Mission Moment: Bruce Cleland Featured in Competitor Magazine

Bruce Cleland after finishing the 1988 NYC Marathon.  Photo: Team in Training

In 1988, Bruce Cleland got a team together to train for the New York City Marathon and to raise money to support leukemia research.  Who would have know Cleland and his team would be starting a huge movement of charity racing and training to fight cancer!  

In the January  2013 issue for Competitor Magazine, Cleland is featured in a story that describes the steps he took to raise money for the Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter of LLS after his baby daughter, Georgia, was diagnosed with Leukemia.  Bruce and his team of 38 runners raised $322,000 for LLS.  From this effort, Team in Training was born.  Twenty-five years later, TNT has prepared more than 570,000 athletes who have raised more than $1.32 billion for the Leukemian & Lymphoma Society!

Go Team!

Workout Wednesday - 3/20

Next training

• Saturday, March 23 at 7:45 am
• Forest Park - Northwest Corner of the Visitor Center Parking Lot

Go! Course logistics

• Can you believe event day is just a few weeks away?
• Here are a few course facts:
• Course nutrition provided is GU energy gels
• Course hydration provided is Gatorade and water
• Pace limit is 14 minutes and 52 seconds per mile (6.5 hours for the full marathon total time)
• Pace regulation:  full marathoners under pace at mile 9 will be diverted to complete the half marathon; after that mile marker if you are under that pace then you will be picked up by the SAG Wagon and dropped off at the finish
• Take a look at the course map by following this link
• Watch a video of the actual course mile by mile following this link

Shoes, shoes, shoes!

• Your shoes are where the rubber meets the road...literally!
• If you have not yet purchased new running shoes, please do so now
• Go to any one of the Big River Running locations and have them professionally fit you for new shoes.  There locations are at this link
• I recommend wearing your new shoes for FIVE days of midweek mileage and then at least ONE day of your long run before running the race, which is why getting them now is vital

You are nearly to both the START and the FINISH line!  You have trained hard, worked hard, and hopefully played hard.  Now is the time to hone your focus and begin tying up any loose ends.  Running is a sport both of physical and mental strength.  Here are some bullets on things to consider in the next couple weeks:

• Start using GU and Gatorade because this is what will be provided on the course.  You don't want any last minute gastro surprises on the course if you've never adjusted to the on-course goodies!
• Get those new shoes and break them in.  Wear them for five short runs and at least one or two long runs to avoid any blisters on event day.
• Remind yourself of why you're even doing this in the first place. We all signed up for a reason and maybe that reason is the same now, or maybe it's changed.  But ultimately it's about the mission.  If our patients and honored teammates can go through their journeys, so too can you.
• Get pumped!  Avoid the headphone during training, and definitely try to avoid them on event day so you can soak up the energy and fun, but blast that favorite song when you're getting ready each morning.  
• Avoid unnecessary injury.  Well, none of it is needed, but don't do anything new you haven't done before and avoid anything potentially dangerous anyway. If you get hurt now you may not have enough time to recover before event day.
• Talk to you coaches about any final questions you have about training or preparation.  There's no time like the present.
• Start writing out a list of what you'll need and what you'll want on event day.  We'll cover this more later, but just make a list so as you think of things over the next few weeks you can add to it with plenty of time.

As always, you're already a hero for what you're doing.  We all continue to realize more each day and each season how impacting our fundraising really is.  Whether you've got more to go, or you're already there, don't stop now!

Cheers and run happy,


Jeffrey

Mission Moment - 3/15

GO! and 5K Series Teams:

Only three weeks until race day, or first race day for the 5K’ers.

Mission update: The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is a storehouse of important information about blood cancers. We can do this because of the strong fundraising support that you provide. This help ranges from online materials to discussion boards to live chats to telephone hotlines. You can access it all at this page on our Web site. So please refer friend or family members who want to know more about leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and all blood cancers to this site.

There is an opportunity to visit the oncology floor at Mercy Children’s Hospital this coming week, Wednesday, March 20, from 1 pm to 3 pm. We will be lifting the spirits of kids with craft projects and spring treats. Contact our Patient Services Manager, Meg, (Meg.Boyko@lls.org) if you would like to attend.

Fundraising: Thank you for forging ahead with your fundraising. Twenty of you have met or exceeded your fundraising commitment. Congratulations.  For those who haven’t, a reminder that next Friday is our fundraising commitment deadline. If we don’t have an amount that meets your commitment, we will charge the card number you provided at re-commitment  If you are holding onto funds or have donors who are planning do donate ask them to make the gift right away. If your card is charged, we can reimburse you if you get funds to us after the deadline.

There are three St. Patrick’s parades in the area this weekend and those are opportunities for bead and canister drives. Here is what Kristen wrote on Monday. Let her know if you can join her. 

St. Patrick's Day is this weekend! There are multiple parades in the area for this holiday. On the 16th there is the parade downtown starting at 12:00 p.m.,  one in Cottleville starting at 12:00 p.m. and then one the 17th in Dogtown. If you have never done a canister drive I highly recommend it! It's a lot of fun and a good way for us to get out there and spread the word about TNT. You will be surprised how many people are excited to learn why you FUNdraising and want to share their connection to our cause. So please consider joining me this weekend!

We’re at $49,000 for the GO! and 5K teams. How much can we add to that to support blood cancer research and patients.

Event weekend details: Some of you have not returned the attached form from last week for the Inspiration Dinner, April 6 at Pasta House on Delmar. Please return it whether you are planning to attend or not. You may bring guests at a cost of $18 each. Your meal is covered through your participation on the team. I will send an invoice to you for your guests.

Last call for hotel rooms. If you want to book a room at the Westin for before or after GO! St. Louis, the last day to do it is Friday, March 22. TNT obtained a rate of $109 per night. Call the Westin directly at 314-621-2000. The Westin will give LLS a rebate of $10 per form night.

Tomorrow is an optional training for those who signed up to participate in the St. Patrick’s Day Run. Let Coach Jeffrey know if you are attending. Regular group training is Sunday. Again, let Coach Jeffrey know today if you plan to attend that so he can give you details.

GO TEAM!

- Rich

Coach's Note: Coach John

Hello Heroes!!

Ever wonder how your fundraising is used by LLS? Here's a story I ran across this week about, yet, another breakthrough in our chase for a cure. This is all because of what you do as participants of Team in Training. Your efforts are not going unnoticed. You are making a difference.

A remarkable discovery for those with Diffuse Large B-cell #Lymphoma "DLBCL": Scientists Discover How to Shutdown Cancer's Powerful Master Protein. Researchers hope this will be a major benefit to the treatment of Diffuse Large B-cell Lym...phoma "DLBCL" and perhaps other disorders that are influenced by Bcl6 and other master regulatory transcription factors. Read source at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/03/130303154952.htm


This week the coaches would like to talk about hills. Now is a good time to start working them into your weekly routine. Doing these once a week will definitely make you a better runner/walker on event day. St. Louis marathon courses are never completely flat. There are always some hills you’ll have to contend with. In fact, there is a portion of the course between miles 6 and 8 called Holy Hill. It's actually a race within a race and additional medals will be handed out to the top finishers for that part of the course. 

Incorporating hill repeats into your routine will teach your body to use your oxygen intake more efficiently. You can substitute one of your regularly scheduled runs for a hill workout. There are a couple of ways to do this. If you live in an area that has some hills, you can just run that course. However, to get the maximum benefit out of your workouts, hill repeats are the best option. Here's how I do mine:

• Find a park or course with a moderately steep hill that's about 1/4 to 1/2 mile long. Just as a reference, Skinker Ave. in Forest Park is a little over 1/2 mile long.
• Warm up for about 10 minutes with a slow jog/walk
• Run/walk up the hill at a normal pace
• Jog/walk back down, then run/walk up again
• Repeat this cycle 4-5 times

Do this once per week in place of a normally scheduled workout.  Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind: 

• Drive hard with your arms. Act as if you're pulling yourself up the hill with a rope.
• Bring your knees up a little higher than on a flat surface. This will help increase your stride rate and keep your posture straight.
• Push off more from your toes or with more of a mid-sole strike. This will help propel you up the hill quicker. It also uses completely different muscles than when you go downhill or train on a flat surface.

This workout is not about mileage. It's about building your endurance so don't worry about how far you've gone. 

Be sure to stretch your calves well after you've cooled down a little. They might be more sore than they usually are, but that's to be expected. 

After a couple of weeks, you'll notice that you're not breathing so hard when you go out for a normal training run. It will make your flatter runs much easier. It's because your body is learning to adapt to the extra stress you've put on it. If you do these regularly throughout your training, you'll be able to look at any hill on the course and mentally refer to these workouts to get you over them with plenty of energy left in your tank! 

You’re all doing such a great job! The coaches, mentors and staff are so proud of all your accomplishments and all you’re doing to help others who are less fortunate. You are making a positive impact on patients with blood cancer! That’s why all of you are Heroes! 

Keep up the good work, and always, GO TEAM! Remember the Reason! 

John

Workout Wednesday - 3/13

Next Training:

• TRAINING UPDATE:  The next Group Training on Saturday 3/16 is MOVED to Sunday 3/17 to accommodate those of you wishing to get race experience at the St Pat's Run downtown
• PLEASE RSVP by reply email for both the St. Pat's Run this Saturday 3/16 and GT on Sunday 3/17 so we can plan accordingly

Remember:

• Post your photos and ask your training questions on www.facebook.com/RunCoachJeffrey

Way to go!  Huge shout-out to the following teammates for surpassing their fundraising goal - and their percent to goal - as of last update on 3/6:

• Janet J (1,581%)
• Andrea L (459%)
• Laurie L (337%)
• Miranda M (323%)
• Erin H (185%)
• Loriann R (173%)
• Dave R (172%)
• Susan H (154%)
• Julie C (133%)
• Cassie A (124%)
• Michelle S (117%)
• Lynne T (115%)
• Brian K (110%)
• Kelly B (103%)
• Kathy J (103%)
• Shay G (100%)

Upcoming coach meeting:

• We will soon be holding a Coaching Best Practices meeting
• Do you have any suggestions, comments, concerns that I may share (anonymously or not, up to you) that will help us to make this experience better for you and future teams?
• Please reply or call and I'll be sure to share your valuable input.

Run happy and GO TEAM!

- Jeffrey

Mentor Monday from 3/11

Happy Monday Team!!!

Our event dates are getting closer, and I am getting super excited! I still haven't had the chance to meet all of my teammate's and I am looking forward to that opportunity! I know that all the training and FUNdraising hasn't always been easy but you have stuck with it and hopefully will continue to do so. Just this week I was reminded again why what we do is so important. I know someone through my  job who was just recently diagnosed with AML. He is the sweetest man , and the day after he got the news he came into my job to see me. He wanted to tell me his diagnosis and to tell me that he wants to be kept up to date on my training and FUNdraising. He is so happy that there are people like me (and you) that are trying to make a difference.

I have been going through everyone's FUNdraising accounts and I noticed that a lot of you have either met your goal or raised more than your goals! That is FANTASTIC!! I am very proud of all of you and hope that you keep raising money up until event date, heck you can even raise more after too! Don't forget our TEAM goal is $139,000!!

Are you running out of ways to FUNdraise? Here are some helpful ways to raise money for LLS.

• St. Patrick's Day is this weekend! There are multiple parades in the area for this holiday. On the 16th there is the parade downtown starting at 12:00 p.m.,  one in Cottleville starting at 12:00 p.m. and then one the 17th in Dogtown. If you have never done a canister drive I highly recommend it! It's a lot of fun and a good way for us to get out there and spread the word about TNT. You will be surprised how many people are excited to learn why you FUNdraising and want to share their connection to our cause. So please consider joining me this weekend! Please RSVP by this Thursday if interested. **For our teammate's out of the St .Louis area, check with your surrounding areas for St. Patrick's Day events! And if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me**

• If you can't make it to the parade, St. Patrick's Day can still be a good way to FUNdraise. If you have friends with kids, you can volunteer to babysit for them while they go out and enjoy the festivities for a donation. Or if you have friends that plan on drinking at the parade or at the after parties, volunteer to be the designated driver for a donation.

• Try hosting a wine tasting party at your house. You can supply the wine (or get it donated) and invite your friends over for a fun night of wine and good company. You can let them know that their "admission" for this great event would be a donation to your FUNdraising account.

• Do you have a lot of friends/families with dogs? You can organize a dog wash! You can call local pet stores in the area and see if they will sponsor your event. Sponsoring the event could mean that they will donate the treats and shampoo for the event , or letting you hang flyers at their business promoting the event. You can ask for donations for each dog that is washed, and let 's face it NOBODY likes washing their dogs!! This could be a good way to raise money 

• Ask local business what they would be willing to donate. You can get some great items donated that you can raffle off or they will even donate directly to FUNdraising. It never hurts to ask :)

• If you previously sent out letters to your friends and family, send out another one. But in this letter talk about all the training thus far, any cancer survivors you have met, new friends, your coaches and your goals as the event date approaches. This will be a great reminder to everyone how dedicated you are , and will encourage them to donate more.

Here are some  things to know for  the weeks to come:

Andrea will be out of town for about a month! She is on a cruise enjoying the nice sunny weather and warmer temps, which I hate her for :), and will unavailable. If any of her mentees need anything please reach out to me or Heather until she returns. We are always happy to help!

In a previous email I informed you of Trevor, a young boy in need of a bone marrow donor. There is a drive in his honor on March 25th from 4-8 pm at Francis Howell High School . They are hoping to find a match for him, but if you are not a match for Trevor,  there is still a chance that you can save someone else's life. If you are interested in attending, or have questions about the donor process please contact me or you can visit the link below.

http://www.bethematchfoundation.org/site/TR?px=2203945&fr_id=1460&pg=personal

I have also have a link for  the pics from BC Squared....if you were unable to attend I hope that you take the time to look through them! There are tons of great photos of the coaches and teammates!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2940134679314.1073741825.1739600404&type=1&l=2691ac7da8

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10200251942452874.2175359.1582323487&type=3


GO TEAM!!

Kristen

Saturday Recap

I'm a few days late, but better late than never!  I wanted to say thanks to everyone who braved the icy rains on Saturday morning.  You guys inspire me!

For anyone who participated in BC2, be sure to friend Kristen and John on Facebook   They both have some great photos from that night.

See you guys Saturday or Sunday!

- Jen