Tuesday, November 29, 2016, is #GivingTuesday, and Elizabeth is sharing one of the many reasons why she understands how important it is to support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals through the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run and Credit Unions for Kids. If you agree that all children should have access to the healthcare they need without regard to ability to pay, you can donate here too!
Running can HURT kids!
Yes, I’m trying to get your attention. But it’s also true.
How long will it take you to run the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run? This year, I’d love to run it in 90 minutes or less. Let’s say you finish in 90 minutes, too, and we cross the line together. That’s 5,400 seconds.
Did you know 62 children a minute enter a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital for treatment? That’s 1 child a second.
That means 5,400 children may enter a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital for treatment while we are participating in the Runners’ Rite of Spring and enjoying the view of the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and Hains Point.
What’s up with this weather, huh? Not very conducive to outdoor training! Good news – I’ve got a great way for y’all to keep up your cardio without stomping through the snow and ice: spinning!
Give a miracle!
So, here’s the exciting news: I’ve teamed with Biker Barre to host a Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run Charity Ride! With a $14 donation to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (classes at Biker Barre are normally $22 per class!) you will get a seat in the class, a 2015 Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Race t-shirt, a great cross training workout, and best of all, you’ll sweat for a great cause!
Spinning is a wonderful cross training workout, whether you’re training for your next race, or recovering from one.
Spinning adds variety to your workouts.
Spinning is low impact and will give your joints a break.
Spinning will help you strengthen muscles that you don’t use as much when you’re running.
I started spinning as a way to maintain my cardio after developing an injury from my first marathon. Spinning was a welcomed change – and it only took a few weeks before I learned to love it. Three years later, I’m an avid spinner and instructor, sharing my love for the bike at a local studio in Capitol Hill: Biker Barre.
The Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals is a non-profit international organization that helps to treat millions of children across the U.S. and Canada. Every dollar that you donate will support research and training, and will pay for uncompensated care that saves and improves the lives of as many children as possible.
You want in? Great! Here are the details:
Date: Saturday, March 7th
Time: 1PM-1:45PM
Where: Biker Barre: 738 7th Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 (The closest metro stop is Eastern Market Metro. There is also street parking available.)
How to reserve a spot in the class: The only way to reserve a spot is to email info@bikerbarre.com with the subject line ‘Cherry Blossom Run Charity Ride” and tell them you would like to reserve a bike with Lauren R. They will send you an email confirmation of your reservation, as well as a link back to this site so you can donate. Please make sure to email info@bikerbarre.com BEFORE donating to ensure you get a spot in the class.
More details about the ride:
Never been to Biker Barre? That’s ok! The only thing we will need from you is to sign our liability waiver. You can do this ahead of time by creating an account online here and click on the ‘sign-up’ link at the top of the page (you do not need to sign up for a class, just create an account.) Every rider must sign this waiver.
Already been to Biker Barre? You’re all set 🙂
Arrival Time: Plan to arrive fifteen minutes before the class. You will need time to sign in and set up your bikes.
What to Bring: Just bring water – we’ve got the towels for during and after class!
What to Wear: Wear comfortable workout clothes. Try to avoid pants that are too loose and flowy. Normal workout-appropriate sneakers will work just fine.
To Donate: Donating online is safe and easy! To make an online donation please click the “Support Me” button on the top of this page.
Lauren is a midwesterner-turned-DC-transplant who still geeks out every time she runs down The National Mall. She is happiest with her camera in hand and loves to cook up delicious recipes for her food blog, Just a Pinch (www.justapinchblog.com). When not crunching numbers as a non-profit financial analyst, Lauren is teaching spinning, running the streets of Capitol Hill with her lab, Gus, or continuing her studies towards becoming a Registered Dietitian. This will be her third Credit Union Cherry Blossom Run and she’s got her eyes on a PR! Follow her adventures on Twitter + Instagram.
Did you know it takes more than 2,000 volunteers to organize the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run?
No doubt about it, volunteers are the fuel that keeps the 43-year-old DC racing tradition running smoothly.
Volunteers are so important to the success of the race, the organizers throw in some serious perks to thank everyone involved. The most sought after? A guaranteed entry for the next year’s race. So if you love all things Cherry Blossom and had hoped to kick off your spring running season with the Credit Union race, have no fear! Volunteer, and you won’t have to go through the pins-and-needles, hand-wringing lottery process. (We’ve lost one or two nights of sleep crossing our fingers to get in around lottery time).
Cross your fingers!
So I talked to Nita Lalla Roncone, the volunteer coordinator to find out what you need to know about volunteering for the 2015 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.
Roncone says there are more than 50 spots left for volunteers, scattered over four days and two states (plus the District of Columbia).
“Volunteers pick up elite athletes from the airport, direct runners from the metro, distribute t-shirts, hand out water, organize runner-bibs, sell merchandise, control the crowd, cheer the runners, and so much more,” Roncone says.
Roncone says the best part of being a volunteer is meeting the runners.
“Seeing them at the expo, after they have trained hard for this race and are gearing up for the big run, and then seeing the joy (and pain) on their faces after they conquer the distance and wrap themselves in a heat blanket… knowing that you were a part of the magic reminds our volunteers that we are all part of something bigger,” she says.
And for runners who got in? Don’t forget to thank the volunteers.
Volunteers are VIPs!
“Volunteers are the foundation of the race,” Roncone says. “Can you imagine having a race without volunteers? There would be no water, no medals, no entertainment. You wouldn’t even know what your time is when you cross the finish line since there would be no one with a microphone to tell you the time. We have so many volunteers that you see – handing out t-shirts and race packets at the expo – and so many volunteers that you don’t see. Those are the ones who set up everything and take it all down. They make the magic happen: tents get set up, water stations are built, heat blankets are unloaded and distributed, as are bananas, water, and food.”
Not a runner? The entry is transferrable – and a great way to make a runner friend’s day. Convinced? Head on over and sign up here!
Oh and how could we forget? Volunteers also score a 2015 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile long-sleeve volunteer t-shirt.
From the CUCB blog team, a huge THANK YOU to everyone to makes this incredible race what it is! See you on the course!
Natalie started running in the second grade and hasn’t stopped since. In her day job, she is a reporter on the breaking news team at USA TODAY. In the way-too-early mornings and shouldn’t-you-be-exhausted-by-now evenings she’s busy running, practicing yoga at her favorite studio, acting as President of the American News Women’s Club or writing for Run Washington, HalfMarathons.net and Runner’s Breakfast. Natalie is a chronically starving marathoner, loud laugher and wannabe triathlete in training for her first half Ironman in June.
Today’s post is from guest blogger Terry Orzechowski, Executive Director of Patient Experience and Ombudsman at Children’s National Medical Center.
Eighteen years ago, I came home from work on a summer day to find my oldest son, Daniel, complaining of chest pains. He said he felt like his heart was beating too fast. I placed my hand on his chest and found it was racing. He was seventeen years old.
I didn’t even call 911. Immediately I put him in the car and drove as fast as I could to the emergency room at Children’s National Medical Center. They had him in a bed and working on him within three minutes of our arrival. The emergency room staff allowed me to stay with Daniel until they needed to shock his heart to stabilize the rhythm, before transferring him to intensive care for further treatment. They directed me to the waiting room then.
As Daniel’s heart raced, so did my mind. My husband had just boarded a plane for business travel and had no idea what was going on. Our younger son and daughter were still at the pool and would also need to be informed, without worrying them. As I waited and worried about my son, a resident who had been in the room as Daniel was treated joined me in the waiting room. He said he knew this was scary. He said he’d sit with me until the doctors came out. I can’t remember his name, but I’ll never forget that he took time to be there with me.
Daniel was found to have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a heart condition present from birth that leads to increased heart rhythms. Although his case was challenging, his treatment worked well. He had a cardiac ablation, a catheterization process, and didn’t require a pacemaker or medication to keep the rhythm steady.
Daniel also had understanding doctors who worked with him that summer to monitor his heart, keeping in mind they were dealing with a teenage boy. Dan was about to enter his junior year in high school. No one that age wants to walk around with anything indicating they have a medical condition. Dr. (Jeffrey) Moak worked with him about the timing for wearing a heart monitor. He and all the staff at the hospital really treated my son with respect.
Today, Daniel is 35 years old and well, with two sons of his own.
Our experience at Children’s had a profound impact on me. So did subsequent trips to the hospital for my younger son to be treated for asthma and an immune deficiency. I wondered if I could ever be lucky enough to work for Children’s. A couple of years later, I opened up the classified ads and job listings and spotted the Children’s logo right away. I eagerly applied to be director of volunteers at the hospital, and was hired for the job. Fifteen years later, I’m now Executive Director of Patient Experience and Ombudsman.
I’ve been a parent sitting in the waiting room, waiting for test results to find out what’s wrong with my child. That’s always on my mind as I encounter other parents who bring their children to the hospital.
The experience of how parents and their children are treated at Children’s is equal to the quality of the medical treatment they receive. And that makes such a difference. They care what we know, but they also care that we care.
Daniel today, healthy and happy with his wife and two sons.
Become an online fundraiser and support Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as a Credit Union Cherry Blossom runner!
