A Personal Account of the Team in Training Experience – A Runner and Her Girls

There are couple videos on Facebook that were filmed by Jerald and I wanted to tell the whole world that “Yes, Fall of 2006 with TNT is my favorite season”, and so glad that many people feel the same as well.

I have got involved with Team in Training since Fall or 2005, and have been a participant and mentor for several seasons until I moved down to L.A. in 2007. Every season there were old and new faces, and each training and race experience is different than the others. However, the “bound” that I have experienced with Fall of 2006 is most special and amazing.

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From meeting and talking with my participants the first time at the Kick-off, I could feel the curiosity and nervousness. And I knew the question of “Can I really complete the training and finish the marathon? How am I going to raise so much money and meet the commitment? I must be out of my mind!!” I have been there a year earlier, and I knew how important a mentor can help through out the season.I can still vividly remember the facial expression of Jen, Linda and Loi when I shared my last two seasons’ experience with them, and very nice of David who came over to pick up the packet for Robby since she was on business trip. I have prepared a little bag with Propel, Sport Jelly Beans, Power Bat and banana. Too bad that I could not FedEx the banana to Suzanne the following Monday.

Soon after the training started, we found we ran in very close pace and all like good food and worry about our weight. J.Lo had us started the “FitDay” thing and we started logging what we ate and counting calories. Mike always reminds us about the “empty calories” from fancy coffee which we all love. We carpooled to each long run, and had endless conversation about cute sandals, Hollywood gossip, sweet or not-so-sweet boyfriends, nice haircuts…etc. Wesupported each others’ fundraising, and Suzanne was the only one could carry a tune when we sang the “Yellow Submarine” together at my karaoke night.

The six of us all signed up for Honolulu Marathon, and the pressure to finish the 26.2 mile race was just as huge as fitting into that new bikini just bought. At send-off party in that chicken restaurant, I got this cute sunscreen from Sephora for each one of my girls because I had to make sure they wouldn’t get sun burned in Honolulu. I was almost in tears when the waiters came to remove our plates away and just to think that our season was coming to an end. This must be how it feels when parents on their children’s commencement date.

Honolulu Marathon, Dec 10, 2006

We arrived Honolulu couple days before the race, and were so excited to go into the Expo and found all the Asian sizes T shirts that fit out runners body so nicely :-p. Mike the Honolulu expert told us that we could shop more after the race at the finisher tent!  He truly knew us well, didn’t he? It’s also very funny to see the Japanese volunteers kept speaking Japanese to us, especially to Suzanne. By the way, we got to meet Suzanne’s real mom, not me the fake one, and she is just so nice and adventures – she signed up the Walk at the Expo and participate the event with all of us.

Before I moved to L.A. in 2007, some of the teammates came to V Bar at Santana Row to say Goodbye, and I was really touched to receive a “used towel” from THAT Boston Marathon :-p. The most precious gift was a framed picture of the six of us at the hotel, all looking absolutely positive and fabulous! That picture moved to L.A. with me and sits on my desk everyday!

I have heard about TNT withdraw before, but have never experience that myself. Instead, I was feeling lost and blue between Seasons, and truly missed the warm and wonderful people I have met through out the Season. Not only my “girls”, but also other mentors and participants from the whole team. They were not just names and faces — we became friends and families through out the Season, and we called each other up when we had good news to share or needed shoulder to cry on. We still get together to run different races from time to time.

Loi came to visit me once in L.A., and we had lunch at Gyu-Kaku in Pasadena; it had rained really hard in L.A. that week, but seeing her had truly brighten up my day! She and I had gone to Bridge to Bridge together in S.F. in her old beat up car, and this charming girl “worked on” it at the post race expo and got us whole canister of Amino Vital drink powder, not just the tiny sample packet! Mike will be so proud to announce “Atta girl!”