Team In Training...good experience?

[VenusdeVelo]

Wondering if anyone out there has participated with Team In Training? Did you enjoy it? Did you also train with the group? Was the training good? Wondering what your experience was like as I was considering getting involved with Team In Training if I can sort it in timewise.

[slinkedog]

I have never personally participated, but one of my best friends started out doing marathons with Team and LOVES it! She's up to doing Ironmans now. The training was awesome, but the best part was the lasting relationship she has with her honoree, a little girl named Indigo. She has become a really big part of my friend's life and they do lots of stuff together. Happily, Indigo has been in remission for a few years now (she had leukemia) and is doing great.

From everything my friend says, Team in Training is a great organization with top notch coaches and it's a great charity, as well.

[Melissa36]

I participated in a triathlon through Team in Training last summer and it was an incredible experience. We had a great group of coaches and the staff gave us lots of support to help us achieve our fundraising goals. I begin training in two weeeks for my next triathlon (Half Ironman this time) and will again be part of TNT. It is a great organization.

[Embellina]

I trained for a marathon with another, but similar group: Train to End Stroke. Our coordinator was extremely helpful and outgoing with the fund-raising, and the training, which was actually pretty aggressive during the week and conservative on weekends, certainly prepared me for the race. I expected to form closer bonds with the other people who were on my "team," but not many people were my age. I think a majority of the participants also joined with a friend or two, so didn't need to be super outgoing and friendly. I always attended the weekly group trainings, which was a huge help to me (The commitment got me out of bed early Saturday mornings!) If you really believe in the cause, I think it's a great way to help.

[Running Mommy]

Because I'm sure that my opinion (notice I say MY Opinion) is not a popular one. I've run the NYC marathon 4 times and raised money for "freds Team" 3 times. Basically it's a team in honor of the race founder Fred Lebow who died of cancer in the mid 90's. The $$ raised went towards the Sloane Kettering cancer center for research. Even though I raised enough to get freebies I never took them. The reason for this, and the reason I have issues w/ groups like these is because I'd rather see the charity get ALL the money I raise. If you raise the required $ they pay your way into the race, accomodations, as well as team uniforms and training. I have to believe that a good chunk of what I raise would have to go towards these expenses.
I have read that the charity gets at least 75%. Well I'd rather my family and friends know that 100% of what they give towards my cause actually goes to the charity. When I do IMAZ In April I'm asking my friends and family to send a donation to a couple of different charities. I'm sending a letter along w/ a self addressed envelope.
As far as the training? Well I guess if you need a group to motivate you then they may be the way to go. Personally I'm self motivated, and I turn to you kind folks as well as folks from other forums to answer my silly questions. I'm also an avid reader so I have every book related to triathlon that I think has ever been written.
I may also have a chip on my shoulder because I've had some bad run in's w/ TNT folks. At one of the NYC marathons I was having a bad day and they had run out of gatorade. Well I came across an aid table set up by some TNT folks and I asked if they had any gatorade or pretzels as I was cramping bad. They said "sorry, but this is for TNT runners only"... Now I felt like I was going to collapse at that point. I think I may have gotten tears in my eye but they just shrugged their shoulders. I've also ran right behind a group of TNT'ers before and experienced TNT people on the sidelines cheer only the folks in purple shirts.
So like I said... Maybe I have a bit of a chip.
But as said... It is my opinion. Everyone has to make the decision for themselves.
Also keep in mind that the groups usually require that you raise a pretty good chunk of change, and with all the groups out there people are starting to get tapped out. I worked in an office a couple of years ago and it seemed like every time I turned around someone was on a fund raising drive. It's almost getting as bad as girl scout cookie time. ha ha
Good luck with whatever you choose, and remember there are alot of different groups out there you could support.

[Selkie]

I don't have any experience w/TNT. When I was running marathons & 1/2 marathons I trained on my own or w/my hubby. I did notice some of the race day behavior---no sharing fuel, people cheering only for TNT, etc--that Running Mommy mentioned. It seemed kind of like a clique (high schooly).

Between April and October, TNT uses the local bike paths to train on Saturday mornings. They run "Army Style," two abreast and in large groups. It's not easy to pass them, especially where the trail is narrow in places. It's a multi-use trail and sometimes, they aren't very courteous about yielding to other trail users. It's put me--as a cyclist--in some unsafe situations [I always slow down when I encounter other trail users and I'm always polite about warning before passing]. I try to get out super early to avoid them. The trail is crowded enough without having to move around big groups who take up an entire lane because they refuse to go single file. In addition, I've had some of the female TNTers make fun of me---it's happened more than once. I chock it up to insecurity or mean-girl personalities and ignore them. Interestingly, this hasn't happened w/other female runners/walkers on the trail, and I'm out there every day so I encounter a lot of folks. I don't attritute it to TNT, though (in other words, I don't think TNT attracts jerks but I found it an interesting phenomenon).

I'm always relieved when the Marine Corps Marathon takes place because that means I won't have to deal w/them until next April.

[Running Mommy]

I was hoping that I wasn't the only person who had run into this. I have no problem w/ helping the cause. I just think the orginization has gotten out of hand.

[Lise]

At one of the NYC marathons I was having a bad day and they had run out of gatorade. Well I came across an aid table set up by some TNT folks and I asked if they had any gatorade or pretzels as I was cramping bad. They said "sorry, but this is for TNT runners only"... Now I felt like I was going to collapse at that point. I think I may have gotten tears in my eye but they just shrugged their shoulders.

I shudder every time I picture a marathon runner begging for gatorade and anyone saying "no". Aaaaarrrrrggghhhhh! L.