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11/12/2014

The 5th annual Stam Chocolate Charity Run will be held on Nov. 15.

The 5th annual Stam Chocolate Charity Run will be held on Nov. 15.

There aren’t many things that will motivate a sedentary person to go for a jog. Aside from being chased by Jason Vorhees or maybe a bribe, most folks are content with how they’ve chosen to best take care of themselves.

Fortunately there are more than a couple of things that make people run quicker than fleeing a fictitious serial killer, and one of them is chocolate.

This weekend boasts the Chocolate Charity Run presented by. Designed to entertain both serious runners and the casual walkers, this family-friendly event raised more than $11,000 for the John Stoddard Cancer Center last year.

The 5K will start and finish in front of Seven Flags Event Center and will follow a course through the Clive Greenbelt trail, along the north bank of Walnut Creek, with virtually no traffic to worry about.

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“It’s a beautiful place to run,” said Ton Stam, owner of Chocolaterie Stam. “People absolutely love the run. I think the fact the chocolate freely flows, literally, after the run, makes people very happy. We dip bananas in chocolate, we give away free chocolate, and, of course, there’s hot chocolate.”

While it is true that eating chocolate and then running a 5K might have adverse results, it might interest some that chocolate and exercise occasionally work together.

“Nonfat chocolate milk has proven to be the best thing for any runner for recovery, according to scientific research,” Ton said.

And he’s right.

For high-endurance athletes (which includes distance runners — and 5K is distance for some “runners”), chocolate milk has double the carbohydrate and protein content compared to plain milk, most sports drinks or water, which helps replenishing tired muscles. Its high water content replaces fluids lost as sweat, preventing dehydration. Plus it packs a nutritional bonus of calcium and includes small amounts of sodium and sugar — additives that help recovering athletes retain water and regain energy.

In addition to finding an excuse to include more chocolate products into your diet, this run also benefits the community.

“Everyone has been affected by cancer somehow, and we believe this is a very good program that can benefit people locally,” Ton said. “The care coordinator programs help families, as well as patients, suffering from cancer with basic needs such as a cab ride, maybe some guidance needs, some counseling, things like that. Every dollar is spent for the benefit of patients and their families.” CV

David Rowley is an Iowa native with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Iowa and a master’s in film journalism from the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

5th Annual Stam Chocolate Charity Run
Saturday, Nov. 15 at Seven Flags Event Center
5K Run/Walk at 9 a.m. $35 registration (through Nov. 13)
Kids Fun Run at 10 a.m. $10 registration
Visit www.stamchocolate.com/inside-stam/37/a-sweet-way-to-support-john-stoddard-cancer-center.aspx to get registered.
Proceeds will benefit the John Stoddard Cancer Care Coordinator Program.

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