Race Report and Thank you.

Dear Friends and Family,

Race day was hard, but there was no way I was going to stop. I told a fellow Dana Farber runner that as he ran by me walking while I was taking in my water at 11 miles, but this was also right after we had both seen the first of at least 3 heat injuries that I passed - a girl on the side of the road, oxygen mask on and more EMT's arriving. The race folks were great, adding extra water stops and everything, but it was hot, really hot.

I'm still happy with my time though - if I had run as slow as I had expected to at 11 minute miles my time would have been 2:23, but at 5 miles I was comfortably running just under 10's and feeling like I was holding back still and looking forward to a near 2 hour run. Five more miles in the sun and rising temps later and I was still not breathing hard, but hot, hot, hot and getting little chills every now and then. So I played it smart, shifted to walk-run mode and slowed to about 11-12 minute miles to finish in 2:15.12

Thank you all who have added to my total since my last update - I hit my half way point on Sat and now am over the $2K mark and heading for the $3K finish line! Thank you - you guys are amazing! It's also not too late to donate and any amount is so appreciated. You were all there making sure that I kept moving, even when I wasn't running...the only thing missing were kids with squirt guns or a sprinkler! Who would have known we'd need that sort of thing the second weekend in October?

One last little story, I got on the T back to Back Bay and evesdropped on two fellow finishers talking about their showers and plans for lunch: they were headed to the Miracle of Science (where Nate and I had our first date) for burgers and beer and when I mentioned that little fact to them and started talking it turns out they were 2007 MIddlebury grads too! :-) They asked if I was in for the burgers, but I had a trip to Trader Joes on my agenda and I just couldn't head to the Miracle without Nate who was holding the fort at home in VT (actually building one in the living room!).

All in all a good day, made all the better by your wonderful support. Thank you again for your donations and thank you for supporting me and my run to kick cancer's butt!

All the best,

Kerry

http://www.rundanafarber.org/baahalf2011/rowgirlgoesrunning

You guys are amazing. Thank you.

It's been less than a week since I sent out my request for support for my Race Against Cancer and the response has been incredible! Per my website, I'm $63.80 away from $1000 in total donations, but including the checks I've received I'm actually $163.80 away from $1500, my half way point!

Thank you so much for your support, generosity and stories - you are all making sure that I never run alone. Every one of your stories and connections with the fight against cancer is with me when I run and helps push me both through the training for these races and, on Sunday, will get me to the finish line.

I know I can't equate Steve Jobs and my brother, but when the news that the world had lost Apple's visionary to pancreatic cancer 16 years to the day we lost Bri, it wasn't hard to think about the potential that is lost with these way too early deaths....and wonder about what Brian would have had on his iPod. Definitely a little Jimmy Hendrix, U2, and Pink Floyd. Any other songs out there that bring back smiles at the thought of someone who has fought against cancer or are your "fight" and "get your butt moving" songs? Send those titles along and I'll add them to the BAA Half list. I probably won't listen to them during the race, unless I'm desperate, but I will on the trip down and as I wait for the race to start!

Thank you again and again for all of your support!

All the best,

Kerry

http://www.rundanafarber.org/baahalf2011/rowgirlgoesrunning

Running Against Cancer - 2011 DFCI BAA Half Marathon team

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this email finds you and your family doing well. As you may know already, I am a member of the Dana Farber BAA Half Marathon team, a team of over 500 runners who are Running the Race Against Cancer at the BAA Half Marathon next weekend on October 9, 2011. When you support one of us, you supply critical funds to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) that enable the work of some of the brightest minds in science and some of the most talented clinicians to care for patients confronting cancer. Personally, I hope to raise $3000 for the DFCI on my way to running my first half marathon since my last successful Run Against Cancer as a part of the Dana Farber Marathon Challenge team at the Boston Marathon in 2009.

For myself, the fight against cancer hit our family when my younger brother, Brian, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in the fall of 1993, I lost Brian - my quiet, funny, incredibly talented and wonderful brother – two years later on Oct 5, 1995, just shy of his 18^th birthday. On October 7, 1995, I ran my first half marathon and this will be my first fall half since that year. Almost 16 years later, I still miss him terribly, but am constantly reminded of his joy in what was important: his family and friends, his home town, sports, being outdoors, and keeping a sense of humor, even through tough times.

More recently, we have lost others to this disease, Nate’s cousin’s wife, Linda to breast cancer in 2010, Nate’s Mom, Ruth, to ovarian cancer in 2009, my great aunt Mary Louise to colon cancer in 2008, not to mention those who have fought and beaten cancer or are fighting to successfully kick the butt of this disease!

I know you also have family, friends, and colleagues who have battled this disease or you have fought it yourself. There are many incredible efforts out there to support the fight against cancer, but I hope you will join me in supporting Dana Farber and the Jimmy Fund.

You can make a donation either at my BAA Half-Marathon webpage: http://www.rundanafarber.org/baahalf2011/rowgirlgoesrunning

or donate through the mail. Checks should be made out to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and sent to me at 11 Woodland Drive, Underhill, VT 05489.Thank you so much for any amount you can give and for supporting my run and the BAA Half Marathon team.

All the best from Vermont!

Kerry