Hello Heroes!
Just a quick note about myself, this will be my 15th event with Team in Training and my 8th as a coach. When I'm not participating in an event, I stay active with TNT by volunteering for events, such as working water tables at events where TNT is participating, information meetings for recruiting, etc. I also hold an annual golf tournament which keeps additional funds coming into the office. Look me up on Facebook and "friend" me if you want. I love making new friends!
First of all, let me tell you that
you are already heroes!! The money you're going to raise will go a long way in
getting researchers that much closer to a cure for blood related diseases. The
progress they have made over the past 20+ years has been amazing and it's
because of participants like you who dedicate themselves for a few short months
to sacrifice themselves for others. You also give all of our honored teammates
hope for a better life. Remember The Reason - that's our way of reminding everyone
why they are doing this. Use it as your motivation throughout your fundraising
and training. You're going to hear it a lot. This
is a big committment and will take some work, but you'll see that it's not as
difficult as it may seem. The staff, coaches and mentors will make this a lot
of fun for you. The feeling you'll get when you get that first donation is
amazing. Completing your fundraising is even more gratifying because you'll
know that you've just given so many people hope for a better life. And the accomplishment of finishing your
event will take you to yet another high. This is a win-win situation for
everyone. Be proud of yourself for joining the team as we continue to fight
blood-related diseases.
Throughout your
training, we'll be sending regular emails regarding training, nutrition,
apparel, injury prevention and other tips to help you. We'll also call you
periodically to talk one-on-one to make sure your training is on track. If at anytime you need help with anything, please
don't hesitate to contact us. That's why we’re here.
Let's start with a few housekeeping items, then we'll get
into some basic training tips.
- Group training - these are not mandatory, but the coaches and staff highly encourage you to make as many of these as possible. This is where you'll get to train with the rest of your team and get to talk one-on-one with your coach, mentor and staff. As the miles climb, being with a team will really help. You'll no doubt hook up with someone at your same pace, which makes the miles fly by! We realize many of you work weekends, travel or have other commitments and may not be able to make them. We completely understand, so no worries
- The staff and coaches discourage the use of headphones at group training. This is for your safety as we have to sometimes cross streets and encounter traffic at some of the venues where we train. It also encourages you to run/walk with your teammates. This creates a very close-knit group and on event day, it makes the TNT experience that much better!
- We will train in almost any weather. Typically, the only times we'll cancel training is if there is lightning/thunder present, excessive ice/snow or extreme heat or cold. The staff and coaches will evaluate these situations a couple of days before our training. We'll try to give you as much advance notice as possible.
Training tips:
- Safety - this is our primary concern for all of our participants. Without you, this program doesn't work, so keeping you safe is key. Be sure to wear your TNT shoe tag with your personal emergency contact information. You should have received one with your packet. If you need one, let us know.
- For most of us, we'll be doing our weekday training when it's fairly dark out, at least until the days start getting longer. You should still try to train outdoors as often as possible. That being said, you might want to invest in a couple of reflective items, such as clip-on blinking lights, reflective strips that you can secure around your arms/legs, or a reflective vest. Many of the clothing items you'll train in will have some sort of reflectivity on it, but it's always a good idea to increase your visibility to others.
- One more thing to keep in mind is all the leaves on the ground. Wet or dry, they can be a real safety hazard and cause injury. So please be very careful.
- Hydration - You'll be hearing us talk about this a lot. Even though we'll be training in the winter, you'll still be sweating just as much as you would during warmer weather. Be sure to drink fluids throughout the day. The best way to tell if you're hydrated enough is by the color of your urine. If it's light in color, then you're good. Too dark is indicative of being dehydrated. Fact - did you know that part of your daily fluid intake can be obtained through eating fresh fruit?? Bet you didn't know that, did you?
- Shoes - If you don't already have a good pair of running shoes, you should look into getting a pair. This will make all the difference in how you feel during your training. Typically, runners judge the age of their shoes in miles. On average, if you've got 350 - 400 miles on them, it's time to replace them. For beginners, if your shoes are older than 6 months, you should look into a new pair. You should also purchase them from a running store, such as Big River Running and bring your old shoes with you. BRR has experienced runners who can look at the wear pattern on your old shoes and recommend the correct type for your stride, i.e., more stability, more cushioning or a neutral shoe.
- Apparel - be sure to wear dri-fit clothing. These types of clothes will wick moisture away from your body, keeping you drier. Cotton will only hold sweat and cling to your body. In colder weather, this will make your body work much harder to stay warm. Moisture wicking items will pull sweat away from your body keeping your skin dry and allowing your body will stay warm. You can find some really nice clothing at Target and Kohl's. And it's pretty inexpensive.
- Stride/posture - Your stride and posture have a huge impact on preventing injuries and your overall performance. When running, don't make your stride too long. Your feet should be landing just in front of your knees. Taking too long of a stride puts additional stress on muscles and joints. Ideally, you should be taking somewhere around 180 foot strides per minute. Keeping your body upright, especially towards the end of your run, will help with breathing. Better breathing allows your body to take in more oxygen which enters the bloodstream and feeds your muscles. When runners start getting fatigued, they tend to hunch over, which restricts breathing and reduces oxygen intake, making them less efficient. Building a strong core will help (we'll get into that later). So, keep your back straight, head up and chest slightly out to maximize your training.
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