Run Owen Run! The 2010 ING New York City Marathon (Part III - Dream Warriors)

(Me on Saturday evening outside the finish line, practicing my finishing pose. My actual cross of the line today was much more subdued.)

Thanks to everyone who sent such supportive messages and stood out in the cold to cheer me on today. My official time was 3:52:21. It was a smidge slower than last year, by like a minute, but that's mostly because when I knew for certain I'd be under 4 hours, I slowed down to enjoy the end of the race and try and find my cheering sections that I knew would be hanging out around miles 23 and 25. I missed both of them, but I don't regret the attempt to find them or the slower finish. :) I totally booked it through the first half of the course, and it's nice to know I keep chipping away at that 1/2 marathon time.

It was really a lovely day for a marathon. The weather was cool, the sky was clear and the wind wasn't strong. Shout out to my coworker Cathy who had a friend at Poland Spring who hooked both of us up with VIP bus and tent passes and VIP baggage check. It's like the difference between flying coach and first class, peeps. On the course, all us runners enjoyed had an amazingly vocal and supportive crowd throughout the entire race. It's such a special event. You've gotta see for yourself. I strongly encourage those who are considering running for the first time to go ahead and enter the lottery and see what happens. I went from not really running at all to training for the marathon my first year, and it worked out to be one of the best things i could've done for myself.

As is tradition, I am posting my marathon playlist below, as it is what carries me along the way on my journey across the boroughs of this fair city. I almost had to run without it, as I turned in my bag to the UPS trucks (they take them from the start area in Staten Island to the finish area in Central Park) with my ipod still inside. Luckily the volunteer at the truck took pity on me and fished the bag out again. I would've been lost without my tunes. (Note: I actually came in during I'm So that Guy, but the rest of the songs played as I staggered off to get my medal and then further staggered off to pick up my bag and then stagger out of the park.)

You Can't Take No For An Answer - Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
Empire State Of Mind - Jay-Z Ft. Alicia Keys
Go for It - Saved By The Soundtrack
Final Fantasy IV - Main Theme
Happy Birthday Darling - Bright Lights, Big City (Studio Cast)
Vertigo (Single Version) - U2
One Minute - Kelly Clarkson
Bombs Away - Paris Texas
Breakthrough - Hope 7
I Do Not Hook Up - Kelly Clarkson
The Goonies R Good Enough - Cyndi Lauper
Zip A Dee Do Dah - Dance Dance Revolution
Fake Your Way to the Top - Dreamgirls Movie Soundtrack
I'm Not That Guy - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
You Don't Know Me (feat. Regina Spektor) - Ben Folds
BTW - Write Back - Andrea Burns
Twilight Zone – Dance Dance Revolution
Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Any Way You Want It / Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' - Glee Cast
Cheer Up, Boys (your make-up is running) - Foo Fighters
The Flesh Failures (Let the Sunshine In - Hair, OBC
Mickey Mouse March - Dance Dance Revolution
A Weekend in the Country - A Little Night Music
Halo / Walking On Sunshine - Glee Cast
The Water Song - Julia Meinwald
Superboy and the Invisible Girl - Next To Normal
Barrel of a Gun - Guster
Music Is The Victim - Scissor Sisters
Chim Chim Cher-ee - Dance Dance Revolution
It Gets Better - Broadway Sings For The Trevor Project
Oh My - Mellowdrone
Rock Star - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Rent - Rent Broadway Soundtrack
Don't Rain On My Parade - Glee Cast
Don't Waste Your Time Kelly Clarkson
The Great Compromise - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Die Vampire, Die! - Title of Show
Blinded (When I See You) - Third Eye Blind
It's A Small World (Bows) - Les Freres Corbusier
Motorcycle Drive By - Third Eye Blind
Hair - Gavin Creel, Will Swenson & Tribe
Can You Picture That? - Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem
Buffy Theme - Nerf Herder
Populism, Yea Yea - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Run (I'm a Natural Disaster) - Gnarls Barkley
Homecoming - American Idiot Soundtrack
bleeding love - leona lewis
U & Ur Hand - Pink
River Deep, Mountain High - Glee Cast
Touch Natasha Bedingfield
Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne
F--- You - Cee Lo Green
How Far We've Come - Matchbox Twenty
Looking At the World from the Bottom of a Well - Mike Doughty
Take My Temperature - Kaiser Chiefs
Where Are Those People Who Did Hair - Runaways
If I Can't Have You - Kelly Clarkson
Pounding - Doves
Bastian's Happy Flight - NeverEnding Story
Who Knew - P!nk
I'm Black / Ain't Got No - Hair
Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Carnaval Del Barrio - In The Heights
Goodnight Goodnight - Hot Hot Heat
Last Of The American Girls/She's A Rebel - American Idiot Soundtrack
Bad Romance (Album Version) - Lady GaGa
Saved by the Bell Theme - Michael Damian
I Got Life - Gavin Creel & Tribe
Sex On Fire - Kings Of Leon
I'm So That Guy - Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Macho Duck - Dance Dance Revolution
So What (Main Version) - P!nk
The Simpsons Theme (From "The Simpsons Movie") - Green Day
My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson
Don't Stop Me Now - Queen

My Words & The Stage, Together Again in "The Hotel Plays"

I'm excited to announce that a short play I wrote, "More Than A Memory" will be given a staged reading next week at the Abingdon Theater! I was just at rehearsal on Tuesday, and I'm really excited about the cast and the director. I think they're gonna take it someplace really great, and in such a short rehearsal window! You should come check it out if you are in the city:

The Hotel Plays

16 playwrights + 31 actors + 7 directors + 2 nights = 12 new plays and 4 new monologues

Twelve playwrights take on the challenge to write a 10-minute play, four playwrights to write a 2-minute monologue, all inspired by the set from Abingdon’s current production of The Nanjing Race.

Playwrights, directors and actors are donating their talent to present these staged readings as a benefit for Abingdon’s New Play Development Program.

$10 suggested donation at the door. Call 212-868-2055 for further information.

SERIES A

Tuesday, November 9, 2010
6:30pm & 8:30pm

Playwrights:
Jonathan Alexandratos | James Armstrong | Nathalie Bates | Stephanie Keys | Owen Panettieri | Raymond A. Schaub | William Shuman | Frank Tangredi

Directors:
Catherine Siracusa | Amanda Joshi | Kate Powers | Bara Swain

Featuring:
Kim Allen* | Georgina Bates | Gail Merzer Behrens* | Dave Brown | Sheila Burkert* | Susanna A. Guzmán* | Michael Hardart* | Walker Hare | Brian Linden* | JoAnn Mariano* | Patti Mariano* | Sean Mellott | Liam Mitchell Paige O’Malley | Jennifer Rubins*

* Member of Actors' Equity Association

Birthday of Champions: The Baskin-Robbins Year

(It's a cake of legend. The mint chocolate cake by Gracie. A cake worthy of the Birthday of Champions.)

"Birthday of Champions!
BIRTHday of CHAMPions!
NOOO time for LOOOOSERS!
It's Birthday of Champions... of the world!"

- Birthday of Champions, sung to the melody of "We are the Champions" my annual birthday anthem.

Today I turned 31. I'm cool with it. I actually like the #31. It's prime. It's a number connected to Halloween and New Year's Eve. I like to think of it as my Baskin-Robbins birthday, for BR's famous 31 flavors of ice cream. It really ain't so bad at all.

30 was a good year for me. I had my first play produced, went on a solo adventure in Paris, ran my second marathon, was in a very meaningful relationship, and as corny as it might sound, really learned a lot about myself. If 31 brings the kind of opportunities that 30 presented, I'll be a happy guy. Through it all, I felt an immense amount of love and support from my friends and family. I value that above it all.

I've got new goals for the next year, and I had some fun wishes in my heart and mind when I blew out my birthday candle. Here's hoping I can make 'em come true. :)

Owen's 2010 ING NYC Marathon Run for Lauren's First and Goal!

So in less than 2 weeks, I'll be running the 2010 ING NYC Marathon! This will be my 3rd year in a row! It will be my ninth official Road Runners race this year and my fifth 13+ mile race of the year as well. No wonder my legs are always tired.

(This is me finishing up my last race a couple weeks ago. That was such a good day. If Marathon Day is like that day, I'll be in great shape!)

I'm very excited about this year's race, because this time I get to run in support of Lauren´s First and Goal, a 501(c)3 charitable organization started in 2004 by my cousin Marianne Loose and her husband John Loose in honor of my cousin Lauren, a 13-year-old pediatric brain tumor survivor. The Loose family started the foundation as a way to help other families who are battling childhood cancer. And they all happen to rock.

(Ms. Lauren, looking lovely.)

Since its inception, LFG has raised more than $1 million toward its mission to provide financial support for brain tumor research and cancer services, to offer financial and emotional support to families living with pediatric cancer, and to increase awareness of the disease. These goals are made possible through the funding gained through LFG Football Camp and charitable contributions.

I'm so thrilled to be raising money for this organization and I hope you can contribute to my fundraising efforts!

Please support me by donating to the cause at this link.

http://www.crowdrise.com/owensnycmarathonforl/fundraiser/runowenrun

When you get to my page (which features a picture of my headshot since that's the only pic I had that didn't horribly stretch and distort the uploaded image), just click the big orange DONATE button. It's for a great cause and I will definitely appreciate your support!

You can also join my facebook group "Run Owen Run! Rock that 2010 ING NYC Marathon! Part III - Dream Warriors!" to cheer me on. It's a long group title, because it's a long race.

Nanny No More! RIP Barbara Billingsley

This weekend Barbara Billingsley passed away. This sort of news is to be expected. She was 94. Her iconic TV role was that of June Cleaver, of course, but she lives in my heart for her cameo in Airplane! which is undeniably amazing.

The thingsthat I didn't realize though, was that she was also the voice of Nanny on Muppet Babies. She was the loving but firm voice behind the striped socks, people. The fact that the voice of Nanny is dead really bums me out.

(The voice is gone. The socks live on.)

You rocked, Barbara Billingsley. If spirits can google alert their names in Heaven so that they know the living are blogging about them, I thank you for your artistic contributions to my life.

Rafa Takes Tokyo!!

(This is the coolest looking trophy. Well done, Japan Open.)

Congrats to Rafael Nadal on winning the Japan Open in Tokyo earlier today, for his 7th title of the season. He beat Gael Monfis pretty handily in the final 6-1, 7-5. It's a bit of a rebound for Rafa after he uncharacteristically lost to his compatriot Garcia-Lopez last week in the semi-finals of Bangkok, and then again almost lost in the semi-finals this week to Vicktor Troicki, having to erase two match points against him. Still, it's been a long season for Rafa and lapses in concentration this late in the season certainly happen. Ultimately, he was able to recover in Tokyo and win the tournament. Hooray!

Rafa now heads to the Shanghai Masters to finish up the three-week ATP fall tour through Asia. I hope after that he gets another well earned rest before dealing with the Masters Cup in London this November.

Nadal currently holds an outstanding 66-8 record for the season across 15 tournaments, and improved to 7-1 in 2010 finals. His victory in Tokyo marks his 43rd career title and his seventh for 2010. Great work, Rafa! Best of luck in Shanghai! Vamos!

One Month to the 2010 ING NYC Marathon!

(This is me running my latest half-marathon through Central Park last weekend. I finished strong! Bring on the 26.2!)

Thursday marked the one month mark to this year's NYC Marathon. It will be my third consecutive year running it. I'm very much looking forward to it. Honestly, over the summer it was very hard to find the time and motivation to get really intense about marathon training. Time was an issue as I was focused in my off-work hours on my play and motivation was an issue because it was the hottest, most humid summer ever. Who wanted to move at all for the months of July and August?

But thankfully in the past two weeks, things have improved. The cool fall air has finally settled in, and with it so has my renewed determination to run faster and stronger. I'll post more info about what race group I'm in and how you can track me online as the race gets closer. You can also join my FB group that's now titled "Run Owen Run! Rock that 2010 ING NYC Marathon! Part III - Dream Warriors!" I'll send info about Race Day through that group as well. (I was very pleased to name this year's race after my favorite movie sequel - Nightmare on Elm Street 3.)

If you're in NYC on Sunday Nov. 7th, you should come out and support all the runners in person. The NYC Marathon is an amazing New York tradition and the spectator support throughout the race gives all of us runners such a boost. It's simply incredible. I hope to see you on the course!