Running Without Music » tnt

What’s Next? A FULL Ironman Triathlon!

Marvin Tabangay — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 20:07:12 +0000

As a first post for joining the TNT IronTeam (which will start TOMORROW) , I’ll copy what I have on my Fundraising Page:

What is an Ironman Triathlon?
2.4 miles swim, 112 miles bike AND 26.2 run (All within a time limit of 16 hours)

Before you read my story, let me tell you my journey:

August 2006 – “What? The most I ever walked was from class to my car in college” — I ran my FIRST running event, The Nike Run Hit Remix (5 miles).

October 2006 – “I hate running, but I’ll give it a try!” — First Half Marathon, Long Beach (13.1 miles)

June 2007 – “If I could finish a half marathon, I can do a full” — First Full Marathon, Rock N Roll San Diego (26.2 miles)

October 2010 – “Marathon #10″ — Athens, Greece for the 2,500th Anniversary of the original Marathon.

November 2010 – “Time to try new challenges!” — I will start training for the Vineman Triathlon on July 2011 (Full Ironman Distance) as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Team In Training.

Fun Facts:
I don’t know how to swim(yes, seriously… from 1-10, I’m at level ZERO)
I don’t own a bike
I’ve never done a triathlon, but training includes an Olympic distance and Half Ironman distance triathlon before I do the big event

Sure, this all sounds too crazy, and It will definitely be a huge lifestyle change, but the main reason why I do this is for everyone affected by cancer. There’s many great organizations out there, like American Cancer Society, Livestrong, and Stand Up 2 Cancer, but I have to choose one. I will keep everyone in mind through my training though!

I’ve been volunteering with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training for 4 years now, and the connections I’ve made have been so life changing. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line – a cure!

Thank you all for your support through my journeys, and I’m excited to try a new endurance sport!

TNT Scrapbook

Marvin Tabangay — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:31:16 +0000

Last year was Team in Training’s 20th anniversary. I don’t know how I missed this one, but it’s their special 20th anniversary website. They have a scrapbook you can browse through with some interesting photos about the Team and its experiences.

Website Optimized TNT Site

Marvin Tabangay — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 17:14:33 +0000

I have a huge interest in online marketing, web design, and running. This video covers all three. Sure, it’s a marketing video trying to get people to use the Google Website Optimizer, but it was some great insight by the VP of eMarketing of LLS on why certain aspects of the TNT website exist. I bet you never knew how much effort is put into a website like that?

Westside LA TNT Summer Season

Marvin Tabangay — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 01:30:06 +0000

The Westside LA Chapter of Team in Training is now accepting participants! I will be the Web Captain for this season and I can’t wait to get started! If you’re interested, below is where you can get more information.

San Diego Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon- May 31st
Mayor’s Marathon and Half Marathon Alaska- June 20th
Seattle Rock ‘N’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon- June 27th

Please join us for one of our upcoming information meetings to learn more about our fundraising and training program.

Upcoming information meetings:

Tuesday, January 13th at 7:00 pm
Sporteve
3849 Main St, Culver City

Sunday, January 18th at 10:30 am
Niketown
9560 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills

Wednesday, January 21st at 6:30 pm
Will and Ariel Durant Library
7140 W. Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood

Sunday, January 24th at 10:30 am
Montana Branch Library
1704 Montana Ave, Santa Monica

If you cannot attend the meeting or would like more information about Team In Training please contact Kristen McManus at (310) 846-4727.

Together we are saving lives one mile at a time!

I’m a TNT Web Captain / Mentor!

Marvin Tabangay — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 05:13:33 +0000

A few days ago, I was notified that I got accepted to be a Team In Training Web Captain / Mentor! Wonder what that slash is for? I guess I’m a hybrid position because captains are not supposed to have any mentees, but I will (but half as many as the other mentors). I get the best of both worlds I guess.

What does a Web Captain do? Basically I will create and update the team’s website such as: team news, staff bios, fundraising, information about the cause, links, events, and more. In the next few weeks I will be working hard to redesign the site (as with Running Without Music’s layout), but not only just the design, but rethink the UI navigation, and think of ways to make the site a little more automated and easy to update. The challenge? I don’t have full access to the hosting that it’s on, so I’ll have to be creative about that.

When I was a mentor a few seasons ago, I pretty much held the same position but I was officially a mentor with online duties. I was thinking, this position was mainly about updating the site, and pushing information to the team. This time around? I want to evolve the position into something a little more than that. I’ll tie in social media tools such as Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook to connect all our team, so that information can easily be communicated. There is a wealth of knowledge across not only our LA team, but across the USA with all the TNT chapters out there. Why not use it? I’ve already contacted some TNT folks from New York, San Francisco, and Florida to help brainstorm new ideas for fundraising. We’re living in an Internet age, let’s use it to it’s full potential.

Running Song for TNT

Marvin Tabangay — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 15:13:06 +0000

I stumbled upon this music video by Erin Sholl aka Lady Southpaw while searching for running or TNT related videos on YouTube. This is one great example that not all efforts outside of training has to go towards fundraising. It’s about helping people get motivated. It’s more than just running, and it’s more about inspiration. Her event and fundraising is done, but I’m sure this video will still continue to inspire others, and it’s great to see creative ways people promote the cause.

The Rome Marathon

Marvin Tabangay — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:12:42 +0000

The Silicon Valley & Monterey Bay chapter of Team in Training ran the Rome Marathon on 3/18/07, and here’s their highlight video.

TNT on Twitter!

Marvin Tabangay — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:12:46 +0000

That’s right, Team In Training is now on Twitter. Don’t know what Twitter is? According to the Twitter website, “Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?” I use it on a daily basis, microblogging what I’m doing, and sharing ideas, opinions, websites, and like-minded people. I will soon compile a list of TNT and marathon twitters to follow if you have an account.

The Team In Training twitter is seriously one valuable resource for important TNT updates, survivor stories, fundraising tips, and discovering/interacting with other people from Team In Training. Even if you don’t have a Twitter account, it’s actually a useful news feed outside of your local chapter and main TNT website.

Follow in Team In Training via Twitter now!

Use The Restroom

Marvin Tabangay — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 07:44:59 +0000

… even if you don’t have to. That is one lesson learned from yesterday’s San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon. You see, 4 miles into the Half Marathon, I had that urge to go pee. Usually I’d go find a bush on the side the road, but the San Jose course was primarily residential, so I waited until the next port-o-potty, which was at the end of a Farmer’s Market. 4 restrooms, BUT only one was operational, and the rest had padlocks on them. What?!? So the line was extremely long. By the time I was back on course, it was mainly the walkers. (Not that there’s anything wrong with walkers, but I started at a mid-area corral, and I just wanted to illustrate how much has passed)

I did play a little catch up, picking up my pace, but after a while I just realized that it’s not going to do me any good, and I wouldn’t want to risk any injury, so I continued to enjoy the course. It was pretty much flat the whole way. Tree-lined residential streets, great crowd support, and perfect weather. I couldn’t ask for anything more. This wasn’t a “TNT” event, so many of us who registered came into it thinking it’s just a “fun run”. Who would’ve thought 13.1 miles is considered “fun”? Well, I finished in 2:52:12. I was a bit disappointed, but hey, I’m just glad I finished injury-free (especially since I have not ran since the Disneyland Half / Nike+ race a month ago!)

View my photos from the San Jose Rock N Roll Half Marathon

Vanae

Marvin Tabangay — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:53:56 +0000

It’s really great to hear that one of my good friends, Vanae, has recently joined Team In Training up north to train for the Hawaii Full Marathon in December. She told me that my friends and I were her inspiration to give TNT a shot. Are we really that inspiring? Maybe because they know we didn’t like to run or work out, let alone run a marathon? Whatever the reason is, TNT has that viral marketing effect because so many great experiences come out of it.

She writes:

Hey guys, it’s Vanae.

You know me. I don’t run. Heck, I don’t even remember the last time I excercised! But I was really inspired by close friends who recently completed the Team in Training.

Vanae is also the founder for Rock Your Awareness, and I met her a couple years ago at her “Date a Rockstar” fundraiser, so she’s no stranger to philanthropy. Since then we’ve gone to NY with friends, and we try to make the LA / SF connection time to time. I’m really excited for her since this is her first ever marathon, so check out her fundraising page here:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/sj/honolulu08/vtran