Hi Ladies, I hope those of you who didn't make it out for our team run in Biltmore Forest this morning still had a chance to enjoy the mild temps & lovely sunshine today. There seemed to be so much miscommunication & confusion about today's run that I thought it might be helpful to answer some common team questions... "When do you meet?" Mondays 6am in front of FDNSC (119 Brevard Rd) Tuesdays 4:30pm in front of the Carrier Park picnic pavilion Wednesdays 6am in the Charlotte St Starbucks parking lot Thursdays 5pm in front of the Carrier Park picnic pavilion Saturday's times, locations & distances vary but we strive for at least one Carrier Park long run each month "Speaking of long runs..." Our long runs are scheduled for Saturdays (a few times a year it is necessary to have them on Sunday instead, but that is pretty rare). After a few years it became super tedious to always run around the Carrier Park trails for mile after mile so we elected to have running field trips, so to speak, for our Saturdays. Teammates can offer up routes that fit our team needs, but we often explore new routes too. Sometimes they workout wonderfully (Biltmore Forest), sometimes not (Brevard to West Asheville on the BRP). The meeting times change depending on many factors (weather, location, traffic, team needs). The distance is always stated on your team training calendar that each teammate has a copy of. Most importantly YOU DO NOT HAVE TO RUN the long run. It just means more miles/more time spent on your feet. I will always work with you on your specific needs. "How will I know if there is a change in plans?" Good, no GREAT, question! There are many of you. Only one of me (Nancy does stand in nicely for me from time to time though). If you want info on a particular run, or you just want me to look for you at the start (it can get very busy at Carrier Park) you should definitely let me know. The best way is via txt, the next best way is a phone call, Facebook is good & Twitter will give you all my updates. Please do not expect a txt from me. I will reply to your txt but I simply cannot txt everyone. Email. I get a lot of email (I know some of you can relate) so this is not a great option. Current & active clients of mine get moved to the top of the email list but very often I cannot get to team emails before they get shuffled down onto the next page of my inbox. Also, team emails tend to ask similar questions like "so where are we meeting Saturday?" when I forget to attach a map to an email. You may have noticed I have replied to your email via the group, usually because you asked a great question! Please don't get me wrong; I love reading the emails you send, especially when you let me know your thoughts on a particular topic, I just can't always respond personally. "Wait! What if YOU (Marty) are sick or out of town? Do we still meet? YES! Nancy will always know if I am stuck in traffic, sick or simply on vacation. If you sent me a txt saying you plan on running that day I will pass it along to her. Don't bother looking for her car, she may run down to that park on any given day :) She'll find you! "So, who's Nancy?" Nancy is many things besides wonderful! She helped create the team with me way back when, she is our team Event Coordinator (she does an outstanding job working with race directors), and she is our fastest & most consistent runner. And, most importantly, she is always in the know. Sometimes when I get a team email that needs a response it will be forwarded on to Nancy. "Are there really walkers that train with the team?" Yes, but, they are the shyest of the group. I know you're out there reading this!!! Wednesday mornings seem to be the most popular for the fitness walkers but Thursday evening has a good share too. It should be noted that we don't all just line up & race each other around Carrier Park. Some runners like their music & to run their own pace but really enjoy the warm-up & stretch portions with the team. Some runners will naturally pair up & chat. We often run in different directions & for different distances. The more teammates that make a habit of supporting the team regularly, the more opportunity there will be for everyone to have a pace partner. "Is everyone a marathoner???" Heck no! This will be the first team marathon coming up in a couple of weeks. Who knows? It might be the last! When the team was first formed it was meant for clients who were looking to loose weight & new runners to have a safe & supportive environment. Each season we have a goal race to train for but until this year the goal race was always a 1/2 marathon. Not everyone who trains with the team has intentions of running a 1/2 or full marathon, but it is an option. "Why does it cost money to join? And how much does it cost?" It takes money & supplies to keep the team safe & comfortable. I donate 5-8hrs of my work week to the team but the cost of ice, water, first aid supplies, chewing gum, cups, tissues, extra gels/gu's/beans, gatoraid/cytomax, body glide/Vaseline, gas for team support drivers, map print outs, sunscreen & all the other bits-n-pieces that get used adds up. Just think; if you run 45 long runs out of 52 Saturdays a year that's more than $50 in gels, but if you pay the $20-30/year to the team you get access to the team supply of extra gels. And all summer long you'll be treated to ice water & sunscreen :) "Do I need to let you know if I am not coming?" Only if you told me you were coming to a particular run, because I'll be holding up the team waiting on you. Otherwise I'll rather know who is coming, so I can hold up the team to wait for them :) Seriously, you should let me know if you plan on attending a morning run since they are most likely to be canceled due to lack of attendance (believe me, you don't want to just show up & find out all the other girls bailed because it was so cold/rainy). You should also let me know if you plan on attending a run at Carrier Park in questionable weather since the park has flooded more than once this year. So in short...come out & get your run on! Take time to inform yourself, assume little & call or txt me with questions. Believe me; I would rather answer 10 phone calls than deal with one accusatory email by someone who felt left out. DON'T be left out. Be informed! Take advantage of someone else planning your run. Feel safer knowing that there is a group looking out for you. Feed off the awesome team energy & support. Be an inspiration to someone new to the sport. Learn from the mistakes of others (always funnier to hear those stories in person). Make fitness, yourself & your team of women a priority in your daily life; you'll feel AND look better. Some things have to be believed in to be seen. |
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Team CRAVE: FAQ
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