MAKE IT OFFICIAL.
PLEDGE NOW
LEARN MORE + GET INVOLVED
kina grannis copyright 2011
Hello, my name is Kina. I make music. When I'm not making music, I'm generally either 1) in front of a computer trying to connect with awesome humans all over the world in any way possible or 2) dwelling on the many millions of ways I could become a better me. I also like to run... although, sometimes the only part I like about it is having finished.
For a long time I've had this idea in the back of my head. I wanted to help people feel good about themselves. I wanted to live a healthy lifestyle and bring others along with me. I wanted to give back. I wanted to inspire and be inspired. I wanted a community of like-minded individuals to join together and hold each other accountable for doing what we know we should be doing--being healthy, challenging ourselves, giving back, striving to be the best we can be, etc...
Thus was born Run Team Kina. My goals are simple: 1) make a difference in the world and 2) make a difference in ourselves. Oh, and then there's 3) raise $50,000 to fund a research grant in our name... but we'll get to that later.
Make a difference in the world.
Raise money and awareness for blood cancers by fundraising for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Make a difference in ourselves.
Challenge ourselves to live a healthier lifestyle in whatever capacity we feel fit. I am inviting participants to embark on an 5-month journey with me during which we will train for a race and hold each other accountable for making a change.
Raise $50,000 to fund a research grant in our name.
As an added bonus, if we raise $50,000 as a team between February 16th and April 28th, 2012 we can fund a cancer research grant in our name!
Whether you're goal is to train for a race, get more active, eat healthier, lose weight, raise $1,000 for LLS, (the possibilities go on and on...) first PLEDGE your commitment to yourself and to Run Team Kina here!
Anyone anywhere can be a part of RTK!
1 Pick your distance. (5k, 10k, 1/2 marathon--walking or running, or both!)
2 Find a race (near you or somewhere you'd like to visit!) and register for it!
3 Get your training plan .
4 Sign up on dailymile.com and join the Run Team Kina group HERE . (If you want, add me as a friend here !)
5 Start running! Log your workouts on dailymile.com so we can track our total miles as a team.
6 Raise money & awareness ! From February 16th to April 28th we will be fundraising as a team for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Individual fundraising pages are available now for personalization, however donations will not be accepted until February.
7 Have fun :)
Support Run Team Kina in whatever capacity suits you! Everyone is welcome :)
For example...
You get the point. Our goal is to:
1) make a difference in the world, and
2) make a difference in ourselves.
Any tiny step you take in the right direction counts!
*donations will be accepted starting Febraury 16th!
The official Run Team Kina race month is June 2012, but if you'd like to choose a race anytime before or after that instead, do it! If time is not an issue, the more of us that can run "together" during this time period, the more fun!
We recommend finding a race near home or perhaps somewhere you'd like to travel to.
One great resource for finding races is the Runner's World Race Finder .
Once you've picked your race, find your training plan and map out when you'll need to start your official training. Until then, you can get your body used to the idea by working your way up to doing 30 minute walk/run workouts a couple times a week!
If you can't find a race from the Runner's World Race Finder, try googling races in your area. If you can't find a race but you want to run one, set a date for yourself and map out a race of your own to work towards! It's the thought that counts :)
So... you're running a race, eh? Let's get you ready!
To the left are links to training plans for running a 5K (3.1 miles), 10K (6.2 miles) and half marathon (13.1 miles).
I've selected the Jeff Galloway Training Program because it seems to be one of the least intimidating and most realistic programs for being active and incorporating it into your busy lives. If you are a veteran runner, it may be a fun challenge for you to seek out a more aggressive training program or go for a full marathon instead.
If you find a program that suits you better, by all means, do it!
If you're new to running or have any questions we have a team of experienced professional coaches and a dietitian ready to answer any questions you have. Meet the coaches here!
Always consult your physician or health care provider before beginning any nutrition or exercise program. Part of becoming healthy is making sure you're not putting your body in harm's way.
For general advice
check out the running FAQs !
Fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will take place from February 16th through April 28th, 2012 . Until then, you can start spreading the word about your involvement so we reach as many people as possible! You can fundraise in the following two ways:
1. Create your own personal or team page . If you have a personal connection to the cause you'd like to share, if you're just really excited about the idea of getting healthy and challenging yourself, or if you and your friends want to band together and form your own team within RTK, you can create your own page here . This way you can direct friends, family, coworkers, etc, to your personal page to let them in on what you're doing. They can donate straight to the page so you can see your total earned, and all of your donations will funnel in to the main Run Team Kina total. You can create your page whenever you want, but we won't start accepting donations until February 16th.
Fundraising Questions?
Email rtkfundraising_gmail.com for help!
2. Direct friends and family to the main donations page . If you want to be involved but don't care to divulge your personal reasons for doing so, you can simply direct people to the main page to support you there.
FUNDRAISING TIPS
• Personalize . If you have a tie to the cause, share it. If taking on a fitness routine is an important change for you, explain why. If you're simply trying to challenge yourself to be the best you possible, say so! And don't forget to add a picture to your page :)
• Share . Once you've organized some thoughts about why you're participating in RTK and why it'd be amazing for people to support you, let them know! Get in contact with friends, family, coworkers, send out emails or letters, post about it to Twitter and Facebook. Follow-up is key and dont forget to thank your donors!
Jeff Galloway Training Program:
This program is designed for those who have been doing some running or walking for a few weeks. If you think that you need more conditioning before starting the program, use the Conditioning Program.
Note: This is the minimum that Ive found necessary to finish with strength. If you are already running/walking more than this amount and are able to recover between workouts, you may continue to do what you are doingbut be careful.
1. I dont recommend that first-time half marathon participants try for a time goal. Do the first one to finish, running/walking at a comfortable training pace.
2. To begin this program, you should have done a long run/walk within the past 2 weeks of at least 3 miles. If your long one is not this long, then gradually increase the weekend run/walk to this distance before starting this program.
3. (Runners) What is my current level of performance? Read the chapter in the book on Choosing The Right Goal.... After you have run 3-4 magic miles (MM), multiply by 1.2. This tells you what you are currently capable of running in a half marathon right now (at a very hard effort), when the temperature is 60° F or below and when you have done the long runs listed in the schedule. Even in the half marathon itself, I dont recommend running this fastun at the training pace that was comfortable for you on your last long runs.
4. (Runners) What pace should I run on the long ones? Take your MM time and multiply by 1.3. Then add 2 minutes. The result is your suggested long run pace per mile on long runs at 60F or cooler. It is always better to run slower than this pace.
5. Walkers and runners should pace the long one so there no huffing and puffingeven at the end.
6. When the temperature rises above 60° F: runners slow down by 30 seconds a mile for every 5 degrees above 60° F. Walkers slow down enough to avoid huffing and puffing.
7. Run-walk-run ratio should correspond to the pace used (Runners).
8 min/mirun 4 min/walk 35 seconds
9 min/mi 4 min run-1 min walk
10 min/mi-3:1
11 min/mi2:30-1
12 min/mi-2:1
13 min/mi-1:1
14 min/mi30 sec run/30 sec walk
15 min/mi30 sec/45 sec
16 min/mi30 sec/60 sec
8. Walkers use the walk-shuffle ratio that works for you to avoid huffing and puffing
9. It is fine to do cross training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday if you wish. There will be little benefit to your running/walking in doing this, but youl increase your fatburning potential. Dont do exercises like stair machines that use the calf muscle on cross training days.
10. Be sure to take a vacation from strenuous exercise on the day before your weekend runs/walks.
11. An optional pace run TT is noted on the Tuesday run. To get used to a pace you want to run in the race itself, time yourself for a mile, and take the walk breaks as you will do them in the race.
12. Have fun!
Credit:
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon
2/15/12: Coaches are temporarily unavailable to respond to email. Please direct all training questions to the forum. Thanks!
Achy Knees? Sore shins? Blisters?
No idea what you're doing?
We have an amazing team of experienced coaches who are generously donating their time and wisdom to help you out!
Post your questions in the FORUM for feedback from teammates.
For personal questions, you can reach our coaches via email.
Running questions: RTKcoaches_gmail.com
Nutrition questions: RTKnutrition_gmail.com
Click on the photos below for full bios on all our coaches.
Jennifer Krohn was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Growing up
with a health conscious father and in an environment where most of the
fad diets and exercise crazes began, Jennifer gained an interest in
nutrition and healthy living from an early age. To follow her desire
to help others, Jennifer earned her Bachelor degree in psychology from
UC Santa Cruz. Soon after, Jennifer pursued her passion in nutrition,
and obtained a Master of Science degree in clinical nutrition from
NYU. Jennifer now combines her counseling skills and nutrition
knowledge as an outpatient dietitian. She serves the veterans at the
Los Angeles Veteran's Hospital and provides individual and group
counseling for weight loss, diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease and
many other conditions. Jennifer was a participant with TNT in 2008
and ran the San Diego Rock' n Roll Marathon and since then has a
passion for sports nutrition and running. Jennifer is also certified
as a personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
I have been a runner for all of my adult life and have also been coaching for the last 10 years. As an athlete, I was an All American distance runner at Stanford placing 2nd at the NCAA championships. After graduation, I was sponsored by Nike for another 7 years, tried out for 3 Olympic teams (narrowly missing), represented the United States at the World Championships (where I placed 22nd), and competed in 10+ national championships. I won the Long Beach Marathon in 1999 in my first marathon attempt. After "retiring" from competing, my coaching experience includes coaching high school athletes, new runners, people aiming to qualify for the Boston Marathon, US Secret Service agents training to run with the President, and more. I have been a Team in Training coach for 8 seasons, coaching hundreds of participants including music sensation Kina Grannis!
Zach is in his fifth year coaching cross country and track & field at Issaquah High School in Washington state. He's helped students develop through all skill levels, from very beginners to varsity athletes. Recently, his runners placed third at the state championships, a rewarding accomplishment. He is the singer and guitarist in the folk/rock band, the Dead Flowers, currently preparing for their third recording. Zach is excited to work with all interested runners involved with Run Team Kina.
Abel recently ran six marathons in six months for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, so he has a little bit of an idea what you've gotten yourself into. Currently, he proudly serves on the LLS's Man & Woman of the Year committee, and helps organize benefit concerts for art education non-profits, including Impacto Project, the 24 Foundation, and the Tuscaloosa Schools Disaster Relief Fund. Abel regales with his running and charity exploits on his blog, 6n6challenge.com, enjoying literally dozens of readers every week! When not running, Abel works on NBC's criminally under-appreciated comedy Community, designs posters, and eats unabashedly. Video evidence exists of him eating 96 cookies in a single hour. Abel is excited to be pacing Run Team Kina at the Canyon Meadow Half Marahon in June.
Marc is an accomplished distance runner from Southern New Jersey. At the high school level, he was a Meet of Champions winner in cross country and the outdoor 1600. He ran for Villanova University, competing in the 800 through 5k, and cross country. He is a Big East champion in cross country and the indoor Distance Medley Relay. After college, Marc completed his eligibility at George Mason where he received his Masters degree in Health Communication.
Marc has been coaching online since 2010 and has helped many athletes achieve tremendous results. TrainWithMarc athletes have competed in the prestigious ING New York City marathon and the Philadelphia marathon. TrainWithMarc athletes race in 5k's, 10k's, and half marathons. His runners have also competed in Obstacle Races. Athletes range in ability from first time runners to aspiring Olympic Trials Qualifiers. TWM new runners have seen marked improvements and have met numerous personal bests.
Marc is also an assistant coach at Cherokee High School, in Marlton, NJ. As an assistant coach, he is responsible for the middle and long distance runners. In 2011, Marc helped coach the Cherokee team to 5 championships: SJ Shoot Out, Division, County, Conference, and Group 4 Sectionals.
Currently, Marc trains post-collegiately for the Brooks Haddonfield Running Company team and is trying to attain an Olympic Trials standard in the 5k, 10k or Marathon. He also runs numerous local and regional road races. His latest finish was a 49th place (out of more than 15,000) run in the 2010 Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon with a time of 1:10:19.
www.trainwithmarc.com/
I want to run a race but there's no race in my area! What should I do?
The point of RTK is the process, not necessarily the race at the end. Pick a day in June, map out a distance online and make your own race! You can even start a group of RTK participants in your area to run it with you.
I can't commit to a race, does that mean I can't be involved?
You don't need to run to be a part of RTK. All we want is for people to take on any personal challege for themselves and commit through June.
I've never run and I really don't think I can. Meh?
I've seen people who can hardly walk one mile train and complete a full marathon. Your body can do a amazing things if you make it! Slow baby steps :) Go for a 5K! In 5 months, 3 miles will be a piece of cake!
Where can I donate?
Starting February 16th, we will begin accepting donations here . Until then, our focus is to work on ourselves!
H ow can I calculate my miles?
For iPhone and Android users, a great free running app is RunKeeper. It records your run time, average pace, total distance, calories burned, and also maps out your run. Another free running app available app that is iPhone, Android and Blackberry friendly is iMapMyRun.
If you don't have a smart phone, you can either run your workouts on a track to keep track of your distance, or map out your run before you go out to make sure you get a certain amount of miles in. For longer runs, this is a good approach for anyone. You can use sites like iMapMyRun or Google Maps to manually map out a run from your starting point.
Just make sure you remember the directions once you leave the house!
What if I don't live in the US? Can I still participate? Is it international?
Yes! Run Team Kina exists wherever there are ready and willing people to get involved. You can live anywhere and be a part of RTK by challenging yourself and fundraising for LLS.
Will there be shirts?
Yes! Within the month, RTK running shirts, tshirts and wristbands will be available! All proceeds will go towards our fundraising goal :)
What are the "total miles" on the homepage and how are they calculated?
The total miles are our total miles as a team, as calculated by our dailymile.com group . The number will be manually updated as often as possible. So if you're running or walking, be sure to join the group and log your miles so they count!
Can I start a Run Team Kina group in my city?
If you want to organize a group of people to train or race together, go for it! You can run any race in the world on behalf of RTK, or you could even make up your own race with some friends. We will all be united through RTK.com, so be sure to tie in your group to the main site!
Don't wait to take walk breaks. By alternating walking and running from the beginning, you speed recovery without losing any of the endurance effect of the long one. Start with jogging one to two minutes and walking two to three minutes. As your training level increases you can adjust your run/walk ratio to running 5 minutes/walking one minute on your long runs.
Be sure to do the running portion slow enough at the beginning of every run (especially the long run) so that you'll feel tired but strong at the end. The conservatism will allow you to recover faster.
Every other day you can cross-train instead of walking. Cross country ski machines, water running, cycling, and any other other mode which you find fun and interesting (but non-pounding) will improve overall fitness.
Stay conversational on all of your exercise sessions. This means that you should be exerting yourself at a low enough level that you could talk. It's okay to take deep breaths between sentences, but you don't want to "huff and puff" between every word.
As the runs get longer, be sure to keep your blood sugar boosted by eating an energy bar (or equivalent) about an hour before exercise. Drink water continuously before and during exercise and with all food.
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html#10k
http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/5k.html
RTK is a two-pronged project. There is you. And there is the world.
YOU: We will work on ourselves by making healthy choices, being active, challenging ourselves, striving for a goal, supporting each other, training, running, racing, learning that we can tackle things we never thought we could.
WORLD: We will raise money and awareness in support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and as a result help find a cure for blood cancers and improve the quality of life for patients and their families.
THE BREAKDOWN
You decide to make a commitment and you decide what that commitment is.
Will you take on training for a race with RTK? Maybe just a promise to do something active 3 times a week? Maybe just a decision to respect yourself more?
Execute. Start living that commitment. Run. Walk. Bike. Swim. Eat your vegetables. Whatever your commitment entails, start doing that.
Share. Use this website as a place to share your stories, your experiences, your worries, your victories. Inspire and be inspired.
Fundraise. From February 16th through April 28th we will take on fundraising for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in addition to keeping up our commitments to ourselves. Invite friends and family to support your efforts and the cause. Maybe they'd like to give you $1, maybe $100. Either way, it'll make a difference. If we raise $50,000 as a team, we can fund a blood cancer research grant in our name.
Celebrate. Our efforts will culminate in June during our official race month. Though our races may take place in different cities all over the world, we'll be running together. Cheer on your fellow teammates and celebrate in your accomplishments. And then, keep going. :)
In 2000, my mother (known to many as "Mama G") was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called Polycythemia Vera. I was scared to death and in a lot of ways I think I just shut down. When someone you love gets diagnosed with cancer, the whole world kind of stops making sense.
Somewhere along the way I realized that internalizing all my pain and trying to pretend it wasn't real wasn't going to change anything. I started channeling my feelings to more productive outlets. No sense in wasting life hiding from what is really happening when you can do things to better the situation. The big wake up call was watching my mom--even at the height of her being sick, she never stopped being the fun, positive, insanely generous person that she is. She never stopped moving. Never stopped putting people before her and doing whatever it took to make them happy and show them they were loved. Seeing that kind of resilience put things into perspective. SHE was the sick one, and yet she carried on like nothing had changed.
She began treatment early on and has continued ever since. Thanks to the help of great doctors and my genius of a dad, her condition is now under control and she is doing great. However, that doesn't stop me for one second from hating cancer's guts. I want it dead and gone and I don't want anyone to ever have to deal with it again.
Needless to say, an organization like The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society--with a mission to cure blood cancers and improve the lives of those affected by them--is very important to me. But this isn't just about me and my family. Every four minutes, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer, and every 10 minutes, someone dies from it. By raising money for LLS, we can help change those numbers and hopefully someday eliminate them altogether.
I started running in high school. I did cross country and track. When I started, I wasn't the best and I wasn't the worst, but what I loved about running was that it's not about how "good" you are. I've always seen running as a challenge with yourself alone. It's not about comparing yourself to other people (which I spend way too much of my life doing) but comparing yourself to you, beating YOUR best time, running longer and harder than YOU have before. I had an awesome coach who pushed me and inspired me and made running feel important. I made varsity sophomore year and kept trucking along. I discovered I had athletically induced asthma, which never killed me, but was a giant pain. One of my coaches nicknamed me "wheezer" because about halfway into every race the asthma would set in and I would say goodbye to normal breathing and muscle function, and at that point it became more of a mental battle to finish the race than anything. Senior year I was made team captain. I loved my team and I loved seeing my teammates outdo themselves over and over again.
In college, I was a "runner." After such intense training in high school, I think the identity of "runner" had been permanently burned into my brain. The problem with that was I still felt like a runner even when I hadn't run for months. I went in and out of running routines in college, and while I didn't do it as often as I would have liked, my love for the IDEA of running stuck with me.
Post-college was a lot of the same until June 2008 when my college roommate invited me to run the Nike Women's Marathon with her that October. It scared me to death. Even identifying most of my life as a runner never prepared me for the idea that I could actually live through a marathon. I wanted to say yes and I wanted to say no. I ended up saying yes, and in that moment it wasn't for me, but for my mom.
We trained with Team In Training, a program that trains people for races and simultaneously raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The Nike Women's Marathon is also a race devoted to LLS. My mom was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer called Polycythemia Vera in 2000 and, for obvious reasons, this organization has been extremely important to me ever since. Watch my video about my experience here.
I ran my first and only marathon in October 2008. It was one of the most challenging things I've ever done, mentally and physically, but one of the most empowering things as well.
Now I want to share running with you :)
I've recently had the honor of being nominated for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Woman Of The Year. Having had the idea for Run Team Kina mulling around in the back of my mind for some time, this seemed like a great time to finally put it into motion. It is through this program that we will be able to fund and name a research grant if we manage to raise $50,000. Our Run Team Kina fundraising will run in conjuction with this campaign, and while it is a huge honor to be nominated, my biggest hope is for participants to get something out of the experience and feel good about themselves, and for us as a team to raise as much as we can to help find a cure for blood cancers. This isn't about winning or losing, it's about doing our best.
RUNNING TIPS
The Basics
Start light. Although the act of running comes as a natural and familiar activity for most people, it can still be stressful and taxing to a body not yet acclimated to such exertion. Keep your first few runs short (20min), at a pace slow enough that you can maintain a conversation--this keeps the workout aerobic, allowing oxygen into your blood. Take walk breaks when necessary and stay hydrated.
Use common sense, and take basic precautions when running in extreme heat, cold, wind, rain, etc. Sunblock if its sunny.
Always listen to your body. Keep your head up and give a knowing smile and a nod to other runners you see roaming the streets.
Running Safety
Run smart. Don't run in dangerous areas. Be careful at night. Run with a friend if you can. Keep a cell phone on you in case of an emergency.
For night running, wear a headlamp and bright or reflective clothing.
For anytime running, always be extra careful around stoplights, stop signs, and driveways.
Don't run for more than an hour without available water.
Aches and Pains
If you're feeling any pain during your runs outside of normal fatigue and burning that comes with exercising, ice the affected area as soon as you're back from the run. Reach out to our coaches to explain your symptoms and see if there is anything you can be doing to alleviate the problem.
RUNNING FAQS
How can I calculate my miles?
I'm brand new to exercising. Can I walk? How can I work up to running?
Tons of walkers and walk/runners participate in races from 5ks all the way to full marathons and it's a completely valid form of exercise. You can use the training plans provided on the Training page and walk instead of run them. If you'd like to work your way up to running, check out Jeff Galloway's notes for beginners .
What should I eat or drink before a run? Before? After?
Pre-workout: Comsume 16oz of fluid before bed on nights before morning runs. Start the day with at least 8oz of caffeine-free fluids. If you're a coffee drinker, go ahead and have your coffee, too. Eat something simple and nutritious before long runs. Lots of runners swear by bananas, peanut butter sandwiches, bagels, granola, Gatorade, water, and even coffee. Allow at least an hour to digest food before a run.
During workout: Water is essential for workouts 60min or longer. Drink when you're thirsty; don't wait. For runs longer than an hour, sports drinks, energy gels and bars help to replace carbs and electrolytes (salts, potassium) lost during exertion. Consume 6-8 oz of fluid and at least 100 calories for energy, per hour. If you begin to feel light-headed, sluggish, dizzy, or nauseous, immediately stop running, rest, drink water, and eat something if you can.
After workout: Try to get nutrition within half an hour of your workout to make the most of your recovery. Protein is critical to speed the repair of muscle tissue. Continue eating high-carb foods for 4 hours after your exercise.
Do I need special shoes for running?
Runners World has an excellent collection of quick articles to help new runners learn about their feet and find the perfect shoe. Check it out here.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
RunTeamKina_gmail.com
RUNNING QUESTIONS
RTKcoaches_gmail.com
DIETARY & NUTRITION QUESTIONS
RTKnutrition_gmail.com
FUNDRAISING QUESTIONS
RTKfundraising_gmail.com
Anyone anywhere in the world can be a part of RTK, all you need is to make a promise to challenge yourself in some way. Whether your goal is to train for a race, get more active, eat healthier, lose weight, gain weight, respect your body, raise $1,000 for LLS, (the possibilities go on and on...) PLEDGE your commitment to yourself and to Run Team Kina here!
Run Team Kina is about bettering
ourselves through goals,
self-discipline, and giving.
Join and virtually train with Kina
in support of
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
or simply support the cause!
