The official beneficiary for this year’s Tucson Marathon and Half-marathon is Better Than Ever. Better Than Ever (BTE) is a grass-roots effort by the Arizona Cancer Center designed to encourage participants to make exercise a regular part of life. This fitness and fundraising program provides a welcoming, non-competitive atmosphere for participants of all fitness levels to train for local running, walking or cycling events.
Jim and Debra Jacobs of Tucson joined BTE three years ago to raise money and train for the Tucson Half-marathon. “We were out of shape, overweight, non-athletic people,” says Jim Jacobs about training and walking in their first half-marathon. “But the BTE group was so supportive, they waited a long time for us to finish, and it was great to see them at the end.”
This year, the husband and wife will use the Galloway walk-run-walk interval method to finish the half-marathon. “BTE provides a training book, a kind of menu of training options,” explains Jacobs. “We chose to train two days a week this year. And we’re hoping to shave some minutes off of last year’s time.” The training schedule fits into their busy work days: he’s a real estate broker with Long Realty and she’s an occupational therapist with Tucson Unified School District.
Jim and Debra Jacobs participated in numerous events this year including July’s Run with the Roosters at Old Tucson, the University of Arizona CATWalk, and the Sabino Canyon Classic 4.5 miler in September. These events were produced by Everyone Runs, a race company that encourages walking, jogging, and running.
“According to the National Cancer Institute, physically active women have a 40 percent reduced risk of developing breast cancer, and physically active men have a 10 to 30 percent reduced risk of developing prostate cancer,” explains Marisa Allen, BTE Coordinator. “Exercise can also help in the prevention of colon cancer and certain chronic diseases.”
Better Than Ever offers great resources to participants: Multiple weekly group training sessions, volunteer coaches, training schedulet, fundraising tips and suggestions, cross-training and social events, and the coveted free BTE shirt. Other BTE events are El Tour de Tucson and the University of Arizona’s CATWalk 5K and 10K.
In the final days before the Tucson Half-marathon, Jim and Debra Jacobs have cut their training in half (distance and pace). They’ll also participate in the traditional pre-race ritual of carbo-loading: “But we always eat lots of carbs,” jokes Jim. Together, they raised $1,000 for the Arizona Cancer Center this year. All BTE fundraising efforts support cancer research here in Tucson.
Tucson marathon spectators can participate in the semi-traditional ritual of “I need some coffee to wake up and stay warm.” Claire’s Café, 16140 N. Oracle Road, will offer free coffee on race day for spectators. Let them know you're there to cheer on your runner!
Copyright 2010--Mary E. Reynolds
Comments
“Out of shape, overweight in Arizona, non-athletic people,” Many of us Arizonians can relate to this. Great Post, and Congratulations on your successes -<strong>thanks to "The Arizona Cancer Center"</strong><em>A leading cancer research-care center in the United States.</em>
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