Posted by Monetta Roberts on August 18, 2005 at 04:14:06:
Like sands though the hourglass so shall this sub-optimal "summer vacation" weather be little more than an unpleasant taste in our mouths (AND REALLY--DID AN ACTUAL MOTH FLY INTO MY DAINTY LITTLE MOUTH ON YESTERDAY'S RUN??!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? REMIND ME TO SHOW
YOU THE FRANTIC,HIGH-SPEED MOTH-DISLODGING DANCE SOMETIME....)
But I digress: we're even know knocking on the backdoor of the most tremendously excellent (i.e. comfortable) training and racing
weather; and that is why we want Y-O-U to come to one of the three
informational meetings about the new Team in Training season, meet the new and highly motivated area coodinator, Christina, who herself has already completed a TNT bike event with the Chicago chapter---Nicely done, Christina! (We want to hear all about it!)
Whether or not you're still in the midst of training for San Fransico in
October---and come on, lets give those heat-seeking athletes some love: Whooo-De-Whooo-De-Whooooooooo!
Or whether you're still recovering from one whole or one half marathon or
another, (not to mention the TNT triathlons and certuary rides)come on our anyway to meet Christina, and to hear the details on our next set of
races: The Nokia Sugar Bowl Marathon and 1/2 Marathon on 2/05/06!!!! LONG a favorite race of mine, and I've got a bathroom wall (nearly) full of 1/2 marathon top three overall racewalking prizes and three 1st place racewalk awards---one features a breakthough 39 minute PR of 4:48:42. I still say, however, if they'd call that thing The Big Easy Marathon, about a hundred million more people would come to it! Anything, think how VERY much fun it'd be for a whole gang of us to be given rooms with plump, cushy beds,bars and pools and loosed on N.O.for a weekend! It really is A GREAT race, and now that they've shoved it back closer to the start of Feb, we'll have our best chance in years to have a good, cool race.I'm telling ya, this is the stuff marathoning and 1/2 marathoning dreams are made of: flat course, cool air, begniets----it doesn't get much batter, I mean better that that!
Unless, of course you choose Disney! This year Mick and Donald are breaking with tradition and are running the half marathon on Saturday, January 7; and then the marathon on Sunday, Jan 8. I suppose they wanted to thin out the race field a bit, but boy won't it be fun to cheer (and tease, "KICK NOW!") the folks in the "other" race!
I've been fortunate enough to have had TNT send me to the Disney Marathon
weekend three times now, and I'll be honest: the first time I though, yeah, Ok, whatever: WRONG, WRONG, WRONG! The Disney races are some of the most well-produced events that I have event participated in; they've got tons of race support; costumed characters beyond belief, and so may of 'em, I can't even reconize anything close to half. TNT support staff are an constant presence too, and another nice feature is that there are popular characters along the way with handers: you throw (or hand)your disposable camera (EVERONE takes one)to the handler and he or she will snap your photo with the character. It only takes a few seconds and it's a great souvenire to have! And then there are thos giant heated outdoor pools---I always pack my swim suit in my gear bag for the race so I don't have to waste energy hiking to the room---I just head straight for the pool and change in the changing room and slide in......ahhhhhhhh.
ANyway, I'm about to tell you everything I'm going to tell you at the
meetings, except how we train to get control of these monsteriously long races. Once you join the team, I'm afraid you're going to learn every single thing I know about successful marathoning, but for not let me just say that since being honored with the title of TNT walk coach in 1997, and then a few years later TNT run coach as well, I have NEVER had one athlete start his or her event and not finish it. And something tells me none of you will be that first either.
Please pass this along to any and every family member, friend, co-worker,
stranger on the street, whomever. We need bodies at these meetings, and the warmer the bodies, the better! And if you're a graduate of TNT, come and tell the new recruits what you *were* lilk, what happened through Team in Training, what it was like, and what it's like now, won't you?
The information meetings are:
***TODAY*** West Mobile Regional Library
5555 Grelot Road
August 18, 6:00pm
Downtown YMCA
101 North Water St
Wed, 8/24: 6:00pm
Daphne Public Library
2607 U.S. Highway 98****
Thurs, 8/25: 6:00
***If I'm not mistaken, this is the library just across
the street from May Day Park (where we have a 4-mile loop; If I AM mistaken,
it's not across from May Day Park.....)
MOBILE/DAPHNE KICKOFF PARTY:
Wings Sports Grill
3673 Airport Blvd
Thursdaym September 1: 6:00pm
Please tell everyone you know that they can sign up as late as the kick off
party, and you can also sign up by calling Christina (or Julie) at the local
Mobile TNT office, 472-8123; or by calling the Birmingham offices, (205)
989-0098, or by going to their website: _www.teamintraining.org/alm_
(http://www.teamintraining.org/alm)
It's one of the most rewarding things I've ever done,and it helps me at
least as much as it helps the athketes I coach. So spend a few minutes and come
hear what the programs all aboutm won't you?
Monetta Roberts
"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step."
-----Chinese Porverb