An Interview with a Team In Training Flex Coach

TNT coaches in full spirit, Ramona (left) Theresa (right)

Name: Theresa Hales, TNT Flex coach
Age: 45 years young!
Over 45 marathons run

How long have you been running?

I’ve been running almost all my life. I’ve been running marathons for about 20 years. I started running just to keep in shape for other sports I was doing, and after university I still played sports but wasn’t quite as dedicated to them. I started running then for pleasure and well…30 years later, here I am!

What would you say to a casual runner who is contemplating a marathon with cautious apprehension?

I always say, we all start at square one. For me, I had wanted to run a marathon before I turned 30 just to say I had done it. It’s just a matter of small steps, you don’t look at the big picture and say “I’m running 5km now and I’m going to run 42.” It’s a gradual build up. You just have to break into smaller steps, just like anything in life that seems like a big challenge. Step by step, piece by piece.  Everyone can do it.

How did you become involved with Team In Training?

I had been with the Running Room for some time, but in 2005 I saw the pamphlets for Team In Training and called them up. They needed a coach for an upcoming event, and the rest is pretty much history.

How Is Team In Training Different?

Everybody with Team In Training has a story. You really rally around people for that,  they’re what  call extraordinary ordinary people. Everybody has busy lives with work, family, and a lot of these people are either dealing with a blood cancer themselves or are dealing with a loved one who has it.  Their passion and commitment to do something about it is amazing. I’ve also met so many people who don’t have a connection to the cause but who thought we were doing something amazing, were looking to give back, and joined us. It’s an emotional rollercoaster sometimes, but they just persevere. It’s such a testament to the strength and determination of individuals.

So what is Team In Training Flex?

If you’re a lone runner or you have a busy lifestyle and can’t find the time to make it to group training sessions, this is a great choice for you. Even though we don’t meet each other face to face, we have phone calls and follow ups, to the point where I actually get to know my Flex participants better than any other participants! You get your training program and everything is set up for you, the only difference is we do it over the phone and by e-mail instead of in person. As a coach, you have to make that extra effort to communicate when you don’t see a person. We make that extra effort to contact everyone and have a chat about how you’re doing, how you’re feeling, how the plan is working for you.

When we get to the event and we finally meet each other, it’s not as if we’re meeting strangers. It really is more like you’re meeting an old friend. There’s a unique bond when you do the Flex program.

What sets the Nike Women’s Marathon apart from the others?

It’s a celebration. It’s so much more than a marathon, it’s an experience. The marathon directly benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and it makes you realize the impact that you’re having across the world. Nike knows how to do it right. At the end of every Team In Training event you go to, it’s almost like a victory lap–but this marathon more so than others.  This marathon is about more than your time, personal best, etc. This marathon is about more than that. There’s no other way to describe it.

What is your most memorable moment, with Team In Training?

I was at Nike a couple of years ago as a coach, and we had just finished a meeting. One of the gals came up to me and asked if I was here two years ago. When I said yes, she said “I know. You helped me get to the finish line. I was having a bad day, I didn’t think I’d make it, you got me there. I never thought I’d make it.” It really hits home.

So….how about those costumes?

Oh boy! Ramona and I look ridiculous, and at the end of an 8 hour-day on the course we are the most disheveled, ridiculous looking individuals. But we firmly believe that any smile we can bring to any face at any point on a course….is worth it. You know, at 20 miles when somebody is just dying and they see these two women dressed up and acting ridiculously and it brings a smile to their face, it’s worth everything.

To find out about one of the specific national flex events to train with Theresa or Ramona visit www.teamintraining.ca/tntflex
 

To register online for any of the flex teams across Canada sign up at www.teamintraining.ca and select the online (flex) training location for your region.

Fewer Canadians are Dying from Cancer

There’s nothing quite like settling in with your morning coffee, opening up the Globe & Mail, and nearly spitting your caffeinated substance all over the newspaper in sheer elation at the headline that caught your eye.

It was the reaction of many at the office today, we celebrate news like this and we think you should take a few moments to read, think about it, and celebrate it a bit too. Cheers!

ANDRÉ PICARD — PUBLIC HEALTH REPORTER

Original source: http://tinyurl.com/cz3yk2e

 

 

 

 

 

While cancer remains the country’s biggest killer, the mortality rate – essentially an average Canadian’s risk of dying of cancer – has fallen markedly over the past generation.

The cancer death rate dropped 21 per cent in men and nine per cent in women between 1988 and 2007, according to new data from the Canadian Cancer Society.

The decrease is due principally to fewer Canadians smoking, along with more early detection and improved treatments.

“Without these changes, if smoking rates had remained the same, for example, we would have seen 100,000 more cancer deaths over the past 20 years,” Gillian Bromfield, director, cancer control policy at the CCS, said in an interview.

Slightly more men than women die of cancer: 52 per cent versus 48 per cent.

The gender gap, however, is closing, due largely to smoking patterns. Historically, far more men than women have smoked, but the decline in smoking has been more rapid in men than in women. Young women are also more likely to become new smokers.

An estimated 186,400 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Canada this year (a figure that does not include 81,300 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer), according to the CCS projections. More than two-thirds of people diagnosed with cancer survive five years or more.

It is estimated that there will be 75,700 cancer deaths in 2012.

Lung cancer is, by far, the biggest cancer killer, with 20,100 deaths, followed by colorectal cancer, 9,200, breast cancer 5,200, pancreatic cancer, 4,300, and prostate cancer, 4,000.

While those numbers are significant, the report shows that the mortality rate dropped for all major cancers over the past two decades, including:

* Lung cancer down 34 per cent in women, 30 per cent in men;

* Prostate cancer, 34 per cent decrease;

* Breast cancer, 32 per cent reduction;

* Colorectal cancer deaths down 24 per cent in men, 16 per cent in women;

* Pancreatic cancer, 14 per cent decline in men, two per cent in women.

Despite these improvements, the overall number of cancer cases diagnosed and number of cancer deaths are rising steadily due to population growth and aging. Cancer is principally a disease of aging, although individual risk depends on a combination of genetics, environmental factors and triggers.

Two-thirds of cancer deaths occur in people over the age of 50.

While there has been significant progress, more can still be done, Ms. Bromfield said, noting that about half of all cancer deaths are preventable, principally through lifestyle changes like smoking cessation.

“I grew up thinking that smoking was pretty cool,” said Marcie McCurlie, who started at age 16. She kept at it for a decade before quitting her pack-a-day habit for good earlier this year.

“I started to realize that smoking was aging me. It gives you wrinkles. I had asthma and I was getting sick all the time,” Ms. McCurlie said. “My doctor was a big influence in getting me to quit, and I feel a lot healthier now.”

David Hammond, an associate professor of public health at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ont., said there have been significant declines in smoking rates – to 17 per cent today from 50 per cent – and it is reflected in the mortality statistics.

“But there are still 4.7 million Canadians who smoke, so we’ve got a long way to go.”

Dr. Hammond said the key is prevention – ensuring young people don’t start smoking in the first place.

He said many initiatives have been taken, such as outlawing smoking in workplaces and bars, and graphic illustrations on cigarette packages, but government could – and should go further – by mandating plain packaging and outlawing flavoured tobacco that appeals to young people.

Dr. Hammond said there is a need for far more support for people who are trying to quit smoking and a crackdown on contraband tobacco, because high prices are one of the best disincentives to new smokers.

Nike Women’s Marathon

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Some motivation for your weekend

True words well spoken.
Remember, Team In Training is your only way into the famous Nike Women’s Marathon. Contact your local chapter to find out more. If you work long hours or don’t have time to train with the team, you can still be a part of everything with our Flex program! Same fantastic coaching and training, but on your own time.

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Nike Tribute Video

We could watch these all day!

Ain’t No Stopping Her Now

Judith Cardinaels still remembers the one woman who encouragingly shouted her name that cool October morning in San Francisco..

“I tell participants to write their names on their purple running shirts,” Cardinaels said, “And as I was hobbling along—I was running with a broken baby toe and a hurt knee—she just shouted ‘GO JUDITH GO!’ You can’t help but be motivated after that,” she smiled.

In fact, she still gets chills whenever she talks about the Nike Women’s Marathon, where she completed her first half marathon in 2009.

“What they do is incredible. What the marathon does is out of this world, and what Team In Training does is just beyond amazing,” she raved.

A casual 10km runner before, Cardinaels first heard of Team In Training when her colleague  had joined. Intrigued, her coworkers invited her to a Saturday morning group training session to see what it was like.

“I was hooked,”Cardinaels said, “I loved it. The team spirit, the group of people; there was a certain sense of pride in being a member of Team In Training. From there, Cardinaels attended an info session a few weeks later and signed on for the Nike Women’s Marathon in October of 2009.

“The fundraising scared me,” she laughed, “It scares everybody. But honestly, Team In Training makes it impossible to fail. They give you everything that you need to succeed, and more.”

In just a few months, Cardinaels had already reached the $4,900 fundraising minimum and went on to raise over $7,000 in total by race day.

Judith gives a classic thumbs-up at the Montreal Marathon

When asked what stood out to her the most at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco, she paused for several seconds.

“It was all amazing,” she said, “It was a sea of purple, everywhere you looked. The inspiration dinner the night before was incredible. I’m a chocolate fanatic, so I really liked the Chocolate Mile during the race. It was right near the end, when you really need that last push.”

One thing, though, really did take her breath away.

“They have this wall where they write everybody’s name on it,” she said, “Every single participant, their name is up on that wall. I still get shivers thinking about it.”

 She ran with a few friends and though they had gotten separated during the race because of different paces, the reunion at the end was emotional and moving.

“Going through that and then being able to grab your friends and hug them, to share that experience is just overwhelming,” she said.

She paused for a moment when asked to describe the entire experience in only one word.

“I can’t,” she said, “You just have to live it. You have to live it to understand.”

And you can live it. Grab a few of your girlfriends, contact your local chapter, and sign up. If you sign up in groups of 3 or more, you’ll get  10% discount.

If group training doesn’t fit your schedule, ask about our Flex program–same great coaching and tools, but you train on your own time.

Make sure you follow TNT Canada on Twitter and like them on Facebook, they’re all about girl power. The month of May will be focused on amazing female marathoners, inspirational quotes from female athletes, and nutrition & training tips!

As a special treat, we found this video which we absolutely LOVED. Gives a great look into what the Nike Women’s Marathon with Team In Training can entail:

Nike Women’s Marathon–The one marathon you don’t want to miss!

Exciting times are ahead! Our Team In Training campaigns are officially accepting registrations for the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco!

We don’t readily admit to biases, but we have to say that this is our absolute most favourite marathon. If the thought of running a marathon intimidates you, then this is the one you want to do. How does a Chocolate Mile sound? Mani/Pedi tents on the race site? How about instead of being handed a clunky medal, at the end of your race you’re walked down a red carpet where a fireman in a tuxedo hands you a custom made Tiffany’s necklace on a silver platter?

We’re not kidding–it’s not too good to be true. It’s just how the Nike Women’s Marathon rolls.

Consider yourself lucky if you were able to snag a spot from the marathon lottery that closed last week. As of then, your only ticket into the marathon is through Team In Training.

Nike has always been a staff favourite (even to work at!), and in 2009 our TNT manager in Montreal, Tara, ran the half with her mom (her mom, Patty, chose to walk).

“I wasn’t even a runner before,” Tara said, “I was a soccer player. But the Nike Women’s Marathon was the first Team In Training event I worked at, and I just knew I had to run it.”

“I can’t sell or promote something that I don’t believe in, but Team In Training…it’s real. It’s the only way I could have done this.”

Tara still gets emotional when talking about the event.

“It’s just incredible,” she said, “I was so proud when I got there. I was so happy that I was doing this with my mom, I was excited for everybody. I cried throughout the whole thing.”

Tara and her mom at the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco, October 2009

For her, it was the attention to detail and the reputation of the marathon going above and beyond that really astounded her.

“They had a giant wall where they put every participants name on it,” she said, “we huddled around and there’s your name amongst 20,000 other participants. The red carpet at the end, welcoming you to the finish line. The Tiffany’s necklace. It’s just an amazing experience,” she said.

And indeed, every year this marathon raises its game with new surprises. Between the Ghirardelli chocolates handed out during the Chocolate Mile to the Tiffany’s necklace that you can only get if you complete the race, the Nike Women’s Marathon is more than a marathon: it’s an experience.

Ladies, pillow fights are so last year. Grab a few of your girlfriends, contact your local chapter, and sign up. San Francisco (and a few firemen!) are waiting for you.

If group training doesn’t fit your schedule, ask about our Flex program–same great coaching and tools, but you train on your own time.

Make sure you follow TNT Canada on Twitter and like them on Facebook, they’re all about girl power. The month of May will be focused on amazing female marathoners, inspirational quotes from female athletes, and nutrition & training tips!

Madrid Marathon – Si!

 

The time has come!

Participants and staff from Team In Training are up and out, en route to Madrid for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon this Sunday, April 22nd.

Good luck to all of them!

A special little shout out goes to two very inspiring people from Team In Training Atlantic Canada : our very own Amanda, and Chuck Wurster.

Amanda is a campaign coordinator for Team In Training out in Halifax–she lost her dad to cancer a few years ago, and her passion for curing cancer of ALL kinds continues to be a humongous source of inspiration to everyone around her, including her colleagues. Amanda, we have seen first hand how hard you have worked to get to this point, and we’re all so proud of you!

Keep that smile, even when it hurts!

We told you of Chuck’s story a few months ago, and he continues to astound us. Chuck has raised over $55,000 for the LLSC in honour of his wife, Cheryl. He’s showing no signs of slowing down. There have been some new developments since we last spoke to him; he put a  summer team together for the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon on May 20th, and they are aiming to raise $25,000.   To recognize Wurster’s fundraising efforts, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will link his name to a cutting-edge, LLS-funded scientist, in memory of his wife.  The Cheryl Wurster Memorial Fund has also been established.  All funds raised by Wurster and his team members will support this fund. You can donate to his cause here.

Chuck is actually generating quite a bit of local buzz in Nova Scotia. He’ll be on the Rick Howe Show on News 95.7 tonight at 6 p.m. Atlantic time and then again by News 95.7 live from Spain on Saturday at 9 a.mm Atlantic time. He’s also being interviewed by CTV, and that segment will air next week. We’ll keep you posted!

 

Good luck to Chuck, Amanda, and the thousands of Team In Training participants across the continent who are about to have the time of their lives!

 

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Tid Bits

Hello everyone! We hope you all enjoyed a nice long weekend, and happy late Easter/Passover to all those who celebrate. Our resident pastry-chef-turned-LLSC-employee treated us late week, and brought some delicious chocolate fudge cupcakes into the office:

YUM!

We have a few things on the go for you coming up. Let’s break it down(insert joke about the early 90′s here):

1.  Défi Ananas is only 22 days away! It’s the first 5k of its kind in Canada–a costume-laden, mud-runnin’, pineapple-holdin’ good time! Teams of 2 or more dress up in costumes and tear through an obstacle course, all while holding onto a pineapple.  This year it’s in Montreal, it’ll be a great time and there’s a big luau party afterward, so get 1 or 4 of your pals and register!

2.  Team In Training is now taking registrations for the  Nike Women’s Marathon in October. This marathon is very hard to get into–near impossible–if you’re not with Team In Training. And trust us, this is NOT a marathon you want to miss! For one, San Francisco is just beautiful…and if that’s not a good enough motivation, then know that every finisher gets a Tiffany’s necklace. Woohoo! Every year Tiffany designs a custom necklace that is only available if you participate in the marathon. Contact your local TNT chapter to sign up and start training!

3. A call to arms! The LLSC is selling these bracelets:

They say “Relentless” and represent how we feel in the fight against blood cancer: we won’t stop until we find a cure. Show your support for our cause and purchase some! These bracelets can be a great fundraising tool for participants, and they serve as a battle cry for all those fighting for a cure. Contact your local chapter to order yours!

4. If you’re a Team In Training Ontario participant/fan and wondering where the Facebook page went, don’t panic. Our friends in the Onatrio region just gave it a little facelift and a new home. You can find it here.

Cheers, everyone. Have a great rest of the week!

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A Mother’s Love

We’re profiling some of our amazing participants and families across all of our campaigns. If you have a story you’d like to share, please e-mail lisa.williams@lls.org. This is Abby’s heartbreaking but inspirational journey.

 

It’s a mother’s worse nightmare, and one that Abby Fyfe doesn’t want another parent to go through.

 That’s why she runs. She runs to focus on something else, she runs to channel her energy—she runs for William, the son she lost at just 6 years old on August 17, 2011.

 Ten years into her marriage, William was the unexpected yet perfectly timed gem.

 

Abby and her son, William.

“It was almost like karma, the timing was so perfect. My husband and I had just moved back to Ottawa after living in Kingston, we were starting new jobs, we had a new house in a wonderful family neighbourhood with kids all over the place.”

 “I was 36 years old, just about to turn 37, and I started to think ‘what am I doing with my life?’” Fyfe chuckled, “Then I found out I was pregnant.”

 While newfound impending motherhood can make any woman a little nervous, Fyfe quickly found peace of mind when she met two other mothers her age with baby boys that were born within months of William. The three women bonded with each other and shared their fears and questions, enjoying coffee dates while their children played.

 “I was terrified about William in the beginning,” Fyfe said, “But having friends there definitely helped me adjust.” Fyfe enjoyed being a mom to young William, and maintained a fairly active lifestyle. She completed 2 half marathons in 2010, where William met her near the end of the races and brought her across the finish line.

 “He was so proud of my running,” she smiled.

 When William turned 6 years old last August, he started feeling ill after his birthday party.

 “He had a fever, swollen glands, and just generally wasn’t feeling well,” Fyfe explained, “I gave him some Tylenol and it perked him up a bit. My husband took him to our family doctor the next day and they took a swab for strep throat.”

 “The doctors were so certain that William had strep throat, that they sent us home with a prescription for the antibiotics and told us to just wait for the results, take the medicine and he’ll be good to go,” Fyfe’s voice became strained. Overnight, William became sicker and sicker, and started throwing up. By lunch the next day, Fyfe knew that something was seriously wrong.

 “So I bundled him up and took him to the ER,” Fyfe choked, “And he never came out of it.”

 It happened fast. The original diagnosis was that young William was in septic shock. An oncologist took a blood marrow sample and did some tests, but the tests were inconclusive. William’s organs were shutting down at a rapid pace, and doctors told Fyfe that there was nothing they could do.

 “They weren’t 100% sure it was leukemia until after he died,” Fyfe said, “We got a phone call the next day confirming it was acute lymphoblastic leukemia that had gone undiagnosed.”

The family was in shock. Dealing with the emotional turmoil of losing a child, Fyfe still felt a strong need to do something about her grief, to channel her energy in a way that could be beneficial to others. While driving in the car, she heard an ad for Team In Training on the radio.

William walks his mom, Abby, after she finished the 9-Run-Run race in 2010.

 “I just knew,” Fyfe said, “I thought about it for awhile, but I knew right away.”

Distance didn’t deter the half-marathon athlete, and Fyfe quickly found therapy in running with people who knew firsthand what she was going through.

 “I get comfort in that,” she said, “We don’t really talk about it. We go, we run, we share; we just know each other is dealing with something. It’s the underlying thing. We all know why we’re there.”

 Fyfe has raised over $20,000 and will run her first full marathon, the Vancouver BMO Marathon, in May with Team In Training. With a few nagging injuries, Fyfe is focused on just making it to the starting line.

 “Whatever happens after that is between me and the road,” she said, “I’ll cross the finish line in whatever time I do, whether I run across it or walk across it.”

 Fyfe isn’t running the marathon as an athletic feat, her reasons runs much deeper than a personal best.

 “The last thing my son ever said to me was ‘Mommy, make it stop,’” she said, “That’s the reason why I’m doing this.”

 “This is my way of saying to William ‘I’m trying to make it stop.’”

 To donate to Abby’s fundraising campaign, click here.

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