A Brief Hiatus

I've been working so hard on home renovation projects, I totally let the blog lapse a bit!  Sorry!  Back to updating it :-)

- Jen

Group Run in Forest Park

Despite the very chilly temps and the Mardi Gras happenings, we had a great turnout in Forest Park on Saturday!  Go Team!

Mentor Monday Message (posted here a bit late)

Good Afternoon Team,
This is going to be short and sweet.

We are close to re-commitment time which is a great time to follow up about fundraising. Ideally by this time you are well on your way to meeting the minimum and setting your next goal.  As you are aware there are countless number of ways to raise funds for your account which will then go towards research and saving live. Pretty cool if you think of the fundraising as saving lives instead of a chore!

•  If you haven't made a decision about the concert do it NOW and let any one of us know.
• If you are going start saving unopened bottles of liquor or wine to go in the liquor barrel
• Send pictures of the person/people you are honoring to Andrea. She is putting together an awesome power point for the concert and for our team.

Details about the main points: 

1. We have less than 60 tickets left and we want the TEAM to be there. ALL the coaches and mentors and staff have tickets, do you? You know how to get them, so do it :)
2. The honored teammate, "who we run for" slide show- regardless if you're able to come to the event- we'd like to include the people this team is pounding the pavement everyday. Include a picture, name- and if you'd like to include type of cancer and date diagnosed, remission date, lost their battle, etc. send them to Andrea via email.
3. Alcohol wheelbarrow. It'd be a great easy way for everyone to get their name in the pool by supporting the evening in someway. Bring one (or two or three or four) unopened liquor bottles for the wheelbarrow raffle. Your name will be entered in the pool. Try to make it appeasing items. A lot of us have unopened alcohol bottles in our cabinet of things we don't like that we got as a gift- donate that.
4. HAVE FUN

Hope everyone has a great day, remember the reason!

GO TEAM

-- Heather

Workout Wednesday for Week 10!

Welcome to Week Ten!

Next Training

• Saturday 2/9/13
• 7:45 am at Forest Park Visitor's Center Parking Lot (northwest corner)

Remember

• Like Run Coach Jeffrey on Facebook
• Post questions, success stories and photos (It's amazing how posting a success story or question helps more people than you may realize!)
• Keep in contact with me and the coaches so we can help you along this journey, especially if you're unable to make group training

Last night

• We held the Spring Season Injury Prevention and Technique Clinic
• It was very successful and had great participation from everyone that attended
• (and enjoyed some delicious food!)

Success!

• Everyone is training strongly, great job!
• We have very few reported injuries and of those they appear to be minor
• Remember that proper rest and sticking to, or adding extra, rest days are just as important as physical training

This week's Coach's Topic: Injury Prevention and Technique recap from the clinic

Last night we enjoyed a very solid clinic. The participation was great and many important questions were asked.

For this week's topic, I am attaching the presentation from last night.  (The link is on the right side of this blog).  Each slide is an overview of the topic at large and we discussed each one in deeper detail. If you were unable to make it last night then please review the slide deck and let me know what questions you have.

Running is very much an experiential sport, meaning that to really learn you have to experience it. Using the guidelines and topics we reviewed last night you should be certainly poised to have a solid foundation on how to focus more keenly on injury prevention and proper technique.

Here are three quick bullets that summarize well what we reviewed:

• Conscious thought of the specific muscles involved in your current activity - stretching or exercising - will help you to be more aware making right or wrong actions

• Proper nutrition is key to fueling your body for your workouts and healing afterwards

• Altering your natural form for any reason will lead to injury. You want to remain natural and support that as opposed to training to be unnatural

Finally, I continued to be very proud of the work you are doing, especially the fundraising. Remember that our training is a byproduct of our mission to cure cancer. It is a symbol of the struggles that our patients endure. When we remember the reason of why we do this we push ourselves at least one step further to more successful training. Never Forget: Remember the Reason.

Run happy,

Jeffrey

Saturday Recap

On Saturday, dripping springs wasn't dripping so much.

It was great seeing everyone who braved the cold wind to come out and run on Saturday!  See you guys next Saturday for a great run around Forest Park!

-- Jen

Mentor Monday Message - 2/4

Hey Team!!!
Saturday we started the morning off with a FREEZING run with our fearless leader Jen!

Then, some of our awesome staff and coaches lead some of our new teammates at the Kick-off event! Let me tell ya, we had a GREAT kick off meeting and are SO lucky to have some awesome new teammates who are so eager to start running with us!

One thing that I was reminded of at the kick-off meeting is what we are doing DOES impact people on a daily basis. We have someone on staff at the LLS office that stood up at the kick-off and discussed her job as the patient services coordinator. Did you know that we send a check for $100 to patients battling blood cancers quarterly? This quarter we sent a check out to 570 patients. That $100 will help these patients with gas money to their chemo treatments, or co-pays, or various other costs they incur.  She read a thank you letter from one of the patients to us, which was heartfelt and touching and reminded us all why we go out and train every day for this! To find a cure, to support the research for blood cancers, and to support these patients and their families.

So remember, we can go out and run, and raise a little money and it means the world to the people battling these blood cancers!

We wanted to remind you all of a statistic… 80% of the money raised with Team in Training is raised through emails/letters sent to friends, families, area businesses, etc. SEND OUT YOUR LETTERS. The mentors will help you draft a letter, we will help you figure out who to send them to, we will help you post them to facebook, personalize your fundraising website and LLS will pay for postage. To not send out letters, regardless if you are an alumni, or a brand new teammate is silly! We understand asking people for money feels uncomfortable at first, but that is why we are here to help!! It is the easiest way to raise the money! Janet Johnson is our top fundraiser this season, she has raised over $11,000 already, and she will tell you that the biggest secret is the emailing and letters! She said she has over 100 different donors.

This week! BEAD DRIVE Group Training is at Forest Park--- After Group Training we will be meeting to go to the Mardi Gras Parade to hand out beads for donations. We plan to go to the parade portion only. We will meet at the visitors center at Forest Park and then car pool down. Make sure you dress for the weather and wear comfortable shoes. You will need a canister to collect your money in and decorate it in TNT colors, and bare our logo. If you don’t have the supplies let Kristen know and she will get you all of the stuff you need. She will also have beads, but if you would like to buy them yourself you can get them at American Carnival Mart off of Lindbergh (We have found the most reasonable prices there).

BC Squared—The Tri-Teams have officially supported the event more than the Go! Team… Not to get too competitive… but they bought A LOT of tickets at the kick-off! GET YOUR TICKETS ASAP! They aren't done buying yet either!  Check your email for the Official BC Squared Flyer.  We have about 75 tickets left… (if that many).  As a reminder:  

• Saturday, February 23, 2013
• This event will be held at The Loft at Sky Music Lounge from 7 pm to 1 am
• Tickets will be $40 per ticket and will include draft beer and wine for the entire evening. Mixed drinks will be available at the bar for an additional cost to the customer.
• We will do a 50/50 raffle
• Qdoba has generously donated chips, salsa and queso to us for the evening. We need additional donations of food from area restaurants. If you have a personal connection to get food donated, please let us know as soon as possible. Call Kristen, Heather or Andrea  **We are concerned about providing unlimited wine/beer for the evening and little food.
• We are also doing a raffle throughout the evening: So far we have gotten donated:
• A 3D/4D UltraSound from OB-GYN Dr. Holly Kodner of Balanced Care for Women (a $200 Value)
• A Hair Product Basket from Pam Lee's Hair Salon
• $30 Waxing Gift Card and Free Product from European Wax Center in Chesterfield
• $100 PreLoaded Reward Card at Qdoba
• $30 Gift Card to Flip Flops Cantina
• $350 VIP Party at Sky Music Lounge
• 6 Sky Zone Tickets a $78 Value
• $100 Gift Certificate to Install a Rain Barrel
• $70 New Dog Package
•  2-4 Dozen Chocolate Truffles/Goodies from a Pastry Chef
• Beer Goodies Basket
•  Wine Goodies Basket
• Portrait Package Valued at $8,000 with a nights stay in Palm Beach at Ritz Carlton with famous photographer
• Basket with a BBQ theme including a cuisinart portable gas grill
• Customized Bike from Meza
• ......LOTS More to come!!!
• **Also we have gotten a few door prizes from Qdoba (3- $10 Preloaded rewards cards).... LOTS more to come
• We have awesome bands for the evening:
• 6:45-7:30 Jamie Lee and friends... Acoustic Covers
• 7:45-9:30 B Sides Band-- Blues/ Rock
• 9:45-11:45 Sh-Boom-- Rock N Roll / Oldies Band
• 12:00-1:00 Reeling Gilly
• We have Michael K from WDLJ, 97.5 The Rock in Breese, IL emceeing the night for us!
• Three survivors standing up and telling their stories
• *Honorary Teammates Slide Show
• *Red Carpet Photo Opp
• It is going to be an awesome night! If you are interested in getting tickets…. NOW is your chance. Email, Call, Text Kristen, Heather or Andrea this week. You can make arrangements for payment at Group Training or throughout the week, but there are not enough tickets left to wait on this.  I have sold 21 Tickets! Your Coach John Gray has sold 15! You had some Tri-Teammates sell 6 at the kick-off!  This is the place to be guys!
• As an easy payment guide:
• Check: Write to Janet Johnson $ 40.00 per ticket, we will make arrangements to get your check from you and get your tickets to you!
• Credit: Call/Text Heather Barcroft: (940) 395-0779: $42.00 per ticket ($2.00 processing fee is incurred by the credit card company)
• Cash: $40 a ticket- Give to Janet Johnson or Andrea Lee (or any mentor)—We will make arrangements to get your cash from you and get your tickets to you!

Tuesday, February 5, 2012 You have two TNT Options

1. McAlister’s Night 4:00-9:00 -- Supporting Teammate Laura Wende.  This is at the Fenton Location.  Please bring the flyer linked under the fundraiser tab of this blog.
2.  Injury/Nutrition Clinic with Coaches Jeffrey Promnitz and Jeffrey Gray at the LLS Office

 ** Please choose one if you can make them.

February 10, 2012- California Pizza Kitchen NightWe are going to have a day of Fun with the team! California Pizza Kitchen in Chesterfield is donating 15% of proceeds with the attached flyer to our team! 11:00-7:00.  You MUST bring the flyer. I repeat you MUST bring the flyer. Please pass out to all of you friends. All of the proceeds that you bring in will be donated to your personal fundraising accounts. If you are going to e-mail out or handout the flyer, make sure you put your name on it, so that we ensure the proceeds go into the correct fundraising account! Please come and support your team!!

Recommitment was announced as February 15, 2013. However, we had a lot of people sign up later. Please check with Rich Buckley individually on your recommitment date. His plans of sending out paperwork will be detailed individually. If you have concerns of not hitting your fundraising commitment, PLEASE reach out to your mentor—if you are unsure of who your mentor is at this point, reach out to ANY of us, and we are all more than willing to help you.
GO TEAM! You are all doing something REMARKABLE! Please remember that!

--Andrea

Mission Moment and Kickoff

Hello Runners and Walkers:

What a busy week, but first I wanted to let you know of an opportunity to learn more about how LLS advocates for blood cancer patients:

There are two opportunities to get together tomorrow (February 2):

1. Group Training at 7:45 at Creve Coeur Park. See Coach Jeffrey’s email from Wednesday.
2. Our second kickoff, particularly for those who joined the team after December 1. That will be held at 10 am tomorrow at The Heights, 8001 Dale Drive, Richmond Heights. You all are welcome to come. We’ll be joined by members of the TriZou and Innsbrook triathlon teams. I know some of you are running some long miles tomorrow, but if you’re in a shorter phase, please stop by.

Recruiting: We have more than 40 runners and walkers doing either GO! St. Louis of the Taste of TNT. What if each of you brought one friend or relative to join the team. We could double our fun and double (or more) the impact we make in the battle against cancer. Let’s go for it as we would welcome more runners for the half marathon and 5K series, or triathletes.

Fundraising: Remember the big Blood Cancer Benefit Concert scheduled for February 23. As Andrea, Kristen, and Heather have said, $27 of each $40 ticket you sell will directly benefit your fundraising totals. The tickets are moving fast so contact your mentor to arrange to get yours to sell.

Hope to see many of you tomorrow at the Kickoff at The Heights.

GO TEAM!

-- Rich