Attention to Pricing in Current Times

It is common for funds to get tight around the holiday season. Combine that with that with economic struggles and we all have to begin eliminating a few things from our regular budget.

Unfortunately one of these things may be participating in charity fitness events. I’ll be honest, as much as I want to help a worthy cause; sometimes I think twice before paying the registration fee charged for some events. While I’d like to participate sometimes I think it may be better to put that money I’m paying to run with whatever else I can raise and give it directly to the charity itself.

From my experiences I know there are others out there who feel the same way. However, as event planners and fundraisers we have to work extra hard to keep the participation numbers and donation dollars up.

The best place to start is to take a close look at the actual event and cut costs wherever you can. Many of the costs to hold an event we pass on to the participant so that all donations and earnings can be given directly to the charity. Making operation costs as low as possible allows you to reduce the registration fee and encourage more people to get involved.

If you use funds for things such as tent and table rental or refreshments start looking for organizations that will donate these items. Promise them some advertisement in return. Eliminating these costs through donations allow you to pass on savings to those registering.

We’ve talked about t-shirts and how they can attract participants and serve as advertisement the rest of the year. While you may not want to cut them out, simplify the order. White and gray shirts cost less than colored. Black ink in one area of the shirt costs less than colored ink in multiple locations like the front, back and sleeve. Work to get the t-shirt cost down as low as possible.

Consider giving your participants an option for registration. If they want to opt out of getting a goodie bag or t-shirt that is costing you money to provide offer a lower price. There will still be people who want these things, but you’ll also draw people who want to save some money.

By evaluating the money spent and making small changes to lower your costs, you will lower the cost for your participants. There are many people out there who want to take part in your event and support your cause, but they just may not have the disposable income at the moment to participate. Give them a nudge in your direction by making the event and participation as cost effective as possible.

Photo by James Stewart courtesy of Free Range Stock

Shoes, Cleats and Footbeds

I totally spaced out today. For some reason I thought it was Wednesday, not Thursday, and never got around to posting an article to Charity Mile. Here is an article, written by my friend Matt Goforth, for cyclists experiencing foot problems.

Hot Feet? Think Shoes, Cleats, and Footbeds
by Matt Goforth

One of the most common complaints among cyclists we see is hot feet. Hot feet is typically known as the burning sensations near the toes during exercise. This sensation is mostly due to pinching of nerves. It can stem from a number of situations, but I recommend checking your shoe size, cleat placement, and the soles of your shoes.

Shoe Sizing
Cycling shoes are made to be as stiff as possible to allow power transfer during the down-stroke (plantarflex) AND to fit snugly enough to aid in the upstroke (dorsiflex) as well. Cycling shoes stretch very little, therefore you shouldn’t expect them to do so during the break-in period. When shopping for new shoes, I recommend wearing a Sole Dual Later Anti Blister sock (or a sock with thicker padding) while you try them on. This will allow some extra room in the shoe for any swelling of the feet while on the bike. I also recommend trying on shoes with an appropriate footbed as they can require additional space. Any reputable bike shop should spend plenty of time with you while you try on shoes as this is a very important piece to the cycling puzzle.

Cleat Placement
The cleat is the first link in our chain of body parts that propel us on the bike. It is often overlooked as a source of problems. It is very important to have your shoes and cleats working as a single unit to allow the power generated by the hips to transfer through our feet and into the crank. The terms “ball of the foot” is a misleading concept that should be shot dead. I encounter many riders who are slamming their sesamoid bones 5000 times per hour because someone told them to put the cleat on the ball of their foot. Its a general term, or rule of thumb, that is a simple starting point. Discomfort in our feet, however, can be due to improper bike fit in relationship to the cleat position. Its more complex than one might assume. The cleat is link #1. Another factor to consider is your pedal platform. Wider platform pedals (ie. Speedplay’s) distribute force better than a smaller counterpart. Not saying one is better than the other, but to reduce discomfort we pay attention to everything.

Carbon fiber shoes today are made of improved composites that are even more stiff than ever. A carbon soled shoe made as early as 4 years ago are not as stiff as a comparable carbon shoe today. There are many studies that have illustrated how “un-stiff” carbon soled shoes were in the early stages compared to nylons and plastics. Today that is not the case with new “lay up” techniques and improved composites. Therefore, if you have an older pair of carbon shoes and you experience discomfort, that may be the underlying cause. Time for new shoes!

Last note about shoes… the longer the rides the stiffer the shoe!

Credits: USA Cycling, Greg Combs

Footbeds
Often riders will exhaust all their options, in regards to hot feet, before finally giving in to a custom orthotic. This is actually flawed logic as footbeds can offer many more benefits than a last ditch attempt to alleviate hot feet. We feel footbeds do not have to be expensive, and you should not need a Dr’s appointment to get them. Those days are gone! Today’s advancements in medical technology allow us to have these products OTC (over the counter). Good foot health is crucial for any athlete and a shoe alone is just not custom enough. As cyclists we require optimal forefoot balancing, deep heel cups, and metatarsal separation. We look towards Sole in this area.

Regardless of how much attention you pay to your feet there will always be the chance for discomfort. If you cycle long enough, or run enough, you can actually wear the fat padding on the bottom of your feet thin. If it gets to this point, you need to seek out medical advice.

Matt GoForth is a certified USA cycling coach and owner of On Your Mark Performance Center
7100 Fairway Drive, Suite 39
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
Phone: 561-694-6090
Website: http://www.oymbike.com/index.html

How To Walk

Walking may seem like an easy skill – after all, most of us have been doing it since we were small. But if you’re planning to walk a long distance, your regular gait that gets you from the parking lot to the door of the grocery store may not suffice. Poor posture, a long stride, and sloppy footwork can lead to discomfort and injury.

So what is the proper walking form?

First, keep your head up – your chin should be parallel with the ground – and your eyes focused on the ground 15-20 feet in front of you. Relax your neck and shoulders. This will open up your chest and allow you to breathe more fully.

Stand straight – you should be able to picture a straight line from your ear through your shoulder, hip, knee and ankle. Avoid leaning back or forward.

Bend your arms at the elbows so your hands are waist-high. Tuck your elbows close to your sides and keep your fingers in a relaxed curl. As you step, the arm opposite your stepping foot goes forward and the other arm moves back. Don’t cross your body with your arms – keep them moving straight back and forth, and don’t exaggerate the motion. This adds power to your step, burns extra calories, and keeps your hands from swelling and tingling.

Contract your abs and tuck in your pelvis. This will keep you from developing an arch in your back, which can lead to lower back pain.

As you step, picture the motion beginning in your hip flexor, the muscle running down the front of your hip and into your thigh. In one smooth motion, transfer the movement from your hip to your knee and then your lower leg. Your heel will strike the ground in a straight line with your body and with your ankle flexed at a 45 degree angle. As you transfer your weight to that foot, roll forward and push off with your toes, at the same time repeating the motion with your other leg. The total effect is smooth and fluid.

Keep your stride short. The power comes from your back leg, and trying to lengthen your stride keeps you from getting the full effect of the push-off from your back toes. An exaggerated stride can also cause pain in your feet, shins, hips, and back. As you get more comfortable with the motion, you can step more quickly to increase your speed.

That’s it. When you go on short training walks, perfect your technique. You’ll know you’ve got it right when you feel like you’re gliding along and your body is completely in sync. Soon you’ll be amazed at how much farther and faster you can go.

Resource Fairs Entice Sponsors and Draw People to Your Event

If you’re planning a charity walk, run, or ride and you’re looking for ways to attract sponsors and participants, consider adding a resource fair to your event. When I was planning my first Alzheimer’s Association Memory Walk, one of my committee members suggested this to me, and it proved to be a key factor in our success. Here’s why:

Resource fairs put sponsors in direct contact with potential customers. As part of our sponsorship structure, we offered a table at the resource fair to any business that donated at the $500 level or higher. This gave sponsors the chance to display information about their products and services and meet potential customers face-to-face (I should note that sponsors did not actually sell products or services during the event). This benefit was often more enticing to sponsors than having their logo on our promotional materials because of the direct contact with a targeted population.

Resource fairs give participants something to do after they register. Have you ever arrived early at a charity event, only to zip through registration and then have nothing to do for the next 30-60 minutes until the event begins? We found that the resource fair was most crowded during the registration period because people liked to browse the tables while waiting for the walk to start.

Resource fairs draw people to your event who might not have otherwise attended. If you advertise the resource fair alongside the charity event, you could attract people who come specifically for the resource fair but end up participating in the event and/or donating to your cause. At Memory Walk, most of the sponsors were long-term care facilities, home health care agencies, hospice agencies, and other organizations that provided services to older families. Some of the sponsors offered free blood pressure checks or similar services, and all of them provided valuable materials about health and healthcare issues. This was a huge draw for retirees, many of whom ended up joining us for the walk even though that wasn’t their original reason for coming.

Resource fairs educate the community about your cause. Don’t forget to set up your own table with materials that raise awareness about your cause and offer additional ways to get involved in the organization year-round. I recruited many new volunteers this way, which helped make the following year all the more successful.

I highly recommend adding a resource fair to your event if you don’t already offer one. I’d also love to hear your ideas about organizing resource fairs, including what’s worked well for you. Post a comment to this blog, or start a new discussion in the forum.

8 Reasons to Register for a Thanksgiving Day Event

My Thanksgiving day usually involves a trip to my parent’s home, waking up mid-morning, turning on the parade and then beginning the cooking process. After I help all I can with the cooking I head straight to the ads and browse the great deals I’ll be up for at 4:30 am the next day. Next comes the endless eating, visiting with family and inability to move from being so stuffed.

So what is missing from this picture? Yeah, exercise. I am usually rushing around to help get ready for the family party. (That burns calories, right?) However, I rarely get in a serious workout to help combat those two (yes, two) family meals I eat that day. In addition, aside from my family, I’m not that focused on helping others. I would like both of those things to change.

In recent years, races on Thanksgiving Day have been popping up everywhere. Cities large and small offer some type of event the morning of this major feasting day. The best part is that many of them benefit a food related charity. Thanksgiving races go hand in hand with food drives where participants pay an entry fee then donate a bag of non-perishable groceries.

What a way to show how thankful we are for the good fortune of having adequate food on our tables!

Still contemplating whether or not to get up early and hit the pavement before popping the turkey in the oven? This is my attempt (8, actually) to motivate you to participate in a Thanksgiving fitness event this year that supports a charity organization.

1. Thanksgiving is about family and friends. Why not start a new tradition of daily activity before the big meal as opposed passing out on the couch afterwards?
2. Feeding America estimates that in 2006, 35.5 million Americans lived in food insecure households. Participating in a Thanksgiving race and donating non-perishable foods allows you to play a part in solving this unnecessary problem.
3. Part of healthy, mindful eating is showing your appreciation for any life that was sacrificed for your meal. It’s a depressing thought, but don’t you think mister turkey would be running if he could?
4. Exercise relieves stress and can put you in a more festive mood. Um…families together for hours and hours. Yes we love them, but we are only human.
5. Recent research estimates that a 150 lb person will burn about 112 calories running 1 mile depending on speed and intensity. One piece of pumpkin pie has about 250 to 300 calories depending on the recipe. Yes, I’ll stop there.
6. Consider it a warm up for the marathon shopping the next day. You know there is going to be some sprinting, pushing and shoving; wouldn’t want to pull a muscle.
7. Show your support for your community in addition to the food-based charity. Many people sacrificed part of their day to hold this event. Show them that you appreciate their efforts and believe in local events for a good cause.
8. Thanksgiving is about gratitude. Have you been blessed with the ability to walk or run? Take part in a race on this day to show your appreciation. There are many people in this world that would trade places with you.

So ask the family to show up an hour later, do some prep the night before, schedule your DVR for the parade and head out for some fun, fundraising and physical activity on Thanksgiving morning.

You can use one of several sources for finding races in your area. Here are a few examples:

Charity Mile Events

Running in the USA

Runner’s World Race Finder

 Photo by Mary R. Vogt, morguefile.com