You are browsing the archive for 2010 March.

Wear The Right Socks

March 29, 2010 in Equipment, Team In Training, Training

I was going to write an update on my impending Totally Baldacious fundraising event or perhaps some other, slightly more serious message but this is FAR more important.  Consider this blog post a public service message: WEAR THE RIGHT SOCKS.

Today I decided to go for a run after work.  Running is my weakness but gradually I have increased my distance from one to two and now to just over 6 miles.  Usually I wear my nice running socks.  They fit my feet really well, cushion nicely and I have not gotten a single blister when wearing them.  Well I figured my feat were doing okay and I had, in my Monday morning fog, forgot to pack them.  However, I did have a normal pair of cotton (evil) gym socks so I figured why not, one time wont hurt and its only an hour. Oh my silly running arrogance.  This logic could not have been more wrong and this picture is the humbling proof.

This is what happens when you wear bad socks and go running

This is what happens when you wear bad socks and go running. Sorry its a little gruesome.

Consider this picture your warning always WEAR THE RIGHT SOCKS!

Send to Facebook

Tags: , , ,
No Comments »

TNT Honored Super Heros

March 21, 2010 in Team In Training, Why Do This

Team In Training is really about helping blood born cancer patients have a better life.  As a team we have a lot of fun.  This weekend one of the members had a fundraiser at the roller derby, last week about 35 team mates showed up to help celebrate one of the coaches, another participants, and my girlfriends birthday, and of course there is always some good joking around at just about every practice.  All this makes it easy to overlook the solemn undertone of what the team is really there for.

Here is my work in progress attempting to add to wonder womans cape...this craftiness is way more challenging any training ive done so far!

Here is my work in progress attempting to add to wonder woman's cape...this craftiness is way more challenging than any training I've done so far!

The honored heros’ of the Tri team are Luke and Lauryn.  Luke is a huge Spiderman fan and Lauryn is aspiring to grow up and become wonder woman.  The team has two super hero capes that get passed around to one team mate a week.  It goes to whomever did something noteworthy.  One person raised a ton of money another trained really well and this past week I got the cape because I kept up on a rather long and hard bike ride.  We each are adding a small trinket to the cape and then at the end of the season were going to give it to the honored heros (my addition is Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth).

What was really exiting this week, was that Dea, Lauryns mom and one of the coaches, brought Lauryn to practice on Wednesday and she told us that she only has one more round of treatment!  She is very excited to be done and throw all of the yucky pills away.  Its also existing because Luke is going to be done very shortly as well, about a month or two after Lauryn.

Team In Training helps bring people, like myself, closer to patients who are battling cancer and it adds a whole new depth to what they are going through.  I am so honored to be inspirited by these two kids who’s spirit never stops and can’t wait celebrate these two super heros’ victory over cancer in just a few short months.

Send to Facebook

Tags: , , , ,
No Comments »

Training Gets Easier

March 18, 2010 in Team In Training, Training

After the first two group training Saturdays, I was seriously beginning to doubt if I was going to be able to make it through.   Swimming is no problem but running is always a struggle.  It hurts, a lot.  Now that the days are warming up and we have been able to get out on the bike things are getting more manageable.  The title “easier” is misleading because really it is getting harder, but your body begins to adapt.  Instead of feeling like I want to go to sleep at 9:00 every night, the workouts are giving me more energy.

Am I still tired? you bet.  Am I still sore? without a doubt.  Am I enjoying and feeling good because of the workouts? Absolutely.

When you first start training for an event, especially if you were a couch potato, your body is use to being idle.  It is normal for it to not have to work hard and you haven’t built the muscles and cardio foundation to be able to work out hard.  You’re heart rate still goes up, you feel sore, tired and worn out.  It is a struggle to push yourself to finish the workout.   Blow by blow, your muscles start coming around and your heart gets used to working.  Once you get about a month and a half in you begin to be able to work hard.  This means working so that you feel like you are really pushing yourself, and really tired, but still able to keep going.  You feel the heavy breathing and you focus on going harder or faster and to begin to really “feel the burn.”  The feeling of a hard workout at your threshold is completely different feeling than the “get off the couch workout” and it is great!

The first months hurt, a lot, and drain you.  You begin to get in shape and feel energized.  Keep pushing through and you will actually feel worse when you don’t workout than when you do.

Send to Facebook

Tags: , ,
No Comments »

Setting Up A Silent Auction

March 8, 2010 in Fundraising, Team In Training

A great fundraising idea is setting up a silent auction.  I’m working on one now so here are some tips on setting it up.

Find You’re Venue

Before anything else figure out where you will hold your event.  Do it early!  Most restaurants, bars, or other places where you can have a social gathering will be more than happy to help you out.   The Key 1) Have your elevator speech about what you are doing and 2) Provide them a written page on TNT letter head with your desired date and time frame.

Don’t settle for the first place that offers to have it.   You will be able to find a place that will contribute 5-10% of food sales for your event as well IF YOU ASK.  Make sure you GO to the place, in person.  Talk to the manager in the off hours (ie: not lunch time or dinner time).

Promote Your Event

As soon as you have a time and a place setup start promoting your event.  Make post cards and include them in your fund raising letters.   Tell ALL of your friends, even the ones that don’t donate.  Everyone is up for food and drinks so the more the better!  Also post it on Facebook and Twitter.  Make sure all you friends are telling their friends too.

Help your team mates out and ask them to bring auction items to help them meet their fundraising targets.  In turn they promote your event, their friends eat food, and you get the revenue.

Ask For Donations

There are LOTS of fundraisers happening and most businesses are getting hit up left and right for donations, in some cases two or three times a day.  Thats okay, keep asking.  It will take a lot of asking but you will get some good stuff.  Just like approaching a venue for the event,  print out 1 page information about LLS mission and another “cover letter” style page that is ASKING them to do something.

After talking with the manager “make the ask” with your elevator speech.  Wait for their response, its a game of chicken and the next person to say something looses.  Sometimes they will offer up a donation on the spot but most likely they will say that they will look it over and think about it.

If you don’t have a donation in a week or two.  Call them back and follow up.

THANK YOU NOTES

Send a hand written thank you to whomever donates.  It means more if its hand written and its worth the $1.00 for a card and $.44 for a stamp.  This will go a long way and leave a good taste for when your asking for donations to LLS next year!

Good luck with your fundraising and let me know if you have any questions.

Send to Facebook

Tags: , ,
No Comments »