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21 miler
Posted on 09/03/08
Please remember to carb load and drink lots of water before this weeks long run. 21 miles is as close to the marathon that we get in this training program....
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Congrats
Posted on 07/30/08
Good job to those of you that ran in the CVNPA Fun Run!!
It was challenging and hot, but you all did great.
For those that might be interested please...
Read More
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For more information,
e-mail us at info@neohiofit.com.
©
2008 Northeast Ohio Fit
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Questions
about Northeast Ohio Fit (NEO Fit)...
Questions
about the program...
Questions
about signing up...
Questions
about the training...
Other questions...
- Yes,
you can still join NEO Fit?
We are
taking registrations through the beginnging of May. Once we
are past the registration date we cannot take any new
members.
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- I'm not
a member. Do you allow drop-ins?
NEO Fit does not have a drop-in
program. Our all-inclusive membership covers our seminars,
medical advice, coaching, and training runs. Visiting
members from other USA Fit programs are always welcome!
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- What is
NEO Fit?
NEO Fit is an award-winning
running program that is part of the nation wide
USA Fit program. This same program, currently
being held in close to 42 cities throughout the country
with expansions targeted internationally as well, winning
rave reviews and growing every year. NEO Fit will
begin its next season on Saturday, April 19, 2008 and
Saturday, April 26, 2008.
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- Who should
join?
NEO Fit is perfect for anyone
who has a desire to challenge themselves, wants to exercise
and make new friends, wants to increase their body strength
and stamina, wants to look and feel better, or simply
wants to get involved in a healthy lifestyle sport - running.
Whether you have only dreamed of completing
a marathon or have done several, this program has something
to offer you!
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- When is
the NEO Fit season?
The official NEO Fit season
starts in April and runs through the marathon(s) that we are training
for in October. This is when we hold
our seminars and provide training schedules for our members.
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- Where
is the training?
We will be meeting at the Harriet Keeler Memorial Picnic Area in the Brecksville Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks (located off of Chippewa Creek Drive in Brecksville Reservation, west of Riverview Road in Brecksville).
- Access I-77 from the north or south
- Exit at Rt. 82 East (Royalton Rd.) to Rt. 21 (Brecksville Rd.)
- Cross Rt. 21 (Brecksville Rd.) and the entrance to Brecksville Reservation will be on the right.
- Harriet Keeler Picnic Area is about ½ mile on the left side
- Can walkers
participate?
Northeast Ohio Fit welcomes walkers who wish to participate in a Half Marathon. Our program accommodates walkers who plan to finish the Half Marathon in under 4 hours.
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- Are
you affiliated with a charity?
NEO Fit is not associated with
a charity and you do not need to raise money to participate
in this program. There are several good marathon training
programs where raising money for a charity is part of
the program. While these can be effective and rewarding,
we realize that it's not for everyone and may be impossible
to do year-after-year. Some of our members choose to raise
money for a charity, but it certainly isn't a requirement.
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- What's
the catch? When do I have to sit through the sales pitch
for a new condo in Palm Springs?
No catch -- really! NEO Fit is
basically a running club and training program. But maybe
that's like saying a Mercedes is just a car . We don't
sell Amway or real estate in Palm Springs. NEO Fit
has members of all shapes and sizes (including folks that
probably sell Amway or invest in real estate). But what
makes us special is that we all come together to run
and share our war stories and our victories. Check
out our discussion
page for a taste of the camaraderie and support. We
hope you'll decide to join our club.
- How did
all this come about?
It all began in Houston in 1989
with about 50 runners, 2 guys, and an idea that runners
needed some guidance and training to achieve their marathon
goals.
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- What is
an ability-based color group?
NEO Fit consists of 3 groups:
Blue/Green, Yellow, and Red. You will
be placed in the group that best suits your training pace.
For example, if you train at a 9-10 minute per mile pace,
you will be a member of the Yellow group. This system
works because it allows you to train with those who are
at your ability level.
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- What
color group will I be in?
Our first two weekend runs are 1 or 2 mile pace finder runs. Your time for the 1 or 2 miles will place you in a color group. You should run at a pace where you feel you could keep going for a little bit beyond those 1 or 2 miles. If you couldn't keep running after completing our initial 1 or 2 mile pace finder then you are going too fast. Can’t run 1 or 2 miles yet? No problem! You’ll start in the Red group!
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- Why
should I run my 1 or 2 mile pace finder slower when
I can go faster?
Simply because you are training for
a marathon, not a 1 or 2 mile race. It may sound like
a funny statement to make, but it is so true.
Running too fast will seriously compromise your training
season. If you find your correct training pace from the
beginning you will complete the marathon in less time,
you will experience fewer injuries, and you will have
a lot more fun.
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- What are
the weekly seminars?
Each weekend, after the group run,
we'll do announcements then hold a 15-20 minute seminar.
Topics will all be health and fitness related, and will
be led by knowledgeable professionals.
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- What
happens on any given Saturday?
We run with our groups before
each seminar, so the start time for the run will vary weekly.
The seminar will start at 9:00 am every
Saturday, so our goal is to have all the color groups
finished before 9:00 am every Saturday. After the seminar
we usually meet with our color groups for a few minutes
to talk with the coaches, ask questions, make plans for
the next week, etc. Our goal is to be finished with the
run and seminar/questions by 10:00 AM each Saturday.
Before the weekend, you will be given the starting
time for your color group (available on the website
and on our hotline).
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- Who
created our schedule?
Our schedule comes from the great
folks at USA FIT. Since 1989, they have been training
people all over the country just like us. Everybody has
a different marathon philosophy, but ours has been tested
literally tens of thousands of times.
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- Do
we get discounts on shoes?
Yes, you do! As a NEO Fit member you will receive discounts at local businesses. Discount information will be distributed throughout the season. Make sure to attend the weekly training seminars and runs to find out about current discounts.
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- You must
be kidding. All this for $100?
No, we're not kidding. Isn't it great?
Now why don't you do your good deed for the day and tell
somebody about NEO Fit?
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- How can
I sign up?
Signups are open for the 2008 season from March until the beginning of May. You can sign up
in person or online. See our Join Us page for information.
- How much
does it cost?
NEO Fit's 25 week training program
costs only $100 for new members and $75 or returning USA
Fit members.
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- What
is included for the sign-up fee?
- Ability-based group work-outs and coaching
- Training log
- Weekly seminars
- Weekly training schedules
- NEO Fit T-shirt
- Free medical advice
- Discounts at sports apparel stores
- Social activities and more!
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- When
are the in-person sign-up sessions?
In person sign ups for the NEO
Fit 2008 season will be:
- April 19, 2008 @ 9:00am
- April 26, 2008 @ 8:00am
We will be meeting at the Harriet Keeler Memorial Picnic Area in the Brecksville Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks (located off of Chippewa Creek Drive in Brecksville Reservation, west of Riverview Road in Brecksville).
- Access I-77 from the north or south
- Exit at Rt. 82 East (Royalton Rd.) to Rt. 21 (Brecksville Rd.)
- Cross Rt. 21 (Brecksville Rd.) and the entrance to Brecksville Reservation will be on the right.
- Harriet Keeler Picnic Area is about ½ mile on the left side
More information about registration, including online signup and our information seminars, is available on our Join Us page.
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- Where
are the in-person sign-up sessions?
Our sign-up
sessions will be at the same location as our weekly meetings.
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- What
happens at the sign-up session?
The sign-up
sessions include sign-ups, an orientation seminar, and
a 1 or 2 mile pace finder run which helps place
you in the correct ability-based group. Everyone is strongly
encouraged to come to both of the orientation/sign-up
sessions (Weeks 1 and 2) as the seminars will cover different
information. The sign-up session takes approximately 1.5
- 2 hours. Sign ups for the NEO Fit 2008 season will
be:
- April 19 @ 9:00am
- April 26 @ 9:00am
We will be meeting at the Harriet Keeler Memorial Picnic Area in the Brecksville Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks (located off of Chippewa Creek Drive in Brecksville Reservation, west of Riverview Road in Brecksville).
- Access I-77 from the north or south
- Exit at Rt. 82 East (Royalton Rd.) to Rt. 21 (Brecksville Rd.)
- Cross Rt. 21 (Brecksville Rd.) and the entrance to Brecksville Reservation will be on the right.
- Harriet Keeler Picnic Area is about ½ mile on the left side
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- Can
I pay with a credit card?
Yes, we allow payment via credit card if you
sign up online. Visit our Join Us
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- Do
I have to attend both orientation sessions?
If possible, we'd like you to attend
both sessions (Weeks 1 and 2). First of all, you're paying
for the entire program, not the program minus 1 week. Second,
we will cover all the details of how the program works
the first week and put you into your groups. Lastly, the
content of the first two seminars is different. The first
week is information about NEO Fit and USA Fit;
the second seminar is a quick overview of Week 1 and then
a mandatory session on "Hydration and Warm Weather
Running."
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- I can't
make it to the first weekend -- should I still sign up?
Yes, you should still sign up! We'd
like you to attend the first week for the reasons outlined
in the previous Q&A, but we know not everyone can
make it to Week 1. That's why we have another sign-up
the following week. The Week 2 seminar will be a quick
overview of Week 1, but we also have an army of Assistant
Coaches ready to answer any question you have from the
previous week (and any seminars that you miss during the
season).
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- Does
entry into NEO Fit include entry into the
Marathon?
No, your payment to NEO Fit only
covers the cost of your participation in the training
program. We are not affiliated with any of the
marathons that we train for in any way, we just train for them! We will provide
information about how to sign up for the
marathons.
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- How much
training does this program involve?
Realizing that most people lead very busy lives,
this program is one that can easily fit into your schedule.
For the most part, the program calls for running
only 4 days a week. Your long run will usually take
place on Saturday with your group, with the possible exception
of a few warm up race events, which are scheduled on Sundays.
The day after your long run is always a rest day. During
the week, you run for time only (i.e. 30 minutes),
not for distance.
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- What
does 20 on the weekly schedule (during the week) mean? Are
we running 20 miles?
During the week, we run for minutes.
So if the schedule says "30" on a Tuesday, you
should run 30 minutes. Do this at a comfortable
pace unless instructed to do otherwise. On the weekends,
we do miles, so the schedule will say 4 miles. Listen
to your coaches on how to run these miles each week.
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- Do I have
to be there every week?
No, many members are unable to make
every weekend session. The weekend seminars are important,
but you can always ask your coach or running buddies about
what you missed. However, those long runs are a
lot easier when you're doing them with the group! And
in our experience, the success of our members is directly
proportional to their ability to attend our weekend training
runs and seminars. When you do have to miss a week,
check our hotline or this website for the
next week's schedule.
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- Can we
participate in races during training?
Sure! In fact, the entire group will
be participating in three "races" this season.
You certainly don't have to be competitive about it, but
it's fun to run in a different place, get a race
number, and cross the finish line.
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- What
if I travel during my training? Can I attend other USA Fit
city programs?
Absolutely. USA Fit has programs in
over 40 cities around the country, and you are welcome
to attend any USA Fit meeting anywhere.
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- Could I
win a marathon?
Of course you could. However, most
likely you'll get a nice t-shirt, a finisher's medal,
a mug, bragging rites and a lot of cheers from spectators
and coaches. And, that my friend IS winning!
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- What if
I want to find out more?
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