Our hearts go out to Boston

Having lived in Boston, having family ties there, and having participated in the Boston Marathon multiple times (Nick as a runner and myself as a spectator) we started our Monday morning with a sense of excitement.  It was Marathon Monday!  Because Nick decided to do the Texas Half Ironman last weekend, we opted to sit the Boston Marathon out this year.  Despite this and although we live in Colorado Springs currently, we woke up feeling connected to Boston and somewhat giddy for the race.  It was Marathon Monday!  We’ve spent the past few months tracking runners like Shalane Flannagan and Kara Goucher who came to train at altitude here in the Springs (we even got to meet up with Kara’s husband at our Tuesday night running club).  We had high hopes for a U.S. women’s victory and spent the morning tracking the elite runners while at work, sneaking peeks at race updates in between patients.  (Of course, of all days, it was a perfect attendance day and all of my patients showed up…didn’t they know the Boston Marathon was today?)

Over the years I’ve come to love distance running (although I need to improve my marathon time a little to qualify for Boston) and it amazes me to watch the elite runners, their mile splits, and footage of the finish.  It’s such inspirational stuff!  Even after the elites finished, there were still a few other runners in the race that I knew and I was checking in via Twitter and Facebook.  That is when I learned about the explosions.  I was nearing the end of my lunch break and grabbed my phone to check for updates one more time before grabbing my 1pm patient (just before 3pm ET).  I was struck with utter disbelief when I saw the latest update stating:  "At 2:50pm ET 2 bombs went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon."  The world stopped for a minute…did I read that correctly?  How could someone attack runners and innocent bystanders?  How could this happen at the Boston Marathon, arguably the most prestigious of all marathons?   I immediately thought of our friends and family in Boston…were any of them at the finish when this happened, were they ok?  Thankfully they were alright.  Video footage from the news showed the blast as runners crossed the finish with 4:09:44on the clock; I ran 4:09:52 in Chicago last Oct…these were the people in my pace group.  I may not have known any of these people personally and I haven’t qualified for the Boston Marathon (yet); but this really hit home with me, those were my fellow runners…marathoners…part of my community.  I was stunned and deeply saddened.  There are many reason why I run, but one of the foremost is the community that running manifests.  This tragedy can be a reminder to celebrate your community any chance you get.  It’s a reminder to live life to the fullest and to tell the ones you love that you love them.  That night, I sent all my running buddies messages to tell them how much I love and appreciate them.  We runners are a strong community and just like the infamous Marathon parking sign states "No Stopping", there really is no stopping a group of runners...together we are strong and we will run!  These events will bring us closer, make us stronger, make us all a part of this amazing running community.  Today at work we all wore Boston gear and tonight at running club we ran for the Boston Marathon and all of the runners and spectators affected by these horrific events.  As I've continued to watch the news coverage, I was reminded of the goodness in our community and that the kindhearted people outnumber the cruel with the countless stories of heroism from first responders and good Samaritans during today's horrific events.  Hal Higdon said “The Marathon never ceases to be a race of joy, a race of wonder” and I hope that this always rings true.  I know that I’ll still be training with that goal to qualify for Boston one day.

As a previous participant, the first thing I've always thought of when someone mentions the Boston Marathon are the crowds.  During my first Boston in 2008 I was astonished by the constant cheering, signs, support, and of course, the wailing tunnel of college co-eds at Wellesley College (Hillary Clinton would be proud).  This sad event hit those spectators, those who make the marathon that special moment.  I sincerely hope that future Boston Marathons will continue to see such love from the crowds.

Runners are some of the best people you will meet.  When I think of runners I think of people who like to chat, party, volunteer, help, and improve themselves while they work their bodies to their limits.  There are few runners who do so in a depressed or secluded fashion.  This is a sport of love and that love can be shared internationally and across all human variables.  Major marathons attract individuals from around the world and an attack on an event that brings so many nations together is callous, cowardly, and hateful beyond my comprehension.  The volunteers, spectators, and runners at the Boston Marathon came together to celebrate human achievement, regardless of denomination, race, orientation, religion, or belief.  We will continue to support all events who bring humans together, and I will proudly support and participate in Boston 2014.  I hope to see you all there.  I pray for the families and individuals more intimately affected, and wish them all a healthy recovery from these sad events.