TOMORROW: Lucky 13 Boston Marathon Run for Dana-Farber

(Repost of my annual pre-marathon email)

Dear family, friends and colleagues,

Par for the course, it’s past 9pm, and I don’t expect to be ready for bed for at least another two hours. Don’t worry – I did the same thing last year!

Welcome to my annual “night before the marathon, and I’m here to answer all your questions” email. This, like not going to bed on time, has become an annual tradition, and I’ve been pinged all day from folks asking when I was going to “send out the details.”

So, here we go: 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 orange) over a long-sleeve black shirt. Wellesley College baseball cap. Black capri running pants. For those of you on Facebook, I've posted a picture of this year's shirt.

What is my number: 22681

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: Let’s face it: I’ve been in physical therapy since New Year’s and am not expecting this to be the year I set a land-speed record. Slow and steady, hoping my foot holds up. This is what I describe as “directionally correct,” or the earliest time you will find me passing through your neighborhood

Start: 10:30am

5 miles: 11:30am

10 miles: 12:45pm

13.1 miles (halfway mark):1:15pm

15 miles: 2pm

20 miles: 3pm

25 miles: 4pm

finish: 4:15pm

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:

• The most official: www.baa.org will have an electronic monitoring system up and running tomorrow morning. Enter my number and watch me truck along.
• Sign up for text messages before 6am on Monday: to get a text message when I pass various points in the race, sign up for the AT&T Athlete alert by either texting the word RUNNER to 31901 (you will receive a response in which you’ll then be directed to enter my bib number – see above) or sign up online at http://registration.baa.org/2010/cf/RegAthleteAlert/pg_AthleteAlert.cfm?mode=preentry&snap=67012610&)
• Far more fun: Tom has set up Twitter on my Blackberry and I’ll be tweeting the entire day away, beginning when he drops me off at 6am for the Somerville Road Runner bus to Hopkinton, then out on the marathon course. Follow me at hkhagerty. For those of you not on Twitter, we’ve set up my account so that it will repost my tweets on Facebook.
• And last, but by no means least: Just call or text me ANYTIME on Monday at 617-699-6914. Seriously, please call! It totally makes my day!

How the fundraising is going: as of tonight, I have raised more than $3,000, 30% toward my twin goals of $10,000 this year and exceeding $100,000 raised throughout my soon-to-be 13 years running for Dana-Farber. 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 June and hope to reach $10,000. 100% of your contributions support vital innovative research at Dana-Farber that otherwise would not find funding.

Somerville Journal interview: Last weekend, two BU students from the College of Communication interviewed me and three other Somerville residents about our marathon runs for charity. It was published this weekend - enjoy!

http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville/features/x43859284/Boston-Marathon-Somerville-runs-for-charity

http://kellieryan.net/BostonMarathon.html

And as always, lots of hugs to my two angels, Brittany and Amber. At this afternoon’s pasta party, I was not only joined by Amber and her entire family, but also by Brittany’s sister, Brianne. I couldn’t have asked for a better kick-off to The Big Run. I’ll be thinking of both families and look forward to meeting Amber at Mile 25, where she’ll join me to finish that final mile.

Time to pack! See you at the finish line!

-H.

*******

Heather Kispert Hagerty

hkispert@alum.wellesley.edu

617.699.6914

Please support my 2010 Boston Marathon run for research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute!

http://www.racedirectors.com/H/marathon.html