Support us through Bank of America

Over the last couple of days, we've been working on a video asking for support in a competition through Bank of America. The gist of the competition is that we need to recruit people to visit http://footprint.chicagomarathon.com, where they design their own digital footprint. For each person we recruit to design one of these footprints, Bank of America will donate $1 to us.

We want to win this thing! So, watch this video, go design your own digital footprint (make sure to click "The American Red Cross of Greater Chicago" at the bottom of the page so we get credit) and then send the video along to all of your contacts on Facebook, Twitter or through email! We can do this together!

Thanks for watching and sending it along for us. We'll keep you updated on our status as we recieve information from the contest administrators. Stay tuned for more details!

Making a Difference by Making a Footprint

photo by: Metaxin

It's that time of year again, when summer closes to an end and fun fall activities, like the Chicago Marathon, peek around the corner. As this approaches and we all start to make our fall agendas, the Bank of America introduces the first digital fundraising program featuring 2009 race participants and spectators. If you have been to the Chicago Marathon before, runner or not, you would agree that it is an exhilarating experience. Even from the sidelines you become a part of the race, entirely.

Even if you are just cheering or sharing your inspirational quotes and thoughts, it is just as important as any role in the race. How? Because without the energy supplied by the crowd, the runners are without an encouraging atmosphere to help them push to the last mile. Regardless of your role, anyone is welcome to create their own digital running shoe footprint with a personal image and message of choice at www.chicagomarathon.com/footprint. It's quick and easy so anyone can participate. With each submitted tread, Bank of America will donate $1 to one of 22 charities that you may select during the creation of your footprint. You can support the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago with just one click of your mouse! The support from these small donations will go a long way and greatly assist in helping those in need. When you are done, you may even view your completed digital image on the event site’s home page. On the day of the race, the fundraising's final outcome will be announced and Bank of America will award an additional $10,000 to the charity with the most submissions.

Just because you are not running the Chicago Marathon, doesn't mean you can't help change lives. By making a personal footprint you can support runners and the Red Cross, as well as partake in one of the greatest and most inspirational events where people travel from all over, to reach their goals at the finish line. The 26.2 miles takes thousands of steps, but if you just take this one, it will go much farther. By donating your personal footprint, you can show that every step counts for something great.

Stretch for smoother running with Run Red

While most of my volunteer hours are spent with the Disaster Action Team of American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, I'm also a distance runner and enjoy helping coach new runners. While I've run plenty of races of various distances, this year I've very proud to be running the Chicago marathon with Run Red Team, the official Red Cross nationwide running team.

Training for a race isn't just about running. There is the cross-training, the gear shopping (my favorite!), making sure to properly fuel and hydrate, and (my other favorite) many minor tweaks and hacks which can be done throughout the day to contribute to better fitness and an easier time training.

Spending time hunched over the laptop and the general stress of certain jobs (or, the absence thereof, sometimes, too) causes tension in the neck and shoulders, which, believe it or not, carries over to running. Granted, running, as those of us initiated already know, eats stress nicely, but still! The smart runner is all about being proactive and training smart, rather than waiting to address an issue once it's a big issue.

When you have stiff shoulders due to tension, it limits the ability to swing arms freely forwards and back. When this happens, the arms take a less neutral side to side motion, which does not a lot to propel the body forward and mostly just wastes precious energy and causes unnecessary fatigue. Hello? Not good. So, here's a quick fix you can start doing today:

• Take mini-stretch breaks throughout work time. Seems minor, but it matters.

• Lower your right ear to your right shoulder. Press gently on your left temple with our fingertips. Hold, release, and repeat ten times on each side. Aim for a stretch here, not a neck-crack.

• Raise right arm up, keeping your elbow locked straight and palm facing forward. Hold your arm between your elbow and shoulder with your left hand. Pull (gently please!), hold, release, and repeat ten times on each side.

Twice a day, then, to strengthen the shoulders:

• Let your arms hang relaxed at your sides with your palms facing in. In one slow, constant motion, rotate your shoulders up, backward, downward and forward, bringing them toward each other. Hold them for a second. Do it in reverse, rolling shoulders until arms return to starting position. Do two sets of ten reps. Hold dumbells to make it more challenging as strength improves.

How easy is that? Very. So easy you can start right this second! And, as an added benefit, these mini-stretch breaks help you feel more alert during the day too. Pro-tip: there are several simple downloads you can utilize to remind you via email or pop-up to take a second and stretch during the workday. It doesn't get easier than that.

Hope to see everyone at the Team Run Red fun run on Wednesday August 5th at 6:30 on the west side of the North Ave. bridge.

Need some reading material? Check out our running safety tips and local running blogs

I have been working to support the promotional efforts of the Greater Chicago Red Cross Run Red team for the Chicago Marathon, so I’ve been keeping up with a lot of local running blogs. The following are a few of the ones I’ve found fun to read. Those of you who are recreational runners or entrants in the race might find some of these resources interesting:

In it for the long run: Leslie Patton writes for runners of all abilities and goals. She offers information about running in the Chicago area and training, local races, running stores. She also writes about her experiences as a runner – unusual anecdotes about things she encounters while running: once a deer ran into her, she writes.

Chicago Running Examiner: Brenda Barrera has been running and competing in road races and triathlons for over 20 years. She was the National Web Editor for The Running Network as well as Editor for RunMidwest and Chicago Athlete.

I’m Running Red! : Barbara, one of our Run Red Team members and a contributor to Greater Chicago Red Cross News, maintains this blog on her experiences training for the Chicago marathon.

Chronicles of a First Time Runner: Rahul, a volunteer with the Greater Chicago Red Cross and a member of the Run Red Team, records his progress as he trains for the Chicago Marathon in Singapore.

Running News Guy: If you’re training for the marathon, a 5k, or simply running because you like it, you’ll want to check out this blog by ABC7 reporter John Garcia. He is a lifelong runner and offers advice for runners of all levels.

These blogs offer a lot of great advice about running and the situations both new and veteran runners experience. One of the tasks I’ve been assigned recently is combing through our safety tips and ensuring they’re up to date. While I was looking through our Web site, I came across these Runner Safety Tips.

A lot of the tips seem like they would be common sense, but many people forget them when they hit the trails on the weekends. I ride my bicycle along the Lakefront Path every weekend, and most of the runners aren’t carrying water with them. I know there are water fountains along the trail, but staying hydrated is important. You can’t replace all the water lost during a hard run with only a few seconds at a water fountain. Make sure you know where those fountains are along the path. That’s just one example of some of the common sense things you can do to make yourself safer during your runs. Some of the other suggestions are to run on a shaded path, tell someone about your route so they can find you in case of an emergency and don't ignore pain. One more thing to consider is to dress appropriately for the weather (just like the lady in that picture to the left). All of these things can maximize the benefits of your training (or recreation) and minimize the liklihood that you'll be injured! Check them out!

--Gentry Lassiter is an intern in the Marketing & Communications department of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Today’s blog is dedicated to recruiting runners to our Run Red Team to join the Red Cross the Back of America Chicago Marathon, Chicago 13.1 and Chicago Half Marathon.

Join runners from all over the country and become part of a growing community of philanthropic athletes. Our Run Red Team members are generous runners who raise much-needed funds for the Red Cross as part of their marathon preparation.

Join the team to train and participate in the following events. You can sign up for:

Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Chicago 13.1
Chicago Half Marathon

Since its inception in 2001, the Run Red Team has raised more than $300,000 for the Greater Chicago Chapter and has run nearly 300,000 miles in their training. In exchange for reaching runners’ fundraising goals, we provide expert training, team gear, and the support of a cohesive team.

As a team member, you’ll support our services. The Red Cross helps disaster victims avoid hunger and homelessness and also brings CPR and other preparedness classes to more than 250,000 people each year in our area. Learn more about the Red Cross here.

Our runners are generous individuals who train together for the Bank of Chicago Marathon to raise much-needed funds for the American Red Cross to help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies.

Visit www.chicagoredcross.org/runred to learn more.

The tables have turned. We need your help!

I’m not a runner. I’m not sure why, but I have never reached what some people refer to as a “runner’s high.” It might have something to do with me coming from the south, where it is simply too hot to run in marathons or other long-distance races. Sure, there are some marathons in my home of Little Rock, but the turnout doesn’t compare to that of the marathons in Boston, New York and Chicago.

However, a friend of mine recently gave me a new perspective on running marathons. As I said, I’ve been averse to the idea for quite some time (and although I attribute my distaste for running to conditions of my upbringing, it’s probably all because I used to find running boring). My friend Bob told me to look at running the same way I view cycling – with a goal or event to aim toward.

This new pattern of thought has gotten me thinking: how great would it feel to complete even a half marathon? There would definitely be a feeling of physical accomplishment – one that I’m not sure I’ve achieved (sure, I earned an undergraduate degree and have been working toward my master’s at a well-regarded school, but that’s a different type of accomplishment). Training for a huge event like the Chicago Marathon would be a fantastic way to see the city, meet some fantastic folks and develop some healthy habits all at the same time.

Although marathon training offers many benefits, there are more that can be attached to a training program. For example, signing up for the Run Red Team, the official marathon training team of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. This team provides support to members who choose to commit to certain fundraising goals.

We need your help this year to fill our spots on the Run Red Team. The deadline to sign up is next Tuesday (June 30), so there isn’t much time to act. We know there are a lot of teams that have open spots, but we think our cause is one that could benefit from having such dedicated team members helping us to raise funds. Your support in helping us find team members to help raise funds for the Chapter would go a long way toward helping us develop much needed funding so we can continue to help people in the community.

So, please, give us a hand. Sign up for our team. If you can’t sign up for the team, help us recruit people. Link to this blog, fire up that Twitter account of yours and shoot out some updates on your Facebook account. Thanks for your support!

Gentry Lassiter is an intern in the Marketing & Communications department of the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago.