spring break Archives - The 3-Day Blog

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Finally! Spring is here at last! Who’s excited for those warmer days ahead? The approach of spring means the 3-Day Series is coming up quickly so it’s the perfect time get outside and take a new approach to your 3-Day training, team building and fundraising efforts. Here are some fun and easy ways to make the most of the new season.

Take a training walk

This is the most obvious answer. Get outside and take a walk! Whether you’ve officially started using our 3-Day training app to guide your steps, are taking part in local training events, or training on your own time, spring is the time to kick it all into high gear. Warmer weather and more daylight give you even more opportunities to get your steps in.

Take your fundraising into the sun

There are so many ways to fundraise for the 3-Day, but you can get even more creative than usual now that the weather is getting warmer. Here are just a few outdoor fundraising ideas:

Advertise while you walk: Ask local companies to sponsor your walk and in return, wear their logo or name on your T-shirt while you train.
Work the neighborhood: Walk from house to house throughout your neighborhood to ask for donations. There’s nothing like a face-to-face request!
Dog walk for donations: Send out a flyer to your neighborhood offering to dog walk or dog-sit while the owners are out of town. Time with the pups will give you an excuse to get outdoors!

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Give camping a try

Not all our 3-Day camps will be outside this year (say “Hello” to hotel camps!) but that doesn’t mean you all can’t get out and camp under the stars this spring! Grab your friends, family, or 3-Day teammates and have a slumber party camping night in your own backyard. Everyone can bring their own tent, or get a taste of the famous 3-Day Slumber Party tents and get a big tent for everyone to get cozy in together.

Plan a scavenger hunt

This is one of our favorite ways to host a 3-Day team building event! Call your 3-Day teammates and ask them to each bring two new people they think might be interested in the 3-Day. Then use our tips to plan an afternoon of fun that will give everyone just a taste of the excitement, teamwork and support they’ll find on the 3-Day.

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Let the flamingos flock

This is the most fun way to celebrate the new season! Start by buying 10 pink plastic flamingos for lawn decorations. Pick 10 homes in your community to be the “lucky” recipients. Attach note cards to the flamingos’ necks with a phone number and your 3-Day donation information. Let your friends and family know that for a $10 donation, the flamingos can be removed from their yard, but for $15 they will be moved to the lawn of their choice. Then they can spread the flamingo fun to their own friends and family!

Make sure you also place a sign that has cards with your contact name and phone number next to the flamingo for those who drive by and would like to have the flamingos placed in a friend’s yard. That way, they can contact you and donate to your 3-Day goals.

How are you getting outside this spring? Tell us in the comments!

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Long holiday weekends are coming up, and summer vacation time is almost upon us! That means lots of 3-Dayers will be taking trips with family and friends in the next few months. With our first 3-Day less than 16 weeks away, though, you may want to keep up with your training no matter where you are. A week or more off from your training plan could make those 60 miles even tougher, and if you have been training with a group, you will want to stay on their schedule, too. We want to make your 3-Day journey enjoyable and pain-free! With that in mind, we have tips for making the most of your vacation and your 3-Day training, all at once!

Pick your location wisely

This doesn’t mean you have to limit your vacation destinations tothe mountains or trails, although those do sound fun! There are also lots of great active cities that pride themselves on being hubs for metro-biking, have lots of fun walking trails and sites within city limits, or are the home of iconic parks with plenty of outdoor spaces.

If you do choose a city-spot, try to pick a hotel near a trail, park, or one with a great gym so it’s easy to get your steps in. Or, plan part of your vacation around a wellness retreat. From yoga to hiking and beyond, there are plenty of hotels and destinations that cater to creating an active vacation.

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Set reasonable goals

To set yourself up for success, you need to be realistic in your planning. Look at your itinerary for the vacation, and plan your training accordingly. For example, if you have an early call time for a walking tour of the city, use that as your daily walk instead of struggling to get up even earlier than you must. On the flip side, if there’s an activity or outing planned that you’re not crazy about, don’t feel bad taking some time for yourself to go on a bike ride and get your blood pumping.

Above all, don’t plan on training more than you do normally at home. Vacations should always be relaxing and rejuvenating!

Make it an early morning

The early morning is a wonderful time to take a walk and explore your chosen destination. If you’re traveling in a group, it gives you some time just to yourself and (literally) will help start your day off on the right foot. You might also discover a local hidden gem to take your travel-mates to later!

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Get everyone involved

Another way to make sure you stick to your goals is to get your traveling buddies on the training game with you! Plan to walk to dinner or one of the local tourist attractions instead of cabbing, or get them pumped to hit the trail with you to see the sights. Get everyone on the same page with the same daily step goal. The more people you have around you to get stepping with, and the more people you have to hold you accountable, the more fun the work out will be!

It’s all about the destination

They say that it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey, but we must disagree! To keep yourself motivated, set destinations or goals for each one of your work outs. For example, if you wear a fitness tracker, give yourself a goal number of steps to take each day, so you will know to squeeze in a work out before dinner if you’re not close to your goal. Or set a physical destination for your outdoor walk, bike or hike. Pick a landmark, a coffee shop you had wanted to try, or even an arbitrary end point, and don’t stop until you get there!

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Give yourself a break

Leave a few work-out free days throughout your vacation, especially if it’s a longer one. You don’t want to burn out or begin to resent your training time. Stay on track for your goals without going overboard, and you will return from your trip ready to hit the trail with renewed energy and drive.

How do you train or stay motivated while on vacation? Tell us in the comments!