Champions for Charity News

Raise Money to Fight Childhood Obesity

2012-05-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

The students from the Health and Medicine Magnet Class at Ann Arbor Skyline High School are raising money to fight childhood obesity by sponsoring a Science and Wellness Expo from 4 – 8 p.m. on Friday, May 11 in the Skyline cafeteria, and holding the second annual Ready, Set, Fly 5K and 1 mile race.

All money raised by the race will be donated to Project Healthy Schools, a community — University of Michigan collaboration that provides middle-school-based programing to reduce childhood obesity and its long-term health risks. Project Healthy Schools was first piloted in Ann Arbor middle schools in 2004 and has now spread to over 20 middle schools in Southeast Michigan. The program encourages healthy habits through education, environmental change and measurement. Over 13,000 students have participated so far, and the measurement part of the program shows that participants make significant improvements in healthy behaviors and health risks factors, such as lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, and triglycerides.

Help fight childhood obesity.

Lost and Found

2012-04-30T15:15:00.001-04:00

Lose something at one of our recent races? We can help! Our office keeps a very large lost and found box for all our events.

Champions for Charity Office
320 W. Washington St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Map and Directions

Janis Ortiz - Reasons for Running BHBH

2012-04-30T09:43:00.000-04:00

Janis Ortiz gives her reasons for running the 2012 Big House Big Heart:

About a year ago, I decided I wanted to lose weight after having kids. I thought that running sounded like a route to go on top of eating healthy. In the past year, I've gone from never running in my life to now being able to run a maximum of 4 miles at a rate of 10 minutes per mile. I've also lost a total of 50 pounds and have built lean muscle. All these things make me feel much better about myself. However, the main reason I decided to run the BHBH in 2012 was because I just lost my father on January 1st of this year. I wanted to honor my father and also some of his wishes. My father passed away after complications of his second triple heart bypass surgery and finding out that he was also diabetic. His body just could not recover and on January 1st, he passed away in the hospital from his liver shutting down after being in a doctor induced coma for almost two weeks. He left behind a wife, 4 children, and several grandchildren.

In the days before his surgery, he was concerned that he wouldn't make it and made sure he told each one of us children to make sure that we took care of ourselves so that we wouldn't end up like he did (make sure we ate right, went to doctor visits, etc). It was these words (wishes) from my father and the fact that he was a HUGE University of Michigan fan that gave me the desire to want to complete this race. This was my first race and I did this race in honor of my father. I do have to end my story by saying I am thankful that he was watching over me and kept the rain away while the race took place but me crossing that finish line and thinking of how much I miss him dearly, I broke down. I will forever remember this special time and look forward to honoring him on a yearly basis by doing this race in future years.

Also See:

Spend Mother's Day at Ready, Set, Fly!

2012-04-26T10:53:00.003-04:00

The Ready, Set, Fly 5K is hosted by The Skyline High School Health and Medicine Magnet class, with proceeds going to Project Healthy Schools. Run, walk, wheel or stroll. Bring your Mom and walk or run with her! She'll receive a flower — from you — at the finish line!

Date: Sunday, May 13, 2012
Place: Skyline High School, Ann Arbor, MI

Race Start Times:

5K — 9:00am
1M — 10:30am

Registration Cost:

$24 through May 11, 2012
$29 on Race Day — May 13, 2012

$12 through May 11, 2012
$15 on Race Day — May 13, 2012

Packet Pickup:

Late Registration / Packet Pick-up during The Science of Wellness Expo
Date: Friday, May 11, 2012
Place: Skyline High School Cafeteria
Time: 4:00pm – 8:00pm

Race Day Packet Pick-up:

Date: Race Day — Friday, May 13, 2012
Place: 552 N. Maple Rd., Ann Arbor, MI
Time: 7:30am

See you at the race!

Training Tip of the Month - Eat Right!

2012-04-26T10:51:00.004-04:00

As a runner, you know that eating is important as it gives us energy to run. But when and what to to eat is often a question. If you're heading for a run longer than an hour, it's important to eat about 30 minutes before and use the ratio of 1 gram of protein to 3 grams of carbs. For example, peanut butter on toast is a good option. The night or day before a long run or race, eat any complex carbohydrates you enjoy. It's also important to make sure to re-fuel after a race or run as it will help prevent muscle stiffness and soreness. Again, use the three-to-one carbs-to-protein ratio.

Proper Warm-Up and Cool-Down

2012-04-26T10:50:00.000-04:00

So many people may be wondering, "Is it really that important to warm up before my run and cool down after my run? I mean I just want to run already!" The answer to this question is simple: you must do both before and after running to prevent injuries from occurring. So what kind of injuries could happen? Well, there is an array of injuries that could occur, from a muscle tear to a heart attack! Think of your warm-up and cool-down as a time to focus on your run. For example, create your plan during your warm-up (where to run, how fast and how far) or reflect on your run during your cool-down. It's a time to ask yourself questions such as: How hard was I pushing myself? What did I like most about my run? What do I want to change for my next run? This will make the dreaded warm-up and cool-down more bearable.

A warm-up prior to your run will increase the blood flow and oxygen delivery to your muscles, raise the temperature of your muscles to peak operating level and increase the flexibility and range of motion of your muscles. A warm-up is vital in raising your heart rate so that your heart is geared up to supply energy-producing oxygen to your leg muscles. Finally, a good warm-up will increase your performance level and help you avoid injuries. To get the most out of your warm-up, adapt it to your current situation. If you're preparing for a longer, more moderately paced race or a training run, you need a shorter, less intense warm up. If you're performing a shorter, faster run, your warm-up should be a bit longer and include some more intense phases. Some examples of warm-ups are below:

2 Mile to 10K
• 20 Minutes to Start Time - Jog easily for 5 to 10 minutes or until you feel warm and loose.
• 10 Minutes to Start Time - Perform about 5 minutes of dynamic flexibility drills.*
• 5 Minutes to Start Time - Do about 2 minutes of plyometrics.*
• 3 Minutes to Start Time - Perform 3 to 5 strides of about 50 to 100 meters at race pace. Do light static stretching on problem spots.*

1/2 Marathon
• 20 Minutes to Start Time - Jog easily for 5 to 10 minutes or until you feel warm and loose.
• 10 Minutes to Start Time - Perform 2 minutes of dynamic flexibility drills.
• 8 Minutes to Start Time - Do 2 to 3 strides of about 100 to 200 meters at race pace. Do some light static stretching if necessary on problem spots.

Marathon or Longer
• 15 Minutes to Start Time - Jog easily for about 5 minutes
• 10 Minutes to Start Time - Do 5 minutes of light dynamic flexibility drills. If you have any problem spots, do some light static stretching

*Dynamic flexibility drills: Moving your muscles through full, exaggerated motions that mimic the motions of running (high knees, heel kicks and lunges).
*Plyometrics: Exercises that require your muscles to reach peak force in a very short amount of time. They will improve your speed and power (one leg hop and single leg vertical jump).
*Static Stretch: Exercises in which you stretch your muscle using body weight or opposing muscle groups and hold a gentle stretch for 20 to 30 seconds (hamstring stretch, quadriceps stretch, calf stretch and butterfly stretch).

A proper cool-down is essential after your run. It is important to bring your heart rate down at a slow rate (10-15 minutes). This will put less strain on your heart muscle than if you were to simply stop abruptly. Cooling down also helps to get rid of lactic acid that might build up in your muscles; it's easier to get rid of lactic acid through a gentle cool-down rather than abruptly ending. This excess of lactic acid can cause muscle fatigue and soreness. Make sure to stretch all major muscle groups as well. This will help you to relax after your run and prevent muscle soreness. Happy Running!

May Running Trivia

2012-04-26T10:47:00.003-04:00

Q: What is the fastest human foot speed ever recorded?
A: 27.79 mph! Seen during a 100-meter sprint by Usain Bolt. Now that's fast!

Muscle Group of the Month - Calf

2012-04-26T10:43:00.002-04:00

What is the Calf Muscle?

The calf muscle is actually made up of a pair of muscles located along the back of the lower leg. The muscles of the calf are the larger Gastrocnemius and the internal Soleus. The Gastrocnemius and Soleus both work to lift the heel. The Gastrocnemius raises the heel when the leg is straight, and the Soleus raises the heel with the knee bent. The calves also help stabilize the ankle and the bending of the knee. It is essential to the movements of walking, running, cycling and jumping.

Exercises
Double-Leg Calf Raise
1.    Stand near a wall for balance.
2.    Place your feet hip-width apart, and make sure your ankles, knees, and hips are in vertical alignment to protect your joints.
3.    Press down into the balls of both feet to raise your body upward.
4.    Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in so that you move straight upward, rather than shifting your body forward or backward.
5.    Hold for about a 1/2 second.
6.    Lower your heels. Perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
* You can increase the intensity of the calf raise by doing it on one leg.

Seated Calf Raise (The Soleus is recruited when you perform exercises with the knees bent.)
1.    Stand on one leg near a wall for balance with the other leg bent behind you.
2.    Be sure the ankle, knee, and hip of the leg you're working are in vertical alignment to protect the joints.
3.    Press down into the ball of your foot to raise your body upward.
4.    Keep your abdominal muscles pulled in so you avoid shifting forward or backward. Hold for about a 1/2 second.
5.    Lower your heels. Perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 repetitions.

Stretches
Seated Hand-to-Foot Stretch
1.    Sit on the floor, grab a hold of your foot with both hands.
2.    Straighten your leg as much as you can.
3.    Keep pulling the foot (without pain or discomfort) in a flexed position for 20-30 seconds.
4.    Repeat on the other side.

Calf Wall Stretch
1.    Stand in front of a wall and lean hands as if pushing the wall.
2.    Take one step forward and leave knee flexed.
3.    Lean back foot on floor with extended leg.
4.    Stretch calf of back leg for 20-30 seconds and then repeat on other side.

Emma-Kate's C.S. Mott Story

2012-04-25T17:05:00.000-04:00

Sara Voth was a participant in the Big House Big Heart Run's Mott Mile for her daughter Emma-Kate. Here is their story.

When people ask us to tell our story about Emma-Kate, I never quite know where to begin. The story of us and her is ever so complicated and intricate. And beyond that, it is seen uniquely by every person that has been involved with her. For me, it seems suffice to start with the tides.

With the birth our second child, a daughter, I have become much aware of the synonymic presence and importance of opposites: the ebb and flow that is the keeper of balance. Our journey began with a routine 20 week ultrasound and the idea proposed of a heart complication. Thrown off by the concern, we were referred to a pediatric cardiologist who specialized in fetal echocardiograms. After much anticipation, the cardiologist read the echo and told us that we were dealing with a possible Hypo-Plastic (small-sized) Left Heart (atrium/ventricle) Syndrome. This was very serious. A box of thin tissues and a thick pamphlet were candidly slid across the table. To say the least, we left with many questions and heavy hearts.

I would be remiss if I said we weren't desperate, depleted and desolate for weeks to come. Our minds and hearts dealt with the idea of her in vastly different ways, but one thing was consistent: we both desired and sought to be informed.

Much of the following weeks and months were filled with the gathering of information about our special girl through serial echoes, ultrasounds, blood draws and genetic tests to help us and her medical team prepare for her arrival. Many other congenital anomalies were discovered, but still no real answers came. Her genetic profiling all came back perfectly normal.

There were days where I would lie, swollen with a fluttering child, and know nothing other than the comfort of stroking the slick black fur of my pup. He would curl close to me, solemnly lick the salty tears from my cheek, and confirm that there was at least the blessing of a sympathetic creature-comfort to lend some ease. I would find my husband, the sole breadwinner, late-night awake at his computer, trying to create busyness to distract himself. I often prayed for a miscarriage; to be spared her pain and suffering, and ours.

After experiencing the first few stages of grief, I knew I needed to keep myself busy and distracted so I could carry her with a loving heart and open mind. Eventually, I wanted to at least offer her the chance of birth, to hold her to my breast, sing in her tiny newborn ears, let her know earthly love for at least an instant.

Somewhere, along the ticking time line before her birth, we resigned. I remember likening our situation to a tsunami. We waited for her, blessed, but flooded with so much overwhelming information and speculation about her complicated anatomy. The moment occurred thereafter where we knew to do nothing else but allow the wave to consume us. In retrospect, we smile, realizing that this very resignation was what set us free. From there, we were granted the proverbial surfboards and rode the enormous wave that we thought would ultimately consume us.

At long last, the moment of labor came. Honestly, I did not believe it was happening. At the time we had two cats and a young Lab, and my heart of hearts knew if was time when they encompassed me. Off we flew in the dark of night at top speed to the UM hospital in Ann Arbor, MI. My pregnant dreams had been flooded with worry of traffic, road construction, and quick labor as potential obstacles. But the reality happened that we were calm, packed, showered, and quite timely arriving at Labor and Delivery around 2am. It was later discerned that I walked in, three weeks before term, at eight centimeters dilation. The L/D nurses were amused by that. The intense pain of labor was secondary to the anticipation that defined her pre-existence. In the end, our love defeated our fears.

A short while later, with twenty-plus specialists waiting in the wings of the labor and delivery OR, she was birthed, blessed, and whisked away. Her daddy fought for a view through a tunnel of curious docs and her first photograph revealed a tiny, lovely, sprightly little person.

Love at first sight.

She immediately and wholly captured our doubtful hearts.

From that moment on, we clung to her, not sure how long we would be allowed to keep her. We would walk from the Ronald McDonald House at 4am, just to sit close to her. We could not hold her with so many lines attached, so we opted to give her our voices. We whispered to each other across the NICU isolette. We sang. We read Garrison Keillor. We caressed every little exposed patch of skin. We wanted her tiny little self to associate life with love, in whatever limited means we could. And through this, a romance grew. In this time, keeping her stabilized while we awaited the arrival of her cardiac surgeon, we were gifted the sense of the deepest kind of humanly love: love with reckless abandon. Our hearts exploded.

The breadth of this love was so intense, it felt fierce; feral. My body longed painfully to hold her, nurse her, rock her. I remember an overwhelming desire to free her from her lines and carry her away in to nature. Finally, the time came for her to be intubated and transferred in to the care of the nurses in the Pediatric Cardio-Thoracic Unit. It was time to prepare for surgery.

It was 6:40 am when she was put on-call for OR 3. A barrage of people came to prepare her and us with the details of surgery. We prayed. We kissed her unscarred chest. We smiled at her as the cardiac anesthesia team led us all in to the patient elevators.

One last kiss, they led her isolette out of the elevator doors, down the OR hallway, out of sight.

Our wonderful families had come to sit with us for support, but that's the last thing we wanted to do. I was buzzing with nervous energy and wanted intensely to be alone. I looked over at my husband, desperate to get out of conversation and led him away to get coffee. We walked in silence, together thinking of our girl, a far heart's reach away. We imagined the surgeons standing across from her, taking our rightful places; the first cut. We sent off prayers of love and sweetness to her anesthetic dreams. Stay safe, love.

I was off pumping breast milk when I heard a nurse calling out for me. Something was wrong. We had gotten an update not fifteen minutes earlier that things were going well and she was almost done. The nurse lead us in to a private consultation room. Doom filled me. My husband's face revealed that he had already heard details. They had tried repeated times to patch Emma-Kate's reconstructed aortic arch and it was failing. The tissue was “friable,” crumbly. She had been on bi-pass three separate times. The outcome was looking grim at best.

The tiny, stuffy consultation room was painted a sapling shade of green. The coordinating couch was stiff, vinyl. That same box of thin tissues was handed over as the only material consolation available. The nurse left the room. For a long time I stared up at abstract patterns in the ceiling tiles. My husband looked down at the patterned carpet. We sat in silence. I was not able to get out a cry.

After some time, I was the first to speak. “When we kissed her goodbye this morning, I know it wasn't for good.”

Again, we decided to resign; put matters in the hands of the creativity of the surgeon; God. We wanted her to have quality of life. If this meant to resign her to her maker, so be it. “Tell the surgeon we trust him. We want to know what he thinks.”

As life would have it, the surgeon had one last trick up his sleeve. And it worked.

She was saved.

She flew off bi-pass and only spent the four following days in the PCTU after several major cardiac repairs. The nurses were taken by her amazing resiliency and feisty spirit. Once again, she had wholly captured us. We felt victorious.

It wasn't until much later that it occurred to me that the opposites of life had once again been at work on us. Intense love. Intense sadness. Intense, encompassing joy.

Though the cutting depth of our sadness was relatively brief, it carved out a space for equally big joy. And this was a lesson that would come to define us. Our priorities became vastly different thereafter.

The next several months presented many challenges. She had another more minor cardiac surgery, received a tracheostomy, became infected with MRSA and had her diaphragm plicated, to name a few things. We spent about four months total in the PCTU. But then, we got to bring her home. We learned her habits, her noises, her needs- just like any other baby. Our chaotic home life surely seemed daunting from the outside, but nothing was ever as intense as that moment in the consultation room. Again, we felt victorious, gifted.

We are profoundly grateful for the experience of her. She forced us to become risk takers, deep lovers, excited by the bigness of life. We see her current and future challenges as adventures, and often joke, “Grab your surfboard, here we go!”

Now she is three months shy of two years old. She is an unbelievably happy child, always finding new ways to challenge our hearts and minds. Her life is still complicated and characterized by the same uncertainty that it was during pregnancy. The difference is simply our realization that her life is no more fragile than anyone else's. We are all characterized by fragility. This is what makes us strong.

Also See:

Run Photos Now Available - BHBH 2012

2012-04-24T11:00:00.000-04:00

Official runner photos from the Big House Big Heart Run are now available from Runphotos LLC, our official photographer since 2011. You can get a range of beautiful prints on top-quality photographic paper, or just grab the digitals.

Only low resolution previews are shown on-site, but all final photos will be fully sharpened, color-corrected and hand-printed. Light and dark prints will be balanced.

Make sure you have Big House Big Heart 2012 selected as the event when you visit. Then you can look-up your photos by bib number or last name.

› Visit RunPhotos.com

AnnArbor.com took a few photos too, and always encourage you to share your pictures and comments with us online on our Facebook. Help us tag!

› Visit Big House Big Heart 2012 Facebook Photo Album

Noah at C.S. Mott Mile 2012

2012-04-20T14:06:00.000-04:00

A story of another special runner from the Big House Big Heart Run's Mott Mile:

Noah was born at 26 weeks, weighing in at 1lb 13 0zs. I was told he had a 30 percent chance of survival, as his lungs were not strong. He made it through all the preemie perils with the ups and downs including pneumonia, lung collapse, psuedamonis, and prematurity of retinopathy. He was on the ventilator for over a month, before moving on to the c-pap. He came home over 3 months later with oxygen and a whole array of medicine. Noah had physical therapy, along with occupational therapy and speech as a baby. He came off of oxygen and his medicine at one years old. With the exception of glasses that he started wearing at one, due to the prematurity of retinopathy, he is now an active 10 and a half year old, who is always on the go. He loves being active, playing sports with his siblings, skateboarding, riding his bike, and of course video games!

Also See:

Larry Prout Jr. at BHBH Spring 2012

2012-04-19T12:48:00.001-04:00

If you were at the Mott Mile during the Big House Big Heart Run, you might have seen Little Larry Prout Jr. His mother briefed us on before the race.

Little Larry Prout Jr is 10 years old. He is very small for his age. I would say he should wear a child's size 8-10 t shirt. I "think" that is a youth medium. You would think after 6 kids I would understand child sizes by now. Ah well.

Larry's sister Molly who is 15 will walk with him and his athlete. He has a wheel chair and may want to walk a bit himself, but if he gets tired, Molly will push the chair and put him in it. Larry just started walking in 2009. He does pretty good but gets tired. Hence, the wheel chair.

Larry has had 81 surgeries in his 10 years. 78 at MOTT and 3 at Johns Hopkins in Maryland.

Larry is a joy. We love him and wouldn't change him for anything. He is the youngest of 6 children. Life has been tough as my husbands has Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis which is a liver disease as a result of having Ulcerative Colitis for 20 years. Larry Sr (Dad) will need a liver transplant someday. He is monitored closely by his doctors at U of M and his doing well.

Also See:

Mia's Big Heart Story

2012-04-18T17:56:00.002-04:00

One of the Big House Big Heart Run biggest charities is C.S. Mott Children's Hospital. Here is a story from one women's experience with Motts.

We spent 359 days in the hospital. 19 days in Akron General trying to keep our baby inside of me for as long as possible. 7 days at Akron Children’s trying to keep our daughter alive as long as possible and 333 days at Mott hospital trying to get her in the best shape to live as long as possible. There is a reason God sent us to Ann Arbor. When Mia was born on February 19, 2011 at 35 weeks, her heart was consuming 70% of her chest cavity where it should have been taking up just 30%. We were given a 90% mortality rate. Palliative care was involved from the very beginning and they were making feet castings, handprints and doing all the things that help to make memories when there might be very little time. Mia has a rare congenital heart defect called Ebstein’s Anomaly. She was the second case in 10 years that Akron had seen. The night she was life flighted into Ann Arbor, I asked one of the many doctors surrounding her if he had ever seen someone with Ebstein’s and he assured me he had. I asked, “How many times?” to which he replied, “A handful a year.” Which I thought was much better than 2 per decade.

We came to Mott for a chance, for hope, for the absolute best care possible and we received it and so much more. Because of fundraisers like this, there are funds available to research, develop and implement. One of our trusted doctors told me at one point that if Mia had been born just 5 years earlier (a mere flip of the order of our 2nd and 4th daughter) that she would not be alive today. There were so many times that Mott saved Mia’s life, but one pivotal moment was when she was a part of a research study. In the 11 ½ months that were there, Mia took part in several studies, but this one was measuring blood sugar levels post surgery. Because of the study, they caught Mia’s blood sugar falling into the teens (when it should have been in the 80s). This meant a rocky few hours of trying to keep her sugar levels high enough to not cause seizures. She arrested 4 times during our almost 1 year there and each time, the team of doctors, nurses and respiratory therapists had her resuscitated and figuring our a new plan in no time at all. Each time we would leave the ICU, I would thank them for getting us through yet another bump in the road.

After we had been there almost 4 months and we realized that we would not be leaving anytime soon, the staff at the hospital put together an amazing picnic for us in the old courtyard complete with lunch, picnic blankets, and even sidewalk chalk and other games for our other children. It was an amazing memory and shows just how far beyond the medical viewpoint that Mott looks. It did our entire family so much good to enjoy each other and have fun all being together for the first time in Mia’s life. It’s difficult to choose just the right words to say, “Thank you for saving our daughter’s life.” “Thank you” just doesn’t seem to be enough. From the time we arrived, I would look longingly at parents bringing in empty carseats to fill with their child as they were getting discharged. We were finally able to fill our carseat on January 24, 2012. We very easily could have been one of the 17 parents we know that lost a child this past year and had to leave empty handed, but we weren’t. We do not for one moment take that for granted. Thank you God and Thank you Mott.

Heart of Detroit 2012 Date Update

2012-04-18T17:33:00.000-04:00

The date for the 2012 Heart of Detroit Run has changed to Sunday, June 24, 2012. We will update as other dates as details become available. Register early for 2012 and avoid late registration fees.

Heart of Detroit 2011 Video

Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor

2012-04-18T16:00:00.000-04:00

The Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor is a service club with a rich heritage of service to the community spanning over some 91 years. This year alone, we will make grants to deserving organizations and individuals in our community, together with direct assistance, which will total roughly $200,000.

As part of the Kiwanis International family, the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor will donate all funds raised by its team of participants in the Big House Big Heart event to The Eliminate Project. The Eliminate Project is Kiwanis International's world-wide service project (in partnership with UNICEF) to eliminate deaths of mothers and their newborn babies from maternal and neo-natal tetanus ("MNT") by 2015. Shockingly, MNT still kills roughly 100,000 mothers and newborns each year. In 2011, the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Foundation was just the second Kiwanis Club in the world to commit to donate $100,000 to the Eliminate Project by 2015.

This short video tells the story much better than I could ever do. Our club's donation to the Eliminate Project will save or protect the lives of 55,555 mothers and their newborn babies from death by MNT.

Ron Gardner
Immediate Past President
Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor

Visit Profile and Donate Through BHBH on ChampionsForCharityFoundation.com

Finisher Certificates for BHBH 2012

2012-04-17T16:19:00.000-04:00

Runner finisher certificates for Big House Big Heart 2012 are now available from our website on the Finisher Certificates page. 5K and 10K runners can do a search for them using your name or bib number, click on your entry, and then print the resulting page.

› Visit Finisher Certificates
› Visit Fullscreen Portal

1 Mile Finishers get a template that you can print and fill out.

› Download PDF [Direct Link]

Get Your BHBH 2012 Race Results

2012-04-16T12:54:00.000-04:00

The Big House Big Heart Run of 2012 has come and gone. So how did you do?

Running Fit Timing supplied our B-Tag timing tags, that should have been directly attached to your race bib. If you did not remove or bend these tags from your bib, and pinned the race bib to the front of your clothing, you should have results.

To view your running results, visit RF Timing's Event Results page, and scroll down to 4/15/12. You can search 10K and 5K sorted by place, or filter by age group. Record includes place, bib number, chip time, gun time, and pace. Here's the direct links:

Note: The 10K and 5K run were timed, however the Mott 1mile and the 1mile Fun Walk/Run were NOT timed.

Testimonial - Brian Paupore

2012-04-13T16:00:00.000-04:00

My father, Maurice Paupore, was diagnosed with a form of skin cancer in the summer of 2005. The specialists were never quite certain what type of skin cancer he had because its characteristics changed and impacted his leg differently almost annually.

The cancer was mostly isolated to his lower left leg. Over the past two years, my dad sought a number of professional opinions in an effort to defeat the cancer which, slowly and progressively, was growing in size and negatively impacting his quality of life. He traveled to renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and participated in an experimental procedure in an effort to beat cancer. After exhausting all available options, and with the cancer dominating the battle, my father's only option to eliminate the cancer was to lose that part of his leg that has been affected. In January of this year, my dad had his left leg amputated above the knee. The doctors determined the skin cancer to be multiple myeloma.

Throughout this process, my dad showed strength, determination and perseverance. He never gave up and always fought every day with the goal of beating cancer. His spirit is strong and he is finally cancer free! However, my dad now faces new challenges as he learns to live his life with a prosthetic leg. While he lost the battle with MM, he is winning the war against it, which is the inspiration for our team name, Never Stop Fighting.

My brothers and I are raising money and running in the race to support the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center Multiple Myeloma Gift Fund as a way to show support for our father.

Kelly Pearson – Interfaith Hospitality Network @ Alpha House Story

2012-04-13T14:20:00.000-04:00

When I started my internship at the Interfaith Hospitality Network @ Alpha House in September, I had little idea what to expect. During my first semester, I worked diligently on my projects at my desk, often hearing children’s small giggles from the hallway. I would politely say hello to the families staying here during our very brief encounters.

Then, one day in December, my supervisor, Peggy, suggested that I volunteer one night a week with the families. Every week since then, I have volunteered, and often have been presented with unique challenges. Most of all, I have spent Wednesdays building relationships with the families here and being in awe of the children. Despite the difficult situations these children have had to face in their young lives, they just want to be regular kids. They want to run, jump, and play. They want to dress up and play catch. They want to create art and ride bikes.

That is one of the wonderful things about Alpha House. Staff members help parents stabilize their employment, finances, and housing. Beyond that, they help stabilize families, which in turn give back to children what often gets taken away from them when they experience homelessness: their childhood.

My supervisor, Helen, had the idea that the Big House Big Heart could be a project for me: I would send out information about the event to our supporters. As I promoted the race, I thought to myself, how could I advocate for other people to run when I wasn’t doing it myself? How could I have the opportunity to raise money for these kids and let it pass me by?

I mentioned my conundrum about the race to a good friend of mine. Without hesitation, she said, “Let’s do it! Let’s run the 5K.” Neither of us would ever identify ourselves as runners. However, we both have a passion for this line of work and had been looking for a way to improve our physical health. Training, fundraising, and running in the race would strengthen our friendship and our physiques while supporting the families I have grown to care about so deeply.

That’s how I came to run in the Big House Big Heart 5K to raise money for Interfaith Hospitality Network at Alpha House.

Among everything Alpha House does for families, the families inspire me every day. I run for the mother who hugged me when she got the job, for the child who burst into laughter every time we went down the slide, and for every person who walks through that door, trying their best to ensure a positive future for their family.

It's Not Too Late To Sign Up For BHBH!

2012-04-11T11:51:00.003-04:00

The Big House Big Heart race is coming up this April 15 at University of Michigan's football stadium, The Big House. Run down the tunnel, finish on the 50 yard line and watch your finish on the Jumbotron!

It's not too late to sign up! The Cost for 5K and 10K are:

• $36 through April 13, 2012
• $39 race weekend (April 14 & 15, 2012)

Start Times:

• 8:00am - 10K
• 9:10am - 5K
• 10:20am - Mott's 1 Mile
• 10:30am - 1 Mile

Pick up your runner packet during the Expo on April 14 at Pioneer High School from 1pm to 6pm. You can also pick up your packet on Race Day from 6:30am -10:30am at the East Tower. Come through Gate 9 and turn left. Pick up your bib number, shirt and timing chip (5K/10K) at registration/packet pick up.

Big House Big Heart is a walker, stroller and wheelchair friendly event. No dogs, please.

Register for the NuStep Boot Camp!

2012-04-11T11:49:00.004-04:00

The NuStep Health and Wellness Expo is April 14 at Pioneer High School from 1pm to 6pm. NuStep will host a boot camp at the Expo featuring O'Neal Hampton and Courtney Crozier, former Biggest Loser contestants! The NuStep Health and Wellness Expo is open to all Big House Big Heart participants and their families. The Expo's goal is to raise awareness of health and wellness issues and inform attendees of the great things our non-profits are doing. Bring the kids! The Expo will include a kids area with face painting, a moon jump, a balloon person and more!

Ready, Set, Fly Is Coming Up On 5.13.12!

2012-04-11T11:45:00.001-04:00

The Ready, Set, Fly 5K is hosted by The Skyline High School Health and Medicine Magnet class, which is taught at Ann Arbor Skyline High School by Mr. Jeffery Bradley and is centered around the study of the health field. In this class, 56 students are taught how to apply what they have learned into real life situations. The magnet teamed up with Champions for Charity to benefit Project Healthy Schools.

Registration is open! Fill out the form if you haven't done so. Registration costs are:

5K
    • $24 through May 11, 2012
    • $29 on Race Day - May 13, 2012

1M
    • $12 through May 11, 2012
    • $15 on Race Day - May 13, 2012

See you at the race!

Training Tip of the Month – Don't Get Bored!

2012-04-11T11:41:00.000-04:00

Make sure that you are not becoming bored with your running.
Running your normal route backwards is an easy way to freshen up your go-to route. Another way to beat the boredom is to find a running buddy to run with at least once a week. You will be amazed at how fast the time flies as you chat along the way. A final way to change up your routine is to create a new playlist to run to with different beats. Start with slower tempos as you begin your warm-up run, climaxing to a strong, hard-beating song that can really help motivate you to do your best, and then end the playlist with slower songs again for your cool down.

Running In Stride: Part 2

2012-04-11T11:39:00.000-04:00

This is a continuation of last month's Running In Stride article.

The importance of understanding your ground push is beneficial to optimizing your running stride. Toward the end of the swing phase (occurs when the foot is in the air) once your leg has swung fully forward, forcefully pull it down and back as the foot makes the ground contact. Continue this backward pull, then push off the leg as you move toward push off. Overstriding actually slows you down because the heel of the lead foot strikes the ground in front of the knee and causes one to lose momentum. Increasing your stride angle (the angle formed by your thigh bones when your leg are farthest apart), will allow you to land beneath your knee, nearer to your center of gravity. Fast distance runners at full speed have a stride angle of 90 degrees or more. In order to make this happen, keep your foot under the knee, lifting the leg high in the front. Following the contact with the ground, the contraction of the hamstring brings the foot up and backward to the buttocks and the bent knee straightens as the leg swings out and ahead of the body's center of mass. Another component to work on is the heel strike. The heel strike should strike the ground on the back outside edge; take a look at the wear and tear on the outside sole of your running shoe to see if you are doing this.

In order to achieve proper posture and form, your weight should be centered on the ball of your foot during push-off and land at mid-foot toward the ball rather than the heel of your foot. This will protect the feet and ankle from the impact injuries that are common among runners. In cadence with your feet, your arm swing and position is also important. Your arms should be held out at about a 90 degree angle that swings rhythmically with your stride, relaxing your hands and wrists. Avoid shrugging your shoulders and don't cross the center of your body with your hands while swinging your elbows backwards.

There are many benefits to having a proper running stride, but it takes time to adjust your body to the change. After a while, it will feel more natural to you. Be aware of your form, keeping in mind how each part of your body contributes to the whole experience of running. Running safely is the key to a long life of running!

April Running Trivia

2012-04-11T11:36:00.006-04:00

Q: What is the record for running a mile backward?

A: 6:02.35! How's that sound for changing things up!