The PETA Pack

Naked in the Snow

2011-07-11T12:03:00.000-07:00

I know more about PETA and naked campaigns than I really want to. In the mid-90’s I (accidentally) watched a PETA slaughterhouse video, and went veg. I was soooo mad at PETA for forcing me to change!

I had had no idea how animals suffer for food, fur, the circus, and animal testing. The videos shocked me to the core (especially “Free Me,”) and I started to get involved.

One day PETA called. They had my name from some volunteer list. I had signed up to, you know, stuff envelopes. Or walk dogs. But no. They were calling me in Alaska, to ask me to go naked. Like any normal person, I said no. I said no over and over and over. But three weeks later, a PETA campaigner flew up and there I was...really cold.

The PETA staffer, myself, and three others all stood behind a huge banner wearing nothing but underwear, slippers, and snowflakes. It was Fur Free Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and snowing like crazy. The banner said, “We’d Rather go Naked Than Wear Fur.” It was cold. It was embarrassing. It was scary. And it was wildly successful.

Alaska kills a lot of animals for fur, but nobody ever discussed it. That changed after our protest. Not only did the entire state talk about fur for weeks afterwards, our protest got International coverage. Millions of people saw it and thought about the cruelty of fur. PETA gave the media videos of animals being killed for fur, so they played shots of our protest mixed in with graphic images of animal suffering. So many eyes were opened!

PETA staff and volunteers don’t enjoy going naked. It’s awkward and cold and humiliating. But any discomfort we feel is nothing compared to what an animal feels as they are skinned alive for their fur. We must tell people how fur is made, so they stop buying it and fewer animals are killed for it.

We can send the media all the serious reports and videos we want—they won’t cover it. Let’s face it, it’s a tabloid world. But add one naked protest, or a person in a chicken costume, or a crazy idea that’s no more than a silly joke…and all of a sudden the media is all over it.

PETA’s budget is tiny. To put it in perspective: KFC, one of the worst animal abusers, spends $497 million dollars a year just on advertising. PETA’s entire annual budget is 32 million! So you see what we’re up against.

KFC can spend money on TV ads. PETA can’t. We must get media coverage to get the word out, or animal abuse will never stop. We prefer the serious work, but that doesn’t help animals if the public doesn’t know about it. PETA exists to help animals, but it’s humans who inflict the pain. And it’s humans who have the power to stop the pain. So we have to get humans to pay attention!

Animals suffer behind closed doors. Nobody sees them beaten in the slaughterhouse, or vomiting poison in the vivisection lab. If they stay hidden, the pain will never stop. PETA exposes the abuse to the world, and then we stop it. We’re up against the biggest corporations in the world. It’s a David and Goliath war. We don’t have billions of dollars and public apathy on our side, but we do have creativity, passion, and empathy. If a colorful street protest gets attention for animals, we’re going to do it!

It’s OK if the naked campaigns aren’t your favorites, but don’t diss them. They work. I know this: If I was being held prisoner in a windowless shed, being beaten and raped on a regular basis, I would want someone on the outside to do whatever it took to expose my plight. If they had to go naked to get attention for me, I would want them to! I figure animals would feel the same. That’s one reason why I’m so proud to work for PETA. We’re the only group doing whatever is effective to stop animal abuse, and we’re winning!

This post was written by Alex Bury in 2009.

Red Paint: The Truth

2011-07-11T11:51:00.000-07:00

“PETA throws red paint on people all the time!” Well, no, PETA doesn't. PETA sometimes uses red paint on their own fur coats…the coats donated to PETA when people learn the truth behind fur. PETA uses those coats in colorful demonstrations. It’s a great way to get the media, and the media is a mouthpiece for animals (love ‘em or hate ‘em, you gotta work with ‘em).

There are many, many animal rights activists in the world. And a lot of them have no connection to PETA whatsoever. We can’t control activists who do throw paint on fur-wearers. We aren’t the Animal Liberation Front, nor are we connected to them. We aren’t the Humane Society. We aren’t a shelter. We aren’t the Animal Welfare League of Topeka.

PETA has nothing against red paint. And we try not to talk down other groups and activists. They do their thing, we do ours.

But we find it’s a lot more effective to put the fake blood on ourselves, get some media, and then education millions about animal suffering. We like corporate negotiations, scientific research, shareholder resolutions and building doghouses. We like performing free spays and neuters and giving away Tofurky sandwiches. We really like doing undercover investigations and then sharing what we find with the whole world, while demanding criminal charges for the abusers.

We also really, really like good vegan food.
:)

Are PETA Videos For Real?

2011-07-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Have you seen “Free Me,” the PETA video set to the music of Goldfinger? It’s so moving.

About once a week I hear someone say, “Oh, PETA videos of animal abuse can’t be real. They must be manipulated in some way.”

Don’t we wish. The images on our videos are so horrific, they’re hard to believe, and we wish they were not real. But they are. And here’s the simple fact: If anything on any of our videos was less than 100% legitimate, we’d be sued and would have to take it off the web. That’s the end of the story.

When we say, “This is what happens at Agri-Processors,” you can bet the company tries to stop the video. But they can’t. Because it’s real, and we always prove that it’s real.

So the next time someone questions a video, gently remind them that it’s all too real, and real enough to survive attacks against it. There’s no question. That suffering exists, and we need to stop it.

Unless you're talking about the Sex and the Kitty video. That one's not real. :)

Is PETA Against All Pets?

2011-07-11T11:46:00.000-07:00

First of all, they’re our companions, not our “pets.” We can’t own them any more than we can own a child.

Is PETA against having animal companions? Come to Headquarters someday and decide for yourself. Most of the staff has rescued dogs, cats, rabbits, mice, rats, horses, and chickens. A lot of these sweet rescued animals come to the office. Next to the big Headquarters building there’s a beautiful dog park that’s open to the public, with a big sign: No Yelling At Your Dog! :) When you’re up in the kitchen on the 3rd floor, you can look down and watch dogs play.

If you can afford the time and money to care for an animal—reallycare for an animal—we hope that you will rescue a sweet someone from your local shelter. There are so many homeless animals. PETA is completely against breeding and buying animals. There are millions of dogs and cats killed every year, because nobody adopted them. Please, look at your lifestyle and if you can give a great home, go save a life!

Too Extreme

2011-07-11T11:38:00.000-07:00

What does that mean, exactly? Too extreme for what? An animal who is still alive, screaming in pain while they are skinned for fur…that’stoo extreme. Protesting against that cruelty is not extreme. It’s decent.

Speaking out against wrongdoing is hard. It takes guts and dedication. It takes compassion and a really big heart. It’s extreme, I guess…extremely wonderful.

“PETA is too extreme.” “PETA is a terrorist organization.” Think about this for a minute. PETA is a legal non-profit organization, one of the best known charities in the world. Everything we do is magnified, televised, watched, complimented, insulted and nit-picked almost to death. Do you really think that if PETA had any sort of illegalanything, we would still be going full-steam ahead like we are? We’re a registered charity. We’ve got a kick-*** human resources department, legal department, and finance department. Every penny has to be accounted for. We get audited all the time. We’re examined under a microscope.

When the government finds a charity doing something wrong, they punish the charity. PETA, however, has never been punished. That’s because we haven’t done anything wrong. Period, end of story.

Unless you count the KFC Movie Trailers. I know they’re clever and well-done, and they’ve made people go veg (yay!), but they give me the creeps. Especially the crack house one…yuck!

Pre-Race Check List

2010-03-22T17:10:00.000-07:00

Now:
1. You should be Registered for the race by now. If you're not, don't put it off any longer!
2. Plan your driving route and departure time. Leave EARLY! Plan to arrive at the race at least a hour early! Trust me, you will be glad. Arriving late will stress you out and possibly upset your race. Roads will be closed, parking will be crazy, runners will be everywhere.
3. Figure out parking now. Read the race website to learn about what roads will be closed, what lots are available and how much they cost, etc.
4. MUSIC: Get that i-pod loaded! Jenna made us all CD's that we'll give out at the Pasta Feed.

Saturday, the Day Before the Race:
1. Go to the Race Expo to pick up your runners bag, number bib, timing chip, and more! There will be tons of booths giving away free samples and selling things, so leave lots of time to hang out and explore.
2. Pick out your race outfit and put it on. That’s right—put it on to make sure you don’t forget something like, oh, the sports bra. Or the left shoe. Put the whole thing on and jog around the block. Don’t try anything new for the race.
3. Drink a lot of water all day.
4. Pack your favorite energy gels, bars or blocks. The race will have water and Gatorade stops, but no gels.
5. Make the time to drive to the course, so you know exactly where the parking, shuttles and starting line are.
6. Purchase and prepare your breakfast for early the next morning.

Have the following items ready to go the night before:
*Your race outfit.
*Official race bib pinned to your PETA Pack race shirt.
*Timing chip attached to your shoe.
*Gels and gus and bars.
*Old sweats to wear in the beginning.
*Hat (if you wear one), sunscreen, hair band, dark glasses.
*PETA banner folded up in your pocket that you can hold up as you cross the finish line (if you want one)
*Music (if you use it).
*Fully charged phone.
*Camera! Please, everyone…bring your camera so we can post photos after the event!
*Small bag with a bottle of water, dry shirt, ID and credit cards for after the race.
*SET YOUR ALARM! If you're anthing like me, you should probably set two.

Race Morning
1. You have everything together, so all you have to do is get dressed and go!
2. Leave with enough time to arrive at least 1 hour early!
3. Find parking and walk to the PETA Pack meeting spot near the starting point on 15th & Broadway.
4. Meet up with the team and walk, stretch, eat a banana…and relax because you're there on time.
5. This race has a gear check--her name is Alex Bury. ;) She'll be at the PETA Pack meeting spot while we're getting ready, but she's not racing so she can take our things back to the office. Leave what you can in your car, but she'll take the rest. That means we can show up in a layer of our favorite old sweats over our race outfits to stay warm in the cold morning air.
6. Ready, set, GO Pack GO!

Post-Race list:
1. Wipe tears off face. Seriously. I guarantee that at least half of us will cry when we cross the finish line.
2. WALK…don’t sit down after the race. Your legs will need to walk so the muscles loosen up.
3. Drink water (they’ll provide it at the race).
4. Cheer for other PETA Packers crossing the finish line and take photos!
5. Share large hugs with everyone you see.
6. Come to the PETA office for the Post Race Party...we'll have pizza, drinks, and more waiting for you! It's 1.5 miles from the finish line, so you can drive, walk, or coordinate a ride back to the office.
17. Eat. Drink. Relax. Stay for the Awards Ceremony, get your prizes if you’ve been fundraising, and take home your runners goody bag!
11. Look in the mirror and marvel at how amazing you are.

If you have any questions, email us soon--don't wait until the night before the race or you may not receive an answer! Good luck with the rest of your fundraising, and we'll see you at the finish line!

Alex, Michelle & Jaci

$3,000

2010-03-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I have some VERY exciting news – PETA member Mark Middleton has offered an incredibly generous matching challenge up to $3,000! This is a team-wide challenge which means that the first $3,000 raised, starting right now, will be matched! Even better, there’s no limit – so if you raise $3000 immediately, you could get the entire match!

There are no words big enough to express our gratitude and appreciation for Mark’s gift, so we have to do it by action. We need to raise at least $3,000 to take advantage of his generosity – and make an impact on countless animals’ lives.

Now lets DO THIS!!

PETA Pack Vegan Bake Sale

2010-03-15T08:36:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday the PETA Pack team held a Vegan Bake Sale in Oakland, CA in an effort to raise money for PETA's Investigations and Rescue Fund. We had Cinnaholic cinnamon buns, blondies, baklava, cannoli's, cookies galore, cakes, breads, and so much more! It was a smashing success, and you can see in the pictures below. We raised over $650 and had a blast doing it! This is definitely a new PETA Pack tradition.

$100 for the First 14 Runners!

2010-02-24T14:52:00.000-08:00

The first 14 runners to raise $100 between now and March 10th will receive an additional $100 from a VERY generous donor and fellow PETA Pack runner, Lisa Towell!

If you’ve been checking the PETA Pack home page regularly, you probably noticed that over the past two days we flew past $20,000 and at this moment have raised $21,560 (although this will probably have changed by the next time I check)! This is SO fantastic and we should all be very proud! Because of us, the lives of so many animals living in miserable conditions are going to be changed for the better.

Dogs like the one pictured above that live out their lives chained to the ground will receive sturdy doghouses from PETA to help them through brutal winters. Undercover investigators will reveal horrific cruelty happening behind closed industry doors, and PETA will bring the footage to the forefront of the public’s attention. Dogs and cats will be spayed and neutered which will spare hundreds or even thousands of animals from coming into this world just to scavenge hungrily on the street or linger in the barren stalls of shelters, only to be euthanized. Cases of animal abuse will be investigated, animals will be rescued, and PETA will do everything in its power to stop the suffering of innocent animals wherever it occurs.

We’ve raised a lot of money to help already, but we still have $78,440 to raise to reach our goal of $100,000. We’ve just got one month left, so now is the time to start reaching out to everyone you know (and don’t know!) and letting them know that you are running hard every week for the many animals out there that need our need help!

Take a look at PETA’s 2009 End of Year video and this Why PETA video for more inspiration.

Thank you all for your dedication and inspiring efforts! We’ve got 30 days left to reach our goals, and now we’ve also got the help of most generous Lisa Towell, so LET’S DO THIS!!!

Feeling a bit low? Pizza!

2010-02-01T17:17:00.000-08:00

I just had lunch with a particularly wonderful PETA Pack member, and she told me that she found herself craving pizza last week. She was feeling a bit tired, took a day off training, ate some veggie pizza, and then had a GREAT run the next day.

Are you feeling more tired than usual? Don’t forget that your body is doing a lot for you right now. Your metabolism is different. You’re burning calories and building new muscle. If you’re feeling hungry…eat ! Just eat well.

Avoid potato chips or a double order of fries (which I have been craving like mad lately). Those will give you calories and fat, but not much else. Go for the pizza! A good veggie pizza has more calories than a salad, but not empty calories. You’ll get lots of complex carbs, which you really need right now, and some extra protein and vitamins and minerals from the veggies. Don't replace the fatty cow's milk with vegan cheese--just skip the cheese altogether. Try it. You'll be surprised. If you're eating bread, tomato sauce and veggies you can really fill up. It's the cheese, oil, butter, and other additions that make it deadly.

Other good foods to try: Veggie burgers with pasta salad instead of fries on the side, Coach Darren’s smoothies, tofu-and-vegetable stews over rice (think curry), peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and of course…pasta! Lots of it! You can get wheat-free pasta, or whole wheat, or just plain. Don’t cover it with cream sauces or olive oil. Go with a nice tomato sauce and throw in your favorite chopped veggies (frozen is fine if you’re short on time).

Here’s some more on food. Don’t diet now, you’ll run out of energy, but avoid the fattiest of foods as well. Think carbs! Let me know if you want more tips.

Alex
p.s.
So far I’m winning the war against French fries, and the huge bag of corn chips here in the office kitchen. It calls my name every time I walk by. I’m eating tons of rice and veggies and tofu, spaghetti, boiled potatoes, oatmeal, apples, carrots, and PB&J’s. So much of the good stuff that I’m too full for chips!

Quick Tostadas

2010-01-26T19:58:00.000-08:00

Running food: As we’ve discussed before, we want to eat a lot so we’re never hungry, but we want to eat low-fat.

The only way to lose weight, or keep weight off, is to burn more calories than you consume. That’s it.

If I eat 5,000 calories a day, but only burn 4,000, I’m going to gain weight. If I start running and burning 5,200 calories a day—I’ll lose weight.

However...If I start running and then increase my eating because I think I’m “safe” from all the exercise, I could end up eating 7,000 calories and only burning 5,200!

The trick is to eat lots of low-fat, high-fiber, healthy foods. Baked chips instead of fried. Rice and beans. Baked tofu instead of deep-fried chicken. Oatmeal instead of fatty, sugary mega-muffins.

Check out Dr. McDougall’s website for tons of recipes (look under the newsletter link).

Here’s one of my favorite work snacks:

Buy one package of fresh, soft corn tortillas (not the crispy fried ones!).
One can of vegan fat-free refried beans (most of them are naturally veg and fat-free).
One jar of your favorite salsa.

Plop a big spoonful of beans onto the tortillas. Spread evenly. Top with another tortilla. Microwave for 1 minute. Top with your salsa and eat. That’s it!

If you’re feeling like a chef, add shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, and/or whole beans. Add vegan ground “beef” or vegan “chicken” strips if you like that sort of thing.

Sometimes I’ll eat 4 of these in a day, but I never worry about the fat or calories. They leave me so full I’m not even tempted by the bag of greasy chips sitting on the office kitchen table.

Alex

Share Your Efforts with the World!

2010-01-25T12:39:00.000-08:00

People can’t support you if they don’t know you’re what you’re doing! In case you forgot, you’re training unbelievably hard for three months, pushing yourself to run 10 or 20 or even 30 miles a week in all weather conditions, all so you can run a race with the PETA Pack for animals.

Furthermore, people won’t support you if they don’t know WHY you are doing this and why their support is so important to you and the animals! These reasons may be different for each of us, but the bottom line is that we are doing this in an effort to get help for the animals that need it so desperately—to spread awareness about animal abuse and exploitation and to inspire people to help and to donate.

Many of us are doing a fantastic job spreading the word to your friends and family—and it’s clearly paying off. We’ve already raised over $11,500! That’s HUGE. But we’ve still got a way to go to reach our individual goals and $100,000 collectively. Lucky for us, there are literally endless opportunities to share your PETA Pack fundraising page with the world.

BUT FIRST—Perfect Your Page! Before you ask people for their support, make sure your fundraising page is presenting everything you want your friends to know. What are you doing? How much time and effort are you putting into this and most importantly, why? Where will the donations go? Why are these donations so important to you and to animals? How is training going so far? Are you planning to accomplish things you never thought you could?

10 Ways to Share Your Efforts with the World (and raise money!):

1. Email. Write a really powerful email and send an email to everyone in your address book. Friends, family, family friends, friends of family friends, co-workers, neighbors, the parents of the child you once babysat, old friends from school—anyone. Personalize the emails to the people closest to you, so they have to at least respond. First email them to let them know you’re doing this, again to give them an update about how it’s going, and a final time right before the race!

2. Email Signature. Include a link to your fundraising page below your email signature or as a P.S.! For example: “I’m training to run a half-marathon for animals and your support would mean the world to me.” This is a super easy way to send gentle reminders to the you communicate with that you’re still huffing and puffing away and still want their support!

3. Post to Facebook. So easy! It takes literally 30 seconds. Post your fundraising page to Facebook by copy-pasting the link into the status update box. Update your status whenever you run an impressive distance, have a PETA Pack story to share, receive a donation, discover a new running location, etc!

4. Blog. Have a blog? Write a post about the PETA Pack and ask your readers for support!

5. Website. If you have one, we’ve got an awesome little icon you can include that links to the PETA Pack site.

6. Twitter. If you’re one of the 18 million people on Twitter, tweet about @PETAPack2010 and your training adventures!

7. Go door to door. I never was a girl scout, but I do appreciate that with the right approach, going door to door can be a very successful fundraising technique. Dress professionally or in a PETA shirt. Explain what you are doing and why, and tell them that you would really appreciate their support. Ask for checks made out to PETA, not cash, to prove you are credible. Carry PETA leaflets with you if you have some. Send the checks to Michelle at the Oakland Office and we will add the money to your fundraising page!

8. Collection Boxes. Create some donation collection boxes and ask if you can put one at work, in stores, at the vet’s office, a library, a grocery store, etc. Have children in school? See if their class will have a change drive for animals. Just be sure to follow up and collect the donations from the boxes regularly!

9. Host a Fundraising Party/Event! Make a delicious vegan dinner, host a vegan drinks night, have a dance party, a Super Bowl party… anything! Get creative. Invite friends and ask for a minimum donation to attend. Your fundraising page can serve as your guest list!

10. Help with PETA Pack Fundraising Events! We are organizing a Popcorn and Movie Night, Vegan Bake Sale, and Wine & Dine event with a very special guest. We will ask for a minimum donation from guests, and the PETA Packers who to come to the events, bring food, spread the word, and bring friends will receive a portion of the money raised on their fundraising page!

Don't you dare diet!

2010-01-15T16:08:00.000-08:00

I’m getting tons of requests about how to lose weight. People either want to get into shape in the first place, or get into better shape and try to win the darn race on March 28. I’ll tell you this: Don’t diet!

Dieting is dreadful. It makes you hungry all the time, which in turn makes you break down and eat junk because you’re starving. It leaves you with low energy. Dieting makes your body burn fewer calories because it’s always feeling hungry and it can’t trust you to feed it on a regular basis.

And dieting makes daily life not fun. Counting every calorie, stressing over food, always feeling hungry (or feeling guilty because you broke down and ate a tub of ice cream) and anxious.

Try eating more food instead. Here is what I consider the magic formula: Eat often, eat well, eat good veggie foods, and exercise. It’s easy!

I eat more than anyone I know, yet I don’t own a scale and never think about my weight. I never count calories and whenever I feel hungry, I eat. It’s what I eat, not how much. Here are some comparisons to get you thinking:

You can eat one small order of fries and ingest 540 calories, most of them from fat, and still feel hungry because while your snack was calorie-dense, it wasn’t bulky so your stomach still feels empty and unsatisfied.

Alternatively, you can eat one large baked potato topped with salsa (as much salsa as you want) and you’ll only get 278 calories…zero of them from fat!...and you’ll feel so full you might not finish.

That’s what I think about when I eat.

How about hummus? 2 Tb of hummus will give you 80 calories and lots of fat from the tahini and olive oil in it. Nobody eats 2 tablespoons of hummus. If you eat half a cup, more realistic, you’re going to eat 320 fatty calories!

Instead? Salsa. Regular old tomato salsa, black bean salsa, spicy pineapple salsa…you name it…most salsas have 10 calories in a 2 Tb serving. 10! And no fat! You can sit in front of the TV and eat an entire bag of baked blue corn chips (not the fried ones!) with a big jar of your favorite salsa, you’ll be full (over full), and you won’t feel guilty.

One more: Which would you enjoy more, 9 tortilla chips or 2.5 cups of popcorn?? Who eats 9 chips? That’s crazy. Next time you’re having a mid-afternoon snack attack, grab a bag of air-popped popcorn and go nuts.

Don’t let yourself go hungry. Eat, just eat well. Now that you're running, you need food for energy!

Last example: Let’s talk about dinner. Let’s talk about pasta for dinner. Pasta is a great food on its own—vegan, low-fat, full of energy-giving carbs that are great for runners. But if we smother the noodles in cream, cheese, meat or even olive oil, we turn a great meal into a fat bomb. Instead, try spaghetti with marinara sauce. If you get a vegan marinara sauce (most jars are, just check for cheese), you can eat a gigantic bowl of spaghetti and tomato sauce for dinner and go to bed happy as a well-fed runner. Which you will be.

½ cup of macaroni and cheese has 360 calories and half of them are from fat! And you’ll still be hungry after ½ cup. However, one and ½ cups of spaghetti with pre-made, vegan marinara sauce has only 180 calories and no fat!

I’ll start sending recipes in the next few weeks. Lentil soup, roast squash, minestrone, rice and bean burritos, etc. All the recipes will be easy to make, hearty and filling, vegan and low-fat. They’ll be stuffed with vitamins and minerals and energy carbs and protein.

For more ideas now: Check out Dr. McDougall. His main site has general eating information and the newsletters are packed with great recipes. And you should be checking www.vegcooking.com every day for new meal ideas!

Happy running and happy eating!

Alex

p.s.

OK, there may be one person who can eat more than me: Coach Darren! Be sure to ask him for eating tips when you're talking to him.

Money!

2010-01-04T08:35:00.000-08:00

MONEY: Time to gradually start thinking about your fundraising. I know it’s hard to talk about money—every time I bring it up I can feel people thinking, “Geez, I thought lawyers were bad…” J Since we’re all busy working and training, I won’t waste time beating around the bush. The animals need you AND fundraising is fun!

First: Make your personal fundraising page. Go to the “support a runner” page and click "show all runners" to check out your team-mates, for example, Dana Portnoy. If you need any help setting up your page, let us know!

Make your page YOUR page. Your photo can be you, your dog, or an animal suffering on a factory farm. Your text can be anything you want. The most important thing is to be yourself and be sincere!

Second: Write an e-mail message to everyone you know. Again, be yourself. We all have different reasons why we’re training, and why we want to help animals. Some people want to help stop cat and dog overpopulation. Others want to fight fur or shut down slaughterhouses. Whatever your passions are—they’re OK and you should share them with your friends, colleagues and family members. Tell them you’ll do the sweating and huffing and puffing for 3 months, and you hope they will emotionally support you by donating to your page. Send them a link to your page.

Remember this as you write your message: Animals are dependent on us for help. They cannot speak for themselves. You are asking your family and friends to give for their sakes—the animals—not for your own interests.

On top of that, you're giving a gift to the people you ask. By asking them to support your training efforts and PETA's vital work, they'll know that you've included them in something wonderful. They'll get to hear about how your training is going and your feelings of achievement and happiness, and they'll feel like they're a part of it.

It's good to ask for help. Animals are counting on us, and many of our friends and family members want to be involved in our challenges and achievements, they just don’t know what we need.

We'll talk about this more during the training. You won't be left to handle this important task alone.

Thank you so much for helping to make PETA a stronger voice for animals, who are voiceless.

This post was written by Alex Bury

Breakfast of Champions

2010-01-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

Breakfast!

This post is a little late because I was busy making the Breakfast of Champions. Every Sunday I make a gigantic pot of steel-cut oatmeal, to feed me for the next week. Steel-cut oats are also called Irish Oats. They’re tough little things, totally different from the quick oats we’re used to. You can’t really eat quick oats the next day. Ick. But Irish Oats cook for a good 30 minutes and make a fabulous thick porridge that reheats beautifully. 30 seconds in the microwave, some sliced banana, voila: a perfect breakfast.

Make a big pot on Sunday so that your mornings are taken care of. Now that we’ve added training to our already busy lives, we need to find food that is both fast AND healthy. I cook 2 cups of oats in 8 cups of water and that lasts me through the week. Sometimes I add a handful of raisins, a chopped apple or two, or a whole cinnamon stick. Every morning I spool out my serving, heat it, and top with banana. Sometimes walnuts, cinnamon, more apple, things like that. Not only is this convenient and healthy, it’s filling. A big bowl of oats will keep you from grabbing a donut or fatty muffin, it will give you loads of energy for the day, and it won’t give you any fat for those hips.

Compare this: One donut has around 340 calories and enough fat to condition your hair. One big bowl of oatmeal has only 140 calories and no fat!! Donuts are fatty and calorie-dense, but not filling. Eat a donut and 30 minutes later you’ll be hungry for more junk. Oatmeal is the opposite. Filling and packed with nutrients and energy, but not fat and calories. When you’re full you don’t have to worry about giving in to junk food temptations.

Icing on the cake: When you eat foods like oatmeal you don’t have to measure or count calories. The more you eat the better because it will fill you up. I’ll be posting lots more energy foods like this. I’m not suggesting we won’t be eating our beer and French fries on Saturday nights, after our long runs. I’m suggesting that we eat less fat in general so that our training goes better and our junk food nights are that much more enjoyable!

Note: I don’t eat a big bowl of oatmeal before running. A bouncing, full stomach does not a fast runner make.

Alex

Fundraising Emails and Thanking Your Donors!

2009-12-30T12:09:00.000-08:00

Hey PETA Packers!

Now that you've joined the team and set up your personal fundraising page, I'm sure you can't wait to start fundraising! After all, the rush that you get when you receive donations on your page is one of the best feelings out there. Better yet, you'll be giving your friends, family and co-workers an opportunity to get the incredible feeling that comes with donating to a person and a cause they care about.

What are you waiting for? If you can't figure out what to say, here are some samples for ideas (below). Feel free to use them if you'd like. As long as you keep it personal and from the heart, people won't be able to resist donating!

Thank you for all of your efforts, and Good Luck!

Michelle Cehn :)
michellecehn@petaf.org

Sample Fundraising E-Mail:

Dear Friends,

As some of you may know, I'm training to run a half marathon [or full or 5k] in March. I can barely even imagine running 13+ miles [or 21+ or a 5k] right now, but I am committed to do this on behalf of the abused, neglected and lonely animals with no hope other than PETA coming to their aid. I donate to PETA whenever I can, but I am not able to make the big donations I'd like to by myself. With your help, we can reach more animals and make an even bigger difference than any one person can alone. That is why I decided to run this race. I hope that it will inspire you and many others to lend a hand, and that it will help build a network of supporters that the animals so desperately need.

Making a donation to the PETA Pack is a way to speak out against violence and support kindness to animals without having to do the work yourself. PETA employees and volunteers work very hard every day to investigate cruelty cases, spread awareness about animal exploitation, inspire a shift in attitude and lifestyle toward a more compassionate one, and to find animals who are suffering and lend them a loving hand. Every day PETA distributes literature to the public emails companies asking for more humane practices, speaks out for animals on street corners, in newspapers, online, on television, and anywhere the message of compassion can be shared.

Today I am asking for your support. I'll be doing the huffing and puffing for 3 months, struggling to run upwards of 20 miles a week, and it would mean the world to me if you would consider supporting me by making a donation to my fundraising page:

http://peta.teamraising.com/team/MichelleCehn

On behalf of the animals we are working for, thank you. This means a lot to me, and it means the world to them. With great appreciation,

[Your Name]

Sample Thank You Email

Dear [Donor],

Thank you so much for your incredibly generous donation of $[Amount Donated] to my PETA Pack page! Your support of the PETA Pack means the world to me, and I cannot thank you enough. It is really inspiring to receive donations from compassionate people like you, and I am going to train, run and fundraise even harder because of it!

This year, all the money raised by the PETA Pack is going to PETA's Investigations and Rescue Fund. This pays for everything from undercover investigations that expose behind-the-scenes cruelty, to providing dog houses for lonely backyard dogs that are often chained in freezing weather without shelter. I hope you will sleep well tonight, knowing that your donation will be going to help animals who would not have been helped otherwise.

Thank you so much for supporting me, the team, and the animals who rely on us.

With love and great appreciation,

[Your Name]

The PETA Pack is for EVERYONE (not just runners)!

2009-12-14T12:17:00.000-08:00

Hola and Happy Holidays!

We've been hearing from a lot of people interested in joining the PETA Pack team, but convinced they won't be able to run the race. Let me set you all straight. :)

You don't have to run a marathon. In fact, most people won't. The most popular distances are the 5k (3 miles) and the half marathon (13.1 miles). So forget about 26.2, OK? That's for the crazy people.
YOU CAN WALK. In fact, the vast majority of people doing the race next March will walk at least part of the course. Even the speedy ones. Some runners walk 2 minutes for every 10 they run, or they run the first half of the race and then walk the second half, or they do 5 and 5 (run 5 minutes, walk 5 minutes, repeat). It's a fun way to get great exercise, enjoy the sights, and share the adrenaline and camaraderie of race day.
YOU CAN RUN. Two years ago I signed up to train for a half marathon. I couldn't run more than a quarter mile without stopping, but the coach promised he could get me up to 13.1 miles in 12 weeks. I thought he was insane. He was right. I did it! Coach Darren's PETA Pack training works. It's all about gentle increases, rest days, cross training, tapering back. Before you know it you'll be running longer and longer distances and loving it. If you feel sore anywhere, Coach will talk to you one-on-one to work through it.

The PETA Pack is for everyone. We'll have some speed demons who plan to set a new personal record in the half marathon (Henry), we'll have mid-packers like me who will finish but not exactly at the speed of light, and we'll have lots of folks who have never run more than 1 mile when they signed up...cheering as they cross their first finnish line.

Life is short. You've wanted to learn how to run for years. You want to be in better shape. You want to help animals. Don't put this off. Join the team and start planning your race day celebration now! If you're still nervous about the running, contact me and we can talk about it.

Happy Monday!

Alex

AlexB@petaf.org

Team Meet & Greet!

2009-12-07T11:50:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! We wanted to get the word out that next Tuesday, December 15th, we are going to have a Meet & Greet party with the PETA Pack team and professional trainer, Coach Darren! Meet us between 6-8pm at Sports Basement in the Presidio and enjoy snacks, drinks and meeting other team members.

Also, Sports Basement will be giving each of us 10% off purchases and another 10% donated to PETA! So make a list of training items you need - shoes, clothes, water bottle, energy gels, Clif Bars and stock up next Tuesday. These are also great holiday presents ;)

If you plan to come, please RSVP to Jaci at jacik@petaf.org so that we make sure to have enough snacks on hand. And please, bring family or friends who haven't finished their holiday shopping or are looking to spoil themselves!

Registration is Now Open!

2009-11-30T22:26:00.000-08:00

Hey PETA Packers, I'm thrilled to announce that the PETA Pack website is officiall up and running (haha!), and 14 awesome runners have already registered! If you're even thinking about running this race, the first thing any runner should know is this: you snooze, you lose. Start strong and get ahead of the game by registering today! Registration is free, and you can set up your personal fundraising page in a meager 5 minutes, so you really have no excuse.

We've also set up a Facebook group and a Twitter account so that you have every opportunity to stay up to speed with the team. We will be updating these regularly with the latest PETA Pack news, training tips, healthy recipes, inspiring stories, running facts, fundraising advice, events, schedules, and much more.

If you can't run with the team, these sites provide great opportunities for PETA Pack groupies to stay involved, show support, and spread the word. If you're a remote runner, please actively post on these sites--we want to get to know you and hear about how your runs are going! If you are a local runner, please stay tuned because runs and meetups may be organized and announced on Facebook.

Now, without further ado, I'll leave you to register.

On your mark... get set... GO!

PETA Pack 2010!

2009-11-20T08:45:00.001-08:00

Hello PETA Pack runners of old and new! We are so excited to announce that the 2nd Annual PETA Pack team will be running the Oakland 1/2 Marathon (or Full or 5K) on Sunday, March 28, 2010!

Our FREE 12 weeks of professional training with the wonderful Coach Darren will begin on Monday, January 4th - with a bonus "kick-off" Meet & Greet group run on Sunday the 3rd in the Presidio.

Our website and registration will be live real soon, but in the meantime tell everyone you know - family, friends, coworkers, strangers (but not the wierd ones) about PETA Pack! Have an awkward silence at your in-laws house over the holidays? Talk about PETA Pack! Recruit whoever you can so that we can make this year even more successful than last year - which will be hard to do.

So enjoy your holiday season to the fullest, because on January 3rd we're going to trade in pumpkin pies and holiday cookies for running shoes and water bottles! Well, most of the time anyway. And keep checking out our blog for updates, news and tips!