Jenny's Tour de Cure Bracelet Project

Help support the Jenny McCune Benefit Fund with the purchase of the "Jenny's Tour de Cure" light blue (for spinal cord injury awareness) silicone bracelets; all the proceeds after expenses go directly to Jenny's Fund, and wearing them is a great way to not only show Jenny your love and support, but also spread awareness of spinal cord injury, the importance of helmets when riding (as Jenny did, which likely saved her life) and other safety measures for active people, and the need for further research in the field of SCI and other conditions that would benefit from such study.

Buy bracelets directly from the vendors listed under "Where to Buy "Jenny's Tour de Cure" Bracelets" in the column on the right, or order them directly from us online by emailing:

1. desired quantity
2. choice of delivery method: postal shipping (provide address) or pickup (in Bozeman, MT)
3. desired method of payment (currently check or cash)

Email the preceding information to the blogmaster at jennys20run@gmail.com, and join us in wearing our support for Jenny and her road to recovery.

24 hour final report - the end

Guest J20-blogmaster Ron Mancini wraps up his stint with this post, the last report from "ground zero" at Crissy Field:

The 24 hour run ended at 9am this Sunday morning. Antonia finished her last countable lap at 9:05am. She completed 69 laps for a distance of 70.2 miles. She completed her goal of at least a 100K distance, which she exceeded. She also won first place for her age group for the 24 hour event. She also won this standing last year in the same event. Do I hear the term Triple-crown being said for next year??????? She is sore, her knees hurt and was dead tired after the event. She is currently take a well deserved good long nap.......no wonder, she only took about a 17 minute nap during the night before continuing on her lap completion! We all should be proud of her accomplishment both for her own athletic goals, but also for the pledge donations she was about to secure for this event to help Jenny and Ed. GREAT JOB, ANTONIA!!!!!!

The 3 am Report - 18 hours mark

While starting to feel more tired and sore in the knees, Antonia sounded up and ready for more running and laps. She got a surprise during this last 3 hours, as she received a visit from friends dating back to her early childhood. Two mothers ("Mommy" Anne and "Mommy" Kathy) in the infant play ground Antonia and her mom, Sally, were in when Antonia was very young came by along with one of the kids from that playgroup that has been a life-long friend to Antonia, Paige. This was a total surprise and wonderful. Since this was at a time that Antonia was walking some laps to rest her legs and knees, Paige walked many laps with her as they visited. After Paige left, Antonia started running and continues to complete laps in the 24 hour event. In addition to the wonderful visit by close friends, the runners were witness to a spectacular meteor shower over the bay area for a long period of time. 6 more hours to go.

Midnight Report - 15 hour mark

Antonia is racking up the laps. She reported that the sunset was spectacular. The weather has been unusually wonderful for this time of the year. It has been clear all day, with sun during the day, and a very clear night tonight with no fog or clouds. The stars and constellations are all visible in great numbers. The lights on the Golden Gate Bridge and the city make a wonderful backdrop for the event at night. A friend from Fremont, Jerry, who is an ultra marathoner and teachers long distant runner, came over late today to run 12 laps (12 miles) with Antonia, giving her tips on form and running techniques to help as she gets tired and to make progress during the night as sleepiness starts to come on. It was great for Jerry to come and be part of it. But the big thing Antonia wanted to report is that as she speaks of Jenny, her accident and Antonia's "running for Jenny" to the runners in the event and families who are there in support, the response is overwhelming. The runners especially can relate, since being athletes, they can relate to losing the ability to compete and pursue their sport. This response provided strength and energy as Antonia continuing her runner into the night.

The 8 hour Report

Well, just talked to Antonia on the phone. She called to give me, her dad, and update from the course. She reported she started off slow to pace herself for the running during the night. She developed a few digestive problems early in the event which slowed her pace and caused her to take more breaks than she had expected. Eventually, as she neared the 8 hour mark, these digestive issues have worked themselves out and she is back to running at her more normal pace. Her left knee is bothering her a bit (this was her nemesis last year in this event), and is dealing with the ever present runners IT band issues. But she is feeling strong, postive and really appreciates the few emails she has received via the web feed, and also has greatly appreciated the calls and text messages. She continually thanks you all deeply for your support and encouragement. This ends the 8 hour report.

Antonia's Dad making report on 24 hour

It's usually a better thing to not try to do several blog posts while doing something as delightfully loony as running for 24 hours... To answer curious interest from those already familiar with the run this Saturday as well as folks just signing on, my father Ron Mancini offered to take over as webmaster of the Blog during the run to post something about what I was sharing with him and other friends from my phone while on the course....:

Well, Antonia is around 5 hours into the 24 hour run as I write this. I was with her as she started and did a few laps walking as she started to run and accumulate laps in this event. She continued to get additional sponsor up to last night and hopes to get more yet. She created a binder with sponsor sign-up sheets, which pictures of Jenny at the rehabilitation center in Denver on the cover. She is excited with the response she has received from so many people who are touched by Jenny's story and how Antonia is doing events with support for Jenny as the central purpose of her participating in these athletic events. We are proud of her dedication and putting into action ways to help Ed and Jenny.

Live Webcast Link for the 24-hour Run

The last pre-race email from the Pacific Coast Trail Runners! This includes the link to the live webcast of the race; I am, as a Bozeman sponsor who explored the PCTR info on the race site informed me today, runner #24 (what are the odds...?!) in the 24 hour list:

EVENT: SF One Day
DATE: Saturday & Sunday, 10/20-10/21/07
TIME: 9 a.m.
LOCATION: Crissy Field, San Francisco

We wanted to be sure that you knew that we'll have a live webcast from Crissy Field. We'll be posting runners' progress every hour starting at 10 a.m. Saturday morning. You're welcome to send e-mail messages during the event, too, and we'll hand them to the runners during the event. Just click on:

Live Webcast

Cheers,

Wendell & Sarah
Pacific Coast Trail Runs

Progress

Jenny continues to stride ahead of what the doctors expected, and into finding and building new ways to be with her body as she heals. In this post from her CarePage, there is so much to celebrate: her progress and her knowledge of it being tops on that list.

October 13, 2007 at 07:46 PM MDT

STANDING AND STEPPING

Today I went out on an excursion with John & Jackie. Jackie is the sister of Bozemanite Robbie Gammack. John, her husband, is a physical therapist. They live about three miles away from Craig and have kindly adopted me while I'm away from home doing rehab.

The last time they took me out was about three weeks ago. Today they took me to REI and to a local restaurant near where they live. It was really heartening to see how much progress I'd made between the two trips. Today I did standing transfers in stead of the board transfers that my Craig PT prefers. A slide board transfer involves parking a wheel chair as close as possible to the carseat or seat that you are going to transfer to. You use the board as a bridge from one chair to the next and slide across. This can be relatively easy if the two seats are of equal height or you are moving from a higher chair to a lower chair which makes for a "downhill" transfer.

By contrast, standing transfers involve--guess what?--standing. It means scooting my butt to the end of the chair and then rising to standing with a spotter who blocks my knees in case they should buckle and gives support and cuing as needed. Since I don't have a lot of sensation, I need people to tell me if I need to step forward or backward, whether if I think I am stepping, whether I actually am, etc.

What was great about today was how much my standing transfers had improved. I was taking much firmer steps and needed less cuing from John. I was also able to have more of a sense of feeling about where my feet were and where they were going. I don't know if it's that I'm getting more sensation back or that I'm just using what sensation I have more efficiently. Still not one hundred percent, but I've really improved a lot. In addition, I just seemed a lot stronger: I was able to pick up my legs and swivel them into the car, as well as to position myself on the car seat.

At REI, I managed to get recognized by two people. One was Ken, who is one of the wheelchair maintenance guys at the hospital. The other was Jason Armstrong, a former Bozemanite. Jason used to work with John Zombro as a physical therapist and bikefitter. Jason has since relocated to McCall, Idaho and has a brother who lives in Greely, CO.

Jackie and John were impressed that I got recognized twice at the store. It kind of made me feel like I was back at home in Bozeman, where I have so many friends.

In addition to the improved performance of my legs, my hands are also getting better. I am still tremendously weak, but I am definitely improving. My eating has become much better and neater. I can also now lock the lock drawer in my hospital room, can zip and unzip my purse, as well as retrieve money from my wallet. I can also brush my teeth using an electric toothbrush that Mary, my sister bought me. Yes, someone does have to turn the brush on and off for me, as well as put toothpaste on it, but it's an endless joy to be able to move the toothbrush around in my mouth instead of having someone do it for me. It's just a pleasure to pick which teeth I want to get brushed and in what order.

In addition to the above feats of physical dexterity, I can also brush the front part of my hair. The back is beyond me, but I know it is only a matter of time.

I guess what's really cool is a lot of this stuff I couldn't do a week ago, so it's really nice to see so many improvements in so little time. I now appreciate what may seem like small improvements because I realize how much effort I'm putting into them.

I also got a sense today that I'm going to get through this and that this is truly only the beginning.

Love, Jenny

A Post from Sister Mary

In Jenny's recovery, there is a long road ahead and much need for love and support. But it is, of course, Jenny and her interminable spirit that is making the progress, doing the work, withstanding the challenges, and pursuing all the aspects of her rehabilitation with tenacity and determination day after day. Jenny's sister, Mary, is visiting her once again from New York, and posted to her CarePage about all of the changes she is witnessing in Jenny in this most recent trip:

October 01, 2007 at 04:13 PM MDT

Hi! This is Jenny's sister Mary writing...I'm visiting Jenny for a week to help celebrate her birthday and she asked me to guest blog for her to let people know all the progress she's making...

I think one of the biggest challenges for Jenny is to recognize all the advances she has made. She makes steady improvement in small ways on almost a daily basis. But because the increments are so small, it is hard for her to remember how much she has accomplished. She takes prior accomplishments for granted and forgets how much she has progressed from her injury date.

Since I haven't seen her since she first checked into Craig in July, I was in awe of how much independence she has recovered in these two months...When I last saw her, she was still a prisoner of her neckbrace, couldn't move on her own at all, and was completely dependent on others for all her needs. Her only way of controlling her environment was through asking others to help her. She had some movement in her upper and lower body, but none of it was functional.

When I arrived at Craig from the hospital, she was not in her room. She had left a message for me that she had gone to the laundry room. I headed out and met her part way. I was so moved when she was able to give me a hug! Although she still needs assistance getting in and out of the wheelchair, she is able to direct and participate in that process, using her recovered strength to help shift her body into position for transfer.

She can put her glasses on and off, feed herself using an adaptive apparatus, respond to e-mail using her voice activated software, and get herself around the hospital and beyond. You can't go anywhere with her in the hospital without a staff member or fellow member stopping to greet her. I don't think she realizes how much everyone here cares for her. The restoration of some of her prior independence seems to give more confidence to her movements. She still has many challenges and can become discouraged, but overall, she continues to show great strength of spirit. Her sense of humor continues unabated...

Today I saw her standing for the first time since the accident, practicing getting up and sitting down with the help of some equipment. Later, in physical therapy, she was able to kneel and balance herself with minimal assistance, do the equivalent of a baby cobra (yoga folks will know what I mean), and roll herself from her side onto her stomach. During her occupational therapy, she worked on getting dressed, and although she could not get a shirt on completely by herself, she was able to start the process. Even in the few days I've been her, I've seen her improve so much, that I am amazed. It is hard to believe that her accident happened only three months ago.
Well, Jenny just got back, and we're due to go out and run some errands! I just want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for the support they have shown to Jenny and her family during this difficult time...

Mary

24 Hours for the Jenny McCune Benefit Fund

On October 20th-through-21st I will be running the San Francisco One Day 24-hour Race to support Jenny in her rehabilitation and healing. As she comes to the end of her stay at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado and prepares to relocate to Florida for a time to pursue intensive physical therapy and recovery in a more hospitable climate than Montana-in-Winter, the Benefit Fund will become a key factor in what resources she will have available to her; for one full day I will be pursuing as many miles as possible towards strengthening her Fund for that purpose.

The racecourse is a 1.017 lap around Chrissy Field in the City, with great views (even at 1 in the morning!) of the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, the Presidio, the dome at the Palace of Fine Arts... you find much to look at going round and round in circles for 24 hours! There will be a live Webcast of the race so that those far away (or those who wish to remain in the comfort of hearth and home, wise buggers you) can watch the crazies running round in circles looking for their tails in the dark...! It was great fun last year, and this year it will be even better if it will help make a difference for Jenny and Ed. I will be accepting sponsorship per mile: whether it be 5 cents, 50 cents, 1 dollar or 10 or more -- whatever you feel you are able to pledge will go so incredibly far, farther than you might be able to fathom, toward facilitating Jenny's therapies, meeting her needs, and helping her achieve her goals in building her life from this point forward.

Three ways to help, any or all!:

#1 - Sponsor my 24-hour run with a donation per mile. To do this, please email me at gypsyvegan@gmail.com, Subject: SF 24-Hour Sponsor (<---just cut and paste this into the subject line). Please list your name, postal address, email address, donation amount per mile, and any messages of support you would like posted on the list of sponsors (please indicate if you include a message if you would like it to be recognized by name or as "anonymous").

#2 - If you have been directly touched by Jenny's light or simply inspired by her, run or walk the race yourself -- there is a 12-hour as well as the 24-hour length, or come join me for a few laps, I would LOVE the company!! -- and obtain sponsorship from friends and family for your own miles.

#3 - Purchase a Jenny's Tour de Cure bracelet for yourself and for those who you know who would be inspired by Jenny's story to show her she is loved and supported both near and far, help bolster the Fund, and raise awareness about spinal cord injury and the need for better access to research.

A big thank you out to all who have been a part of this ongoing effort to come together as a community for Jenny and Ed at this time of great and difficult change, and thanks too for the great energy and spirit as we continue to compete along the path toward Jenny's Twenty 2008!!

Racing for Jenny?

Will you be competing in any events any time soon and feel moved either to raise donations towards Jenny's Benefit Fund or race as a show of support to Jenny or in the name of awareness of SCI (spinal cord injury)? I know there have been several people who have raced in Jenny's honor or to raise money for the Fund, and have been asked by many about whether or not there would be "anything" between now and Jenny's Twenty 2008. While there is nothing organized through the Jenny's Twenty crew, if you or your team or group would like to race on your own behalf for Jenny in any of the above capacities, please let me know so that I can post something about your efforts here on the blog.

The "Jenny's Tour de Cure" Bracelet Project

The annual occurrence of the Jenny's Twenty will help to give a much-needed boost to the Benefit Fund, making it possible for Jenny to have access to the care she needs and the security to devote her whole mind and self to her healing process... but the Jenny's Twenty will only happen once a year. In answer to that dilemma, a few of us honored friends-of-Jenny (thanks Sandy and Kelly for the awesome post-yoga brainchild session!) cooked up this idea for a project that would provide for a steady income for Jenny's Fund: these silicone cause bracelets, baby blue to promote awareness of spinal cord injury (and reminiscent of a certain women's cycling team's flying colors, anyone...?!?), and emblazoned with both the official appeal to "cure sci" on one aspect, and the name of Jenny's recovery effort, "jenny's tour de cure", on the other. Bracelets are $5 each, and are available for sale at a growing number of businesses around Bozeman (see the sidebar at right for an updated list), or beginning October 10th may be purchased through the Jennys20 blog for $5 per bracelet plus shipping & handling (waived if you opt to pick up your order from a set list of locations provided when you check out). 100% of the profits go directly to Jenny's Benefit Fund... and as long as bracelets continue to be sold, those profits will keep adding to her ability to build her recovery.

Blog-in-Progress

Dear friends of the Jenny's 20 Blog--
The webmaster is in and out of the world of Wi-Fi, but the posts from Race-Day, the Raffle (along with a list of the winners, there are still a few of you who have not gotten your prizes!!), and more are on the way; subscribe to this blog or add it to your GoogleReader to be alerted of any updates. In the meantime, catch up with Jenny's news here or on her Craig CarePage.

Jenny's New Wheels, Eating Gymnastics, and A Plea for Air Miles

Jenny is just making amazing strides -- although still classified as a quadriplegic, she is able to do so many things that her medical team was uncertain she would be able to do at this stage. She is, as those of us who know her are already aware, phenomenal and sensational and kickass! Share your thoughts with Jenny directly; it can be easy, when one is so far from home and so deep in the middle of something so very difficult, to feel every inch of the distance between yourself and the ones you love: your friends, and your community. Jenny's contact information can be found on her Craig CarePage.

Definately take note of the call out for air miles: with Jenny and Ed facing an imminent 2,344 mile separation when Jenny leaves Craig to spend Winter in Gainesville, Florida and after an already stressful, painful and incredibly difficult several months, as much time as they can spend together will do wonders both for Jenny's healing and for each of their morale and faith in her recovery. More information on how to trasfer miles to Ed will be available soon on the Bozeman Yoga Center website.

September 07, 2007 at 07:50 PM MDT

WHAT'S NEW IN PHYSICAL THERAPY

This week, I finally got my manual chair. This means I can pedal around the third floor of the hospital using my legs. It is very slow going, but I truly believe getting to exercise my legs will help me walk again. It also lifts my spirits alot.

The one downside of the manual chair is that it doesn't really fit me. My feet barely touch the ground so I end up having to be scooched forward. I also have to do sort of an abdominal crunch to make it work, so I'm generally staring at the ground as I do my laps around the third floor. The good news is that I can do this and I'm hoping that eventually they will find a seat pad that will lower me enough so that I can use the chair more effectively.

LET JENNY EAT LASAGNA!

I definitely had some adventures in eating this week. The hospital has fashioned a cuff that allows my stronger left hand to grasp a fork at an angle where I can pierce food and feed myself. I had to do quite an acrobatic act to make it work, but it's really satisfying to be able to do it myself. Even if someone had to cut up the food for me...So far I've survived and no food has ended up on the ground or on me.

AIR MILES WANTED

Ed is back in Bozeman and I miss him a lot. We're trying to figure out a way for him to able to come down to Craig on the weekends. It's really too far to drive. In addition, it's looking more and more likely that I will winter in Florida where I can find better physical therapy and not have to deal with getting snow tires for my wheelchair. So I just wanted to put out an appeal to anyone with extra free flight miles, give them to Ed so he can come and visit. Please contact Ed at namaste@imt.net or by phone at 406-580-1922.

Raffle Results:And the Winners Are...!

The purchased entries poured in from all over town; the last of the donations from vendors were delivered; the prizes were amassed and divided into twenty (of course!) comparably-valued packages; and when the end of the day finally arrived, the winning Jenny's Twenty Raffle tickets were finally drawn!! Thank you to everyone who bought tickets (many in bulk!), you are all vital links in Jenny's race to recovery.

Below are the results of the Jenny's Twenty Raffle, and the prize packages along with the names of our generous sponsors. Prizes can be picked up tomorrow, Sunday September 2nd, between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. at the Bozeman Yoga Center, 1716 West Main Street in Bozeman (or will be hand-delivered to you if possible before I leave town for California on Wednesday). Any questions or conflicts with picking up/receiving your prize? Please respond to this post and it will be sure to get through to me.

Jenny's Twenty Raffle Results:

Winner #1: C. Gaffney
Prize Package: fuel belt from Fleet Feet

Winner #2: L. Hellenga
Prize Package: running socks from Fleet Feet, water bottle from Summit Bike & Ski, and a $15 gift certificate to Oak Street Natural Market

Winner #3: D. Muzynoski
Prize Package: race singlet top from Fleet Feet

Winner #4: R. Hartman
Prize Package: Bell bicycle helmet from Summit Bike & Ski

Winner #5: T. Petty
Prize Package: signature Bozeman Yoga Center Gear: canvas tote, hooded sweatshirt, and coffee mug, from the friends of the Bozeman Yoga Center

Winner #6: T. Petty
Prize Package: the "Local Yokel Set": KGLT long-sleeved shirt, 2 $5 gift certificates to the Bozeman Community Food Co-op, and a $15 gift certificate to International Coffee Traders

Winner #7: L. Newman
Prize Package: $25 gift certificate to Timber Trails

Winner #8: T. Petty
Prize Package: $25 gift certificate to Timber Trails

Winner #9: T. Szenter
Prize Package: $25 gift certificate to Timber Trails

Winner #10: R. Schattuck
Prize Package: $25 gift certificate to Timber Trails

Winner #11: A. Strom
Prize Package: $10 gift certificate to Old Chicago, $15 gift certificate to Colombo's Pizza and Pasta, and a water bottle from Summit Bike & Ski

Winneer #12: J. Mular
Prize Package: $10 gift certificate to Old Chicago, $15 gift certificate to Rockford Coffee, and a water bottle from Summit Bike & Ski

Winner #13: E. Kitrell
Prize Package: $10 gift certificate to Old Chicago, gift certificate to Great Harvest, and a water bottle from Summit Bike & Ski

Winner #14: L. Strong
Prize Package: $10 gift certificate to Old Chicago, $15 gift certificate to International Coffee Traders, and a water bottle from Summit Bike Ski

Winner #15: J. Hahn
Prize Package: $25 gift certificate to the Bozeman Ale Works

Winner #16: D. Diaz
Prize Package: $25 gift certificate to the Bozeman Ale Works

Winner #17: E. Kitrell
Prize Package: $25 gift certificate to the Bozeman Ale Works

Winner #18: L Newman
Prize Package: $25 gift certificate to the Bozeman Ale Works

Winner #19: D. Diaz
Prize Package: $40 gift certificate to the Word of Mouth group of restaurants -- the Naked Noodle, the Garage, On the Rise bakery, La Parilla, and more

Winner #20: L. Newman
Prize Package: gift certificate to Dave's Sushi


Winner #15
Prize Package

1st Annual Jenny's Twenty a Fun Run!

The day of the run finally arrived, and so did some runners -- we had about 15 or so happy people turn up this morning, excited to run and to be out in support of Jenny and Ed. The run started at precisely 8:30 after hot coffee from Rockford and water from Town & Country, bagels from BagelWorks and pastries from Great Harvest, fresh fruit courtesy of Heebs and many generous farmers from the Saturday morning farmers market, and some pre-race instructions about the course and following markers (which is when the race directer should have been remembering to pre-race fuel!)... and then we were off!

About two-thirds of the runners chose to turn around part way, most making it to the bridge near the five-mile point for some water and a quick chat with our bike-support crew. We had six feet-on-the-ground finishers -- a lucky seven including our honorary runner, the two-year-old junior member of the Johnson clan who was "run" all the way up to Mystic Lake and back in his jogger by his dad.

To "prove" a twenty-mile finish with a turnaround at Mystic Lake, all runners who made it to the halfway point were each given one of the new "Jenny's Tour de Cure" light blue spinal cord injury special edition silicone bracelets, an additional project to help continue to raise funds to provide for Jenny's care and which will be available for sale in various stores around Bozeman (and beyond!) within the next few weeks.

All the finishers spent some time noshing on the great food and drink, catching up on news about Jenny's rehab progress, and using fabric pens to sign the giant cloth banner that will be taken down to her at Craig hospital next week after hanging at Rockford Coffee for the greater Bozeman community to see and sign.

We also had a great turnout of volunteers to supply and man the water, sign-in and parking-lot picnic stations: thanks so much to sign-in tablers Larry and Marie, bike support and water crew Marla, Rich, Angie and special-bike-angel Steve, and extra kudos to Freida for being the parking lot pointperson for the entire race which was a longer term than expected!

RAFFLE: The definitive decision was made this morning and seconded by the runners to extend the raffle one more week to allow more time for tickets to circulate and more funds to be raised through ticket sales. The draw will be next Saturday night, September 1st, and announced both here on the blog and by the winners being contacted directly. In keeping with the theme of the event, there will be 20 prize packages raffled off, so that's 20 chances to win!! Thank you so much to all the awesome vendors who have donated (and continue to donate, it all just keeps coming!) raffle prizes, are selling tickets, and promoting the event.

And a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out today or sent donations in support, and all who are continuing to send love, energy, and positive thoughts to Jenny. Write to her at:

Jenny McCune
c/o Craig Hospital for Spinal Injury Research
3425 South Clarkson Street
Englewood, CO 80113
http://www.carepages.com/PatientContact?seed=173866&ClusterNodeID=jb01&tlcx1=craig&tlcx2=2426926

....and STAY TUNED -- the 2nd annual Jenny's Twenty will be coming at you JULY 20TH, 2008... !!!

Last Thoughts Before the Run

Well, most of the course is market and cleared, donations have come in for raffle prizes and food and water, runners and hikers from all over town are popping up saying they will be there tomorrow morning... it's almost here! A few quick but key notes before run-day:

Carpooling -- the word has spread so well and so fast that I can't help but worry about the limited parking at the Bozeman Creek Trailhead...! Please post to the link about carpooling with your contact info and neighborhood location if you either need a ride or are looking to share one.

Food & Water -- we did get donations of food and water from several businesses in town for runners after the they finish, but depending on how many runners turn up there may not be enough to cover everyone. Please remember that this is a self-supported run: bring a water bottle and water for yourself, snacks, gels or energy bars, and food for recovery.

Course -- nice and soft, dry, and cleared as of about 9pm tonight. All the turns and trail deviations are clearly marked, as will be explained in the pre-run instructions about 5-10 minutes before the run begins.

Messages to Jenny -- there will be an opportunity to send messages to Jenny by signing a large banner at the trailhead; the banner will also hang at Rockford Coffee all day Monday for those unable to make it to the trailhead tomorrow.

Raffle tickets -- tickets will be available at the trailhead before, during and after the run, along with a list of donors as well as where tickets can be purchased around town

...and that's about it!! Hard to believe that tomorrow is finally here, and that we will all have a chance to run together and make something special happen for Jenny. Anyone with any last questions can post to the blog, drop me an email, or give me a call at the number listed under the raffle ticket info posted on the right.

Thanks,
~Antonia

Great News From Jenny

I talked to Jenny and Ed today just before going on the air with Larry at KGLT... She told me that Ed put some nuts in her lap, and she was able after some time to grasp the nuts with the fingers of one hand, and get them into her mouth -- the first time she has fed herself since before the accident. She wanted me to say "Thank You!" to all who are running or hiking and to all who have contributed their time and efforts towards pulling this together and showering her with love. She said that on the low days, when it's harder for her to see the progress in all the strides she's made, seeing the example of so many people who care has really helped keep her spirits up. Yay for Jenny, and for everyone who helped make this run posisible!!

Tune in to KGLT Tomorrow at 3pm

The Larry Newman show on KGLT tomorrow, Saturday August 25th from 3-6 pm, will be themed around Jenny, the "Jenny's Twenty" run, and updates on the raffle, your questions, and more. I will be on the show from 3 till about 3:45 talking with Larry (who has known and cycled with Jenny for years) and giving an overview of what Sunday has in store, complete with any updates on anything that happens between now and then (and things seem to be happening about every twenty (!) minutes at this point!). KGLT streams online, so you can catch it live from anywhere in the country! So tune in, and if you have any questions give the station a ring at 406-994-4492.

Raffle Pool Grows

The number of businesses donating raffle prizes has just grown by leaps and bounds (see the box at the right). There will be a list of contributors posted at the run this Sunday. The tickets are slow in getting out to be sold; there was a printing glitch and they will not be out and around town until tomorrow morning. There has been discussion of postponing the drawings to give the snowball time to gather some speed -- updates on this point to follow.

From Jenny 8/22

An excerpt from Jenny's blog...

August 22, 2007 at 08:45 PM MDT

Today Wednesday I made great progress. I think it was just because I decided to focus on trying to gain as much independence as I can in the body I have now, rather than worrying about how I used to be or speculating about what progress I will make and when.
So, today I started trying to do a bunch of things without worrying about success or failure. I succeeded in moving my right pinky for the first time. I also figured out how to turn my wheel chair off as well as how to turn off the light switch to my room. I'm not there yet when it comes to turning on the wheel chair -- the toggle switch to power the chair is in a very tricky spot. I tried but haven't yet figured out how to punch an elevator button yet, but I have learned how to ask for help so I can get from one floor to the next in this 3 story building. And, of course I did my usual stunts in Ot and PT. All and all a great day.
...Love, Jenny

The Raffle Heats Up...

Check out the "Raffle Prizes Provided By..." list at right, to see the updated list of businesses that have contributed or pledged prizes to the raffle to be held after the run. For those looking for ways to help out with the fun-run effort: if you are a regular patron of any of these businesses or plan to pay any of them a visit in the next few days or weeks, please let the managers or owners know (or drop in a comment card) how grateful you are for their support of Jenny and Ed by so generously donating their products or services. Raffle tickets will be available starting tomorrow, Wednesday the 23rd, at various locations around Bozeman -- see the box at right for a list of locations with map links a la GoogleMaps.

From Ed 8/22

Posted today by Ed on Jenny's Craig Carepage blog:

August 22, 2007 at 01:41 PM MDT

Hello friends and family from Ed,

....It's been a wonderful and challenging experience being here with Jenny. She will be at Craig until the end of October. I will be returning to Bozeman on September 1 for 6 weeks, returning to Craig for Jenny's last two weeks. I need to start to figure out the ins and outs of us living in Bozeman. Part of that is what to do with the Trail Creek house since it is unlikely that Jenny can live there. Another is to find somewhere that we can afford to live in town. Ideas and suggestions are welcome.

I plan to be back to teaching the day after Labor Day. I want to thank all the wonderful teachers who backed me up while I was away. I would love to come up with a way or ways for all of you to continue to be a part of the Bozeman Yoga Center. With the loss of Jenny's income for the foreseeable future, the center needs to grow in number if classes and profitability. I hope the teachers will consider keeping classes as part of the schedule paid by me, or teaching classes or workshops or privates of your own in the space. For the students, I expect the rates to go up a bit. Probably $60/ month with 10% off for COOP members. Please forgive and understand the need.

Beyond that, it will be a difficult time for me personally being in Bozeman without Jenny. I hope my friends will help me through this time. It is very likely that Jenny will winter in Florida with her cousin, who lives near a good spinal cord rehab center, since Bozeman winter and the availability of physical therapy here would be too difficult. My job will be to pave the way for her return in the Spring. Help, suggestions, ideas, support and love are welcome and very necessary to my ability to get through this.

Thanks and Love
ED

The Word Gets Out... On the Airwaves!

Thanks to the dear folk at KGLT, several of whom know and used to ride with Jenny, news about the run is getting discussed between all the wonderful music played on Bozeman's (heck, let's just admit it, EVERYONE'S!) favorite community radio station. In the middle of Catapalooza-chaos, (ie. many college students running round on the lawns to different booths collecting tons of free stuff from local businesses while many others waited on line for their coursebooks), someone -- you know who you are -- made the time to create a PSA and get it out on the air. You can listen to KGLT streaming online here.

Spare the Air, Share your Spare -- CARE-POOL! And other green things

Since those of us who run tend to love the great outdoors (and who doesn't?!), it would be most excellent if we keep the environment as much in mind as possible this Sunday. If you know others who are planning to come out and run, please carpool (or care-pool as the Berkeley environmentalist set calls it) out to the trailhead, which will also help keep the parking situation as friendly and neighborly as possible. Need a ride? Don't know if anyone you know is going? Use the "post reply" feature to this post to network for rides.

Please also keep track of any gel or energy bar wrappers that encase the fuel you bring with you, and any other refuse you create. The mantra of the woods: if you pack it in, please pack it out. We will collect trash, recyclables, and compost at the trailhead and the 10-mile turnaround point at Mystic Lake, so at all points in between if each runner/hiker could be mindful of their own detritus that would be a big help!

Not Up for 20 Miles? Not a problem!

You do NOT have to commit to a distance to come out and enjoy the woods, the camaraderie, and the spirit of the Jenny's Twenty run -- in fact, you don't need to run at all if that's not your style! This is not a race, it is a group activity -- being active outdoors, as a community of people, for a common goal... something that Jenny is very much a believer in and has given a great deal of time in both promoting and inspiring others to do. If you want to turn around halfway, you can! If you want to hike the whole 20 miles, you rock! The only difference between those who finish all 20 and those who don't is the extra mileage they get to put in their training logs (yeah, yeah, us distance freaks are all about the numbers), the glory of the completion, and an extra bonus entry into the Jenny's Twenty Benefit Raffle which will be held after the run. So don't let that "20" scare you off if you are a short- or non-distance runner but want to come out to support Jenny -- it's a FUN run, and fun always has room for everyone!

Welcome to the Jenny's Twenty Blog!

This is where you can check in over the remaining few days (boy this is coming together fast!) for run information, a list raffle donors and where to buy raffle tickets, find directions to the trailhead and info on the run course, and updates directly from Jenny's blog on her progress at Craig Hospital for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation. Stay tuned as we fill in the blog over the next 24 hours with all you need to know as this Sunday draws closer, and thanks for giving Jenny your support!