One Week Later

A week ago, started out like any other Monday.  I woke up, took a shower, made coffee, and watched the first half hour of Good Morning America.  I packed my lunch and running clothes, and headed out to work hoping to be somewhat productive before 9:30.  I knew the rest of the morning I would be distracted by coverage of the Boston Marathon.  I was hoping Shalane or Kara would bring home a victory for the U.S. women.  I watched in awe as the elites from all over the world took on one of the most prestigious marathon courses I one day hope to conquer.  Once Rita Jeptoo of Kenya and Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia crossed the finish line, I went about my day as planned, tracking friends I knew on the Boston Athletic Association app.  That is until 3:45 or so in the afternoon when I checked my phone.  That is when I found out what happened at 2:50 p.m., 4 hours, 9 minutes, and 43 seconds into the Boston Marathon.  My first thought was "Are the people I know there ok?", then "Why would someone do this?"  Thanks to social media, I was able to answer one of those two questions.  The other may never be answered.

I saw this on Facebook and it pretty much sums up how I felt.

While school shootings scare me, since my mom, boyfriend, and several good friends are all teachers, this one left me feeling attacked.  I realized once I saw the time on the clock, if I were running, I probably would have been in the last 5K of the race.  My boyfriend and parents would have been waiting at the finish line or in the proximity of where the bombs were set off.  What if this happened at a race I was running?

Over the past week, I once again witnessed unity within not only the running community, but throughout the entire country.  We wore race shirts and ran together as a sign of solidarity.  Our eyes were glued to the news all day Friday anticipating the moment the Boston Police Department heroically captured one of the monsters behind these attacks.  However, one thing will always bother me.  Why does it take a tragedy to unite us?  

So here we are, one week later, still united and awaiting answers.  The Cleveland Marathon is less than a month away.  I am sure the feeling of unity will carry into that race, but how strong will it be into fall marathon season?  Life will never go back to "normal" for the victims of the Boston bombings.  There are now four empty seats at four dinner tables in Massachusetts.  On days when you feel nothing is going right, take a moment to think of all the good in your life.  Smile, and run on!