Westside LA Team In Training - Summer 2009 Marathon & Half Marathon Team

Name: Carmen Reynaga
Team: Greater LA- Long Beach Team
Number of TNT Seasons: 2
Last TNT Event: Nike Women’s Marathon

Why did you join TNT?
I joined TNT because I thought it was the perfect way to give my time to a charitable organization and do something good for myself as well. I had been receiving the mailings for a while, and one day I received a call from a TNT alum asking if I wanted to sign on the for the Nike Women’s Marathon. I said “Sure, sign me up!” and I’ve never looked back

What was your best fundraiser?
The fundraiser that made the most money for my campaign was having a party at a local venue. We had an event production company put on the event and they donated proceeds from every ticket for a total of $1,000. All I had to do was promote the event and get people there.

Most memorable TNT moment?
Crossing the finish line at the 2008 Rock N Roll Arizona marathon. It was my first event, and my family drove from California to cheer me on. It was also the weekend I really got to know my teammates.

What would you have done differently during the season if you could start over?
I would have done more fundraisers in the beginning and trained more midweek. There were times were I was lax about midweek runs but never missed long runs. Midweek runs are CRUCIAL to being ready for the long runs on the weekends.

Do you have any other words of wisdom for our participants?
Never forget why you are doing this. I’ve read in so many places that crossing the finish line will change your life, and it really did for me. When I was running Nike, I hit the wall around mile 21 and I was really feeling low. I was running with my fellow teammate and we just felt so tired. At that point, we came across a family of 3 spectators- a young couple and a little girl of no more than 4 years old. The little girl was wearing a TNT t-shirt that said “Honored Teammate.” My teammate and I looked at each other then back at her as we realized that this little girl was fighting for her health. Her parents looked straight at us and said “Thank you. You’re saving our daughters life.” It was surreal, and it was all it took to get us running again to the finish. I knew that no matter how I felt that I had to do it for the survivors out there because their battle is much harder.

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