Team Green in Training (Spring)

PAIGE KIMBRO

Paige Kimbro and her dad are huge fans of Lightning 100. “Anytime I am at home, Lightning 100 is on (he keeps a radio playing on our back porch almost 24 hrs a day) and anytime he rides in my car, that's the first thing that he does - change the station to Lightning 100 if it is not already on.”

Paige has previous experience running the Country Music Half in 2010 and the Warrior Dash in 2011, but she discovered Team In Training as a way to keep her busy in Nashville:

I got married in November 2012, and my husband is in the Army (He has been for almost 6 years). Shortly after we got married, we learned he was going to be re-stationed to Hawaii, and he moved there in January. He would then be deploying to Afghanistan within a few months after arriving in Hawaii. Although it is not ideal and was a very hard decision to make, we decided that it would be best that I stay here in Nashville for now (since I have a steady job and my family is nearby). He didn’t want me to quit my job, move to a new place, and then be all alone for 9 months in a new place while he was deployed.

Before my husband left, we looked for something I could get involved with in Nashville because I would have a lot of free time on my hands after he moved. I've always been involved in philanthropic organizations, so I wanted to find a good cause to support. I also love being physically active and wanted to see if there was an organization that combined both aspects. A friend told me about Team in Training and it sounded like it was exactly what I was looking for. My husband and I went to one of their Saturday runs to see what it was all about, and we both thought it was an amazing organization that I should be a part of. So, I joined!

Paige, fortunately, has no personal connection to blood cancers, but throughout her participation with Team in Training these past couple months, she has met many participants that have been either personally diagnosed, or have had a family member affected by blood cancer. Paige also said:

Although I do not have a personal connection to blood cancer, I do know how cancer, in general, affects a family. My Uncle Dennis (dad's brother) passed away with cancer last year. He was diagnosed late with Stage IV Stomach and Esophagus cancer. It was very hard on everyone, especially his two daughters (my cousins) because he passed away only a few short months after his diagnosis.

When asked what Paige is most looking forward to this season, she said:

Basically, everything. I am looking forward to meeting new people who all have a common goal, making new friends, raising money for such a great cause, meeting my fundraising goal, and finishing my second half marathon!

Check out Paige’s Blog to keep track of her progress and show her some support!

MICHAEL CHRISTO

Michael Christo has been a Lightning 100 listener for about three and a half years, since moving to Nashville from Michigan. To Michael, Lightning 100 is "honestly the best radio station I have ever listened to, anywhere!” Michael plans his weeks and weekends based on what he hears on Lightning 100, including Team Green events, which he just became a part of this past year. He says, “I wish I could go out on more hikes, when I do it’s amazing!”

Michael is training for the Country Music Half Marathon here in Nashville on April 27th. Michael has already completed two half marathons, so why suddenly join a Team to train with?

My inspiration to join TNT was to do something in memory of my Grandmother, who passed away of Lymphoma 2 years ago. I feel that as time passes, I tend not to think of her as much as I should. The Country Music 1/2 Marathon is actually right around the anniversary of her passing. Joining TNT serves as a way to honor her memory in a really helpful way, she would really like that.

Aside from Michael’s personal connection to Lymphoma, he also has a professional connection to blood cancers. Michael is a resident physician (psychiatrist) and has counseled several patients with blood cancers as they come to terms with their own mortality. He’s honored to be part of an organization (TNT) that also helps blood cancer patients and families deal with the difficult realities they're facing.

When asked what Michael is most looking forward to this season, he said:

I am looking forward to making new friends, running a new personal best, and helping raise money with Team in Training for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Check out Michael's Blog to see his progress, and support him along the way!

KEELEY PUNCOCHAR

Keeley Puncochar is in her second season of Team in Training. She ran her first half marathon on October 14th in San Francisco, and raised just over $3500 to get there! Keeley has been involved with Team Green Adventures almost 5 years now, serving as Events Coordinator for two years, and Team Green Director for the past three.

Here's what she had to say:

I joined Team in Training initially as a way to understand the organization, and therefore do a better job creating an advertising campaign. Plus, I needed to check off California from my "Visit all 50 States" bucketlist, and TNT had a race in San Francisco! So, kill two birds with one stone, and help raise money for a good cause, right? Along the way I learned far more about myself, and my family, than I had anticipated. I learned that running a half marathon wasn't nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. I learned that the fundraising was actually the funnest part of the program. I learned that my Grandfather died of Acute Leukemia over 35 years ago. I thought I was just doing this for fun, but as I continued to spread word about what I was raising money for, more and more people came forward with stories of their own losses (and survivals) from blood cancers. I learned I have 4 co-workers with a direct connection to Leukemia & Lymphoma (including a family dog). I learned that blood cancer has affected my husband's family, too. I learned that no matter how strong I am, nearly every donation managed to bring tears to my eyes.

It's such a powerful feeling to realize you're part of something greater than yourself, and that people genuinely support you for that. In the end, I ran over 170 training miles, travelled to California (but never saw the Golden Gate bridge due to fog!), became very close with my fall Team Green TNT teammates, learned more about my Grandfather, and raised over $3500 before my re-commitment date. Doing the core of my fundraising upfront not only earned me a really cool "RockStar" hat, it also gave me the chance to focus 100% on my training the final month and a half before my race.

This season Keeley is training for the Flying Pig Half Marathon in Cincinatti. Even though her fundraising goal is significantly less than last season, she's finding that fundraising is much more difficult with back-to-back seasons. To spice things up she's doing two major fundraising campaigns (in addition to any group fundraising efforts she does with her Team Green Spring & Summer teammates).

• • Big Hairy Challenge- Keeley has just over 16 inches of hair that she's willing to donate to Locks of Love. Each donation made to her page with the comment "Donate It" will go towards the challenge. If $1000 is raised for the challenge by April 1st, she'll donate 10 inches. If $1200 is raised, she'll donate 12 inches, and so on! The person who makes the largest donation for this challenge will get to "make the cut" (and make as big a deal out of it as they please!). To participate in the challenge, check out her blog at Keeley.isinTraining.org.
• • Charity Yard Sale- Keeley and her husband, Jon, are gathering yard sale items for a Charity Yard Sale on March 2nd. Any money raised at the Yard Sale will go towards LLS (a charity), and any items not sold will be donated to Goodwill (also a charity). Either way, a non-profit will benefit from the donations! Anyone not able to make a cash/check/credit donation can instead donate gently used "junk" from around their house. Contact reedkeel@hotmail.com if you have items you'd like to donate for the cause. The money raised for LLS will be split between Keeley and Jon's personal fundraising pages.

This season, Keeley is most looking forward to watching her husband cross the finish line after his first 100 Mile Bike Ride around Lake Tahoe. She's also excited about crossing off both Ohio and Nevada on her "visit all 50 states" bucket list with Team In Training!

Welcome To Team Green's 2013 Team In Training (Spring) Fundraising Page! We hope you'll follow us throughout the season to keep in touch with our progress. We'll feature photos, fundraising event updates, and Teammate Spotlights. We also have a Summer Page that you can keep up with!

We hope you'll choose to support us throughout the season by commenting on our blog updates, and maybe even making a donation to our Team Pages. Any donation made on this Team Page will be evenly split among our Spring Teammates (any donations made on the Summer page will be split among the Summer participants), helping us to reach our personal fundraising goals!

Last season 6 Teammates raised a total of $13,931.44 in the fight against blood cancers, exceeding our original goal by over $400! This season, we hope to raise an additional $30,000 to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

Our Spring/Summer Teams are made up of Half Marathon Walkers, Half Marathon Runners, Full Marathon Runners, and a bunch of Centry Cyclists! We'll be heading to different locations, including San Diego, Cincinatti, Lake Tahoe, and our own home base of Nashville. But, more importantly, we'll be training together, and fundraising together.

If you're interested in Joining our Team, it's not too late! To sign up for our Team, CLICK HERE, then select "Join a Team" and type in "Team Green" on the following page. We have a "Spring Team", and a "Summer Team". Next, choose your race type, your travel preferences (ie. with or without airfare, with or without hotel), then enter coupon code L100 at check out to get 50% off your registration fee!

In addition to our Group Training Sessions (GTS) with the overall TNT Local Chapter, Team Green will also organize some group training gatherings so we can cross train together! We also have some exciting group Fundraising Ideas in the works, including an Active Living & Music themed Silent Auction in 2013!

Plus, this season each TgTNT Teammate who re-commits (between March 8th and March 29th) will receive a Team Green Adventures Patch to sew (or iron) onto your Race Day Jersey!