Follow Me on Race Day

AT&T Athlete Alert Returns to Boston! AT&T and the Boston Marathon are proud to introduce the AT&T Athlete Alert for the 2012 Boston Marathon. Whether you want updates on top runners leading this year's race, or want to track the progress of your friends and family as they make their way from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, the AT&T Athlete Alert is the easiest way for you to stay up on the latest from the 2012 Boston Marathon.

Beginning on March 20, there will be three different ways to sign up for the AT&T Athlete Alert. Please note that you will need an athlete’s bib number to register: TEXT - Simply text the word RUNNER to 345678 using your US mobile phone. You will then receive an sms text response with instructions on how to submit a runner’s bib number. (You will be opted in to receive 4 messages during the race. Message and data rates may apply. Text STOP to cancel, Text HELP for help. This program is available on the following carriers: AT&T, Boost, Nextel, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular, and Verizon Wireless.) EMAIL - Continue to the registration page for the AT&T Athlete Alert on the race website. Sign-up using your mobile phone number for SMS text message updates, or by entering an email address for email updates. Click here to sign up now. ONSITE - If you prefer to register in person or have any questions, representatives will be available in the Bib Number Pick-Up area at the John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo on Friday, April 13, from 2:00pm-7:00pm, and on Saturday and Sunday, April 14 and 15, from 9:00am-6:00pm.

You can follow me as I run the Boston Marathon.  Follow the directions. My bib number is 21,611.  I thought  I would be starting at 9 am with the Mobility Impaired runners. They will only start those needing 6-8 hours to finish. I am too “fast” to be in that group. So I am seeded in the last wave, probably with all the charity runners and others running through special programs.

I also thought there were only six runners in the Mobility Impaired Division. Well it turns out there are 30 of us.  Last year my expected finish time of 4:51 would have put me in third place in the division. Guess we will just have to wait until race day to see how I do.

Chris Wodke

Founder & Manager Team CMT

www.run4cmt@yahoo.com

Team CMT is a group of athletes and supporters working to raise awareness and to find a cure for CMT. We have almost 100 members in 17 states. If you wish to join us visit our web site.

CMT or Charcot-Marie-Tooth is the most commonly inherited peripheral neuropathy. It affects over 155,000 Americans (as many as MS).  It is a disease of the nerves that control the muscles. It is slowly progressive, causing loss of normal function and or sensation in the lower legs/feet and arms/hands.

Symptoms include; muscle wasting in the lower legs and feet leading to foot drop, poor balance and gait problems Atrophy in the hands causes difficulty with manual dexterity.

Structural foot deformities such as high arches and hammer toes are common.

Poor tolerance for cool or cold temperatures and many people have chronically cold hands and feet.

Additional symptoms may include fatigue, sleep apnea, breathing difficulties and hearing loss.

Running, triathlons, impaired athlete, paratriathlon, USAT, running and CMT