Team in Training

Meg and I went for the informational meeting yesterday with Team in Training, an organization which trains ordinary people to do extraordinary things (sorry for the pun): run marathons and raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. It was a good meeting. As a charity organization, TiT has guaranteed spots in some big world marathons, which are really hard to get into. The problem is – they pick the events and set the fundraising goal for a member to be eligible to run in those events. For example, they have a marathon in Rome, Italy, (a mouthwatering race) planned for March 2011, and a local ‘Round the Bay race in Hamilton, Ontario.

In order to qualify for Rome, I have to fundraise $6,000. Or, $1,700 for Hamilton.

I really suck in fundraising. I suck in asking people for money, even when it’s for myself. I’m just bad, I’d rather pay it myself, than have to ask for money from someone else. That’s why I’m not in sales.

Therefore Team in Training is not for me, for two reasons: I’m too lousy a fundraiser, and too good a runner. Let me explain, before you judge this brazen statement. I doubt that I can raise $6,000 for Rome. It just goes against my character. And, I can register for Around the Bay race for $75, without having to beg people to donate. As for the second statement – TiT focuses on the beginners. They function more like a support group, such as weight-watchers, than like an athletic training group. I have been a beginner, three years ago.

True, they have some really fast runners, but the thing is – you train alone, and go for a group run on the weekend. The group run is in midtown Toronto. Alternatively, you could try to find a runner-mentor closer to your neighborhood.

To sum up – I won’t get the benefit of a good training with a group, save for once a week on a long run, which I prefer to do alone anyway, because it’s so difficult to find a running partner with the same speed. I won’t get to choose the races the organization can get me into. And, I’d have to break my own character and go out there to find money. A lot of money.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think TiT is a great way to go about it if you’re new to running and need a support group to keep you going. For me – I don’t think so. And Meg – well, I think I can train her just as efficiently, or better. She could have a benefit of her own, personal trainer, the one she can curse at when it gets hard.