (Which is at Forest Park DURING group training!), to the Expo, to race morning and day. Please try to make it to GT this week as we will be able to cheer on our fellow teammates who are participating in the 5K series!

Your hard work between your miles and all of the many fundraising activities you did is finally going to come to fruition! As we all know, we are here for a mission…. “Someday is Today!”. We are looking to find a cure for these patients…..so I encourage you all to send out one final Facebook message, one final email, or even a letter to your friends, family and area businesses. No matter where you are on your fundraising…we are looking to help fund a cure for blood cancers! Do one final push to raise every dollar that you possibly can! Its amazing how much I’ve seen fellow TNT’ers raise via one or two Facebook posts!

Don’t believe me??? Ask Coach John! He hit his fundraising commitment within a few hours after posting that he was $200 short of his commitment---and got 7 donations from the post!

For those of you who may have had to guarantee some of your commitment via your personal credit card, I strongly encourage an email, or a post like this!

As always, your mentors are here to help you! Please contact us this week with any advice or assistance you may need for your fundraising goals or anything else LLS related, for that matter!

Our top FUNdraisers are:
  • Janet J.
  • Andrea L.
  • David & Loriann R.
  • Miranda M.
  • Laurie L.
Janet has raised $14,375!! Her goal is $15,000!! She is only $625 from her fundraising goal!! I know she will surpass that goal as she has with every single one she has set for herself this season! What an inspiration!!

It is important to remember that as the events near you still contiue not only your training but also your FUNdraising! Our team has raised $60,765.31 for LLS (not including any last minute checks/deposits people are waiting to have post to their fundraising account). This is INCREDIBLE!!! Every dollar we collect will put us one step closer to finding a cure for blood cancers!! Keep it GOING!!! This should be the week you push for more donations, just as you will push to cross the finish line!

If you ever need any assistance or help with FUNdraising or want to brainstorm with one of your mentors, please reach out! We will be there to help!!

Here are some important things that are coming up:
  • Inspiration Dinner – 6pm, Saturday, April 6, Pasta House on Delmar. Please email Rich a photo of your personal honored patient(s) so we can include them in the slides for the dinner. Deadline: Friday, March 29.
  • If you would like to help work the LLS booth at the Expo please contact Martha at the LLS office, she was still looking for a few volunteers when I was there last week!
  • Anyone who hasn't filled out their medical forms for the race will need to contact Rich. I am sure that he has emailed you about it, but in case you haven't check in with him.
  • If you haven't checked into http://www.races2remember.com/TNT.php, please do so. It's a nice way to display your honored hero/teammate on race day. Such an awesome way to honor those you are running for!
  • Here is a fun upcoming event that Coach Doug is hosting: The Running Dead 5k run/walk. It is $25 to participate in the event that is being donated back to LLS. It's full of Zombie infested fun in Forest Park on 4/20. If interested please contact Kristen or Doug.
  • Kristen is putting together a TNT Yard Sale on May 18th! The location is TBA, however she is looking for donated items including but not limited to: old clothes, books, kids toes, housewares, knick-knacks, etc. All of the proceeds will be donated back to LLS! So if you have any sell-able items you can donate please contact Kristen to arrange your donations!
This has been such a wonderful season and we thank you all for making it such a success!!! We cannot wait to cross the finish line with all of you!!

GO TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Andrea

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Workout Wednesday - 3/27

Go TEAM!  Wow, can you believe how close we are to event day?  I'm keeping the bullet points short because the two most important things this week is that you attend the Know Before You Go meeting (which is this Saturday's GT) and the Coach's message below.

Next Training
  • Saturday, March 30
  • 7:45 am
  • Creve Coeur Park, Tremayne Shelter area
Know Before You Go
  • Please try your best to make this training, or reply to Rich B and I if you cannot, because it is our KNOW BEFORE YOU GO meeting
  • If you email that you cannot attend then we can make sure to get you the necessary information separately

--Coach Jeffrey



This week's Coach's Message is brought to you by Coach John and Coach Kevin!  

Use the run/walk this Saturday as if it were event day. Call it your dress rehearsal since, for several of you, it is your longest mileage so far.

Stick to these tried-and-true guidelines:
  • Hydrate well this week, get plenty of sleep, make your weekday runs/walks are easy, eat a good meal the night before and try to eat a little something Saturday morning. DO NOT TRY ANYTHING NEW!!! 
  • Saturday morning, be sure to start out about a minute or two slower per mile than you normally would. This is something you'll want to remember on race day also. Contain the excitement of wanting to start out too fast. That's the easiest way to hit the wall late in your run. Instead, start slower and conserve your energy. You'll be glad you did. 
  • Think head-to-toe what you'll need for Saturday morning and lay it out Friday night (shorts/skirt, training shirt, shoes, socks, body glide, hat, running watch, etc.). The temps should be a little warmer this weekend. Remember, it's better to start out a little chilly. You'll warm up very quickly, though. 
  • Once we're finished with this run/walk, we'll start the best part of training - The Taper!!
About Tapering:
  • Beginning next week, you'll see a noticeable decrease in your miles. This is done to allow you to rest and recover after 5 long months of training. Over the past few months, especially on your long runs/walks, you've put a lot of stress on your body. As you've been training, you've torn muscle fibers in your legs and rebuilt them. The long runs/walks really take a toll on them. These next two weeks will allow those fibers to heal and rebuild for your big event. It will also allow you to rest your body and mind. Any minor injuries you've been nursing should heal during this time. 
  • One of the worst mistakes an athlete can make is to over-train. A long-distance runner would never run 26 miles the day before entering the Boston marathon, and a weightlifter in the Olympics would never lift world record weights the night before competition began. When undergoing an intensive training regimen for an upcoming competition, athletes will often initiate a practice called tapering several days or even weeks before the event. Tapering involves a gradual reduction in an athlete's workout demands in order to allow his or her body to recover from the stress.
  • Tapering is not just about reducing strain on an athlete's fatigued muscles, it's also about allowing all of the athlete's systems to restore themselves after intensive training sessions. A sprinter's fast twitch nerves and muscles, for example, may need a few days of rest in order to handle the demands of the upcoming competition. A long-distance runner's slow twitch nerves and muscles, however, may take several weeks to fully recover before a race. Different types of athletes require different tapering periods, since they utilized different muscle and nerve groups in competition.
  • The biggest fear for participants during this time is that they will lose endurance. This is not the case. This part of your training is equally important as the past 5 months. Trust me, you'll have plenty of endurance and strength for your event. 
  • At this point, your body is accustomed to taking in additional calories due to all your training. Now that you'll be cutting the miles back, you will no doubt still crave those calories. Be careful of what and how you eat during the next couple of weeks. It's natural to gain a couple of pounds but you don't want to put on too much weight. This could make you sluggish on event day. Instead, eat smaller meals more often. Take in good carbs (fruits, vegetables, pasta, smoothies, etc.). Drink more fluids. Not only will this keep you hydrated, it will help curb your appetite when you get hungry.
  • If you've been cross training  lifting weights, doing hills or speed workouts, I recommend you stop those activities from here on out. The only thing you'll need is your short weekly runs/walks to keep you in shape. It will also allow you to get more rest. One more thing is to do your best to stay healthy. Tapering can sometimes lower your immune system's ability to fight off colds.
Please don’t hesitate to contact any of the coaches if you have any questions about any part of your training. Event day is right around the corner and you need to be in the best shape possible. We’re all here to help you.

Also, don’t forget to check the blog to review all of the tips we've given you this season. This would be a great time to review all of them.

All of you have come so far over these past few months. You've raised an incredible amount of money that will help countless patients. Your dedication to the mission and perseverance has been truly inspiring. The coaches, mentors and staff are honored to be working with you. Take some time this week to look back on all of your accomplishments so far. You deserve it, Heroes!

Go TEAM!

Coach John 
Coach Kevin

Energy bites

For those of you who do not subscribe to the Run Disney notifications, Tara Gidus, the Run Disney Diet Diva, posted a yummy looking recipe for energy bites.  These peanut butter pistachio energy bites have a good mix of carbs and proteins. 
http://www.rundisney.com/blog/articles/runner-recipes-peanut-butter-pistachio-energy-bites/

Photo:  RunDisney blog

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Mentor Monday - 3/25


Hello TEAM!

I hope that all of you are staying warm!! I hope that all of you were safe during our "blizzard" and were able to get out there and build snowmen or make snow angels. I just hope all this cold weather goes away before our big events!!

I looked at the updated roster and a lot of you have met your goals or are SO close to meeting them. Our top FUNdraisers are:

  • Janet J.
  • Andrea L.
  • David & Loriann R.
  • Miranda M.
  • Laurie L.

Janet J. has raised $13,755!! And she is not stopping! Her goal for this season is $15,000!!! Way to go !! You are inspiration!!

It is important to remember that as the date events near you still continue your training and FUNdraising!! Our team has raised about $60,000 for LLS!! That is AMAZING!!!  Every dollar we collect puts us one step closer to finding a cure for blood cancers!!

 If you ever have any questions regarding FUNdraising or you would like to bounce some ideas off of someone, please reach out to one of the mentors! We are more than happy to help, and if you still haven't met you minimum goal , don't fret! We can help you get there ;)

Here are some important things that are coming up:


  • Please make a special effort to attend training on March 30, scheduled for Creve Coeur Lake. Rich B. distribute your race-day jerseys, new shoe tags for race day, and your Inspiration Dinner tickets
  • Inspiration Dinner – 6pm, Saturday, April 6, Pasta House on Delmar. Please email Rich a photo of your personal honored patient(s) so we can include them in the slides for the dinner. Deadline: Friday, March 29.
  • Anyone who hasn't filled out their medical forms for the race will need to contact Rich. I am sure that he has emailed you about it (I received my email), but in case you haven't check in with him.
  • If you haven't checked into http://www.races2remember.com/TNT.php, please do so. It's a nice way to display your honored hero/teammate on race day

Here is a fun upcoming event that Coach Doug is hosting: The Running Dead 5k run/walk. It is $25 to participate in the event that is being donated back to LLS. It's full of Zombie infested fun in Forest Park on 4/20. If interested please contact me or Doug.

**If you have taken any pics during FUNdraising or GT please send email them to me! I am putting together something special and would like to have those by April the 3rd! **

This season we have had a WONDERFUL group of coaches and they are always available for questions or concerns. A big thanks to our coaches for always keeping us on the ball and inspiring us to keep going. We are a GREAT team because of you! Thank you for all your hard work!!!

As always you are all doing a great job, and I am very proud of you all!! Keep up the hard work and GO TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Kristen

Friday, March 22, 2013

Mission Moment and Important Pre-Race Info


Two weeks to race weekend. Make sure you follow your coaches email as they will help you with the last minute preparations for the big event … such as getting new running shoes in time to test.

Most of you have personal inspiration for why you are a part of Team In Training. I thought I’d share with you a story from another LLS chapter:

National Capital Area: Steve's Team Trains for Nike
Julie Wright of Washington, D.C., lost her husband, Steve, to a blood cancer in 2003. She first joined LLS's Team In Training (TNT) while Steve was still undergoing treatment, and she and a group of 16 women trained for and ran the Dublin Marathon in October 2003, to honor Steve's battle. They called themselves Steve's Team. Steve died several months later. Being left a single mom, Julie stepped away from TNT for several years, but in October 2010, on what would have been their 25th wedding anniversary, she and seven women, some from the original Steve's Team, ran the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco. Now LLS and Nike are partnering again to bring the Nike Women's Marathon to Washington, D.C., with a half marathon benefiting LLS on April 28. Steve's Team has now grown to 26 women, who are training together to run in this race. 
"Steve is our inspiration and we proudly call ourselves 'Steve's Team.' We also recognize that there are so many others who have fought this courageous fight and are doing this event for all of them as well. As a team, we are united in our mission of raising much needed funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society."

Today, Friday, March 22, is the pre-race deadline for hitting your fundraising commitment. Between the GO! and 5K teams were are on track to hit about $60,000 to fund cancer research and patient services.  Terrific job!. A special “thank you” to Janet J. who has raised more than $13,000 and not only is running with us on April 7, but will be running the Boston Marathon a week later. Almost everyone has hit the fundraising commitment and I’m in contact with those who still are short. But this is not the end of fundraising. Take this opportunity to ask your friends and family who still haven’t donated to do so now, before the race. Let them know there is still time.  You can do a follow-up appeal right after the race, letting everyone know you've done your part by completing the distance and giving them a chance to further support you.

Please make a special effort to attend training on March 30, scheduled for Creve Coeur Lake. I plan to distribute your race-day jerseys, new shoe tags for race day, and your Inspiration Dinner tickets.


Inspiration Dinner – 6pm, Saturday, April 6, Pasta House on Delmar. Please email me a photo of your personal honored patient(s) so we can include them in the slides for the dinner.  Deadline: Friday, March 29.

GO TEAM!

--Rich