Runner's Knee

SO - I sort of took last week off...

which just so happened to be my first week of official training....

which made me scared considering I'm the only non-marathon runner on my team.

My knee didn't hurt,

but it most certainly didn't feel good.

A sort of twisted, not-aligned-correctly sort of feel.

But, thanks to a little rest and some great advice from friends and teammates,

I am back up and running.

Literally.

Making decent time, too.

I also invested in a knee band.

I'm a sucker for new accessories, so this was a fun purchase.

A little disappointed of the lack of color choices,

but will gladly take royal blue over knee pain.

(I am also praying to the tan gods...)

Today on my run, I gladly wanted to blame all knee issues on the roads of NOLA.

Observe:

(Look - this one is a big as a person)

I mean, good god, New Orleans.

I would also like to announce that we are finally racking in a solid group of sponsors!

Check 'em out on the side board!

We are happy to welcome:

Renshaw Property Management

SoHo Tavern
Just Cheer!

Cold Storage Craft Brewery

To the rest of you,

we went to see chocolate Santa this weekend,

and he said that the spirit of Christmas was in the spirit of giving.

Merry Christmas to you all from Running for Ryan!
If you want to give a holiday gift to our cause, click here!

Santa is Watching...

Donate! Sponsor! Spread the word! Tell your boss!

Get those donations in before the year ends. 

Write it off on your taxes! 

Feel good about supporting such a fabulous cause!

Rack in some good Karma! 

Santa is watching...

Also, did you all see the new links on the right-side of the page?
Memphis Pedicab - AWESOME
Bella Petrella Sauces - DELICIOUS
Eddie DeBartolo - HOLY MOLY

Help us out: Click here to DONATE! 

And So The Training Begins...

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In exactly 18 weeks I will be de-boarding a bus in Hopkington, 

more than likely freezing my tush off,

and approaching Runner's Village to hang with some of the world's greatest athletes,

anxiously preparing to run the oldest and one of the most challenging marathons

in. the. world:

The Boston flippin' Marathon.

It will be the 29th anniversary of my brother's accident,

the 30th anniversary Boston run for Rick and Dick Hoyt,

and it will be my first 26.2 miles... ever.

My family will be there,

I'll be running with a great team,

and I'm pretty sure that there will be a great deal of friends and supporters

waiting anxiously for a Facebook update...

I can't express the amount of love I feel already,

so I'm positive that I will be a complete wreck of emotions come April 16, 2012.

So today training begins. 

18 weeks.

That's 72 runs. 

18 Sundays of running parking garages (so I don't keel on a hill).

446 miles.
That will all hopefully lead me to the anticipated 26.2 in under 4 hours.

Those numbers don't scare me whatsoever.

(Ok, that's a huge lie)

But I honestly couldn't be happier or more excited.

We've had over 30 donations.

I just finished apron #67 with 26 in the queue.

I have a husband who has learned to tune out the pounding of a sewing machine,

A family who gets just as excited as me for each $1 I get.

 I have three sponsors to date.

And I will hopefully get a running fanny pack for Christmas.

Tis the season to be jolly and grateful.

I'm thankful for all of you!

Those who have donated,

those who have ordered an apron,

those who have spread the word,

and those who thought about us yesterday, today or tomorrow.

You have made this incredible dream a reality!

Help cheer me on as I take the first steps in my training!

Like us on Facebook!

Share our blog!

Donate!

Find sponsors!

Let's get this party started.

No Mas for Christmas

Dear blog readers and apron lovers,

I just took the last order for Christmas! 

Thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far! 

Running for Ryan (aka Kellyn Gowen) has officially made 37 aprons, 

with 26 more to go for Christmas, 

and already 10 for post-Christmas!!

I'm considering opening a "sweat shop" that pays in vino.

Any takers?? 

Solution for No iPods at Boston Marathon

This is the only solution, my friends:

(I promise to do weird contortiony herkies the entire 26.2 miles if this happens)

No Musica? Que?

It has recently been brought to my attention that iPods are 

"frowned upon"

 in the Boston Marathon.

This is a snapshot of me upon reading this piece of information:

I'm sorry, what? Que pasa? Pardon? 

Somewhere, my husband is reading this and smirking. 

His non-technological, flip-phone self is also an iPodless runner.

No tunes? No jams? No sprinting to Flo Rida?

Perhaps Phidippides wouldn't have keeled over had he been listening to "Rock Lobster."

I know for a fact that the sounds of the B52s increase running stability and speed.

This is all coming from a girl who's iPod died before her run the other day,

and she listened to the ringtones on her phone. 

Which by the way, was entirely hilarious. 

My playlist included:

California Love by 2Pac

96 Tears by ? and the Mysterians

Brown Sugar by D'Angelo (not really sure how that gone on there??)

Electric Feel by MGMT

I Put a Spell on You by CCR

Insane in the Membrane by Cypress Hill

Loser by Beck

Motown Philly by Boyz II Men

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee

among many other completely random and either late-night or slightly-tipsy song choices.

Two of which that totally surprised me as far as pumping me up goes, were:

Blue (Da Ba Dee) by Eifel 65, which is still a completely and weirdly awesome song.

Keep their Heads Ringing by Dr. Dre, which used to be my favorite song in the 5th grade.

I imagine that scared the crap our of Barb. (My mother)

So what's a tune-lovin' gal to do?

Some people love to run music-less to think.

I run to music to not think.

I think all day long. 

I think about work, about aprons, fundraising, about what to make for dinner and all the laundry I have to do, the bills I have to pay, the friends I need to call, how I can't seem to remember to get dog food, tuition cost increases, the cost of peanut butter, how I really need running pants, but would rather spend the money on Red Hot Chili Pepper tickets, and so on. Oh yeah, I work 8-hours a day, too.

What should I do? 

Are they for realsies?

It's not like I'm up for the $800k prize money.

I'm there to pump it up, man.

Regardless, I'm downloading some new jams today.

Are there any requests or dedications? What do you like to run to?

Wait a minute.
Could this finally be my excuse to whip out a walkman?