Pre-marathon prep

Hi everyone,

Tomorrow's the Big Day -- my 11th year running the Boston Marathon as a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team! Many thanks for all the emails and phone calls I've received over the past few days -- I appreciate all the karma and good luck! Feeling pretty good, a few nagging injuries and a sore throat that I hope will lay low until after the deed is done. Weather for tomorrow looks beautiful -- much better than last year when monsoon conditions were predicted!

So, my annual answers to all your spectating questions!

What I'll be wearing: at the start, likely a light blue running jacket; further along, you'll see this year's singlet (colorful as always, but this year's is mostly blue). Boston College hat this year (alas, my faithful Wellesley hat was forgotten in the back of my closet in Plymouth during a quick trip down yesterday!). Black shorts or running tights. On my website, I've added a few quick photos of my shirt, as well as some from today's Runners' Expo and the DFMC Pasta Party:http://www.racedirectors.com/H/running_photos.html

What is my number: 22456

When the race starts: there are two starts for runners. 10am for the speedsters, 10:30am for the rest of us. Nearly all of the DFMC runners are in the 22000s corral with a 10:30am start.

How will you find me out on the course: Tom and I did some back-of-the-envelope math, and the following are the *earliest* that I will arrive in five mile intervals (we're expecting me to be slightly slower, but this is close enough)

Start: 10:30am

5 miles: 11:30am

10 miles: 12:30pm

15 miles: 1:30pm

20 miles: 2:30pm

25 miles: 3:30pm

finish: 3:45pmish

If you are planning to be out on the course, your best bet to seeing me is to let me know where you'll be standing -- it's easier for me to find a spectator than it is for you to find me!

How you can monitor my progress from afar: www.baa.org will have an electronic monitoring system up and running tomorrow morning. Enter my number and watch me truck along.

Is she really taking calls again? Yes, I'm running with my cell phone! Feel free to text or email me ANYTIME on Monday at 617-699-6914. I won't return text messages, but I'll try to take/return calls (if I don't answer, it only means I don't happen to hear/feel my phone at the moment). This has worked out great in recent years to hear from family and friends all over the country -- it really makes my day!

How the fundraising is going: Very well -- I just broke $4,000 this morning and am nearly halfway to my goal. Many, many thanks to those of you who have already contributed to my run. If you have not done so and would like to, please visit my website, http://www.racedirectors.com/H/marathon.html. I'll be accepting donations through the end of May and hope to reach $8,200. 100% of your contributions support incredibly important innovative research at Dana-Farber that otherwise would not find funding -- this is the REAL reason why I run every year!

And finally, a big shout out to my two angels, Brittany and Amber. Brittany got me to the starting line back in 1998, and her memory is the wind at my back pushing me along throughout the years. Amber waits for me at Mile 25 every year and pulls me home. I couldn't do it without either one of them!

Time for bed! See you at the finish line!