ThunderDome is hiring a Marketing/Promotions Intern

Are you a runner preparing for a career in sports &/or marketing? If you are we'd love to have you as our Marketing/Promotions Intern! Read below and if interested please email your resume to info@thunderdomerunning.com.

JOB DESCRIPTION:  Assist ThunderDome Running with marketing & promotional projects.  Duties will include, but are not limited to:

Marketing
- Marketing the business through direct mail, email, social media, participating in events, etc.
- Write blog entries
- Blog content ideas
- Update Facebook & Twitter
- Research advertising opportunities
- Promotion ideas
- E-newsletters – create & write content
- Seek out marketing opportunities & cross promotion opportunities

Promotion
- Distribute promotional materials at events such as road races, fitness expos, etc.
- Represent ThunderDome Running in a professional manner
- Research potential promotional events

Qualifications
- Candidate should have completed at least 1 year of college; preferably working towards a sports and/or marketing related degree
- Self motivated
- Timely follow up & follow through
- Excellent oral & written communication skills
- Outstanding customer service skills
- Experience with Facebook & Twitter
- Computer/PC skills
- Friendly, upbeat & outgoing personality
- Able to work with little supervision; will be working from home the majority of the time
- Knowledge of running/track
- Experience in cross country and/or track & field at the high school or college level is ideal

COMPENSATION:  This internship is unpaid and on a voluntary basis. Intern will receive ThunderDome apparel & entry fees to participate in select road races.

COMMITMENT:  16 weeks with an average of 8 or more hours/week.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: 
(1) Understand the responsibilities involved in marketing/promoting a small business.
(2) Represent the business and feel confident in promoting our services
(3) Understand the branding of ThunderDome Running
(4) Improve communication skills – networking, conversing, advertising, social media, writing, etc.
(5) Network with other businesses and athletes to further expand ThunderDome Running
(6) Be responsible for daily marketing activities for the business.
(7) Expand your knowledge of the sport of running.

ThunderDome Running featured on Tips 4 Running

ThunderDome Running was recently interviewed on a great running website Tips4Running. Check it out. We were honored to be interviewed, it is a great resource for runners.

Team up with Saucony & ThunderDome Running to FIND YOUR STRONG

The Saucony Find Your Strong Project

Last year Saucony kicked off our FIND YOUR STRONG campaign by asking the running community "What is Strong?". This year, Saucony is helping runners answer this question with the #FindYourStrong project on Saucony.com. Each week for 12 weeks, we'll be issuing challenges to the community, and along the way showing them inspirational stories of Strong.  ThunderDome Running has teamed up with Saucony to help get runners out the door each day and to the starting line.  Check out this inspiring and challenging program each week, and get yourselves motivated & fit!!

Get out and run. 

Good luck to all ThunderDome Runners & running community racing the Boston Marathon.

 

Ditch the GPS/watch

Runners have to know pace by feeling eventually if you want to be successful. Knowing if the pace is too fast or slow without the aid of a watch or GPS is as important as getting into the habit of negative splitting races.  This runner trait is feeling pace is needed early on in a race--say that first 1/2 mile....when possibly your GPS is messing up or you are not quite yet to a race mile marker or where a race course has mile markers that are off and not accurate.  There comes a point where you can be a better runner without the outside aid of some kind of watch, and a good way to practice this habit is to run at least one easy day run a week without a watch/GPS and every other week one road tempo/pace type workout without a watch. Just go by feeling.

For your no watch/GPS days you will most likely be running one of your own courses that you have already measured so even if it is a workout just get your finish time back at the start with a watch you started as you began your run.  I have done this several times on say a 10 mile negative split workout day run. Go by feel the entire way, dropping pace, controlling effort, and just listening to the legs on how hard to push.  Try this no watch test you will be a better runner for it.  Plus on the easy days you will not be tempted to run too fast if your legs feel like garbage because you are used to sticking to a certain pace.

Running 101

Every runner should keep a daily training log!  A training journal from 5 or 10 years ago is not only fun to look back at but the past training X's & O's can be a training tool to help with your current training. Just keep in mind that there is no single "exact same training block" compared to a past training block or race build up. This comparison is true when everything is going right or not so hot.  No single training block/period leading up to a race can be compared exactly to a previous block of training, because there are so many other variables that come into play like age, current fitness, or just outside of running stresses. Learn from the training log of the past but do not let it rule you.

ThunderDome Athletes Roll at the Chicago Shamrock 8k

Over the weekend ThunderDome runners raced in the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago the world's largest 8k.  The 2012 edition of the Shamrock Shuffle was a deep year in terms of competition & fast race times so it was a great March test of fitness for everyone.  In the 34,000+ race field ThunderDome runner's Keith Mullholon (Lake Geneva, WI) & Marek Kotrly (Brookfield, WI) placed 2nd & 3rd respectively in the master's race field with times of 25:31 & 26:43.  Those times were good for 64th and 98th overall. Marek's time was a massive PR and both took advantage of the competition and awesome race weather. 

This was the fourth year the Shamrock Shuffle 8k had an Elite club team competition. The Elite club competition features teams from all over the United States made up of 4-5 runners with the top 4 runners finish times added up for overall placing.  For the first time ThunderDome Running sent a team to the competition and placed 11th overall.  It was a deep race field with the Hanson's Olympic Development team winning the overall team competition.  Thunderdome was led by Matt Thull racing to a time of 24:17 & placing 22nd overall.

Continue to follow what ThunderDome Runners are up to this spring as ThunderDome has runnners racing in Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, Alabama, & in the Boston marathon over the next 2 months.

ThunderDome Running- Don't Call it a Comeback-Uphill Battles

The running world is full of beginners, veterans, and Olympians and they all want to and do make it to the starting line in different ways facing varying challenges and obstacles.  That training & self awareness journey is the awesome part about running and somehow we all end up not only on the starting line--but rolling through the finish tape.

Just wanted to share a story of a ThunderDome runner I worked with this past summer and fall from Connecticut. Frank was one of the hardest workers I have had the opportunity to work with and this is a summary by Frank of his journey as his season wrapped up with his key 5k race.
__________________

What a great Sunday and what a great way to end my season.  After not racing consistently since 2006 I vowed that 2011 was going to be a comeback year and I'm glad to say with the completion of today's Saybrook Point 5K the mission was successfully accomplished.  Since my hamstring injury on July 4th my goal was to run a 5K race schedule for the remainder of the year with every race being faster than the last and to ultimately run one or more of those races under 20 minutes.  I'm glad to say all of the above took place capped off with today's 5K in a time of 19:39.  In my last two races I finished in the top 10 (9th two weeks ago and 6th today) and today I won my age group.  I couldn't think of a better way to end things.

A quick race report today before I get into my thank you's.  Cold and windy down by the shore this morning, low 50's but by race time things warmed up.  Off right at 8:30 am on a real flat course.  Started off about 10th and before the first mile settled in to the 6th position which was my final finishing spot. 6:13 for the first mile about 12 seconds faster than I had hoped for so I backed off a bit in order to have plenty left at the end.  Mile 2 was done in 6:24 which told me right there I would have enough left to finish strong.  As usual I forgot to hit the lap button on my watch at mile 3 but the last 1.1 was done at a 6:19 pace.  I had just enough left at the end for one last 1/2 mile kick to bring me in at 19:38.  I don't have all my race records from years past but I'm pretty sure this is one of my top three 5K performances.

I sent a text to Matt (my coach/trainer) right after the race with my results and the text he sent back was just what I needed.  Here it is:

"Frank that is awesome. You had to have been rolling out there--no let up ever for 19:39. You put in all the work--enjoy it.  In a way this is just the beginning.  U freakin started this with a run/walk!"

What Matt is referring to is how I started back running on March 29th, 2011.  My first workouts were 15 minutes of just a run/walk combo.  From then until now I've lost 30 pounds and logged over 535 miles.  A lot of work but well worth it in the end with today's result.  "Only the beginning" refers to the long range plan of running the Boston Marathon in 2013.  A plan that originally scheduled for 2012 but my hamstring injury delayed that.

Now to the thank you's.

To my trainer Matt.  I cannot begin to tell you how thankful I am I found your services on the internet way back in March.  I have had a number of online trainers during my time as a runner but none of them has been more attentive to my needs and written better training programs than you.  I know you always say I'm the one putting in the work but honestly without you there planning it for me and helping me through some really tough times this year there is no way this season would have been as successful as it was.  What I've written here just doesn't seem to be enough to truly thank you but please know I have appreciated everything you have done for me.  I'm taking a little time off but can't wait for us to start all over again next month.