Today ChooseToTri, a unique triathlon with smaller distances, launched with a goal to encourage people of all ages, shapes, sizes and fitness levels to make exercise part of their daily lives. The aim is to highlight to people the important link between taking regular exercise and the prevention of breast cancer and its reoccurrence. ChooseToTri sets achievable goals so that people can work towards it by exercising regularly.
The ChooseToTri event asks people to swim 250m Swim (that’s 10 lengths); cycle 18km and run/walk 3km. The best thing about the any ChooseToTri event is that these distances are attainable through the simple introduction of regular exercise into people’s daily routines. The first ChooseToTri event is in Kilkenny on 28th July as part of the Kilkenny Tri Grand Prix event. People can enter as a relay team or individually by logging onto www.choosetotri.com.
ChooseToTri was the idea of June O’Connell who went through breast cancer treatment. After her treatment she attended a conference last September run by the Irish Cancer Society where she heard former Irish Olympian Marie Murphy who spoke to the audience about the new medical research that if you aim to bank 20 METs in a week through regular exercise, you can significantly reduce your risk /recurrence of breast cancer (and indeed other cancers too). A MET is a metabolic equivalent which is a measure of how hard the body works while exercising.
Speaking today June O’Connell, Co-Founder of ChooseToTri said: “When I heard Marie speak about exercising to help avoid recurrence and about the METs, I was amazed that this was the first time I’d heard specifically about this link. The science is new, and I thought “Gees, if breast cancer is affecting one in 8 Irish women I’ll have to hurry to tell my sisters, my mother, my friends, all the mothers at school, my neighbours.” I spoke to some friends who came on board……and here we are.”
“When we looked around for an event that we could use to set our goal to help us make regular exercise a part of our lives, just like eating and sleeping, we couldn’t find too many events suitable for Everyday people so we decided we would design events for ourselves. Through ChooseToTri we want to raise the awareness about the science. There are no Lectures….but no excuses either, the stakes are just too high. We’re very excited about our first event in July in Kilkenny and today we’re calling on all women, men, boys and girls to make aChooseToTri event their goal to help them to make that step closer to a more active and healthier lifestyle. Enter as a team or as an individual – it doesn’t matter, just Tri!, because really, there isn’t actually a choice at all.”
As a charity,ChooseToTri are unique. They’re not about fundraising but solely focused about raising awareness about the importance of regular exercise in the fight against breast cancer and its recurrence.
Dr Janice Walshe, Consultant Medical Oncologist, St Vincents University Hospital, Dublin: “Probably the most common question I get asked by women who have completed treatment for breast cancer is “now what can I do to reduce my risk of my cancer returning?”. The evidence from all the literature is consistent and compelling exercise and maintain a healthy body mass index (BMI).We encourage our patients to get out there and exercise during and after treatment to the extent that they can. Exercise is beneficial on many levels. I’m delighted to hear about the ChooseToTri initiative and wish them the best of luck in their campaign to get people active.”
Marie Murphy, ex Olympian and exercise consultant to the Irish Cancer Society, is supporting the campaign through provision of tips for training and explanations around the health benefits. Speaking today Marie commented: “Research studies have found that exercise reduces an individual’s risk of developing cancer, or the cancer reoccurring. However to reap all the benefits that exercise can provide you need to be sure that your fitness routine is providing you with the right number of metabolic equivalents or METS. Aim to bank 20 METs a week to be successful in reducing the risk/recurrence of disease. If you log onto www.ChooseToTri.com you’ll find a video where I explain all of this to you.”
For the first ChooseToTri event, ChooseToTri have partnered with TriGrandPrix Experience in Kilkenny City on 28th July 2012. ChooseToTriEvent will be 250m Swim (that’s 10 lengths); 18km cycle and 3.1km walk/run.
For further information log onto www.choosetotri.com
What is a MET?
We all breathe oxygen. Even if we do nothing, we need oxygen to keep our heart, brain and other vital organs working. If we move, then we use more oxygen because the muscles and other parts will want some oxygen too. The faster we move the more oxygen we tend to use. The rate at which the body works is measured in METs, metabolic equivalents.
If you use 20 METs every week through exercise, then you get significant benefits in terms of fighting cancer.
How do I work out my METs?
It’s very simple. Click here to see our online METs table. This will help you work out what you need to do to use 20 METs a week. It will be useful to you as a guide to start you going, and to keep you focussed.