Secondly, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has been really great to work with so far. I wasn't really sure what to expect, but they have been wonderful. When you sign up for Team in Training, they send you all sorts of information about the organization and tips for fundraising. I have NO idea what I'm doing when it comes to fundraising, so this really helps.
You are also assigned a Coach, who helps train you for the race, and a Mentor, who helps you with fundraising. Within an hour of Sammi, the TNT coordinator for the Nashville LLS, setting up my fundraising page, both my coach and mentor had sent me e-mails welcoming me to the team. I thought that was pretty cool. Unfortunately, after a few e-mails we figured out I had been assigned to the "walkers" group, and though I'm not the speediest of runners, I'm definitely not a walker. But Sammi fixed that quickly and put me with the appropriate group. And again, within an hour, my new coach and mentor had been in touch with me. It's a very efficient group.
The training group meets every Saturday morning at 7:00. In January. For those that don't live in Nashville, it's freakin' COLD in January at 7:00 am. Most running groups move their workouts until 8:30 am or 9:00 am this time of year because it's so cold. I'm guessing this has historically been the best time for TNT to run, so that why they have them so early. Whatever the reason, I found myself getting up at 5:30 on Saturday and heading down to Centennial Park to meet the group. And yes, it was bitter cold.
There were about 12-15 of us that met, including Coach Carey and my mentor Jeanne. We did a quick round of introductions before the four mile run. I thought it was interesting that besides myself, there was only one other person who was new to TNT. Proof of a good organization when people return, I think! We also had a "Mission Moment," which is when one of the runners is asked why they signed up with TNT. The person who spoke (her name slips my mind, sorry), told of how her mother was diagnosed with leukemia a few years ago. What got her mom though her battle was the thought of holding her grandchild again, since she wasn't allowed to hold a baby while fighting the disease. It was a truly powerful testimony, and I am in no way doing it justice, but you get the idea. Really brought home what TNT is all about.
The run is kind of secondary compared to that. We ran four miles. It was cold. So cold that Dudley's sweat started to freeze on his fleece during the run (Dudley joined us for the run, not the meeting prior).
That's frost!! Crazy!
After the run, a few of the team members went for coffee, but I still had a few more miles to get in, so I went and met up with a few ladies from East Nasty and knocked out six more. BAM!
So, it's been a great week. Looking forward to more!! If you'd like to help my campaign, please click here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/tn/nikewhlf13/kmylls Thanks!!
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