Boston Marathon 2013, My Thoughts and Prayers

I ran a race in NYC on Sunday and had hopped a flight back across the country that night.  I woke up in the morning to wish everyone I knew running Boston good luck and I was following along to see who won.  I than went out to lunch with my mom and 3-year-old.  I got a message from a friend who is overseas asking me what happened at the Boston Marathon and that there were reports of explosions?  I responded with “what”?  The next thing I got a call from another friend who was hysterical.  All of a sudden my phone, Facebook, and Twitter started having tons of messages from people making sure I was ok and that I wasn’t at Boston and offering prayers to everyone involved.

I can never understand why people do cowardly things like this to innocent people.  This is such an amazing event of  hard work and triumph.  The people running this event have worked so hard to be there and the spectators watching them are so proud.  I once read a quote that said “If you are losing faith in human nature, go and watch a marathon.”   This is so true and now today we saw those people who were running, watching and volunteering at the Boston Marathon, run towards the blast to help victims.  They pulled debris off of people.  There are good people in this world and the good will always end up overcoming the bad.

I am so proud to call myself a runner and be part of this amazing community.  I have met so many inspirational people with amazing stories of why they run.  Today, in support of everyone affected in Boston, runners are wearing a  race shirt from any running event.  This is our quiet way of saying we stand together to support one another.  We are praying for everyone involved and our hearts are breaking.

I was asked by someone if I would still run the big races after this event.  My response was, no coward/cowards can scare me away from what I love.  I have always felt safe when I run and I will continue to be aware of my surroundings.  If we stopped running a big race or attending a movie or flying on a plane whenever acts of terror have been committed than we would be hiding in our houses and these horrible cowards would win.

My husband and daughter are rarely at a finish line because it is always so crowded and they can barely see me finish.  They usually stay at the hotel and I return back to them.  Would now, as a result of this keep it that way?  Possibly?  We can’t live our lives scared though, otherwise what kind of life would we be living?  Live strong, beautiful, dream filled, proud lives to honor every person ever affected by an act of terror.

My heart is broken for all involved.  Prayers and love for everyone.