The Washboard Union Trailblazer Contest!

Register, Be Rewarded, and Your Chance to Win a Gift from The Washboard Union!

2023 is kicking off with exciting news and Marchers and Crew leading the way to our biggest year! The Exciting News… Be a Trailblazer & You Could Win Concert + Dinner Tickets!

The Washboard Union, was so honored we picked their song ‘Shine’ as your theme song for 2022, they wanted to give you all one more gift. The chance to win four tickets to their Calgary show on December 3rd, but that’s not all, it also includes a special pre-concert dinner at Hotel Arts!

Register as a Marcher or Crew before November 25, 2022, and be entered to win:

  • Four tickets to The Washboard Union show (artists of our 2022 theme song) in Calgary on December 3, 2022, AND
  • A pre-concert dinner for four in the ATB Blue Room catered by Hotel Arts

Already a trailblazer? You are already entered to win! Gain bonus entries for every BRAND NEW participant you recruit as a Trailblazer to join you! (Contact Susan at susan.reghenas@kidney.ca with the new registrant’s name).

We played a personal message from The Washboard Union at our closing ceremony, and in case you missed it, watch it here. 

10 Tips For Walking In The Rain

1 – Wear a hat with a brim. It will keep the rain off your face, so you can see, even in a downpour.

2 – Dress in layers if it’s cold. The most important layer is the one closest to your body. Make sure it’s a technical fabric such as polypropylene or CoolMax, which wicks water and sweat away from your skin (no cotton). Stay dry, use an umbrella, poncho or raincoat.

3 – Be visible. Select outer layers that are very bright or light-colored and have reflective strips, since walking in the rain often means poor visibility.

4 – Prevent chafing. Chafing can happen during any long walk, but it can be much worse if you’re wet from the rain. Spread Body Glide or Vaseline on parts of your body where you would normally chafe or get blisters – such as your feet, inner thighs, or underarms.

5 – Protect your electronics from getting wet. Store electronics, such as your cell phone and iPod, in a Ziplock bag or a waterproof carrier.

6 – DON’T WALK DURING THUNDER STORMS! Keep your walk indoors if there are thunderstorms in the area. Training is not worth the risk of getting struck by lightning. Walk in the mall or other large venue like a hockey rink.

7 – See it as an opportunity to build your mental strength. Sometimes we do get a “little” rain during Kidney March, knowing what gear works to keep you dry and warm is a bonus! You’ll be ready to handle any challenge that comes your way.

8 – Watch your step. The road or path can be slippery. The key is to take small steps and really pay attention to your footing. Try to avoid stepping in puddles as much as you can. Your running shoes and feet will get wet from the rain, but they’ll get absolutely soaked if you step in a big puddle.

9 – Check your shoe grip. If the bottoms are worn flat those shoes will be slippery in the rain. Your shoes should have grooves on their soles that are deeper than one millimeter. These channels allow water to run through them and also help to get a better grip on the road.

10 – Dry out your shoes after. When you get back from a wet walk, take off your running shoes and stuff them with crumpled balls of newspaper. This helps the shoes keep their shape, and the paper draws moisture away from the shoes. Don’t put them in the dryer or in front of a heater – that can shrink them or warp them so they won’t fit you properly.

 

Stretching – the Kidney March equivalent of breathing

Stretching is essential to enjoying Kidney March, and it also happens to be essential for overall health. When we stretch (before, after and during walking) we help our body find its length and strength. That’s why you’ll hear us talking to you more about stretching than we talk about walking.

Thanks to Nose Creek Sport Physical Therapy for these fabulous tips.

NoseCreek-StretchingTips-KidneyMarch

Become a Hero In Training

There’s eight weeks until Kidney March! It’s time to kick our training into high gear.

Kidney March certainly isn’t a cake walk. But there’s motivation in our mission. Kidney disease can’t be stopped. People are waiting for transplants. The 100 kilometres and $2,200 we raise is nothing compared to the day-to-day battle of kidney disease.

However, when it comes to training, the brain can play tricks on us. It takes a lot of mental strength to go from the first lonely training walk of the winter months to game time shape! But fear not. We, along with the rest of your fellow Kidney March fans, are here to support you with our scheduled training walks.

And, just so you know, you do not have to be a marcher to do these training walks. These are come one, come all events. Sure, we’d love for you to jump on board for a heroic trek through the foothills of the rockies with hundreds of like minded marchers (side note: register here). But we’re just as happy to have you make a few friends and keep your kidneys running in tip-top shape. You can check out all of our upcoming walks and FYI (For Your Inspiration!!) sessions here.

A Kidney March Training Success Story

Laurel Ryan works with children suffering from kidney disease.

Laurel RyanAs a member of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Nephrology Program, she sees the effects of this disease every single day. Last year, she wanted to do something big to fight the disease. Something that would challenge her. The Kidney March fit the bill, and she took a leap.

What she found was a “spa for the soul”.

It started with training. The YMCA led walks were a perfect way to meet other marchers and keep her eyes on the finish line. Her leg muscles got stronger and grew accustomed to walking long distances. Her feet toughened up. All that movement and calorie burning helped her get down to her “marching weight”.

Laurel Ryan

Marching on behalf of the children every day was inspiring. 100 kilometres was an accomplishment, and she’s developed lifelong friends and a workout habit that’s been life changing. She’s become a 2nd year marcher, and considers it a privilege.

Interested in attending your own
“spa for the soul”?

Registration is open, and our support team is here to answer any questions you may have. Register today! We’ll help you get started.

Not from the Calgary area? Call our support team at 1-866-9KMARCH and we’ll help you plan your personal training program and connect you with other marchers in your area. We have marchers registered from coast to coast.

KM Activities for the week of July 16th, 2013

There’s lots on the go on the Kidney March front this week; training walks, fundraisers and FYI (For Your Inspiration!) Sessions all over the province. Sure hope you can join us for one near you. Feel free to share with family/friends! All events are open to absolutely everyone.

Tuesday, July 16th @ 7p – FYI Session at the Kidney Foundation office in Calgary (6007 1A Street SW). Grab some inspiration, find out all the details of Kidney March 2013, chat training and fundraising with the Kidney March team and meet other Marchers, Crew and Alumni. Registered or thinking about it? Come down and check out all you need to know about your adventure of a lifetime.

Tuesday, July 16th @ 6:30p – 5K Training Walk at Henderson Lake in Lethbridge. Meet at the Main Concession.

Wednesday, July 17th @ 6:30p – 6.5K Training Walk at Echo Dale Regional Park in Medicine Hat. Meet at the concession (the first lake with the beach).

Saturday, July 20th & Sunday, July 21st – Kidney March Team UR in over UR head are hosting a garage sale fundraiser in Calgary at 608 Seymour Avenue SW from 8a-4p both days. They’re also accepting donations this week to the sale so if you have anything you’d like to contribute, feel welcome to contact Jenn Watson at: atsjenn@gmail.com.

Saturday, July 20th – Kidney March Team, Team Christina are hosting a BBQ & Bottle Drive from 10a – 4p at the Wal-Mart in Medicine Hat.

Saturday, July 20th – Kidney March Training Walk at 9:30a – 15K at Edworthy Park, 5050 Spruce Drive S.W.

Hope to see you there. You don’t have to RSVP, but we’d love it if you did: info@kidneymarch.ca or 1.866.9KMARCH

Kidney March Expo is just around the bend

Kidney March 2013 is upon us! That means, it’s Expo time. It’s a little taste of adventure and heroism (for our fellow passionate fans of the hardest working organ) to kick off the 2013 Kidney March season.

To our new Marchers (or those thinking about it but leaning a bit towards yes), Welcome. We can’t wait to meet you in person!

And to our returning Alumni, our Kidney March Family. Welcome back. We’re delighted to see you again. And, honored that you have decided to once again step up to the plate and raise the boldest flag humanity has ever seen in the fight against kidney disease and the appeal for organ donation.

For those new to Kidney March and not sure what to expect, the Expo is a can’t miss afternoon chock-full of “how to’s, what now’s, and when should I’s”. Have questions about training? We can help you get ready for this. It’s our specialty. Wondering if you’ll hit your fundraising goals? We’ll turn you into a fundraising machine, we promise. Wondering where you’ll sleep? We’ll introduce you to our 5-star accommodations under the stars.

Expo Details:

Date: Sunday, April 28th, 2013
Where: Fort Calgary
, 750 9th Avenue SE, Calgary, AB
FYI Session – 11:00a-12:00p
Kidney March Expo – 12:00p – 2:00p
Kidney March 5K Training Walk – 2:00p – 3:00p

We can promise you that at both the Expo and at Kidney March, you will be in the company of the most inspiring folks on the planet. These heroes, who all have their very own story of why they are standing up and making noise for Kidney March are the inspiration that fuels Kidney March, the largest walk of it’s kind in Canada. And, we’d love it if you joined us. Feel free to bring a friend (or two). Because the only thing that sweetens the beauty of this journey of a lifetime is sharing it with a loved one. Or a team of loved ones.

Drop in’s for the Expo are very, very welcome but if you could RSVP, we’d sure appreciate it.

W: www.kidneymarch.ca

E: info@kidneymarch.ca

T: 1.866.9KMARCH

M: www.meetup.com/kidney-march

It’s World Kidney Day. A message from Our National President

It’s World Kidney Day. In honour of such, we’re on a mission to stand up and make noise. We hope you will too.

Everyone receiving this has been touched by kidney disease in one way or another. If you’re like me, you’re endlessly frustrated by its nature. Debilitating. Incurable. Utterly relentless. To seeing people I know and love go through the daily reality of this disease is disheartening; but I have hope.

As many of you know, it’s World Kidney Day today. Today, we celebrate how far we’ve come in the field of research, we honour those we know and love who are affected by kidney disease and we put faith in a future where it’s no longer a silent killer that currently affects more than 1 million Canadians. And, most important of all, we do something about it. Something Big.

I’m asking you, to do the most you can possibly do to help plant the boldest flag humanity has ever attempted in the fight against kidney disease and the appeal for organ donation. I’m asking you to join us for this year’s 4th Annual Kidney March.

Click here to read more.

Sure fire ways to keep your Kidney Marching Tootsies in Tip Top Shape

Hey Marchers!

We are gearing up for the 3rd Annual March and want to ensure we share along the need to knows for foot care your way to aid in your prep for the March. We’ve compiled some tips courtesy of Ward Stene, our On Route Medical Team Lead to share with you to put to the training test.

Today’s Lesson:

Friction = Heat (Hot spots). Hot Spots = Blisters. Blisters = Huge Bummer & Possible Medical Treatment

How to stay as far away from On Route Medical Treatment?

1. Train, train and train some more. You are going to be logging mega kilometers and mega awareness all weekend long with 30+ kilometers walked each day. The more pre-March kilometers you do, the better. See the Kidney March Training and Fundraising guide below for more info….

2. Toenails – Short and trim to avoid friction on the next door neighbor toes.

3. Got a hot spot? Apply moleskin before it becomes unruly.

4. Socks. Wear them. There’s mixed reviews on what works for whom. Some say 2 pairs to reduce the opportunity for the friction of shoe vs. toe instead of sock vs. sock. Inside Sock – Synthetic (nylon or rayon). Outside Sock –Cotton. Some say just 1 pair at a time is the best. Point is, train and find what works for you. Pre-March.

5. Many of our past Marchers have found putting Vaseline or equivalent all over their feet before applying socks helps reduce the friction between your feet and your sock, reducing the possibility of blisters.

6. Bring 2 Pairs of comfortable, broken in shoes. Try on your shoes with whichever sock combo you’ve decided to go with. Keep in mind, you will see some swelling in those toes after Marching the Kidney Trail so when shopping for your footwear, err on the side of big enough (aka, toes not rubbing against the toe).

See you on the route!

Without further ado….Your 8 Week Training and Fundraising Guide for Kidney March

 

Here it is….your guide to all things Kidney March. Need to know who, how or when to approach your soon to be supporters for donations? Easy — Page 2. Wondering what kind of footwear will get you to the last few kilometres blister free and feeling good? No problem — Page 7. Need a walking schedule to keep you in line and on track? Perfect — Page 8.

You’ve got an amazing adventure ahead of you and it is important to be prepared. Your incredible support is keeping the Kidney March movement pushing forward full steam ahead…….. for that, we are truly grateful.

Become a Hero In Training

 

 

May 3, 2012

 

Become a Hero In Training

 

They say “April showers bring May flowers”. But around the excited halls of the Kidney Foundation, we say “April showers bring May…wait, it’s May? That’s 4 months until Kidney March! We need to start training!”

Kidney March certainly isn’t a cake walk. But there’s motivation in our mission. Kidney disease can’t be stopped. People are waiting for transplants. The 100 kilometres and $2,200 we raise is nothing compared to the day-to-day battle of kidney disease.

However, when it comes to training, the brain can play tricks on us. It takes a lot of mental strength to go from the first lonely training walk of the winter months to game time (fighting) shape! But fear not. We, along with the rest of your fellow Kidney March fans, are here to support you with our scheduled training walks. Click here to read more.