Herkie for Hoyt!

I just went on what was supposed to be my pre-half marathon longish weekday run.

Yeah, supposed.

Today in lovely New Orleans it is 80 degrees,

with 75% humidity,

and 25 mph winds.

That's not all.

I also forgot my knee brace.

It doesn't end, my friends.

Everyone and their father wanted to cut their lawn in this summer-like weather.

So on top of the stinging of sweat,

I also had blades of grass darting at my eye balls.

So I did a halfer. 

BUT the wonderful part of this grassy excursion

is that I had time to get really pumped about this upcoming weekend's half marathon.

This weekend is the Rock 'N Roll Mardi Gras race.

The most over-priced race in the city.

You can tell it's not a New Orleans-based race because they only give you 2 drink tickets.

BUT it's really fun, and I'll be unveiling a super fun surprise for it on Friday.

THE POINT OF THIS POST:

I've always been jealous of people's really awesome race shots.

And the trick to getting a super awesome race photo just happens to be my specialty:

Stage It.

So, my really awesome followers:

If I get 20 or more $13 donations for the 13 miles I run on Sunday,

I promise to whip out my old school cheerleading moves

and jump across that finish line:

Herkie Style.

I cannot make any promises as to what it will look like,

but I solemnly swear that I will pick up my 8:23 mile paced-legs 

and release my inner cheerleader.

It may be a double Herkie.

So, who's with me?! 

I need 20 of ya's to:

1) Give up that greasy meal you were going to eat out

2) Downgrade your wine

3) Have drinks on the patio instead of out

4) Pass the chip and dip aisle

5) Not fill up your tank

and instead give those $13 big ones to the Hoyt Foundation.

Herkie-Jump for Hoyt!
Go to my Crowdrise Page to donate now!

Join us at Beef's!

What do you get when you mix: 

Wings

Beer

and Shucks?

A shuckin' good time. 

That's what!

Mix in a little Hoyt

(ok, they'll be there in spirit)

and we have got a party!

Come support the Hoyt Foundation 

as we work together to better the lives of disabled youth!

15% of your food and drink ticket orders go to the Hoyt Foundation!

Come hang out with me and this kid:

Who knows, 

maybe even our favorite amigo will show:

So come eat some wings, drink some beer, say hello to me

and make a big difference! 

March 7, 2012

Beef O Brady's

8810 Himes Avenue

Tampa, FL

ALL DAY!!

(but we'll be rockin' and rollin' in the evening)

Come, or I'll come get you:

(I know, very intimidating)

Thanks to Beef's, my family's second home for many moons!

Fundraiser!!

You know,

I originally thought that after I decided to retire the apron-making

that I would have some time for rest.

But then I realized that I am Kellyn Gowen,

and I will only stop freaking the flip out when I'm dead.

I've had some difficulty balancing the many shades of Kellyn recently.

I have changed shifts at work.

I am slowly and sadly accepting the fact that I am moving in 3 months.

I am trying to recuperate from 2 weeks of Mardi Gras.

I am actively trying not to go insane from planning a toddler's birthday party.

This is just my personal life.

Aside from that:

I am feeding my body what seems like endless carbs to fuel 15+ milers

and paying really big grocery bills to support this.

I am coming to terms with my new running shoes that are badass, but sinfully fugly.

(Yes, fugly)

Preparing my mind for a PR half marathon in 10 days. (1:50:00)

(fingers crossed)

Planning a fundraiser that I know will be great, but fear it will flop.

Punching numbers together to ensure I have enough to even stay in Boston.

Punching numbers together to ensure I have enough money to drink in Boston.

Punching numbers together to ensure I have enough to buy Boston paraphernalia:

- Obnoxious 26.2 sticker for the whip

- Boston Marathon jacket, that I'm sure is entirely overpriced.

- Sam Adam 26.2 brew in honor of the race

Meanwhile, I'm trying to keep my cool because I like to convince people that I'm "laid back"

(somewhere, my husband is snickering at that comment)

It's all sorts of intense in the noggin. 

Luckily, I look cool on the outside.

Not.

BUT

The fundraiser IS going to be fabulous.

Come one, come all,

We will be kickin' it at Beef O' Brady's on Himes in Tampa

March 7, 2012

11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

You can give us a head's up that you're coming by RSVPing HERE

Door Prizes will include:

Spa Package from Touch Aveda Salon and Spa

Bella Petrella Sauce Basket

2012 Indy 500 Tickets

Ladies Accessories

There are also a few hopefuls:

Yankees Paraphernalia

Liquor and Spirits

I will additionally have my world famous aprons for sale,

along with some adorable baby hats.

ALSO - We have a cake being donated from the most amazing cake-maker ever:

Elise's Pieces 

If you all have not seen her creations yet,

consider coming just for this. 

If you have anything you would like to donate, please let me know!

This is how it works:

You can come into the restaurant at any time of the day to eat and drink.

15% of your ticket will go to the Hoyt Foundation!

I will be there, probably chasing my unruly monster child.

Anyone can sign up for the silent auction.

I will place a minimum bid and the bidding will go on all day.

Evening time should be the social event.

Come see the Shuck's in action during our trifecta of fun:

Wings, beer and friends. 

I will announce the winners of the door prizes at the end of the evening.

You do not have to be present for the name drawing.

And hopefully,

all of this combined will create one solid last effort to raise money and awareness.

So join us in the most delicious fundraiser ever! 

Who knows, maybe I'll even buy you a drink.

Speaking of which,

I would LOVE to get a chance to meet everyone before I debo out of Tampa.

I will be having happy hour cocktails at SoHo Tavern on Thursday night.

SoHo Tavern has been so incredible to me in my efforts,

and we should return the love and drink lots of their cold beer.

This will be the 1-month countdown to the big race.

Join me as I celebrate those who race the daily life marathons,

as I prepare to run one for them. 

Bad Run Days

So, much like most of us wake up on certain days

and cannot seem to lay our hair properly

or pick out the right outfit,

runners have days where they just can't get a good run.

Well, at least this is the assumption I made after I unsuccessfully ran 7 miles.

I mean, I ran 10 miles this past weekend,

12 the weekend before that,

and I couldn't seem to get 7 done today?

Not even 5?

But 3?!

I can't even explain how this feels.

It's incredibly discouraging. 

First, the second guesses:

"But my first mile felt so good..."

"I ate an energy-filled lunch, didn't I?..."

Then, the guilt...

"I didn't drink enough water"

"It's my stupid shoes that I need to replace, but have no money for..."

"Is the bottle of wine I had for Valentine's day really that powerful?"
"Stupid Mardi Gras! Why am I not 18 anymore?!"

But the fact of the matter is,

there's probably not really an exact reason.

Can't a mother runner have an off day?

A day to just stop her run because her body is saying, "Pu-LEASE stop, mama!"

So I did.

I stopped. 

I felt bad about it, 

and immediately explained my reasoning to my neighbor who probably did not care.

But I needed to be heard. 

THIS ISN'T MY FAULT!

I swear I'm not a failure! 

I know, I know I didn't have time for yesterday's run either,

but c'mon! 

I'm only one woman,

and Whitney Houston died this week, for gourd's sake!

But you know what Whitney would have said?

She would have said,

"I'm every woman, it's all in me."
or she would have told me that crack is whack.

So now I am signing off and doing crunches and squats. 

Maybe even a few wall chair sit thingys.

Whit Whit would be so proud.

Baby Hats!

So a very good family friend was incredibly kind

and donated a TON of baby hats to sell for this cause.

These are totally cute,

and totally give me a baby itch with all their itty-bitty cuteness!

SO, if you have a little nugget

or if you know someone with a little nugget

OR if you know of anyone who has a little nugget on the way,

can I say that this would be a fabulous gift for them?!

Who'da'thought that we could make an impression on these little ones so early?

Here they are! All are $15, plus $2 for shipping.
email me at kellyn.gowen@gmail.com or facebook me.
Only accepted PayPal transactions.

#1:

#2:

#3:

#4:

#5:

#6:

#7:

#8:

#9:

#10:

#11:

#12:

#13:

#14:

#15:

#16:

#17:

#18:

#19:

#20:

#21:

#22:

#23:

#24:

Livin' on a Prayer

I've been trying to figure out what to post about.

I could go through mile-to-mile of the 12 I ran this weekend.

It was following a 3-hour birthday celebration at Chuck-e-Cheese

and fueled on a breakfast of greasy pizza,

which is impressive... 

but sort of a snoozefest. 

I could walk you through how much I loathe mid-week runs,

but get incredibly excited to go to bed early on Fridays so I can run my heart out the next day.

But I just did, and that's not much of a story after all. 

But there is a celebration to be had.

It's not an obvious celebration, but certainly worth celebrating.

This weeks marks the half-way point of my training. 

I downloaded a lot of Bon Jovi songs to aid in my celebration,

and my heart is fist pumping. 

Seriously though,

it's pumping really hard.

My heart, that is.

In 69 days I will run 26.2 miles with a ton of people who are are legit runners.

Who wear running sleeves that aren't actually attached to their shirts,

and have running shoes that even look fast,

who run and don't have to stop for the bathroom,

or some, I have learned, actually just don't stop.

These people actually had to run another marathon in record time 

in order to even be considered to participate in this race.

AND don't have to listen to Jon Bon Jovi to do it.

Unbelievable.

So, I'm half-way there.

And it is true that I'm living on a prayer.

I can only assume that 12 miles feels much different from 26.2. 

SO, in celebration of being half-way there, 

I present to you 13.1 reasons to donate to the Hoyt Foundation:

((13)) Team Hoyt chose me to run for their team in honor of my brother, Ryan.
I feel strongly that people with disabilities should be open to the same possibilities that able-bodied people are. The Hoyts are living proof, and I hope to give an ounce of hope to someone that they too can accomplish anything.

((12)) My training includes over 400 miles throughout the streets of New Orleans.
I'm not sure if I'm more impressed that I haven't been shot or that a pot hole hasn't swallowed me whole. You donate a dollar, I dodge bullets and leap over 400-year-old oak tree roots - fair trade.

((11)) I have given up my Friday night wine consumption and instead plan on how I'm going to better the lives of hopefully many.
I've been through hundreds of yards of fabric, dozens of spools of thread and countless hours just to get to Boston.
There I plan to visit the Children's Hospital of Boston, where I will see with my own eyes where my hard work and dedication and some of your dollars will go to. 

((10)) Dick and Rick Hoyt have finished 1,072 races together.
That includes 6 Ironman Triatholons, where Dick pulled Rick in an inflatable boat for 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles with Rick riding shotgun, then pushed him 26.2 miles.
And I thought my Saturday's were productive.

((9)) Rick Hoyt just turned 50, and his father, Dick, is 71.
I am 26... and suddenly my knees don't hurt anymore...

((8)) The Hoyt Foundation supports Easter Seals,
an organization that works endlessly to help people with disabilities to live full and productive lives.

((7)) Rick and Dick not only make me want to be a better sister to Ryan and to support people regardless of their condition, but to also to be a better mother. 
The unconditional love that they display makes me want to push, pull and wheel Gray in 1,000 races -
not because he can't, but because I would.

((6)) Being a part of this team has opened my eyes and heart to so many emotions and experiences.
From learning to sew, to battling runner's trots, to understanding the passion behind charity running, I feel I am a better person now than I was 10 weeks ago. I see people differently. And although I am gaining so much personally, for maybe the first time in my life, I feel completely selfless.

((5)) The Hoyts have reached an incredible amount of people in similar situations with their slogan, "Yes You Can."
Every time I see that slogan it is all in caps, and I think that it is that way for a reason. It should be loud and proud and used well after Dick and Rick decide that they have run their last race. So many families, such as mine, have found themselves saying, "Wow! I can't believe they are doing this. What can I do to help out?"
I think that little people like me will be able to spread their inspiring words and story forever.

((4)) This has inspired me to figure out what I want to do in the long-term of my life.
I've always wanted to help, but I wasn't sure how. I'm still figuring out the details of my grand plan, but I feel entirely at peace putting my personal needs aside to help someone else.
I think the Hoyt Foundation is a great start to what I feel will be an amazing life journey.

((3)) I believe I am creating an incredible story to tell my son.
If you know me, I'm all about telling a story... and a lengthy one at that. I thrive on details. I have a feeling that this 20-week experience is going to pave a lifetime of story and inspiration to guide my son to be an incredible friend and companion. You just can't make this stuff up. I think I'll make him proud.

((2)) I, with the help of the Hoyt's, will hopefully be inspiring others to make similar decisions in their life.
I don't mean that everyone needs to run a marathon to raise awareness for disabled people, but rather find what makes them helpful to their community or family or surroundings. Because if I can promise any advice to anyone, it's that joining hands with other people for a meaningful cause is a very powerful and uplifting experience. It's contagious in that I don't want to stop. I want to help Team Hoyt, my brother, the blind child down the street, the old man juggling his groceries to get to the car, my son when he can't figure out his buttons, my friend when she has man trouble, my mom when she's exhausted from babysittting, my friend who just had a baby, and anyone else who crosses my path. 

((1)) Ryan is living proof that a disability only holds you back as far as you let it.
This is a logic that just cannot be taught - it must be experienced. Pushing oneself comes with benefits. For Ryan, it was driving, buying his own home and owning the hell out of SoHo Tampa. For me, it will be a marathon; a marathon that will entirely benefit those who need that extra motivation to make their own life dreams happen. 

and the 0.1, which is the shortest part of a race, 

but oftentimes the most powerful and memorable part:

((0.1)) Our kids, our future.
Let's make way for unsheltered minds who don't judge and who treat others equally. May this kid and his friends not be afraid to stand up for what's right and love all shapes, size and colors.
Kindness will go a long way...

Join me in making a difference

No Milk for My Cereal

(This was actually written last week. The delay in posting further supports how awful it was)

I've just had a god awful past few days. 

Let's recap, shall we?

Come on, hop on the crazy train.

Saturday's 11-mile run was actually not bad;

however, I must say Boo to Gu.

My first encounter with this flavored dog slobber was just about 1 year ago.

It was my first half marathon.

I kid you not the guy that ran next to me had 10 strapped to his gadgety belt with 18 bottles of water. 

At first I was laughing.

Like, what a total goober.

But then I was like, wait a minute...

maybe mambo man knows some sort of secret.

He'll probably pass me with this energy-in-a-packet miracle.

He has every flavor to please whatever palate may come about during this trot.

So the first Gu station I came to, I sucked one down,

and immediately spit it back out.

I mean, who serves black cherry anything... ever?

I would also like to take this opportunity to announce to every race function ever:

Lemon-lime Gatorade is grossy-pants. I'll take orange, thanks.

But that was a half marathon.

This is a full marathon. 

I need fuel.

I need a punch of energy every hour.

I need to be able to run 26.2 miles without passing out.

But I do NOT need sugary boogers in a plastic shooter.

I do NOT need Gu.

Well, that's what I learned anyhow.

I received it for Christmas as a gift, 

and I thought, "Eh, might as well give this tri-berry a whirl."

So, around mile 6, I did just that. 

One word:

POWER

I was instantly like the roadrunner.

I had to talk myself into running slower.

After all, I still had 5 miles left and 5 levels of the garage.

I could feel it leaving my system around mile 9.

Roadrunner shortly turned back into regular Kellyn.

I started to notice how badly I wanted water,

but as soon as I tasted water,

I didn't want it. 

THEN, at mile 10 I had to stop to take a few breaths.

Was this nausea? Am I dehydrated? 

Ok, keep going.

WAIT. Take a few more breaths...

Keep going.

Ugh.

Oh my word.

Am I going to hurl? 

STOP. 

I had to walk the .5 miles home because I was literally going to get sick.

Stupid Gu.

Sunday wasn't that awful. 

Give me a glass of wine and an awards show and I generally have very little to complain about.

But Monday came with a vengeance. 

I had several apron orders to complete since I was sick the week before.

Mother Myrtle was being a little testy mama.

The tension was off? The thread was too tight? Was the bobbin right? Was there dust? Did the needle that broke last week get lodged in there somewhere? Do I need to oil this piece? What the heck does this button do? Was I JUST A TOTAL AMATEUR WHO HAD NO BUSINESS SEWING APRONS IN THE FIRST PLACE???

Google DID NOT get what I was asking.

I just cried. and cried. and cried. 

I called my mother who offered several helpful options.

They were ALL wrong.

There was nothing that could be done. 

On top of this obvious travesty, 

I had to ice both of my knees. 

One knee: 15 minutes.

Next knee: 15 minutes.

Switch x 2 hours.

I decided to step away completely from everything. 

I watched The United States of Tara,

which entirely spoke to me.

One minute I am super awesome mom who is good a disciplining and always open for a hug. Then, I'm craze-o fundraising Kellyn, who starts planning blueprints for some great development that she's going to build to save the planet. Then, I'm a wife, who wants to be sweet and flirty. Then, I'm some running woman who wears a watch, a knee brace and orthotics in her shoes and says things like, "I need to run 8:21 miles in order to qualify for this wave to get my half marathon PR." Then I'm a gossiping sister/daughter or a "No he didn't!" girlfriend. And then I'm this apron-making maniac.

So ALL OF THESE got the best of me. 

I wanted to explode.

I wanted a break.

I thought it was over after my glass of wine and a full night's rest...

Then Tuesday morning came.

There wasn't enough creamer for the coffee.

NO milk for my cereal.

No bread for my peanut butter.

I was so mad that my choice food items were unavailable,

that I didn't eat.

Out. Of. Spite.

I was a total toddler.

Then I was getting sucker punches from everyone.

Home. Bills. Work.

I couldn't escape the hate.

When I went for my run to escape the crazy train,

I found myself totally fatigued and gasping for water.

My spiteful self did not properly eat or hydrate,

and my body was P.O'ed.

My easy 3-miler was not so easy.

Lesson's learned:

- Gu is not for me, but I need to figure out an alternative

- I need to take a major chill pill

- I must eat and drink, regardless of temper tantrum

- Sometimes, a spool of thread is a bad egg

- My mother is a very patient woman

- My husband is a very patient man

- I need to work on my patience

and finally:

- I am doing my part in saving the world, one mile at a time

Tomorrow is a new day,

another run,

a new perspective,

and another chance to find my peace in this crazy life.

Cheers to my other mother runners who know exactly what I'm talking about.