January 5th, 2010
by Mark Hayward
(No Comments)
Just a quick note to let everyone know that the Train for Humanity project has been completed and donations are now closed.
We made our final $700.00 donation to Darfur Peace & Development Organization in November:
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to those who helped put the initial idea into motion:
Andrew Flusche, Dan Clements, Leo Babauta, Jarkko Laine, Sean Hodge, & Joshua Clanton.
Also, big thanks to all of the athletes who participated!! Every penny that you helped to raise through your efforts was donated to Darfur Peace & Development Organization.
Even though Train for Humanity is now closed, the struggle in Darfur continues. If you would like to contribute to the humanitarian effort there, kindly direct your support to Darfur Peace & Development Organization.
October 14th, 2009
by Vaishnav
(3 Comments)
Running a competitive marathon has been on my to do list for quite a long time. I’ve run 2 in training and done plenty of half marathons, but never a real full marathon. Finally, I’ve gotten it off that list as of last Sunday. I successfully completed the Melbourne Marathon in 4 hours and 12 minutes, and I hope to run it again next year in a far lesser time and with fewer injuries.
I have kept a twitter page at http://twitter.com/vaishnavsr and this blog over the last 6 months informing everyone of my training and progress.
The Challenge
Looking back at my first real marathon, I can say that it is a difficult, but very doable challenge. Running in a big competition has its advantages compared to just running 42 kms on your own, which I did in June. For one thing, the roads are blocked off for the event, so you can focus on the running without stopping or worrying about traffic, bicycles etc. There are pacers who run alongside everyone allowing individuals to pace themselves for a desired finish time. Lastly, when feeling tired, you just have to look around you and realize that everyone else is also as tired as you are and that you are not alone in trying to cross this challenge. The wall on the Melbourne Marathon Facebook Group has plenty of inspiring stories of folks who faced their worst and did their best to complete the event, including one of Pauline, a woman who completed the race despite a possible stress fracture in her foot.
Personally, I found that the first 30 or so kms quite alright. Its the last 10 or 5 km where a person’s true strength and stamina, both mentally and physically, are put to the test. In my case, my tendinitis made it difficult for my left knee, but as mentioned above, I was not the only person running with an injury. I took a 20 minute break to stretch on the sidewalk and it helped a bit. Besides that, I felt my muscles tightening up, but not cramping. This is due to them probably working overtime and it could have been avoided with better training.
Hydration was not much of an issue since there were drink stations every 5 or 10 kms providing Gatorade. There are also people handing out chocolates and jelly beans to feed sugar for that extra energy, which certainly helped.
What I learned
I have found through this marathon and even through life, the largest battlefields and biggest challenges bring out an individual’s greatest strengths and weaknesses, sometimes all at once. In this marathon, I saw a fit, well built young man start off in a quick sprint only to collapse and get stretchered off by medics 30 kms later, while an elderly grandfather ran at a constant pace and with no assistance, finished in under 5 hours. You really can’t judge a book by its cover.
I saw those who had trained well and breezed through the marathon in under 3 hours, as well as those who toiled and endured to finish in 5 hours. I believe that the latter had the same winning mentality as most successful people that I’ve come across in the working and business world. These folks are determined to see the task through to its completion, when they could have always given up at any point and walked off the track. I believe their actions signified ultimate professionalism and dedication, something even I’ve lacked at many times in my own life.
Ask yourselves this: “How many times have we worked on an school or university assignment or client project report up to 90 or 95% completion till the end, then given up and just winged the last 5% before submitting it in?”
As many of my friends and family know, I also set out to raise $1000 for Train for Humanity by running this marathon. In the end, I was only able to raise $95, which makes me realize how hard starting and running a non-profit must be in our capitalist, cash intensive world.
Acknowledgments
While I did the training, I have to extend thanks to several others without whom this challenge would have been a lot harder. All my friends, those nearby and far frequently followed my twitter blog and several even donated to my page on train for humanity. Many folks on facebook commented on each of my running posts. While it only took 10 seconds to comment, it made a big difference and during the 4 hours, these little words of encouragement stayed on my mind whenever I felt like slowing down.
When I had patellar tendinitis, I posted a quick query on facebook and Matt, a friend who was also a physiotherapist, called and gave me a free consultation during his busy lunch hour. The exercises and methods he suggested helped me a great deal in getting back into training when the marathon was less than 2 months away.
I also thank Muhu for coming with me all the way to the MCG on the morning of the run and Bev for driving my car back after I was flat out following the race. I also thank those several supporters who lined up along the entire race route to cheer their family and friends. Though I was a complete stranger to them, they cheered me too and even attended to me when I had to stop for a few minutes to stretch and relieve the knee pain.
The appeal
I have done the marathon and I am not of any athlete-esque ethnicity or nationality. Heck, for that matter, I was not even an elite high school athlete. All it takes to run a marathon for most people is about 18 months of regular weekly training. I would recommend anyone, regardless of age or current physical condition to try running at least once a week. There are other benefits too besides the obvious physical well being. If you regularly play another sport such as tennis, hockey or even golf, running can greatly help to improve your game. It raises your stamina and your concentration levels, so you don’t make many mistakes even after hours of playing. The late stages of a game is where most average players lose points while pros keep their focus and win the match.
And if the running is something you enjoy, then you can always take it to the next level by running longer distances such as the half or full marathon like I did. I started running due to boredom and through it I found my weekly self time to let my mind wander free. When I run or swim, I get the same effect as meditating and through my body is tired, my mind is refreshed. I’ve always had a rush of ideas on everything from media, poetry to engineering inventions after a good run. In our current crowded cities, just finding a quiet space to sit down and think without interruption is difficult. Running could help people find that space even in an increasingly crowded world.
Just remember to leave the mobile phone behind before you head out.
July 24th, 2009
by Ola Powazynska
(7 Comments)
I joined Train For Humanity in April this year and I was so excited about the idea of combining getting fit and social media in the name of social good that I signed up to run a marathon, even though I couldn’t run more than 3 miles at the time. It wouldn’t be so bad if I had a year to train. But I only had 10 weeks. I know - foolish!
I thought it was foolish from the start, but I also hoped my determination would be enough to make up for my lack of training. But covering 26.2 miles is a long time to wear your determination out if your whole body is rebelling against you. And if the marathon is slowly turning into a walking rather than running event way before the last miles, you know it’s time to humbly admit that, indeed, you were foolish.
Not finishing the marathon was quite an experience. I did not set out to back out in the last miles - does anyone? But I also know that I am capable of running the whole distance. Now that I got the taste of the game, I want to play till the end. I’m having my next chance this fall in Scotland at the Loch Ness Marathon on October 4th, 10 weeks away from now. Foolish?
Perhaps. But I won’t know it until I try it.
June 7th, 2009
by Vaishnav
(1 Comment)
Greetings everyone. This is my first post on this blog since joining TFH. I am writing this post to inform more people about TFH and my goal. I will post here whenever I reach a major milestone towards reaching my goal. For more frequent updates, please visit my twitter page at http://twitter.com/vaishnavsr
What is TFH (Train for Humanity)?
TFH is a non-profit that aims to encourage everyday people to attempt a physical challenge that is outside their normal comfort zone. By doing so, TFH athletes hope to raise awareness about poverty in third world countries. The goal of each athlete is to raise at least a thousand dollars which is then sent to charity that serves in the third world.
Read more at http://trainforhumanity.org/about/mission
My goal
I had a goal of running the 2008 Melbourne Marathon back in October, but an exciting game of soccer in June quickly ended that with a fracture which set me back several months in training. Fortunately, the cast came off late last year and I set myself a goal of running the 2009 Melbourne Marathon. At the same time, I decided to join TFH, hoping that my personal ambition might also help benefit a few others.
I wrote an initial post on my profile and outlined my goals. I also started a twitter page to keep people updated about my running.
Current status
I am glad to say that as of the evening of Friday, 5 June 2009, I have finished the marathon for only the second time in my life. My first time ever running a distance of over 40 km was back in February 2006 on East Coast Park in Singapore, which was quickly ended by a foot injury. And I have yet to run an marathon official event outside these personal training sessions.
Future Goal
Having reached my initial goal sooner than October 2009, I have decided to set myself a new goal of trying to run the marathon in under 3 hours and 45 minutes by October.
You can help by following by progress at my twitter page: http://twitter.com/vaishnavsr
And of course, don’t forget to donate by clicking the link on the right of my page: http://trainforhumanity.org/author/vaishnav
June 1st, 2009
by Mark Hayward
(1 Comment)
A couple of months ago Train for Humanity made its first donation to Darfur Peace & Development Organization and I thought that I would share this thank you letter from their Schools Program Coordinator:
Also, to continue with our commitment to transparency here is the receipt from our $1500.00 donation:
If YOU would like to support any of our current athletes please visit our “Athletes Page.”
May 14th, 2009
by Jarkko Laine
(7 Comments)
Saturday, May 9, 2009 was a special day for me as it marked my first race as a Train for Humanity athlete and as a runner.
I have never been much of a sports guy: games like soccer scare me; I’m usually the lousy player ruining my team’s chances for winning. And even though I’m from Finland, I barely know how to ski. That’s why I’ve been so surprised by running and the effect training for an event has had on me.
I have been experimenting with running for a few months in the past year or two — starting enthusiastically and then giving up after a while. But even though the habit never really survived in the past, I always felt that there was something special about running: unlike sports in general, I liked it.
So, on last year’s new year’s eve, I made the decision to pick up running again. And to protect myself from giving up, I took some precautions: On the very day, I signed up for Helsinki City Run, a half marathon event run in Helsinki every May. This made me accountable to more than just myself. And I got myself a training program to follow from week one and taped it on my fridge.
Fast forward four months and a few days and it’s May 9. The training had been good, except for the last week, when I was preparing for my son’s second birthday, buying myself a bike, and thus could find no good time for running. On top of all that, the half marathon day dawned with heavy rain. I was sure this was the doomsday and all my running would go in vain.
Around 1 PM, I hopped on the bus and made it downtown to the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in time for the warm up session at 2:15. My spirit started getting higher as I saw the ten thousand other participants getting ready for the race, listened to the commentator cheering us, and put on my running gear.
The race itself was nothing like I had feared. It was pure fun: I started slowly in the last starting group without any clear goal in mind. Secretly I was hoping to complete in under two and half hours, but I had told everyone, including myself, that my main goal was just to finish the race and not have to walk. The team spirit between the runners was supportive, people were chatting with each other, and I overheard some ladies talk about their training and how their longest runs so far had been around 13 kilometers. I’m sure they did OK in the race as well, but somehow, hearing that made me feel confident and happy about the 19 km run I had done just two weeks earlier.
After getting halfway through the race, I started adding speed little by little, feeling comfortable about the distance, thinking this would go well. The only thing I was afraid of was my left knee: it had been misbehaving lately and I was scared it would start to hurt during the race. Luckily, it didn’t give up on me and in the last few kilometers, I ended up passing by quite a few other runners.
Running through the gates of the Olympic Stadium and sprinting the last 100 meters was an unbelievable moment. There it was: the goal of an actual, real race! This time I wasn’t a spectator anymore. I was a participant, and I had just completed 21,1 kilometers. Half of the full marathon distance! My final time was 2:23:01, and even though it’s still far from perfect, it makes me happy: I feel I’m a runner now!
This is not the end, it’s the beginning
It was great to complete my first race, but even better was knowing that I could now start training for the next, putting the stakes higher and keeping improving. And, I’m way behind my Train for Humanity sponsorship goals: $30 is a start, but I’m still missing $970. To get there, I think, I need to keep running.
So, yesterday, I paid the fee for my next event, Finlandia Marathon, a full marathon that takes place in Jyväskylä, the central Finland town where my parents live; three rounds around the Jyväsjärvi lake in the middle of the city.
The training continues, and if everything goes as it should, nine months after that original new year’s resolution, I’ll be running my first marathon. Stay tuned, check out my athlete page, and consider sponsoring my training. Just like my training continues, so does the crisis in Darfur. The need is big, so let’s use the means we have to do our share in helping out.
April 2nd, 2009
by Mark Hayward
(3 Comments)
As part of our open accountability policy, I wanted it to be known that last week we mailed our first donation check to Darfur Peace and Development Organization (DPDO) for $1500.00.
A big *thank you* to all who have supported us so far and to the Train for Humanity volunteer board members; Andrew Flusche, Jarkko Laine, Dan Clements, and Leo Babauta. It was far from our original goal, but the TFH team members feel that every little bit helps!
We are truly grateful to be able to support the important work that DPDO is undertaking as they work to create sustainable education programs for Darfur.
I would also like to take this opportunity to introduce you to our newest ‘participant’ athletes. In no particular order they are:
Jarkko Laine - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/jarkko
David Spence - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/dspence
Claire Bronson - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/cbronson
Deb Brown - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/deb-brown
Vaishnav - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/vaishnav
Terena Ahlers - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/terena
Bernie Tretta - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/bernietretta
Laura Palmero - http://trainforhumanity.org/author/laurapalmero
If you know of anyone who might be interested in becoming a TFH participant, please tell them to email trainforhumanity@gmail.com. Additionally, you can receive regular updates on Train for Humanity by joining our mailing list. It’s as simple as adding your email address in the box above.
March 2nd, 2009
by Mark Hayward
(1 Comment)
After redesigning the Train for Humanity website we are now ready to launch into phase two of our humanitarian project. The initial phase of Train for Humanity ran for four months from September to December 2008.
Phase two will run for six months from March to August 2009 and we are asking potential participants to make a commitment to raising at least one thousand dollars.
All funds from phase two will go directly toward supporting the Darfur Peace & Development Organization’s (DPDO) school project. DPDO supports the operation of fifteen elementary schools in North Darfur and they are responsible for teacher salaries and providing classroom supplies (Total Enrollment: 8300 students; Teachers: 160 plus 56 support staff).
Since the genocide started, there have been an estimated 300,000 deaths of innocent men, women, and children and over two million persons displaced.
If you are interested in helping us raise awareness and funds for Darfur through your training efforts, please email trainforhumanity@gmail.com for the Prospective Participant application.
Because we are a small organization attempting to grow at a manageable rate, we will be accepting twenty-five participant athletes for phase two.
Thank you so very much for your interest.
Mark Hayward
Train for Humanity
December 13th, 2008
by Mark Hayward
(No Comments)
Greetings friends,
I hope you are all well and surviving in these crazy economic times!
We have just overcome a major hurdle in the progression of TFH Phase 2, which is the scaling of the website so that it can handle more participants (all of our work is done on a volunteer basis).
Jarkko Laine has kindly offered to assist us with the programming required to take the organization to the next level.
All of us on the TFH Team truly appreciate your patience as we grow our fledgling organization. And we look forward to raising more awareness and funds for those who are being affected by genocide and civil war as we launch phase two some time around January 1st.
Kind regards, and do not hesitate to contact me if I can assist you with anything or if you have questions.
Mark H.
ps - TFH co-founder Leo Babauta is running the Honolulu Marathon this weekend so please stop by and wish him well “I’m Running the Marathon this Weekend.”
December 4th, 2008
by Mark Hayward
(2 Comments)
(Editor’s note: If you know of anyone who might be able to assist, TrainforHumanity.org is searching for a volunteer WP designer that can help us scale the site for phase two.)
After approximately twelve weeks of Train for Humanity and with two events down (read about Dan’s race and Mark’s race), we have one more endurance event to go before closing out phase one.
On December 14, Leo Babauta will compete in the Honolulu Marathon, on behalf of Train for Humanity.
Some thoughts from Leo on his marathon –
“I’m excited/nervous about my upcoming marathon. I don’t think I’m as prepared as I had hoped (my training was sidetracked slightly due to illness but I’m still ready to run the race).
My goals are, in this order:
1) enjoy myself;
2) finish the race strong;
3) finish under 4 hours.
If I just do the first goal or two, I’ll be happy. If I do the third goal as well, I’ll
be psyched!”
If you have a chance please go by Leo’s support page and wish him well in the comments. And if you like, consider sponsoring him. ALL funds provided will go directly to the Darfur Peace and Development Organization.
Train for Humanity Phase Two
For those of you who have emailed and inquired about phase two, THANK YOU for your interest and patience! We are hoping to launch around the beginning of January and will be sending out an email to all of you soon.
Currently we are working on scaling the Train for Humanity site, so it can handle new participants and we are seeking to build in some additional functionality. Including; individual pages for all athletes where you can blog about your training progress, individual “about” pages and the creation of a FaceBook group where we can connect and discuss any pressing issues or training tips and tricks.
If you have additioanl queries, do not hesitate to contact me trainforhumanity@gmail.com.
Final Note
As we prepare to head into the Christmas season I was reminded (again) yesterday about the dire situation in Darfur. Social Media Club recently ran a guest post, “Help Us Save Darfur” from Geoff Livingston, of the Buzz Bin.
In short, Geoff is working in conjunction with the Save Darfur Coalition’s “Be A Voice For Darfur” postcard campaign. According to Geoff, ”We are seeking to ensure that Darfur is a top priority for the Obama Administration. Obama has already promised “unstinting resolve” to end the Darfur Genocide. The effort, which aims for no less than 1 million postcards to be emailed, blogged and snail-mailed to President-elect Obama within his first 100 days in office.” If you’re interested, go read the rest of the post - Help Us Save Darfur.
