Healthy Holidays!

It's the most wonderful for time of year...for anyone with a super sonic metabolism. It's the season of giving...by giving our daily diets an extra helping of calories. With the holidays upon us, we find ourselves loosening our belts and switching to a diet of milk and cookies, so it's no coincidence that Americans find their jeans to have a tighter fit in January. The average "holiday dinner" can supply upwards of 3,000 calories...in just one meal! With endless side dishes and dense desserts, it's hard to avoid this caloric splurge that is the holiday season. Here at Team In Training, we are all about helping you be your best, and we don't take time off from that goal despite the holidays! There are numerous ways to stay slim and fit during the holidays while still enjoying those creamy mashed potatoes and decadent pecan pie! All you need is a dash of exercise and a pinch of self control!

The most important part is knowing the stats; bear in mind that these averages and may be modified for certain individuals. The average American should be consuming approximately 2,000 calories a day to maintain their weight, and one pound of fat is worth 3,500 calories. How many times have I heard my mom say "I gained three pounds in one day!"? I assure you, mom, that you did not consume 10,500 calories on top of your daily 2,000 calories...however, it is very easy to tack on an extra 1,000 calories per day during the holiday season, ensuring a weight gain of 2lbs per week.

What's the easiest way to avoid this unwanted weight gain? Eat less and BURN THOSE CALS! Fit a workout in each day to keep your calorie count down. "Too busy" to workout during the busy holiday season? Here are some tips:

• Holiday shopping? Park your car in the farthest spot from the entrance and power walk the sales! Skip the food court, you have plenty of treats at home!
• Take the stairs; everywhere! Work, shopping, errands, walk walk walk!
• Spending time with the family? Get outside and throw the football around! Take a walk around your neighborhood with the family!
• Join TNT for a weekend training run or walk! Newcomers and alumni alike!

It's important to remember that every calorie burned counts! As for the eating less:

• Fill up on healthy appetizers, raid the vegetable and fruit platters and go easy on the chips and dip!
• Chew your food slowly, be aware of how much you are eating. It's easy to wolf down a plate of food and go back for seconds, but if you allow your body to realize how much food you've consumed, seconds won't look as appetizing to a full stomach.
• Avoid over doing the desserts; one slice of pie contains roughly 350-500 calories, depending on the pie and the slice...keep this number engrained in your memory before going for that second slice!

Remember, these are just the basics! There are lots of great websites that contain healthy holiday recipes and quick and easy workouts, but use these tips to enjoy your holiday in the slimmer way!

Mission Monday: Motivation

Often times TNT participants are asked what their motivation is for their training and dedication to the program. What gets them to run mile after mile without taking a break? What stops them from pressing the snooze button in the morning for that early training? Each season, to help make Team In Training a more personal and meaningful experience for all participants, we have our beloved honored patients. Some of our participants have a personal connection, maybe they are a survivor or have someone close to them who has been affected by blood cancer, while others have no connection to LLS and want to help the cause. Team In Training's  honored patients serve as a beacon of light to all participants, reminding us why we train.

Our Disney World Marathon Team's honored patient this season is Maya Spadano, who, at only 4 years old, has been battling leukemia for over a year. Her strength and courage has inspired us all here at TNT, as has her father, Bob, who is running the half marathon in Disney for the Team. Yesterday at the group run training, members of the Disney Team got to meet Maya and her big sister Juliana, putting a face to their cause. Meeting Maya and Juliana, seeing them laugh and crack jokes (mostly at Bob's expense), really meant the world to the Team. It was the best reward after finishing their long run, to see the smiling faces of the little girls they were running for.

{Some of the Disney Team with honored patient Maya and her big sister Juliana!}

TNT Takes the West Coast!

Is there any greater feeling than crossing the finish line of a race? Yes...when you know there's a Tiffany necklace waiting for you there. NWM 2012

{Bria and Ari sneak behind the NWM Run sign}

{Sea Lions resting up before the race!}

Last weekend TNT sent a spirited group of 16 participants to San Francisco to take on the Nike Women's Marathon and Half Marathon. Full of excitement and led by the fearless Kayde Wagner, the Team made the most of their trip by exploring the city in the days leading up to the race. From scenic bus tours around the city, to lazy sea lions lounging at Pier 39, the group had an unforgettable adventure. Pre-race jitters were no match for the incredible Inspiration dinner the day before the race, where leukemia survivor Kelley Cohen told her story to thousands of TNT participants before running the race herself!

The morning of the race came, fuel belts and all, and the moment our amazing Nike Team had been training for all season was finally here. Along the course they had a lovely view of the Golden Gate Bridge...and some handsome men in tuxedos!! At miles 10 & 25 was Kayde with her cheer team, the fiercest women on the course! Giving our participants one last boost before the end of the race, Kayde and her cheer team were greeted with smiling faces and "Go Team" cheers from the crowds of runners and walkers. Our little Ocean State sent 16 participants, all of who conquered the race, beaming as they crossed that finish line. And finishing the race has its perks: each finisher received a custom Tiffany necklace, some of the famous Ghirardelli chocolate, and a Nike Women's Marathon finisher's shirt...all given out by shirtless fireman and tuxedo-dressed gentlemen...needless to say we will be back next year.


{Kayde's Fierce Women cheer Team!}

Congratulations to our incredible team, you are an inspiration! A special thank you to our participants, who's hard work and dedication was exceptional since day one of training: Amy Shah, Anne-Marie Flaherty, Arieana Carcieri, Bonni Kirkwood, Bria D'Amico, Christine Pierce, Donna Drew, Jo-Anne Serydynski, Kathryn Taylor, Kim Sadowski, Linda Dagesse, Lisa Baccari, Marybeth Van Winter, Nicole Zelenak, Peggy Clarke, and Tammy Poisson.

A thank you to our coaches and staff who went as well! Alan Barrington, Bob Dagesse, and Kayde Wagner

GO TEAM!

{Pre-race with Team Nike!}



TNT Visits Lake George at Peak Season



{The view from our hotel of Lake George}



For most New Englanders, we find fall to be our favorite of the seasons. The colorful leaves paint our streets and lawns a beautiful array of red, orange and yellow, and the crisp autumn air provides the perfect training weather for all of our TNT activities. Runners and cyclists alike rejoice when the picturesque peak season arrives!

{Colleen, Coach Jim, Jarod, Julie, and Joan}

Last weekend I had the pleasure of traveling with our TNT cyclists to Lake George, NY for the Peak Season Century Ride, a ride named in light of the scenic time of year at the popular northeast vacation destination. Our four participants had been training since riding America's Most Beautiful Bike Ride in Lake Tahoe earlier in the summer, gearing up for their second century ride of the season! Despite the ominous forecast, our riders experienced two short hours of rain during the day and were able to finish the ride fairly dry with smiles on their faces! The ride took our cyclists all the way around Lake George, providing participants with a beautiful scenery of the lake and the towering mountains in the background. With rolling hills throughout, the course provided our riders with a challenge, but they were able to tackle the 100 miles without a problem (of course, they're rock stars!). The efforts of our Peak Season participants, Julie, Joan, Colleen, Jarod, and Coach Jim, are what makes Team In Training thrive. They dedicate so much time and focus to train for these distance events that seem impossible to most, and fundraise thousands of dollars for LLS simulatneously! If you're in need of a hero, look no further than our inspiring TNT participants.

                        Go Team! ~Alex           

{Still standing after 100 miles of cycling!}

TNT Does the Maine Marathon!



{Alex, Kari, Jamie, and Paula at the Pasta Dinner!}

Alex here! This past weekend I had the pleasure of accompanying four amazing TNT-ers to the Maine Marathon and Half Marathon in Portland, Maine. We couldn't have been more excited for this trip; Maine in the fall! Could their be a more beautiful location for a late-September race? Unfortunately, as some like to say, when it rains...it pours. What looked like a promising forecast the morning of the race turned into a torrential downpour for the majority of the day; New England always finds a way to outsmart the weatherman. Despite the monsoon conditions, our four participants and thousands of other runners crossed the finish line with a smile on their face and a spring in their step!

This is what all their hard work had led up to.

{Jamie requested no flash photography post race...}

For the last 3 to 4 months, Kari Marchetti, Jamie Samons, Paula Skowron, and Eva Thompson bled purple and trained their hearts out with TNT all season. In addition to training for an endurance event, these four women raised nearly $8,000 for LLS all on their own! They are the definition of a rockstar, and an inspiration to all of us here at LLS. It was an incredible experience to see them all through their event and surprise themselves with their amazing finishes, in light of the unfavorable weather conditions! I offered my umbrella to Jamie countless times after the race, and her response was always: "I don't think it's possible for me to be any wetter!"

Eventually everyone had a chance to dry off and reflect back on what a great weekend we all had at the Maine Marathon. Go Team!!!





{Kari showing off her medal!}





Extreme Fundraising!

Year after year, TNT participants take fundraising to the next level by pushing their physical limits and testing the waters of what might intitially seem like an impossible venture. We've seen hundreds of partcipants complete incredible endurance events year after year, leaving us inspired and proud to wear the purple! But why do our participants dedicate so much time and put so much energy into training for these events? Because they are training for a cause; they are training to help rid the world of blood cancer.

{Dressing down for a cure!}

 From sending out countless letters, to hosting spectacular fundraising events, TNT participants go the extra mile with their fundraising...literally. Through their outstanding fundraising efforts and endurance training, participants have helped TNT raise more than $1.32 billion for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society to support blood cancer research and patient services. TNT's own Thea Cerio is a fundraising powerhouse; she is running her first marathon at the Disney World Marathon this January, and has already raised an amazing $2,375!! She has planned successful events, such a dress down day at Lincoln Technical Insitute that brought in over $400 for LLS! Thea is hosting yet another fundraising event tomorrow night;   help her reach her fundraising goal by supporting her event!

Join me (and hopefully everyone I know!)

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 28^th

after work (till whenever) at the HAVANA CAFÉ

10% of the proceeds from your order will go towards the

TEAM IN TRAINING fundraising goal!

Havana Cafe - Authentic, traditional Cuban Restaurant

329 North Washington Street North Attleboro, MA 02760
(508) 695-7400

http://www.havanacafema.com/

*Please print this out and bring it with you so they know you are supporting the Team!





Mission Monday: Fred Campagna

Fred Campagna tells us about his experience running the Goofy Challenge at this past year's Disney World Marathon. Within two days, Fred completed both the half and full marathon, leaving all of us here at TNT speechless and inspired!



{Fred and honored hero Arieana}

 Running the Goofy's Race and a Half Challenge was one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but thanks to my involvement with Team in Training, it was also among the most rewarding. Long before arriving in Disney for the races, I was inspired by the people I met while training and raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I ran in honor of Arieana Carcieri who was going through her second battle with Lymphoma in the past two years. Her determination and positive attitude was on my mind during every training run in the chilly, late-fall weather.

  

{Race ready!}

I was an experienced runner, but I did not know much about how to effectively raise money. The staff at LLS RI was incredibly helpful with answering any questions I had about fundraising; they truly made it easy for me to reach my fundraising goal by providing me with helpful hints and innovative ideas. I already felt fulfilled before I even arrived at Walt Disney World for marathon weekend, but the whole experience went to another level when I saw how the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society went above and beyond to make it an unforgettable time for all of us. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my LLS RI teammates and coaches. The pre-race dinner was fun and incredibly inspirational. The actual races in Disney are a blast;  they are unlike any other road races on the planet! Personally, I was dealing with an injury that, under normal circumstances, would have prevented me from completing both the half and full marathon, but, because of my involvement with with LLS, I was helped by TNT coaches throughout the races. Their words of encouragement made something that I would have deemed impossible, not only possible, but truly rewarding. It was the experience of a lifetime.　

{Fred and fellow TNT-ers showing off their medals!}