Weekend Pacesetter (11/5/2010-11/7/2010)

Women's 1/2 Zip Essential Pullover

NEW BROOKS GEAR PLUS FREE SHIPPING ($50+)

Molly has been working hard this week to get new gear into the team store. The additions include a Brooks Women’s 1/2 Zip Essential Pullover, Brooks Men’s 1/2 Zip Infiniti Pullover, Brooks Spartan Pants, and an “It’s in you. It’s possible” long-sleeve shirt. Also, just in time for the holiday shopping season, the store is now offering FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS ABOVE $50!!!

DID YOU KNOW: Our prices for Brooks products are comparable to the price you would pay at most stores. The only difference is our products have the NF Endurance logo and all profits from our store fund research to cure NF.

Visit http://nfendurance.org/store to check the new products out!

A RACE ALREADY RUN…

Is worth two not run yet. Or something along those lines… As most of you know, this weekend is the NYC Marathon! The NYC Marathon is one of our team’s biggest fundraising successes every year. This year we have over 60 runners racing with us who have already raised over $140,000! That’s quite the achievement! We also have 14 runners doing the Amish Bird in Hand Half Marathon in Lancaster, PA on Saturday. Bruce Rickert was unable to run the Philly RnR Half Marathon in September due to an injury. He challenged his fellow teammates to join him for the Bird in Hand once he had healed. For every runner who signed up with NF Endurance for the race, Bruce is donating $200. Thank you Bruce for your commitment to the team!

World Run Day Logo

WORLD RUN DAY: NOVEMBER 7, 2011

It’s that time of year again! World Run Day is a running event held for over ten years to celebrate the sport and charitable giving. And, another excuse to wear your NF singlet on the course. If you are not already running a race this weekend, find a group celebrating near you by clicking here.

Tapering 101

Photo by Andrew Scott

Emily Brown is preparing to run the NYC Marathon this weekend. She took some time to share with us her approach to tapering for the race:

“If you don’t know it by now,” my professor rattled off, “You don’t know it – so put up your damn note cards and show me what you got.” His words crushing the looks of stressed students cramming, quieting voices of last minute questions all hoping to secure fragments of knowledge before an exam.

Preparing for a successful marathon is much like preparing for a test. There will be many factors you cannot control – the course, the variables, the day-of jitters. The point is, however, the day and even week before the race are not the times to cram in what you haven’t done already; doing too much prior to your race can cause more damage than not doing anything at all.

Here’s a “cheat sheet” to crafting an effective tapering plan:

T-rim down your mileage. Run less. Rest more. It can be harder than it seems. You will notice every runner outside, and you will covet their run. Instead of running more often in the last three weeks, schedule fewer runs that pack higher quality. Shave off overall miles, but tack on strides and intervals, and add more tempo runs. Each week you will see your total mileage wane, but this overall rest period stabilizes glycogen, hormones, antioxidants and enzymes high-mileage has slowly depleted.

Anticipate crossing the finish.

A-nticipate crossing the finish line. What are your challenges ahead? Build a mental plan about how you will handle them. It could be rain. It could snow in a place that you would never think breaks freezing (i.e. Orlando at Disney in January).  Rehearse in your brain how you will respond to these challenges.

P-lan ahead. The week before may not be the best time to plan your child’s birthday party or start playing pick-up games of basketball. Minimize your chance of stress and injury by resting as much as possible. For practical matters, check the race course map. Know what course nutrition will be served. If you can’t stomach a certain brand of gel, you may need to carry your own. Mentally knowing the locations of water stations and bathrooms can help you while on the course. Running with NFE makes race preparations much easier, and the staff will make sure to help allay any concerns you have before race day.

E-at well. Many people worry about carb-loading the night before. While browsing in a Boston running store a week before my first marathon, I asked the owner, “What one piece of advice do you have to a first-time marathon runner?” His words stuck with me: “Eat well, now, not just the day before.” Build up your glycogen stores and drink lots of water. Keep your sodium in balance by snacking on pretzels and salty foods. Tip: Just as important as eating carbs, added protein helps aid in muscle recovery and tissue repair.

R-uNFor a reason. Forget the time, the course, the medal – who do you ruNFor? Thinking of what your NF Hero endures on a daily basis makes any challenge seem trite. Need inspiration? Check out our NF Heroes. http://www.ctf.org/RUN-FOR-A-REASON-NF-Heroes/ Before race day, I dedicate each mile for the NF Heroes I have met, their stories of resilience, faith and hope recalled by names scrawled on paper, tucked in a Ziplock. Carrying the bag of their names helps me to remember my reasoNFor running, even when I feel like I want to stop. NF Heroes have to keep pressing on even through MRIs, doctor appointments, feeding tubes and other complications of NF. Remember what NF Endurance is all about – pushing passed self-imposed limits and finding possibilities within obstacles.

NFE Cheer Zone

At the end of the day, as a wise friend once told me, it’s just another run, but in a new neighborhood with a lot of friends in neon waiting to cheer you on home.

And so, instead of cramming for a taper, try this: Trim mileage, Anticipate success, Plan ahead, Eat well. RuNFor a reason.

Cost Saving Tips for Your Next Disney Trip.

Cinderella's Castle. Photo by Daryl Mitchell

We have all heard the familiar interview after the Super Bowl.

“You just won the Super Bowl! What are you going to do next?”
“I’m going to Disney World!”

In that moment, a chorus of little voices all across the country shout, “I want to go to Disney World too!” And in that same moment, visions of burning money fill every parent’s mind with dread…

Disney can be expensive.  But if you plan ahead, you can reduce the cost of visiting the “Happiest Place on Earth”. Making the trip around Marathon Weekend is a great start to saving money at Disney. See the tips below for great ideas on how to make Disney World Marathon Weekend with NF Endurance fit within your budget.

MARATHON WEEKEND DEALS:

Let us register for you. Take a charity slot with NF Endurance and raise money to cure neurofibromatosis! We will give you an entry into the 5K, half marathon, full marathon, or Goofy Challenge. Fundraising minimums apply.

Stay at Port Orleans Riverside Resort with the team. NF Endurance has special group pricing for hotel rooms which sleep up to four.

Free Pasta Dinner. Join us for the free team pasta dinner at Planet Hollywood on Saturday afternoon of Marathon Weekend.

Special Fundraising Incentives. Fundraise with a friend to raise $2500 through two half, full or Goofy charity slots and we will pay for two nights in a shared room at Port Orleans Riverside resort! Or, raise $2500 with a family of four using four 5K charity slots and we will pay for a shared hotel room at Port Orleans Riverside resort for two nights.

Specially Priced Park Tickets. Participants have access to specially priced park tickets for themselves and their families after signing up. (Marathoners and Goofy Challengers:  Click here for details on free park admission.)

FOOD:

Port Orleans Riverside Resort. Photo by TF Duesing

Food prices vary by time of year. Food prices at Disney increase by an average of $4 for adults and $2 per child during the summer and holidays. Marathon Weekend is the first weekend prices go back down after the holiday season.

Pack your own food and snacks in your luggage. It takes some planning, but you can also ship a box of food to the resort if you are flying in on an airline that charges excessive bag fees. Disney will hold it for you at your resort free of charge. Breakfast bars, pop tarts, oatmeal, cereal, granola bars and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches can save a family of four (or someone who eats as much as a family of four) several hundred dollars over the course of a trip. Milk can be purchased at the General Store at the resort and every room contains a mini fridge. Also, there is no rule against bringing food items with you into the parks.

Bring a water bottle. Every park has water fountains where you can fill your bottle. Bring kool-aid single serving packs if your kids or kid at heart want something sugary.

Let them eat fruit! Every park has at least one fruit stand. Apples, pears, bananas, and oranges cost around $1 each.

Order the pasta bowl. The food court at Port Orleans Riverside Resort has a pasta bowl for $10.49. There is easily enough pasta for two adults.

TRANSPORTATION:

Disney Magical Express. Photo by MR Kathika

Fly Southwest Airlines. Southwest flies into Orlando and offers two free checked bags for every ticketed passenger. They are usually cheaper than other airlines, and when you consider bag fees they are almost always cheaper. They are also more family friendly than most other airlines.

Magical and free! If you are flying into Orlando (MCO) and are staying at the team resort, Disney provides free transportation to Port Orleans Riverside on the Disney Magical Express Buses.

Free if by land, free if by sea. All bus, monorail, and boat transportation on Disney property is free! This includes a free ferry from our resort to Downtown Disney and Planet Hollywood where we will have our team pasta dinner.

Questions? Email Trish Hardy (Enable Javascript to see the email address) or Tracy Draper (Enable Javascript to see the email address) for more info. You can also visit http://nfendurance.org/disney to sign up.

For even more ideas on how to save money, visit http://mousesavers.com where many of these cost saving ideas originated.