Boston

So last night on the way to religion class Lauren asked Mark about Boston.  One of the girls in Lauren's class brought it up.  That little girl's dad ran in the Boston marathon on Monday and made it home safely, thankfully.  Lauren asked Mark if he had heard about Boston.  Lauren said "there was a bomb daddy."  Mark asked Lauren how she knew about that and found out that Abby's Dad was running the marathon.  Of course, Lauren knows that means since she is there to cheer Mark and I on at every race.  Lauren then asked Mark several questions and Mark and I have always said that if the kids ask about something we will be as honest as we can (age appropriate) and tell them what happened.  Lauren knows it was a bad guy that did it.  She knows 3 people were killed and several others were hurt (although she does not know how hurt they were.)  She also knows that the President and the police are working very hard to catch the bad guy.  

Sadly, this is the world we live in.  This is what we talk about on the way to religion class.  It is sad, it is awful, it is life.  At religion class they prayed about the event.  That is about all we can do.  

These are my thoughts.  I have thought about Boston all week.  The running community is such an amazing group of people.  I knew runners in the Boston Marathon.  Well, not personally, but I follow their running blogs and are inspired by them every day.  I spoke to a physician at the hospital yesterday that ran the marathon and finished an hour before the bombs and was away from the finish line when it happened. He is still a little shook up, but was back to work trying to go on with life.  The blogs I follow are normal people with a passion for running.  The thing about running is that everyone can do it.  Yes, everyone can do it.  You might not be as fast as the next person, but don't let that stop you.  Start slow, start small, and work your way up.  Runners are the most supportive group of people.  Running is not a competition.  Running is not about finishing first.  Running is about accomplishing things you never thought you could accomplish.  Pushing yourself longer and  harder than you ever thought you could.  And the running community is the most supportive group of people.  

Every running blog I follow has talked about Boston this week.  This has been one of my favorite finds this week.  Runners depend on spectators.  The bigger the race, the bigger the crowd, the bigger the excitement, the bigger the adrenaline rush for me...the runner:  

(as taken from Katie on Msfitrunner. An amazing mom of 3 and incredible runner.)

Some people find comfort in putting words to paper or paddling out into the ocean. Some find it strumming on an instrument or painting a picture. And then there’s some who find it lacing up and taking to the road. Running isn’t just a hobby to many, its a way of life and races are metaphors of life.

Races are filled with rolling uphills and downhills, they have plateaus so great they are filled with ultimate joy and ecstasy; and lows where exhaustion and disappointment take hold of you so strongly that at times you don’t want to go on. They are filled with winding curves that you didn’t know were coming, and unbelievable strength and achievements that you never knew you had inside yourself… 

Racing is a metaphor for life and the finish line is magic… It’s where the 8 year old girl who won her 1st race is greeted by her dad with the greatest hug she’ll ever receive. It’s where your family waits and joins you in your glory to celebrate the half marathon you used as a tool to shed over 100 pounds. It’s where the 50 year old woman who lost both breasts’ to cancers’ children are waiting patiently with tears in their eyes to embrace their mom who fought so hard to live. It’s magic to a runner because its where the people who love you most in life are waiting… 

It takes a special person to stand on a street corner for 5 hours, sometimes in the rain to only watch and cheer their loved one run by for a 1 second. It’s those people that are there for you in life, not just a race- they are there through the ups and downs, through the big hills and steep downhills-they are your support system… They aren’t just spectators, they are someone’s rock in life and that's what hurts… you don’t mess with our loved ones. Thank you to all the supporters, the spectators, and the rocks that help us through life…

Here are some of the links that really tell the story about what happened in Boston.  These are the runners.  The people who were there.  The people who experienced this tragedy first hand...minutes after it happened.  

Ali is a local Kansas City runner who ran the Boston Marathon. She is another Hospital Hill blogger who I have been following.  Her story is pretty incredible.

This runner was there. Minutes after it happened.  You can read her story here.

Sarah at Skinny Runner had this to say about her experience in Boston.

These are just a few of the blogs that have really touched me over this last week.  I find them fascinating to read.  First hand, normal people, runners completing the biggest race known.  The race that every runners works for.  The Boston Marathon.

“If you are losing faith in human nature, go out and watch a marathon” Kathrine Switzer