Train with Team In Training (TNT) for a hiking adventure and raise funds for lifesaving cancer research. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or someone who just enjoys a good walk, there is a hike program for your ability and level of fitness.

TNT offers:

• Great people.Our coaches, certified in partnership with the American Hiking Association (AHS), provide exceptional training and information on fitness, nutrition, gear and injury prevention and hiking principles like Leave No Trace.
• TNT Hikers also will receive a one-year membership to AHS.
• Amazing destinations. Choices may include hiking trips to Yosemite, Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountain national parks.
• Fundraising support. From your own Web page to our helpful staff and fundraising clinics, your fundraising will be easy and successful.
• A fabulous weekend. Your travel, lodging, guide fees and pre-and post-event activities are all covered for an unforgettable weekend experience.
• A lifesaving cause. For many, the greatest benefit of all is knowing you will be making a difference in the fight against blood cancers.

Upcoming Hike Adventures

Team In Training (TNT) is looking for hikers to join us for exciting hike expeditions.

Please note that participation in a TNT event is subject to the local availability of group training and transportation arrangements. Please consult the TNT staff at your local chapter for additional details.

	Hike Tahoe Rim Trail Winding 165 miles peak-to-peak around Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Rim Trail passes through two states, six counties, one state park, three National Forests and three Wilderness areas. TNT hikers will explore some of the most scenic portions of this trail. Lake Tahoe, CA Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012 with travel Sept. 14-16 Raise $2,400* by Aug. 30
	Hike Zion National Park Zion is known for its incredible canyons, including The Narrows, which attract hikers and canyoneers from around the world. Hiking possibilities range from easy trails along the Virgin River to more challenging hikes along Angels Landing. Zion National Park, UT Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012 with travel Oct. 4-7  Raise $3,700* (or $2,700* without air travel) by Sept. 20

About the Hike Team:

SF/Marin/East Bay Hike trains on the trails of Mt. Tamalpais and Mt. Diablo, the California Coastal Trail in San Francisco and Marin, East Bay Regional Parks including Sunol Regional Wilderness, and along many more trails in Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and San Francisco counties.

• SF Bay Area Hike head coach Amanda Crickmore (acrickmore10@gmail.com) joined the hike team in 2008 so she could climb Yosemite's Half Dome in honor of her aunt. She received her TNT Hike coach certification in 2011.
• Email Team Manager Kathryn Redmond at Kathryn.Redmond@lls.org or call (415) 625-1135 for more information.

Training Program

TNT provides a noncompetitive, comprehensive program to prepare you for an endurance hike event. The program is designed with the busy person in mind, so most weekday workouts are 45-90 minutes or less, with longer workouts on the weekend. During the week you follow the training calendar and cross-train on your own.

You should try to attend at least 75% of the team workouts, but you can follow the training calendar on your own if you have to. If you travel out of town during the training season, ask your coach for tips on getting the workout in while traveling.

Designed and implemented by professional hike coaches, the training program consists of daily workout schedules, team hikes every Saturday, and information clinics that cover boots, gear and clothing selection, nutrition, technique, conditioning and injury prevention. The program is designed to take hikers from a beginning base of a few miles, building gradually to near-event day distance and elevation change over the course of the program. After our first two-hour team hike, we proceed at a safe and comfortable rate of increase-adding 30 minutes and hillier terrain at each team hike-until we reach a six- or eight-hour hike, depending on your event.

At your event destination, you hike with a professional guide who ensures your safety while showing you the local flora, fauna and culture.

Prerequisites and Equipment

Team In Training welcomes all levels of experience. Our training program is designed to help first-timers complete a major hike event, and to challenge seasoned hikers to meet their training goals. We recommend that you can hike at least three miles on an unpaved, uneven trail by the first team training.

We will assess your ability throughout training so you can hike with a pace group that fits your comfort level on the trail. Each pace group has hikers of a similar pace so you get individual training for your ability and the safety of hiking in a group.

We hike in all weather and teach you how to dress and prepare for different climates. Hiking boots are required at your event, but you can start training with running shoes. Most hikers purchase boots midway through the season so they have time to break them in. Trekking poles are optional, but because many people have never used them and want to learn about them, we host a clinic on their use and benefits.

The parks offer a number of trail options suited to different abilities. When you start training, you receive a list of trail descriptions ranging from easy to moderate and advanced. As you train, you and your coach will work together to select the best trail for you. For some advanced trails, there are training attendance prerequisites outlined in the trail descriptions. (Due to weather and permit conditions, parks cannot guarantee that specific trails will be available on event day.)

Fundraising Milestones: What's Next?

Registration: When you sign up, you pay a registration fee to help LLS pay for the first six weeks of your training. LLS applies this fee to your fundraising minimum.

Kickoff (Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. to Noon in San Francisco or Napa, depending on your team): Meet your teammates, coaches and staff for the first time at Kickoff. Your first coached workout is in the week after Kickoff.

Recommitment (about six weeks after Kickoff): This is your opportunity to assess your progress. At recommitment, you make the decision to either stay on the team and finish your fundraising, or withdraw from the team with no further obligation.

When you recommit, LLS starts to pay for your event and other training expenses. Unless you?ve already met your fundraising minimum, you secure your place on the team by providing us with a check or a credit card number. We do not charge you anything at this time.

Fundraising deadline: You have until about two weeks before your event to meet your minimum. If you have not met your minimum by the deadline, you donate the remainder with the credit card or check you provided. Rest assured, most TNT participants actually surpass their minimum.

All of this allows us to ensure your donors and the patients and families we serve that at least 75% of LLS expenses goes to the mission.

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*Alumni discount: Subtract $250 from fundraising minimum if you have completeled an event with TNT before