Training for Endurance Events for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

1. What is Team in Training? 2. What endurance events does TNT train for? 3. How long does it take to do these events? 4. What kind of training do you do for this? 5. What would possess anyone to do something like this? Why I run (a look at a TNT triathlon up-close) 6. How do you raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society? 7. How can I get involved?
	May 18, 2003 1.5K Swim, 41K Bike, 10K Run Centennial Park Ellicott City, MD

1. What is Team in Training?

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training® (TNT) is the world's largest endurance sports training program. They provide you with the coaching, training and even the travel opportunities to make your athletic goals a reality. It's an unbeatable offer with great personal rewards.

What's the deal? In exchange for the training and support, you raise money toward a cure for leukemia, one of the leading disease killers of children; lymphoma, the leading disease killer of men and women under 35; and other blood-related cancers.

Join National TNT Chairman Marty Liquori and the more than 30,000 runners, walkers, cyclists and triathletes who will participate in the world's major marathons and century rides (100k bike ride) this year on behalf of the Society. TNT has raised millions of dollars toward finding cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma.

Contact Team in Training for more details or to find out about upcoming event informational meetings in your area.  (see: http://www.teamintraining.org/hm_tnt)

2. What endurance events does TNT train for? 

TNT does almost any endurance event you can think of. I have done the following with TNT:

Olympic-distance triathlon: swim 1.5k, bike 41k, run 10k

Half-marathon: 13.1 mile run

Century ride: 100 mile bike ride

Half-Ironman: swim 1.2 mi, bike 56mi, run 13.1 mi

3. How long does it take to do these events?

event	top female (in my division)	average (in my division)	me
Olympic-distance triathlon (I'll use Columbia as an example)	2:28:57	3:20:00	4:03:00 (2003) 3:34:33 (2004)
White Rock (TX) Half-marathon	1:23:00	2:20:00	shooting for 2:45:00
Wildflower Half-Ironman 2004	5:27:10 (she's an animal)	about 7 hours	8:13:00
Century ride	to make it in 5 hours, I'll have to average 20 miles per hour without stopping. Let's say... 6 hours.

4. What kind of training do you do for this?

Team in Training provides the training supervision. For the triathlon, we had a workout schedule that looked something like this:

training week	Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
WEEK 8	swim 15 laps	run 30 min	bike 45 min	run 30 min	bike 50 min swim 15 laps	rest	run 60 min
WEEK 12	swim 25 laps	run 45 min	bike 60 min	run 45 min	bike 50 min swim 25-30 laps	rest	run 60 min

This times change from week to week, gradually increasing for 3 weeks, then tapering for a week.

For the Half-marathon, I'm run 3-4 times a week, which includes one long slow run (5-8 mi) and one hills or speed run (3 mi).

For the Century ride, I'm ride 2-3 times a week, which includes one speed and hills ride (20 miles) and one long slow ride (3-4 hours).

5. What would possess anyone to do something like this?

Before I trained with Team in Training, I would have said:

	to challenge myself and make life interesting
	to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

 

But after having worked with Team in Training and met people whose greatest desire in life is to live, and for their children to live, I have a different answer...

I run because I can. I raise money to find a cure.

Please see my post-race commentary for a look at triathlon up-close.

6. How do you raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society?

My husband Steve and I have signed up to run the Columbia Triathlon with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. Between us we have agreed to raise at least $4000 for the Society by writing to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, by having fund-raisers, etc.

For our 2003 season, our families and friends and neighbors helped us reach our goal. Special thanks go to the following: Addisville Reformed Church in Richboro, PA; Peter's Fishery in Matawan, NJ; Silky Wave Beauty Salon in Little Silver, NJ, and the Men's Warehouse.

For the 2004 season, the Men's Warehouse supported me completely!

7. How can I get involved?

Sign up for a TNT event by contacting your local TNT chapter. 1-800-482-TEAM.

To contribute: I'm always raising money now for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. (our spring 2003 letter, our spring 2003 update, my post-race update).

Please click on Steve's Fundraising page.

If you would like to help, please email me at laura.drexler@usa.net.

Give as much as you can.

No donation is too small.

 

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