Has Anyone ever done the Team in Training Program?

[yogabear]

Hi there! I'm curious if anyone has ever done the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training Program?

I'm considering it, but just wondered what people thought or experienced. It feels so good to use my cycling or running to help others. (I tried racing my bike for a lot of years, but it didn't bring me happiness or enjoyment.)

Not sure if I'd do a half marathon (running) or the century 100 mile bike ride though...

Any thoughts or words of wisdom most appreciated...

Thanks and bear hugs,
YB

[spokewench]

I've never done the training as a Team In Training member but I have coached a Team in Training Group. It was years ago and it was a GREAT experience. I still have a great big sweatshirt shoved in a drawer that everyone signed on the team.

It is a great memory. I think you will have a great experience if you do a Team In Training ride or run. After all it is a good cause too.

spoke

[maillotpois]

I've done 3 of my 4 marathons with TNT and I don't know how many cycling events as a participant and a coach. I've been coaching cyclists with TNT since 2001.

It's a great organization and you're definitely working for a good cause. The events are great - I highly recommend the century over the marathon, but I don't really like running. If you do (even if you don't), then the marathon is amazing. I think a century would be a lot better than a half marathon - no offense meant to anyone - lord knows I am no runner, but as an "epic" event, the half marathon just doesn't seem to have the same feeling as the full marathon or century.

Feel free to ask (or PM) if you have other questions.

[Blueberry]

MP has another post on the boards about the death ride - she and her hubby coach. If I weren't all the way across the country, I would absolutely do it!

Whoops: Posted at the same time as MP - guess great minds think alike....or something like that:/

[luvs2ride]

hello Yogabear,
I've had the honor to complete a 1/2 marathon, 3 marathons and 1 century bike ride with TNT. All events were a wonderful experience! I've met a lot of friends along the way that will remain life-long friends . . something about sweating together as you travel all of those miles. . . go figure! My first event was the 1/2 marathon in 2004. Then I got the "full" marathon bug and went on to complete 3 of those . . it's "addicting." My most recent event was the century in June 2007, America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe. I switched to cycling so that my husband and I could participate in an event together. He wouldn't run ANYWHERE even if his life depended on it! Anyway, it was a huge accomplishment for me as when I started, I was new to clipless pedals and could barely ride in a straight line. I kissed pavement MANY a time! Now . . I'm hooked, although I still struggle to change my flat tires (that's why I keep hubby around!). Anyway, TNT got me to the finish line and that's no joke! You will not regret your experience with TNT ! The fundraising is a challenge but you get lots of support with that along the way along with the physical challenges of finishing an endurance event. . . sounds "corny" but my participation with TNT has really enhanced my life! When I'm encountering a challenge that seems really tough, I just "dig deep" and remember that I've completed the marathon and the century . . nothing is impossible for me! The Triathlon is next . . probably in 2009. . . got to work on the swimming. Good luch in your decision and You go girl!

[yogabear]

Hi there! Hugs and many thanks for the feedback! I'm thinking of putting this on the backburner until later, maybe 2009 But, it is nice to get the positive feedback so I can plan better...

I don't want the logistics of traveling with a bike and also, riding a course I don't know, so I'm leaning more towards the running myself I also don't mind that it's "only" a half marathon...Have to start somewhere (actually, I was a runner in the 1980's and 1990's and have done half marathons, etc. but have to get back there you know?).

Lots of thanks and love,
L

[Possegal]

does contributing lots of money count? just kidding - i do know several folks that have done this and i applaud them for the effort and always contribute. i work in oncology, had an uncle die of leukemia, plus i just think combining challenging yourself and raising money for a good cause is a great thing. i rode 40 miles in the livestrong challenge in philly last year and hope to ride 70 this year (and it is very hilly, so no making fun of me for not wanting to try the 100 miles!).

i've just started running again myself, did a 5 mile race in december. then i found out that a lung cancer organization is trying to get into something like this to raise money for lung cancer. http://lungevity.org/content/?sectio...2=421&page=421 they give the option of contacting them if some other endurace event interests you, so i am thinking of seeing if they can get a cycling event on their list. though i guess i could aim for a half-marathon, which may be nothing to some folks but would be huge to this surgical knee gal!

who knows if this will take off, but i applaud the lungevity foundation also for trying. lung cancer sort of gets the shaft, due in part, we think to a stigma attached to it. but it is the number one cancer killer and kills more people per year than the other top three combined. and yet per death there is like $23K spent on breast cancer and $2K spent on lung cancer. now i don't begrudge the breast cancer alliances, i just wish that lung cancer had the same power. such as - anyone know what the color of that ribbon is? what month is lung cancer awareness month?

sorry for the hijack. i've stated before my sister is battling lung cancer and right now we are headed to a very risky surgery that will take her hope of a cure from 0% chance to maybe 10%, and i can't seem to stop thinking about it, talking about it, or crying about it. makes for an interesting workday.

back on track - good on ya for thinking about doing this, it raises money for a good cause and challenges you physically as well, what a nice combo! my sister who rode with me in philly hadn't been training long and she struggled a lot, but at one point she told herself that nothing she was facing compared to what our other sister was facing, so she could soldier on, and she did. and for the record, that 40 mile ride was 44 miles (am i making enough excuses yet?)

i think 2009 is a great goal for doing something like this, the training combined with the fundraising is not something you would want to scrimp on the time for, i would think.

[Bike Diva]

My husband and I have done two Team in Training century rides. It's a fantastic program! We came from a mountain biking background. When our local mtn bike trails got destroyed during all those hurricanes a few years ago we went out and bought road bikes.

The road bike kind of scared me compared to the mtn bike. I didn't like riding on the road with cars, and those skinny tires of the bike took some getting used to. I received a TNT brochure in the mail and figured signing up for a century ride would get me used to riding the road bike. And now I am a road bike addict - I'm mostly a roadie now and hardly ever ride my mtn bike anymore.

Our first TNT event was in 2006. We did the Intracoastal Century Ride which took place in Cocoa Beach, Florida October, 2006.

And we just completed the 25th annivesary of the El Tour de Tucson which took place on November 17, 2007. This was actually a 109 mile road bike ride which included 2 dry river bed crossings. Over 5,000 bikers participated in this ride - it was awesome. My husband and I were the mentors for our local S. Florida TNT cycle team.

And this year my husband will be the cycling coach for the 2008 TNT winter season and I'll probably be one of the mentors. We'll be training for the 2008 Intracoastal Century Ride.

Raising the money is always our main concern. Since we are both participating that means we have to raise double the $$. The Cocoa Beach ride was a local event so we only had to raise $2,800 each = $5,600 total. The fundraising for Tucson was $4,100 each but since we were the mentors we only had to raise $3,100 each x 2 = $6,200.

As a coach, my husband isn't required to do any fundraising. So this year's fundraising should be a piece o'cake!

Both seasons we met a terrific bunch of people on our cycle teams. We are still friends with many of them. That's one of the best parts of joining TNT in my opinion. 5 of our Tucson team members, including our coach, are now training for our local MS150 ride - a 2 day, 150 mile road bike ride that benefits the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

GO TEAM!!!!!!

And now that I love road riding so much I have a new bike on order. A 2008 Trek Madone 6.5 WSD - it's SICK!!!! The bike I have now is awesome = Cannondale Synapse 2 WSD, but once the biking bug hits, forget about it!

[Raygungirl]

The fundraising is my biggest concern...I'm not a very good salesperson, and hate asking for money from family and friends...how do you deal with this? What kind of support is actually available in the programs?

[Possegal]

Just a few thoughts: [Mine was for the LiveStrong Challenge, not Team in Training, but still fundraising].

The online fundraising is a nice tool, and sending out harassing emails - as I kept joking with my friends - is pretty easy to do and I got a good number of folks that donated online right away. But others, I had to send a few reminders to.

I still had people who were not comfortable donating online (and it wasn't a generational thing, I never quite figured it out). I think this year for my LiveStrong ride, I will end up sending out requests for donations in the mail as well. Years ago I used to do that for Relay for Life. I would send a sort of newsletter with pictures from the previous relay, and a request for donations, with a self-addressed stamped envelope included so they could send the donation back to me. I may be doing that again this year.

I have a friend who works for a sporting goods store. He said his boss donates to one thing like this quarterly. It may be worth asking some of the bike shops or sporting goods stores in your area. I've not tried that yet, but plan to do that this year.


My friend who did do 2 marathons with Team in Training added this:

The Team in Training folks acted like the fundraising was very easy and she didn't think it was.

She said if you are worried about the fundraising, try and do a ride closer as the fundraising needed will be less. She wondered if they also pay for the transport of the bike, which would add more to the cost.

Her coach the second year was more helpful with ideas. She said they gave lots of ideas if you were willing to follow up on them.

She did happy hours with the Team in Training folks that were held at some places in the DC area, they were handled differently, someplaces had a cover they charged that then went to TT, others had other methods that we aren't sure of right now. We know that Chipotle, Chicken Out, Austin Grill, California Tortilla (which we think actually may be local to the DC area) among others will do fundraising days for you, just talk to someone at local restaurants or bars and see if they do it.

We held a yard sale, emailed everyone in our work divisions and told them when they were spring cleaning if there were things they wanted to get rid of to bring them to us. We got a really good turnout in things for our yard sale and raised about $550 for her from that alone.

Great if you have friends that donate who work for companies that will match. As a pharmacologist, I have many friends who work for pharmaceutical firms, and they all match, that has helped me before.

My friend said to tell you she is just like you, hates asking folks for money, but she managed it twice. I, it seems, don't hesitate to email and ask people to support me. We both agree though, that asking people to donate when you are challenging yourself to do something so difficult, seems a little easier.

Ok, very wordy, but hope something in here helps. Good luck!!

[Starfish]

The fundraising is my biggest concern...I'm not a very good salesperson, and hate asking for money from family and friends...how do you deal with this?

I have not done TNT. I have done other kinds of fundraising, both for charities, and as a job. I know others will have lots of tips on the actual how's of raising the funds. What I would say to you is this:

Start the process of getting to know the people who are affected by ________ (fill in the blank for what you are supporting/fighting for). Start with reading and get a handle on the numbers of people afflicted. Start talking to people who suffer from it. Let your heart get involved. See how much pain is caused by ___________________.

From the moment you gain a deep conviction about the need to eradicate the problem, you cease to be a salesperson focused on your own needs and fears (raising money, fears of rejection or labelling, or irritating people, or whatever yours are), and you become a person with a passion. Once you feel that conviction, and you speak to people straight from your heart about the need, you will not want to stop until you have asked everyone you know, and many you don't yet know, to support the cause.

My experience is that when I am feeling nervous about asking for support, I am forgetting that for me, it is a fundraiser, but for the people affected by the disease (or other issue), it is life or death, or quality of life. And, it is also my experience that when I ask for support from a place of honest passion and conviction, even when people turn me down, they do it from their own place of honesty, and I don't then take it personally (and they seem to feel more comfortable with me).

I hope this helps. I know that it can be difficult to ask family, friends and strangers for money. For me, it becomes much, much easier...and even fun and rewarding...when I keep in front of me the true need that is really behind it all.

Hope that doesn't sound preachy. I know it can be intimidating. But, it is worth it. Good luck!

[Jacquelynn]

I have just joined TNT this past month. This is my first event with them as well as my first big ride, America's Most Beautiful Ride in Tahoe. I was very nervous about the fund-raising part as well. The coaches and mentors have been extremely helpful with ideas to raise money, such as wine tasting events, yard sales, bake sales, letter writing campaigns etc... I have found the coaching, support and clinics really helpful (especially for someone who is just starting out). I have met some incredible "survivors" who ride with us (2 are our coaches) that really inspire and motivate.
I'd say go for it...

[Raygungirl]

Thanks guys, that helps. I am a resident at a cancer research center, so I have more heartfelt stories than I can count. Plus, the ideas like happy hours/wine tastings never even occurred to me - I think it would be easier in that setting.
Anyway, thanks! I'm going to look into it further.

[Possegal]

Totally agree with the idea that if you shift this from YOU to the CAUSE, it makes it easier for you, and I think that a subset of people who may not have thought to donate just because you are riding, will want to help out a good cause. I laughed at my tax return I just finished, I had about 5 leukemia and lymphoma society donations.

My requests for my LiveStrong ride last year were all about my sister's recent lung cancer diagnosis and my need to feel I was doing something for the cause. My need to show her I was supporting her and my wanting her to realize how many people were behind her. I'm sure there were some folks that supported my team because of that. But you also find that you would have to search far and wide to find someone that hasn't been touched in some way by cancer. I realize that makes it sound like it was still about me, but it was about me feeling so powerless with my sister, and I do think most of them also wanted to try and help because they too have felt that powerless.

I think all of you doing the Team in Training ride will do just fine and good on ya for helping a very worthy cause!

My niece and I went to a happy hour at a local pub that was a TNT fundraiser, we went there straight from the hospital after my sister had a failed surgical attempt to remove her cancer. We gave a lot of money. And we had a beer with both her chemo nurse and her radiation oncologist. And I mentioned to the guest bartender that I was intimately involved in one of the most effective leukemia drugs to come down the pike, one that was funded by the leukemia lymphoma society, so we joked that I brought the whole deal full-circle by being there.

They charged a $5 cover at this happy hour (all I assume went to the team), then the 'guest bartender, a pediatric neuro-oncologist, had a bin set up for tips to the cause, then twice during the night they did a 50/50 raffle. If I get a chance to ask my sister's chemo nurse, I will see if I can find out how much they made, but I'm betting they did pretty well! I may have to look into it at the same Pittsburgh pub this summer for my fundraising.

I made a video from my last ride, that now will likely be a part of my fundraising for this year. http://tiny.cc/ONtUm Maybe you could make a little slideshow or something to highlight why. My email appeals were all about why I ride, about my sister.